A revolution in energy generation is happening. The days when millions of people’s electricity needs were met by a handful of large coal, nuclear and gas-fired power stations are waning.A microgrid refers to a system of electrical generation sources, like solar and wind, coupled with energy storage that can provide energy to buildings, campuses, and telecommunication systems. Microgrids can be connected to the existing electric grid or can function independently in case of emergencies. The large scale deployment of microgrids and energy storage will require a new approach to how electricity is generated and managed and will include the increased use of batteries and other forms of energy storage. The intelligent microgrid is based on big data and digitalization technology, and it provides the user to send/sell energy to the electrical grid. This empowers the user, becoming this in an active element of the electrical process. Regarding the significance the microgrids are taking, it is important to train the future workers of this technology. Nowadays there is not a big offer of training programs for the future employees; on the one hand, because this is a relatively young technology, and on the other hand, because the trainers themselves are not completely prepared due to a lack of knowledge.Taking all this into account, the aim of this project is to create new training contents related with microgrids, this new energy spectra based on renewable energies on a global basis. This will generate new systems of generation, distribution and consumption of energy, changing the electrical installations we have nowadays into new ones. This electrical-revolution will require at least three main professional profiles related to three main fields: design, management and maintenance. The different operations that would need to be carried out in the microgrids will request not just a technician as we have nowadays, but the future workers will need to have the knowledge of different fields such as telecommunications, electronics, electricity, informatics, …)The MICRO GRIDS project aims to address higher education trainers/teachers and students, and in a second level, companies related to renewable energies and new technologies. The partners of this project have already had contact with different companies that have shown interest in the training of future workers in this field.In order to achieve these goals, 4 partners from three different European countries (Spain, UK and Netherland) joined forces to create an effective way of developing training material to help trainees acquire knowledge and skills on the microgrids technologies and help the teachers transmit their knowledge by using different resources and activities/challenges developed by the consortium. The partners represent 4 different Higher Education institutions starting to work in the world of microgrids and interested on developing training material to answer to the needs of the companies surrounding them and to improve the employability level of their students. The objectives of the project are, therefore:- To provide Higher Education trainees and teachers with knowledge and resources on microgrids demanded by companies - Develop a definition of a curriculum for future workers in the field of Micro-Grids in order to give a better answer to the current demands of companies - The creation of a Training Course for future workers in the field of Micro-Grids- The Development of the MICRO GRIDS Trainers’ Handbook in order to offer resources to the teachers when training their students in the microgrids technology- Enhance the connection between Higher Education centers and companies, enhancing the link between education-business and to focus the training Higher Education centers provide on the needs of the companies- Facilitate the transparency among the different Higher Education systems in the European Union by the joint design of a training course on transversal competences for the future workersThe methodology that will be used during the implementation of MICRO GRIDS is the continuous cooperation with companies and experts on the field. Companies will be involved in the project to give us a first-hand view of the skills they are looking for in their future employees, being this essential for the development of a training course valid for the students to become the perfect candidates in a close future.Expected results and long term benefits:- The acquisition of new technological knowledge and competences by Higher Education students and teachers - The improvement of the employability level of the trainees- Better alignment between Higher Education provision and the needs of companies - The definition of new ways of cooperation between Higher Education centres and companies by providing added value services beyond traditional training.

