The IRIS project supports the Lighthouse cities of Utrecht (NL), Göteborg (SE) and Nice Côte d’Azur (FR) and their Follower cities Vaasa (FI), Alexandroupolis (GR), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (ES), and Focsani (RO) to address their urgent need to deliver energy and mobility services in their cities that are cheaper, better accessible, reliable, and that contribute to a better and more sustainable urban quality of life. By demonstrating smart solutions that integrate energy, mobility and ict, rooted in a City Innovation Platform, IRIS quantifies their value, and connects interests of many different stakeholders in innovative business models, allowing for upscale and replication of integrated solutions for sustainable cities across Europe and world-wide. To achieve this, IRIS works along five Transition Tracks based on common challenges, encompassing 16 integrated solutions that cities can mix and match according to their characteristics and district specific needs. Track 1, 2 and 3 enhance energy efficiency and utilize grid flexibility by balancing supply and demand dynamically and by 2nd life battery and V2G storage, to allow increase of renewable energy production and roll-out of e-cars and e-buses. Track 4 supports this by data sharing, a common architecture, use of standards, and governance practices accelerating innovation, standardisation and implementation of affordable smart applications. Track 5 integrates interdisciplinary citizen engagement and co-creation in Tracks 1 to 4, connecting the needs of end-users with those of other stakeholders, in further support of innovative business models. The expected impacts of IRIS are an open innovation ecosystem motivating citizens to act as prosumers; more effective urban planning and governance of integrated solutions; exploitation of validated innovative business models based on multi-stakeholder collaboration; more stable, secure and affordable energy and mobility services for citizens, with improved air quality.

EURICT stands for European information, communication and technology. It is a cooperation between three vocational schools in Gdynia (Poland), Kiel (Germany) and Vaasa (Finland). The schools (ZESPÓŁ SZKÓŁ CHŁODNICZYCH I ELEKTRONICZNYCH, Gdynia; RBZ TECHNIK, Kiel; VAMIA, Vaasa) have collaborated before, so we able to build on prior experiences of working together.Our work revolved around the goal of all schools working collaboratively on technologically challenging projects dealing with remote controlling and automatization. The students had to work interdisciplinary and internationally to reach their goals. Thus, the project helped developing the students’ and teachers’ professional, didactic, methodological and social competences. It also helped furthering European concepts and ideals.The students involved take part in full- or part-time vocational training programs in the fields of electrical engineering, mechatronics or ICT.Refugee and migrant students were temporarily actively involved in the project work and were part of our target demographic in order to interest these minority student groups in technological subjects, technological professions and trans-national cooperation. At the same time we sought to heighten our main participants’ awareness and compassion for migrant students’ biographies and to counteract impulses of xenophobia and general reservation.Another goal of EURICT was to raise the overall interest level and participation of young women in technology and technological professions.Furthermore, EURICT aimed at offering participants the opportunity to gain confidence in using and improving their English skills in a variety of quite natural professional settings, when organizing group efforts, discussing technical challenges and learning about the differences and similarities in vocational education and student life. English was the main language of the project and we were able to successfully boost our students’ language skills and their confidence in those abilities.Because of the project, the students had the opportunity to learn about and discuss the (vocational) educational system and the job opportunities in the partner countries and got a first-hand experience of Europa as a culturally rich realm of possibilities. To encourage these discussions and aspects we organized visits of major local companies and businesses.Generally, European ideals and amicable cooperation were promoted through our collaborative work which led to strong relations between students, the schools and the respective communities.The project was divided into three parts or rounds. In each round different student groups from the three partner countries worked on transnational projects together. All in all, we had nine transnational meetings which were defined by a cycle of planning, implementing and presenting our projects. Within each round all three countries were hosts to the other groups. The student groups reached their specific project goals and produced a remote controlled vessel, various ways of monitoring and controlling moving-head lighting equipment and different variations of gaming consoles.Apart from the aforementioned abstract and specific project goals, EURICT helped to strengthen and better the vocational education at the partner schools. The various technical projects were incorporated into class subjects and teachers were able to further work on their didactic and cooperative competences. Through presenting our project work at school, in our partner companies and to the general public we were also able to further heighten and specify our school profiles and to be a part in spreading European ideals and values.

