"The strategic partnership has been set to develop good practice in the domain of entrepreneurial competency-based adult learning. The idea of the project is to organize training sessions for adult educators of partner institutions during which they will share the experience of the country’s approaches to fostering entrepreneurship for families. The aim of the project is to develop collection of good practices and ideas ""How to improve the spirit of entrepreneurial activity for families"""

The strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020) set an objective to involve 15% of adult population aged 25-64 in education in 2020.One of the target groups that have difficulties becoming involved in education is adults from disadvantaged backgrounds. The aim of the project “Openness to diversity through community education” (ODEon) was to develop recommendations for involvingadults from disadvantaged backgrounds in education. The project also targeted to improve competence of adult educators and involve them in the exchange of experience.The project was developed in cooperation with three partners: the lead partner Kurzeme Planning Region (Latvia), and two other partners, namely, social theatre NUCLEO (Teatro NUCLEO) and a non-governmental organisation OPEI, Organization forPromotion of European Issues (Cyprus). The project comprised two activities, “Project Management and Implementation” and “Learning, teaching, training”. Three learning sessions were organised in the framework of these activities. Each partnerorganised one session which altogether involved 63 participants.The result of the project is the developed recommendations on involving adults from disadvantaged backgrounds in education, as well as some proposals for adult educators’ professional training. The developed results can be consulted on the EPALEplatform.The project participants have improved their pedagogical, linguistic and intercultural competences, as a result improving the capacity of organisations involved in the project development. The recommendations and proposals were submitted to the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia for their further use in policy-making.

The project COOLSKILLS- cultural heritage as a fountain of modern youth skills collects 4 partners in strategic partnership: FRDL MISTiA Kraków (Poland)- leader of the project, EDUCentrum Zu (Czech Republic)-project partner, Vidzemes Planosanas Regions (Latvia), Powiatowa i Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna im. Marii Fihel w Miechowie (Register of cultural institutions number: RIK Nr 1/00)The main aim of the project is to identified new, more effective youth education tools and best practices which connect culture and heritage education with soft skills development needful for new type of creativity in Entrepreneurial learning - entrepreneurship education and social entrepreneurship / social innovations. The project is based on innovation and exchange practices among 4 partners during 24 months. The main target group: youth staff- project coordinators, coaches ,trainers, members of boards responsible for youth work, key youth local policy makers.

"<< Background >>Becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050 is the greatest challenge of our times for the EU. In this framework, the bio-based industry plays a crucial role, with special focus on the bioeconomy in the agri-food sector. EU relies as well as a specific R&D agenda related to Bio-based products. This agenda concludes that a shift to biological raw materials and biological processing methods could save up to 2.5 billion tons of CO2 equivalents per year by 2030, increasing markets for bio-based raw materials and new consumer products Private sector is moving towards a more sustainable industry in Europe. Circular bio-society in 2050, a report from Bio-based Industries Consortium, establishes a sustainable and competitive bio-based industry in the EU enabling a circular bio-society by 2050. According to “The Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda (SIRA 2030) for a Circular Bio-based Europe Realising a future-fit circular bio-society in Europe”, the promotion of bioeconomy can create 400 000 new green jobs by 2035 in particular in rural and coastal areas. This new challenge, besides the need of technological advances, needs to rely on new professionals which can valorise the by-products and waste from the agri-food sector into new, innovative and high added value biocompounds. The Circularity Gap Report 2021 demonstrates how vocational education and training (VET) is a key mechanism to ensure a skilled workforce that can drive the circular economy transition. It brings together thinking from skills development for green economies, innovation, sustainable development and the circular economy—all means for achieving a sustainable and just society. Strengthening VET and making skills development more accessible—while also realising that skills needs will shift across different stages of the transition to a circular economy—can help speed up the adoption of new technologies that increase efficient use of natural resources and reduce waste. As governments and businesses embark on greening economies, circular economy strategies and policies can be employed. When we narrow the scope and focus on bio-economy, as part of circular strategies, we found that to achieve a circular bioeconomic society, according to the report ‘The circular bio-society in 2050’, the primary sectors, operational actors, R&I institutions and market actors cooperate with education institutions to:Exchange of needs for skills and competences for the bioeconomy Standardise bioeconomic curricula and diplomas across Europe- Recognise input from all actors in terms of practical and ‘real time’ examples into curricula, educational programmes and materials- Encourage national and European innovation contests to stimulate exemplary performance by students and start-ups- Institutionalise lifelong learning facilities and trainings that are shared by industry, government and society<< Objectives >>Byp4Dev project main objective is related to improve the development of bio-based sector through the creation of a new professional profile, the by-products and wastes valorisation in agri-food sector expert, by designing a common curriculum and a learning approach that will allow professionals from this sector to meet the needs and opportunities that bio-based labour market offers.In order to address this opportunity, this project tries to tackle the challenge through the following objectives:- To improve the development of the bio-based sector through the creation of a new professional profile, the ""by-products and wastes valorisation in agri-food sector experts"". In order to do so, Byp4Dev will design a common curriculum (based on the European standard ECVET) and a learning approach that will allow professionals from this sector to take part in the opportunities that bio-based labour market offers, as well as, to provide the industry with needed talent to develop new, innovative and high added value bio-based products. - To determine the real knowledge, capabilities and skills needed in the direct target public, as well as, the existing barriers to facilitate the learning/teaching process, creating innovative tools.