This project tried to transfer the ideas and knowledge on sustainability through information, education and training to students, schools, employers, employees and other stakeholders in the Hair and Beauty sector to provide insight into sustainability: Health & Safety, environment, equipment and entrepreneur skills.The hairdressing sector in Europe employs more than one million people across 400.000 hairdressing salons, receiving 350 million potential customers. The H&B often has more affinity with knowledge about their profession than with other aspects of the business. Attention to labour, health & safety, environment, marketing, service and services are crucial for successful entrepreneurship. The aim of this project was to develop innovative ways of learning about sustainability and to promote sustainability in schools and companies in the sector. The educational products we have generated, which are matching the goals, includes workshops on sustainability and innovation, teaching materials for schools and extracurricular education about sustainability in the 'green' salon (3 learning modules, on sustainability and entrepreneurial skills), a study of sustainability in the sector in Europe, a diagnostic scan for businesses and schools, a roadmap for introducing sustainability in the salon, a physical sustainability game for use in schools, companies and other educational purposes, an internet awareness game about sustainability, a scan on strategy, a final sector conference and student participation, with the aim of developing a magazine on sustainability in the H&B sector and a demo of sustainable hair creations. We also communicated on the results through a brochure, articles and press releases, meetings with stakeholders: social partners, educational institutes etc., a project website and the final conference in Amsterdam. By informing students, teachers and policy makers, we wanted to take steps towards more sustainability. Vocational education is in close contact with the companies in the local community and can open doors to changes in the industry. Therefore, activities were organized with students, workers and employers in the partner countries. Several classes with students and teachers are actively involved in the activities in each country. Through this project we want to demonstrate that -in Europe- we need to act sustainably in the sector in a striking way.We gathered facts through research on sustainable developments in the participating countries, aspects of management systems with a focus on health & safety and environment, the desired situation in a sustainable salon (possible core of a simple certification system), competences needed to reach this situation and research on a diagnostic scan to map the current situation on sustainability in a school or salon. The outcomes of the research were discussed with experts and the results were input for developing the scan, the internet awareness game, the learning material in 3 modules and a final sector conference with student participation along the project. Using the competences of the different partners, their network, the experts, entrepreneurs in the sector and the teachers and students in the conferences and at home in the schools, we combined knowledge and perseverance to finalize the task in a good way.Long term benefitsThe effect of working sustainable in a ‘Green salon’ bottom line, is reducing risks and having more pleasure and satisfaction on the work spot. Sustainability creates less problems with health & safety, less environmental damage, less waste and a better and healthier use of materials and resources, a more controlled use of energy and water, more sustainable choices in investing in equipment and a higher level of customer experience and employee satisfaction. This all has to be managed by an entrepreneur or self-employed H&B specialist with the right skills. Through the project we have created awareness on the risks on the health & safety and the environmental issues. In the contacts with other schools, Coiffure.eu (the international hairdressers association), the social dialog between social partners and the EU, regional entrepreneurs (organizations) the outputs have been spread. A more sustainable way of working in the salons can have a good start with education and training in regular VET and non-formal education accessible to people who are already working in the sector. Also the partners have contacted entrepreneurs and suppliers with the developed information.PartnersES-El Palo – Malaga, VET school: Hair & BeautyDK-Aarhus Tech, VET school: hairdressing department FR-IGS Lyon, VET & HE school: experienced in development of ICT games and entrepreneurial toolsUK- Bridgewater College, VET school: hairdressing departmentNL- ROC Amsterdam, VET school: hairdressing departmentNL-Stivako – VET school: entrepreneurial skills and sustainability in the creative industry