1. The overall aim of this project will be to develop and test a new 'Skills Escalator' model and approach to the development of the skills and competencies of front line health and social care staff working with elderly people living with dementia, using innovative digital technologies and methodologies. The project will include a strong emphasis on workplace learning and mentoring as well as the development of a range of flexible online and blended learning resources and content accessible through a wide range of means including PCs, tablets and smartphones. 2. The context and need for the project were identified through background research by the partners and their practical experience of working together on related EU and other projects focusing on the needs of elderly people living with dementia. Within the EU rapid growth is forecast in the elderly population and in their health and support needs and the numbers living with dementia are forecast to grow from 9.6 million in 2016 to 15 million by 2035 (OECD / European Commission estimates). This is resulting in growing labour and skills shortages in the care sector with care providers often having to recruit staff who lack the qualifications and experience required to work with a client group with complex needs. 3. The project is led by the R & D Centre Linkoping from Sweden and includes 4 other partners, Dundee and Angus College from Scotland UK, Somorrostro Training Centre from the Basque Country in Spain, Zemgale Planning Region from Latvia and TTC Ilfov from Romania. A transnational approach is needed because of the urgent need to upgrade the skills of care staff working with the ultimate target group in all the partner countries, and the added value that will result from the exchange of knowledge and expertise and joint development and testing of innovative approaches between the partners to address this issue.4. The objectives and main activities of the project will be;(i) To prepare a Baseline Study which will focus on the care services provided in each region, staff and skills shortages particularly among care / nursing assistants, and existing training provision.(ii) Establishing a Knowledge Triangle within each region through stakeholder forums bringing together employers / care providers, municipalities / policy makers/researchers and VET providers to provide an ongoing 'knowledge loop' of input and feedback.(iii) Developing a dedicated Skills Escalator transnational learning and knowledge platform providing flexible access to learning opportunities for both existing and potential care staff.(iv) Developing an online / blended dementia care learning programme for front line care and nursing staff in both specialist dementia care and generic key employability skills which can be tailored to individual learner needs.(v) Piloting the platform, learning programme and learning resources with care staff in each of the partner regions.(vi) Developing a Skills Escalator Toolkit which will include guidance for care providers seeking to implement the model. (vii) Producing a Final Innovation Report and organising national / transnational mainstreaming and dissemination programmes.5. The main results and impacts of the project will be;- Development of a delivery model and package of tools and resources which will provide a powerful and accessible vehicle for developing the skills and competencies of care staff with low / no qualifications and enhancing the quality of care for elderly people living with dementia.- Directly developing the skills, competencies and qualifications of 150 learners in the partner regions who will participate in the piloting.- Exploitation of the outputs / products through the project's mainstreaming and dissemination activities, 1,200 people will participate in launch and dissemination events and a further 1,500 will benefit through stakeholder forums, presentations, network meetings etc.6. The EU exploitation potential of the model, methodology and products is considerable and the partners will make full use of their own transnational networks as well as EPALE, and the Erasmus Plus Results Platform to maximise usage and take up.

When it comes to new innovations and educational technology, virtual reality (VR) is a rather new innovation for vocational education and training. So far just a handful of innovative teachers are experimenting it's use, seeing the potential of VR as the new renaissance. VR has potential to a wide range of students, such as students with special needs. VR will also have a major impact on the collaborative relationships between companies and educational institutions, also at a broader international level. VR has an unlimited capacity of virtual classrooms, the ability to share multiple experiences in 'real life' -kind of simulation. VR facilitates access to school for students living in remote communities, and allows students to choose topics based on interest and specialize in the areas in which they excel. VR in education can replace textbooks with interactive educational experiences. For materials such as math, crafts, and the general ability to communicate, this medium could prove to be much more suitable than printed books or even today's audio-video materials. Many possibilities are yet to be explored, and this is where the project steps in! The objective of this project is to use VR -environments Altspace and GLUE to create international meeting points and places to teach, learn, co-create and share with peers, colleagues, teachers, students, experts, visitors, companies. VR will not only enhance digitalization strategies of the partners, but internationalization and networking as well.The main target group are teachers in vocational education and training, especially math teachers, language/communication teachers, and teachers in electricity, for whom pedagogical models with will be developed and piloted. Another target group are students, who will be taught in motivating, exciting and fun VR -learning environments and -communities. A third target group are VET-teachers in urgent need of solutions for online and blended learning, the need brought upon us all by covid. Partners will present a set of minimum 10 best practices of online and blended learning -solutions. Presentations will be held in scheduled VR-events, and participants are supported by FIRST STEP -tutorials to enter into VR. On top of this, supporting partners and companies are invited to hold expert lectures on recent VR-developments, and partners are invited to share their VR-experiences from other sectors outside the project’s scope - such as automobile, forestry, or social and health care. These examples will provide more examples on the use of VR in teaching and learning.Finally, new energy, new ideas, new company co-operation, new ways of finding solutions, new partner and teacher networks, possibly new trainee places for students, more in-house internationalisation, and what else more will be the untangible results of this project. All of it will be presented via a website and social media channels, as well as in MURROS-event by Keuda, and in EfVET -conference, as well as via several professional networks - so please do follow us and get inspired!