"Project ""IMPROVING CHILDREN' LEARNING OUTCOMES AND WELL BEING"" - ICLO CONTEXTStudents' learning outcomes had been weakening constantly in all the project participating countries before and during ICLO project (2018-2021). At the same time also students' school motivation had been decreasing and students' challenges had been growing constantly. Our target was creating new ways of operating, with what we could improve children's well-being and school motivation. We also created indicators with which we could view the improvement of children's well-being better and better predict future challenges. The indicator work continued after the project. MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE ICLO-PROJECT WERE TEACHING with two objectives: * Increasing student’s motivation * Improving learning outcomes and WELL-BEING with three objectives: * Promoting children’s well-being * Supporting disadvantaged children and * Developing multi-disciplinary co-operation The first project year ICLO partner groups were divided in 5 above mentioned target teams. During the year Control Group noticed that to reach the main two objectives, we needed to divide the whole group only in two teams: Learning (teaching) and Well-being. SUB OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT WERE 1. Teachers learn to confront students genuinely and caring. 2. Teachers get interested in using new motivating teaching methods. 3. Headmasters know better how to motivate, encourage and support teachers in their work 4. Directors of education and headmasters plan new co-operation methods together with those multi-professional people working with our students and their families 5. New methods produced during our project ensure that the disadvantage children get better support WORKING STRUCTURE WAS Work was done by auditing every partner's school system during and between the project weeks. 1. Starting query according project’s objectives. You find the preview of the query in the attachment ""Audition; Starting query"" 2. Preliminary analysis of the collected material. 3. Field phase; objective groups explore the schools according their objective 4. Documentation and analysis of the collected field material 5. The group discusses about the school’s situation with the host 6. Recognizing and reporting of the key strengths and challenges 7. Setting up improvement targets, follow up acts and monitoring ways We achieved the objective by approaching it from three point of views: child's, teacher's or adult's and headmaster's or organization's point of view. Every point of view was opened four ways: a) challenge, b) target, c) act and d) indicator The diagram of the objectives and the working method was presented in the attachment ""ICLO objectives and audit working method"". The project was planned with our partners: Mr. William Griffiths, headmaster and director of 11 schools in Leicester, UK, Mr. Antonio Manday, headmaster from Rota, Spain, Mrs. Johanna Olsson, headmaster and director of 7 schools in Vaasa, Finland and Mr. Juha-Pekka Lehmus, director of education and the coordinator of this project, in Raisio Finland (Mr Lehmus started to work in the city of Lohja August 2020 and Mrs Leena Laakso continued Lehmus' work as the coordinator city representative) and the University of Turku and the faculty of education and associate professor Marjaana Veermans. PROJECT ACTIVITIES We developed new modes of operations according to the objectives of the project. We audited the hosting partner city's schooling. We developed indicators for describing children' well-being. Project week's structure consisted exploring local schools and social child services. PRODUCTS OF THE PROJECT 1. Headmaster coaching program for better leadership. Headmaster coaching continued in Finland after ICLO. 2. New and shared modes of operation for schools and multi-disciplinary people. Especially this would have needed more time without Covid19 to be a successful product. 3. New and effective patterns for school and multi-disciplinary co-operation. Covid19 spoiled this product, but the work continued after ICLO. 4. Relevant indicators for evaluating the improvement of students' motivation, resilience, attitude and well-being both nationally and internationally. The Wagtail-, Tern- and Sea Eagle-models were big successes used in basic education. 5. Project produces large collection of materials for scientific research. Scientific research was done in Vaasa. DISSEMINATION OF THE RESULTS Control Group members were in charge in disseminating the good and relevant results right after they appear. ICLO products were used when disseminating the good results by the end of the project. Because we could not go through the original plan, but the ICLO publication (attached) combines all the good ideas we got during the project."