- To contextualise and integrate the profile generated into the necessary profiles into the global transition process toward circular economy in the agri-food sector, supporting the teachers in its learning/teaching process.- To support the policymakers in charge of educational policies to integrate the profiles and content created into their own structure, allowing the project outcomes and the bio-based training activities will achieve long-term benefits. Through the use of innovative and collaborative methodologies (service design and lean methodologies), the project will design in a last stage, together with the main actors with competences in education and industrial areas, the pathway (through the service design tool ""blueprint""), to integrate this new expert profile into the vocational training ecosystem.<< Implementation >>Project main activities are closely related to the development of project results, together with Management activities as transnational project meetings Promotion activities:Related to Project Results, the activities to be implemented will be: - In PR1 (Methodological guideline and framework on by-products valorization in the agri-food sector) we will implement the Design process of the methodological guideline and framework on by-products valorization in the agri-food sector, using a Desk Research, a Survey and Focus Group and in the other hand, we will develop the Methodological guideline and framework on by-products valorization in the agri-food sector, as a set of recommendations to develop our expert profile and the training materials, to guide potential facilitators and companies interested in making training for agri-food and bio-based industries.- In PR2, we will design the Expert profile in by-products and wastes valorization in agri-food sector based on ECVET model to ensure the transferability of the results to educational structures, regulations around europe, and the open access of the curricula will facilitate the its access to the stakeholders map generated during the project and other national, and european networks .- In PR3, will develop the training materials, good practices, exercises, etc., structured according to the ECVET model developed previously, which will be tested in the next PR.- In PR4 an Open Educational Resource (OER) development and testing process will be implemented and tested, providing the community of agri-food professionals in the EU with open, unrestricted (and equal) access to latest available knowledge, contributing also to enhancing the quality, relevance and attractiveness of both formal and non-formal education in the field.- In PR5 a Blueprint and Policy recommendation guidelines will be developed, to ensure tha,t the activities will be related to engage a group of stakeholders, define the scope and research process to design the blueprint and then distribute it among regional policy makers.Related to Project Management, we can highlight the following activities:- Transnational Coordination - Preparation of the Project Manual - Development of Quality Management Plan (including risk management)-Implementation of management and quality measures - Organization and celebration of transnational meetings - Preparation of technical and financial reports Related to Communication and promotion activities, we have to mention- Elaboration of Dissemination & Promotion Plan, containing the development of project corporate image - Creation and maintaining of a project website, project pages and profiles on social networks - Production of digital informative materials (leaflet) and publication of articles, news and press releases Finally, we can’t forget the organization of 11 Multiplier events (6 face-to-face and 5 virtual - two in each partnership country plus one Final event in Finland) and to promote and disseminate the project results (ECVET model, training materials and innovative training tools, blueprint/roadmap, etc.) and to set an open discussion on the possibility and opportunities of the bio-based sector in the future labour market.<< Results >>The main results of this project are the following: - Methodological guideline and framework which allow us to design the Expert profile in by-products and wastes valorization in agri-food sector, as well as, to guide the future teachers/learner to integrate this profile in a global circular economy transition process in the agri-food sector, and to design the training contents and tools more adapted to the real learn characteristics of the target public.- An expert profile in by-products and wastes valorization in the agri-food sector according to the ECVET Model. This profile will facilitate the validation, recognition of knowledge, competences and skills (KCS) acquired and a better compatibility between the different vocational education and training (VET) systems in place across Europe and their qualifications.- A training course (training materials, good practices, exercises) in expert in by-products and wastes valorization in agri-food sector, directed to students, technicians, professionals, etc., with a range of materials and competences necessary for the learner to get enough skills to develop a professional work in this area.- A free and openly educational resource (OER) development and testing process which allows to test, analyse and improve the training course generated.- A Blueprint/Roadmap with policy recommendations about how the project partners and the rest of stakeholders (public and private) can promote and foster this new expert profile with the aim of supporting the bio-based sector as well as strategies to speed up the updating of professionals to this new bio-based sector."