“Energy transition,” the transformation of how energy is produced and consumed, has emerged in Europe from the conviction that in order to address existing climate challenges we must both reduce energy consumption and replace fossil fuels with renewable energies. Challenges in engineering and ICT are increasingly entering the domain of energy transition. The primary challenge is to accommodate energy transition in the existing electrical power system. Available technologies are e.g. nuclear fuel (uranium) and the renewable energy sources wind, hydropower, solar power, geothermal, and hydro energy. Energy transition requires innovation in business and industry, developing new technologies and products. This will have an impact on companies involved as producers, but also on consumers of energy, both private and public. New technologies require new knowledge and production methods, thus having a great impact on vocational education. VET students and teachers will not only have to be aware of developments and know about technical innovations, but they will also have to be able to use and innovate them. In this project, we will further develop the concept of hybrid education in close cooperation of VET institutions and companies. Educational content and the curriculum will be developed in co-creation. The project will deliver a general teacher’s handbook on implementing energy transition issues into the curriculum. Partners will develop prototypes for 14 didactic technical models with accompanying learning materials in the shape of introductory, specific and collaborative modules. These models will be usable for levels 2, 3 and 4, and where feasible level 5. Partners will provide each model with didactic instructions. Subsequently, teachers and students will build the models according to specifications and use them in actual practice. Another deliverable is didactic training of VET teachers on how to use these models and training materials efficiently and effectively. The handbook will also set out ways of transferring the outputs of the project to other VET providers and guarantee sustainability. Partners will involve students in piloting the products, in international exchange and virtually in between project activities. The enormous impact of energy transition will mean that the traditional group of VET students will no longer be sufficient to cover all the industry’s needs for trained staff. Additionally, we shall be targeting new target groups through upskilling and re-skilling, thus investing in life long development for those who are already working, but also for those with a distance to the labour market. This inclusive concept means that the materials developed in the project will be used both in regular VET and in in-company and commercial training. In contrast to many other projects, we shall also take along level 2 students, since they are the most vulnerable on the labour market. The project will involve developing innovative pedagogies and methods for learning and teaching in the field of energy transition. Hybrid education as it is developing requires different forms of project-based learning. Most partners have already been experimenting with these. The added international dimension will give a boost to this, since partners will be able to use each other’s inventions and innovations. We’ll be building on concepts already developed, such as Energy Transition Houses, forms of hybrid education and project based learning, involving co-creation of education and industry. The networks already in place will be informed about the project and asked to contribute actively. VET teachers will be better equipped to train future students, companies will benefit from innovative approaches of training and upskilling staff for rapid developments in energy transition. It is inevitable that education should take steps to train the work force of the future in an innovative manner, contribute to public awareness of energy issues and contribute to upskilling and reskilling of employees and the unemployed. In this project we shall be doing just that in a European dimension. Seven VET partners from four European countries (The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Spain, Basque Country included) will cooperate closely to move this topic forward by educating teachers, students and the general public about energy transition, using modern didactic methods in a hybrid educational environment, joining forces of education and business to contribute to upskilling, reskilling and innovation. Levels 2 through 5 of VET / HVET will benefit from this.

<< Objectives >>VR4VET -promotes innovation and increases the attractiveness of vocational education by improving training in customer service in different VET sectors providing a safe WBL through the use of virtual reality.-addresses the digital transformation in VET schools and companies developing digital skills of VET teachers, VET learners and companies´ staff. -adapts VET labour market needs through new ways of engaging with employers with the use of digital technologies.<< Implementation >>VR4VET will -develop a VR environment with 4 scenarios adapted to VET related to the service sector (hospitality, retail, consultancy and beauty care)-develop 3 scripted customer service situations for each scenario.-pilot the VR environment and the scenarios with VET teachers and students.-train VET teachers in the use of VR for learning customer service.-create a handbook for the VR4VET environment and scenarios.-develop and follow up using an impact tool and a sustainability plan.<< Results >>– VR4VET environment for practising customer service situations with 4 different virtual spaces adapted to different contexts. – 12 different scripted, challenging customer service scenarios. – A training programme and training materials on the use of the VR environment and scenarios, piloted during the project.– A handbook for teachers on how to use the environment and scripted scenarios, including full user guide for the environment, guides for all 12 scenarios and best practice examples.