<< Background >>The ongoing changes in VET are demanding different kinds of support mechanisms for teaching staff globally. Mostly this concerns implementing new pedagogies, curricula and use of new technologies. Unfortunately, this is not always possible due to the scale and speed of the labour market changes, and therefore VET providers are often left ashore when struggling with the future oriented changes. (UNESCO-UNEVOC 2020.) Teachers also need digital competences to integrate digital technologies in education and support the acquisition of students’ digital competence (Caena & Redecker 2019). COVID-19 has affected all levels of education system including VET. It forced the VET colleges to accelerate their digitalization to its extreme, which caused new challenges for digital resilience and capacity. Unfortunately, some teachers, study fields and teams were not ready to respond these challenges. This project aims to increase the resilience and capacity through digital readiness of teachers. Technology poses a significant challenge to VET systems, requiring them to be able to respond more quickly than ever before to changes in the labour market. Technological change means skills become outdated more quickly than in the past and that new skills in new jobs emerge with unprecedented speed. Upskilling and reskilling of adults to meet these needs become critical. The digital transformation has integrated digital technology into all areas of business, learning and leisure time. It’s also a cultural change that requires VET colleges continually challenge their technological and pedagogical status quo. To meet these challenges this project aims at helping teachers to use technology in new and innovative ways to support students’ learning. At the same time, we explore possibilities to find new pedagogical ways to tackle 21st century challenges, promote peer learning across education systems transnationally and catalyse the development of transversal competencies like problem solving, collaboration and creativity. The common theme in this project is inclusion with the aim that digital teaching methods should be accessible for all students despite their age, background or ability. The needed elements of inclusion should be included into teaching methods, virtual material created and its presentation. This will mitigate the effects of this crisis on the VET and promote sustainable methods and approaches giving additional value to the project. Even before the crisis, the social and economic integration of young people was an ongoing challenge. Many students experienced school closures, yet not all were able to transfer into online and distance learning. Majority of young people reported having learnt less since the pandemic. They believed and feared their education would delay, suffer and might even fail. (ILO 2020.) This project reflects and takes into consideration the already surfaced implications from the year 2020. Some queries and research have already been done and it is elementary for this project that the partners compare the already taken measures in the field of digital learning innovations and sharing experience in order to learn from each other. Young people today are more connected than ever, using the Internet for gaming, chatting and social networking. Yet, they might not be very competent in the use of diverse digital tools in other contexts than the afore mentioned. Elderly people on the other hand might be very anti-digital in their everyday activities.Another issue we need to deal with is that the physical mobilities have been on hold for over a year and that the re-implementation of them requires new ways of thinking and new approaches to utilize online tools to complement the results derived from them.<< Objectives >>The common theme in this project is inclusion with the aim that digital teaching methods should be accessible for all students despite their age, background or ability. The needed elements of inclusion should be included into teaching methods, virtual material created and its presentation. This will mitigate the effects of this crisis on the VET and promote sustainable methods and approaches giving additional value to the project. The research results described above on the consequences of the crises in relation to inclusion form the basis of the thematic approach in this project. The project aims to tackle the challenges of inclusion and equity in virtual teaching and learning environments. This project provides teachers a virtual space for sharing information on inclusive teaching methods.The overall objective of this project is to bring European VET teachers together online to experiment, create and share virtual and digital experiences and practices. Teachers have only too few possibilities to share their thoughts and doubts with national and international peers, especially in the present era of restrictions.The primary aim of this project is to offer teachers in VET from different disciplines across Europe a chance to co-create and co-experiment innovative practices when developing digital learning and teaching material that develop the students’ vocational skills and key competences for lifelong learning. The common theme is inclusion with the aim that digital teaching methods should be accessible for all students despite their age, background or ability.Another aim is to foster and increase the confidence and wellbeing of VET teachers and to help them share their doubts and concerns by experimenting new possibilities together with peers. The new possibilities being the full potential use of commonly existing software and to introduce them to new ones in cooperation with the project partners and the associated partners based on good practices and new innovations.This project also aims at helping teachers to use technology in new and innovative ways to support all students’ learning. At the same time, we explore possibilities to find new pedagogical ways to tackle 21st century challenges, promote peer learning across education systems transnationally and catalyse the development of indispensable transversal competencies (i.e. problem solving, collaboration and creativity). Together with the development of VET teachers’ digital competences the aim is to develop and pilot a new approach to hybrid mobilities in VET.