Overall objective. To develop innovative high-quality flexible adult learning pathways for smart specialization oriented SMEs. Specific objectives:1. To identify new patterns how to cover gap of knowledgeable and skilled human resources.2. To develop high-quality flexible approaches for unlocking potential of the available human resources and their motivation.3. To foster implementation of new human resources management patterns and approaches in smart specialization oriented SMEs. 4. To encourage integration of new adult education provision approaches into human resources management patterns, including more productive cooperation between different adult education providers, prior learning recognition and guidance and counselling bodies in involved countries. Participants:1.Adult education developers and providers – professionals working in the adult education institutions and developing and providing adult education trainings and other measures (at least 18 persons, 3 per partner). 2.Human resources development specialists in smart specialization oriented SMEs (30 persons, 5 per partner). 3.Participants of stakeholders’ groups: public institutions, being responsible for education guidance and counselling, bodies recognition of the prior learning, education quality assurance; employers’ associations, trade unions, chambers of trade and commerce, adult education associations and their members (at least 240 persons).Activities: 1. Elaboration of the intellectual outputs: 1.1. Methodology for integration of AE into personnel development measures of smart specialization oriented SMEs; 1.2. Guidelines on application of the methodology.2. Transnational short-term trainings: 2.1. Training for AE experts on preparation for piloting of the methodology in SMEs; 2.2. Training of AE experts for exchange of experiences and lessons learnt during the piloting of the methodology; 2.3. Training for AE experts, SMEs on application of the methodology. 3. Multiplier events (6 in total, at least 240 participants at the total). 4. Management and coordination, including communication and dissemination. Expected results and impactThe project aims to develop innovative high-quality flexible adult learning pathways for smart specialization oriented SMEs, and it is foreseen to be the main intangible result. The tangible results are intellectual outputs: 1. Methodology for integration of AE into personnel development measures of smart specialization oriented SMEs. 2. Guidelines on application of the methodology.Potential longer term benefitsThe methodology and the guidelines have potential to be integrated in the adult education praxis and applied further by partners, other AE institutions, as well used by smart specialization oriented SMEs and other stakeholders. Innovative intellectual outputs will empower adult education providers will knowledge and skills, helping them to develop tailor made adult education approaches and content, thus having positive impact on adult education quality in a longer term. Smart specialization oriented SMEs will obtain knowledge and skills helping them to manage human resources availability and quality, to attract and upskill local people available and achievable considering realistic socio-economic and demographic situation. Better HR management will support and promote economic activities of the SMEs, who will manage HRs by applying the developed methodology. Other stakeholders will use the knowledge for improvement of existing approaches and/or transformation into new initiatives. In a long term perspective beneficiaries will be also regions’ less advantaged social groups: low skilled persons, young people, persons in age 50+, as new pathways will increase their possibilities to upskill, find jobs and become active participants of the economy. Methodology to be used in carrying out the project:Activities and tasks are planned and will be implemented in a way they support achievement of the objectives.Size and scope of the each activity group has been planned it ensures appropriate time for addressing and involvement of the target groups and stakeholders, provision of activities, gathering data and information, and elaboration of the main results - intellectual outputs. Sequence and timing of the activities are structured in a way results of implemented activities provide and ensure smooth implementation of the further activities. Partnership is ensuring all necessary knowledge, skills and competencies, which, mutually exchanged and shared will support partners in achievement of the objectives.