"The ever-increasing digitisation of the world of work and the introduction of new technologies, systems and procedures are changing work processes such as construction planning and execution and thus also the competence requirements for skilled workers. For the first time, the new EU directive on public procurement recommends the use of computer-aided methods such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and thus sets a concrete framework for action. The education systems in Europe must quickly find solutions to anchor these new digital technologies in vocational education and training (VET) and to impart job-related digital skills in a practice-oriented way. Until now, processes in digital construction, especially BIM, have not, or only partly been included in the curricula. However, companies are increasingly asking for experts with skills in 3D drawing and new generation programs (Allplan/Revit). Thus, Apprentices & students must continue their training as soon as they enter working life in order to qualify for their future jobs. The ""Fit for BIM"" project aimed to bring digital construction into vocational training and thus to provide the European construction industry with skilled workers with a deeper understanding of ICT and broadly based job-related digital knowledge, skills and competences that go far beyond the competences previously taught in training. ""Fit for BIM"" was aimed at the trainees & Bachelor students, as users of the new learning units, as well as teachers & trainers of the vocational training centres that teach digital building in class, and construction companies, associations, authorities as multipliers and users of the recommendations (6000 people). The project partners included vocational training centres and universities from Germany, Poland, Denmark and Belgium. Trade associations, chambers and construction companies support the project as associated partners. All results have been developed in close cooperation. For this purpose, the partners formed transnational working groups under changing leadership for the thematic priorities. The development and pilot application of the new learning units took place in a participatory process with learners and teachers. Actors from business and politics were involved in an ongoing dialogue – their feedback ensured the relevance and suitability of the new products. Accompanying activities were networking and dissemination measures as well as pilot actions to anchor the model. The central result of ""Fit for BIM"" is the competence-based approach to integrating digital construction into vocational training, with improved competences of teachers & trainers, as well as trainees & students. The results that can be transferred throughout the EU are a competence matrix and learning units on digital construction for VET & Bachelor, a procedural proposal for the permeability and crediting of competences, a further training course for teachers, a guide for VET centres and recommendations for actors in VET, industry and politics. The learning units developed in ""Fit for BIM"" prepare for work in middle-level construction management. The new learning units bring new content such as 3D CAD/digital twin and learning situations related to BIM processes along the vocational requirements described in the competence matrix into the VET. The ""Fit for BIM"" process proposal for permeability shows, exemplary for the construction sector, possible solutions and is intended to motivate vocational schools and universities to actively shape the transition from VET to HE and HE-VET. The proposals include possibilities for documenting acquired competences as learning outcomes and for crediting them in further learning. An innovative aspect is the inclusion of suggestions for the transition from university (dropouts) to vocational training. With the new further training course, BIM has also become a topic in teacher training for the first time. Today's vocational school teachers and trainers not only have a lot of catching up to do in terms of technology, but also in the teaching of such skills in the VET. The combination of technical and didactic aspects in the course is innovative here. ""Fit for BIM"" makes the current and future work processes in and around digitisation/BIM visible, as well as the resulting need for modernisation in VET. This ensures sustainable effects: strengthened European co-operation in VET, training opportunities, good employment, career prospects for skilled workers with up-to-date training, increased competitiveness in the construction sector and more effectiveness and quality in the construction industry. The President of the HWK (chamber of small businesses and skilled crafts) Berlin, Ms. Zarth, emphasized that it was right ""to start with the next generation [...] to promote the use of the BIM model in companies by teaching the BIM model in our upper school centres, vocational schools and at universities, i.e. by providing qualifications""."

<< Background >>In our global society anything and everything is connected which is reflected in a growing need for innovative products, services and social innovation. E.g. an app monitors our heart rate, tracks and traces post parcels, offers online fitness services to elderly people, and very apt, monitors COVID-19 infections. Many online sources support our belief that education and industry have entered a new era in which teaching and gaining practical experience are the result of a much more comprehensive approach to what society needs and thus to what students need to learn. In the Human Capital Agenda e.g., top sectors in industry conclude that they are anxious to collaborate with education on creating crossover areas so that students may become water-architect, energy grower or garden technician. PISA states in their Handbook on Global Competence “that every school should encourage its students to try and make sense of the most pressing issues defining our times. The high demands placed on schools to help their students cope and succeed in an increasingly interconnected environment, can only be met if education systems define new learning objectives based on a solid framework, and use different types of assessment to reflect on the effectiveness of their initiatives and teaching practices.” The current relationship between VET education at secondary level and industry has been one of supplier (education) and provider (industry). It’s during their work placements that students witness the needs of industry for the first time. Industry’s influence on the aims of practical