Fast technological developments and the rapid uptake of digital technologies is changing the structure of traditional industries in the EU, pushing towards the so-called Advanced Manufacturing and the 4th Industrial Revolution (or Industry 4.0). Several common gaps at EU level have been identified in the engineering related qualifications at EQF5 level which include Engineering studies at University Level and Technical Engineering studies at Higher Vocational Level. These gaps relate to engineering processes, product design and general design for the manufacturing automotive industry. The aim of the project has been to develop professional and specialization skills, thus ensuring a transition from a general academic model to the application of knowledge for the development of key processes in a reference sector. A bridge is built for the transition from high scientific and technological knowledge to necessary and important specialized industrial skills. In this context, the project UPenAUTO aims at building a strategic cooperation at EU level between industry, education and research actors engaged in the review of competences and skills offered in Higher Education proposing modular and flexible training itineraries for engineering related graduates, based on specific profiles needed by the EU automotive industry, and promoting the uptake of Dual/alternate international training schemes in the automotive sector for boosting employability and securing talent within the EU. The specific objectives were the following: ->To respond to skills mismatches in the automotive sector by covering an existing training gap in the field of automotive engineering and design. ->Set up of a new EU Framework for new sectoral qualifications for the automotive industry that will contribute to the modernization of the European HE. ->Develop new EQF level 5 curricula for the smart specialization of engineering graduates. ->Boosting employability in the automotive sector through the uptake of Dual/alternate education systems alternating theoretical courses with work-based learning, “strengthening the relevance of graduates´opportunities to start their professional life based on their education” as stated in the Bologna process. ->Allow the connection between HE and research in terms of contribution of HE to the education and training of future workers devoted to innovation activities. ->Make STEM education relevant and attractive. ->Influence EU-level education and training policies and tools to ensure recognition, validation and increase international labour mobility. ->Encourage the use of skills and growth projections in course design, delivery and evaluation, as set in the recommendation Modernisation of Europe´s Higher Education Institutions.

"Memory Media explored health and social care issues in a consortium of five partners: Dundee and Angus College and Forth Valley College (UK), Centro de Formación Somorrostro (Spain), FoU Centrum, Linköpings Kommun (Sweden) and Gannan Medical University, China. This international partnership aimed to enhance the attractiveness of HE courses in Europe by looking outside of Europe to one of the strongest economies in the world and how they assign resources to the care of older people. Creating an opportunity for convergence of two different cultural approaches (East meeting West) brought benefits to partners’ HE curricula. The project idea arose from research findings that approaches which use art/multi-media are having an impact in dementia care. Cognitive stimulation is a recommended evidence-based intervention for people living with dementia. People with mild-to-moderate dementia should be offered the opportunity to participate in cognitive stimulation activities including informal stimulation through recreational activities and/or more formally via structured programmes which aim to provide stimulating activities based on psychological theories of cognition. Activities can be carried out by health professionals, carers or relatives in a variety of settings. The project undertook comparative research and created new practical and theory-based teaching materials to teach students in HEIs how East and Western approaches work in different ways. The project used techniques from digital media to create a stimulating ""memory box"" app that can be used in health and social care and/or community settings. Outputs include a project website, research findings, teaching and learning material and a series of peer teaching course-plans. The project achieved this through reaching five objectives: 1) To work with a transnational consortium (Europe and China) to create new learning resources for HE learners which adopt innovative approaches to care for people living with dementia. 2) To promote cross cultural learning and better understand how Eastern and Western approaches can converge to create workable practical solutions. 3) To develop teachers’/trainers’ competences to ensure they have the necessary knowledge and skills to use the resources with their HE learners. 4) To draw on existing research from Europe and China to explore a common way forward that meets the changing needs of government health and social care policies and the shift from institutional care to home care from the West, and the growing need for institutional care from the East. 5) To lay the foundations for a Capacity Building in Higher Education Project in the pipeline by building a strong strategic partnership to inform this future development. 247 learners and 93 teachers (higher than the expected 48 learners and 12 teachers) evaluated the resources. Teachers & learners then came together in peer learning events to exchange ideas and carry out practical learning to ensure participation and deep & long-lasting impacts. Those directly involved experienced positive impacts, personally & professionally (e.g. increased motivation, job satisfaction, development of intercultural skills) & a sense of achievement. They gained a more positive attitude towards the EU, and a better understanding of skills levels in other countries. The project brought benefits primarily to students and teachers but also to health and social care professionals who gained valuable new resources for use in practical care settings."