<< Implementation >>There are going to be several activities during the project’s lifetime. The partnership will have two face-to-face meetings complemented with monthly online meetings all through the project period excluding summer holiday periods.The partnership foresees to organise three learning, teaching, training activities to promote and test the creation of the two project results: model for innovative hybrid mobilities and virtual teachers’ lounge to promote the development of teachers’ digital competencies.At the end phase of the project period, there are going to be a series of online and physical multiplier events organised in the partner countries.After each face-to-face meeting and workshop (LTT) feedback will be asked from the participants to further develop the activities. Another feedback procedure concerns the online meetings, which will be monitored regularly (every four months or when needed) via feedback questionnaires.A Steering Group to monitor the project’s progress and achievements and above all the quality issues of the project will be established in the beginning of the project period. Each partner organisation will choose a representative to the Steering Group.<< Results >>The project promotes the production, experimentation and sharing of new approaches/training methods in digital and virtual innovation. Through exchanging best practices, training and creative activities, the role of digitalisation will be enhanced as a means of improving the possibilities for growth for both students and teachers, widening their choices in private and professional life, improving the access to the labour market and renewing educational systems. Strengthening digital skills, using new technologies and constructing new methods for learning, represents a new challenge for educational systems, especially in VET. According to the Eurostat research from 2019 there is a big variety of accessing broadband connection across the EU depending on the incomes of the households and there are many low-income homes still with no access to computers. Based on this, the project complements the European Commission’s Digital Education Action Plan’s both priorities (Fostering the development of a high-performing digital education ecosystem and Enhancing digital skills and competences for the digital transformation).All actions and outcomes will be implemented within the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu) and we foresee that they complement all six competence areas introduced in the framework.The project contributes to promote future and transferable skills, providing:- an overall framework on digital innovation- methodologies and best practices on active learning processes- new methodological approaches- quality relationships among teachers, students and labour market- strengthening the profiles of the teaching profession- possibilities to virtual internationalisation without travelling abroadIn this project a teachers’ virtual room and a model for hybrid mobility for Erasmus+ KA1 projects are created. The aim is to offer a platform for co-experimenting virtually, thus promoting the importance of sharing knowledge and expertise and spreading ideas between different disciplines. This project seeks to improve teachers’ digital competences by joining them in virtual rooms to enable the exchange of good practices. Hybrid mobility is one key element of the new Erasmus+ programme. It expands internationalization for a larger group of students and gives them 21st century skills through communicating digitally.The concrete project objectives are to1. establish a virtual and simulated learning environment with accompanying online material for learners and trainers2. adapt training contents and methods according to the requirements of virtual learning4. refine the results of the pilots in the first phase of the project6. inform the target audiences and the broad public through a variety of media.

The overall purpose of this project is to promote cooperation between all stakeholders in different parts the battery and electromobility value chain, to analyse what is happening in the sector related to skills agenda, and to develop a sectoral skills strategy and blueprint for sectoral stakeholders, including education and training in and for the sector.The Steering board oversees the work, evaluates, supports and if needed directs its development within the framework of the contract. ALBATTS Steering board is led by the ALBATTS partner ACEA and have influential and centrally placed members as EIT Innoenergy, EIT Raw Materials, EUROBAT, the Stuttgart region and the BATTERY 2030+ Research Roadmap project umbrella.The ALBATTS project works with two core and interdependent development processes. Three WPs (3,4,5) are focusing on “Sectoral Intelligence”, to find out what is happening in the whole battery value chain; stakeholders, drivers of change, technologies, attractiveness of the sector, global context, emerging skills, and competence and new job roles needs and offer.One WP, WP6 Education and Training, is continuously taking part of the sectoral intelligence results for analysis and planning of their work. This is done to address these emerging job roles and skills needs, identify gaps in present education offerings, formulate curricular items as learning objectives, produce or in other way address missing learning material. Besides, and to the support of these lines of action from the project work, there is also an ambitious and modern dissemination activity (WP2). The dissemination has two main strands - the sharing and shouting of activities, initiatives and results from the partnership, and the scan of related projects, initiatives or designed strategies and policies at national and European levels. These allow the creation of news, publications, and posts on the project website and media channels, to raise awareness from the e-mobility ecosystem inside and outside the partnership and to all relevant stakeholders. Dissemination is a collective effort which facilitates the promotion of results, related campaigns and organisation of events. The project develops mainly along the contract and work plan, although some adjustment to meeting plans and similar has been made due to the raging pandemic that has affected the work since March 2020. The project has reached out well with dissemination and networking activities and is today well placed and known in the context of other European organisations, projects and initiatives (concerning batteries and electromobility). The ALBATTS project has shown to be the only project which has on its main agenda to develop Vocational Education and Training (VET) for the value chain, while other projects mostly work with education as a part of their projects, and focuses on higher levels of education. ALBATTS is also a vital part of the recently formed ecology within the Pact for Skills. The value chain we are working with is developing and changing fast, both globally and in Europe.