training is so strong that students may feel inept to meet the specific needs of their working place; the students’ expectations are often limited to whether they are able to apply the theory taught at school. However, the economy and society are changing rapidly, and the collaboration between education and industry needs to change accordingly. In EMEU4crossovers we will address 2 specific needs. A. The impact, partly due to this project, is to raise awareness of staff, students and industry regarding the need for and benefits of crossover cooperation between education and industry. The outcome will be that 1 staff and industry are able to create, test and offer crossover experiences in theory and practice; 2 students are able to offer solutions for observations out of their vocational area (flexible mindset). The output will be an array of developed and tested virtual activities and study modules to raise the students’ awareness. We will also address B. the need for all partners to help break down the walls between different vocational educations in their own colleges by developing the project results together and by implementing fixed crossover modules in their respective curricula, e.g. both in ICT and Health Care. These modules will also include a strong focus on a continuing contribution of the industrial project partners after this project. The EMEU network has experienced a long-lasting commitment from industry if they are involved in the project process from the inception-stage.The EMEU network has received 3 European Project Awards: for Best Practice (2016), for European Success Story (2018) and for European Innovative Teaching (2021) and actively shares results with vocational teams in their colleges, and amongst (inter-) national school-partners and industrial partners. As such the EMEU4Crossovers will be a logical continuation of the network’s activities and will therefore be able to guarantee the expected project results.<< Objectives >>The EMEU4Crossovers project aims to achieve the following results by implementing the project: firstly, we aim to be able to offer opportunities for students to become (more) aware of the challenges on the work floor in a fast-changing society and industry and, secondly, to be able to act upon them. Here important questions are: 1. How does VET-education ‘track and trace’ the required knowledge and skills our teachers need to prepare students for handling the aforementioned challenges? 2. What do teachers need to learn from Industry before they’re able to train our students as part of the educational programs? 3. What do we need to be able to realize a structural cooperation between vocational sectors in order to help develop more flexible mindsets of our students? 4. What opportunities in terms of virtual and physical activities can we offer to students to: a. become (more) aware of the need to study and prepare for the needs of a fast-changing labour market? And to b. experience themselves examples of a crossover work floor<< Implementation >>Implementation involves a number of important stages. It’s vital these stages are recognized and applied to ensure the project’s sustainability. These stages are: introduction, acceptance, embedment and ownership. 1. Introduction. The introduction should give a clear overview of all aspects of a KA2 project. The project manager and his steering group will therefore cover all elements of the project, including roles, tasks, budget, management, expected impact, outcomes, outputs, activities and facilities. 2. Acceptance. a. participating teams need to know that their course team manager and team colleagues are in full support of this project, e.g. it’s important that SG and staff members can attend the project meetings without worrying about substitution of lessons. Creating a sense of team spirit is a prerequisite from the start of a project. The vast experience we have gained over the years will help to create this sense amongst the new partners. b. We allocate old core partners to new EMEU partners. New partners will be supported by experienced partners. c. The EMEU website (https://em-eu.eu) will be used to show the format and examples of the virtual activities and study modules we aim to develop. d. Work arising from hosting students is also a shared responsibility, but most partners in the project have much experience in hosting students for Erasmus+ work placements. 3. Embedment. Besides embedding the developed virtual activities and physical study modules in the educational programs involved, it’s also our aim to have discussed at management level within the partner colleges how crossover modules can be embedded in the programs. Almost all partners are at an advantage here as in the previous two projects the virtual activities and study modules have already been successfully embedded.4. Promoting ownership. From experience we know that a successful project, after all products have been made, offered and tested, new partners have been attracted and everything can be viewed and shown on the website, staff feel great pride in what they have achieved. The project activities, which are going to be implemented, are: 1. December 2021: Kick-off conference (AARHUS TECH, Aarhus, Denmark); 2. March 2022: Work conference 1 (SAVO/Sakky, Kuopio, Finland); 3. October 2022: Work conference 2 (Uni-EIBAR, Eibar, Spain); 4. March 2023: Work conference 3 (GRADIA, Jyvaaskyla, Finland); 5. October 2023 Work conference 4 (Kerschensteiner Schulzentrum , Munich, Germany) 6. Final conference and multiplier event, April 2024 (Horizon College, The Netherlands).<< Results >>All results in the EMEU4CROSSOVERS will be made available on the EMEU website, copy-left as follows: 1. A listing of recommendations for creating crossover programs based on discussions, questionnaires and feedback (Manual 1);2. A listing of recommendations for teacher training based on discussions, questionnaires and feedback (Manual 2); 3. 20 Virtual Mobility activities;4. 20 Study Modules;5. Updated version of the existing ECVET/National VET-Teams manual 6. Updated version of the existing EMEU-Website https://www.em-eu.eu/ All outputs are aimed to raise the awareness of industry, staff and students towards the need for and benefits of cooperation between industry and different educational areas in order for students to develop a more flexible mindsets and to be able to provide suggestions for opportunities and obstacles on the work floor. Furthermore, teaching practices, implementation and the embedment of the tangible results of the project are of utmost importance.