<< Objectives >>The specific objectives of this project are:1)Increasing the knowledge base of specific target groups and their motivation in vocational education and training in the green sector2)Enhancing the quality, strategies, and approaches to recruit individuals for the VET green sector3)Increase the long-term collaboration between relevant stakeholders<< Implementation >>•Train professionals to do interviews and conduct a survey, analyze the data and publish results. •Conduct interviews and a survey, analyze data and publish results in every region •Produce target audience personas per region •Develop a marketing and communication strategy on recruitment for each partner•Develop regional Worlds of Green •Create an online tool that facilitates the collaboration and exchange of knowledge and good practices between stakeholders•Exchanges good practices<< Results >>The project increased the attractiveness of VET in the green sector. Concrete results are:1)Increased knowledge on the motivation of the target groups2)Increased quality of recruitment3)Enhanced long-term collaborationsLong term benefitsOn the medium term (1-5 years) this project contributes to increased enrolment in VET in the green sector. On the long term (5-10 years) this project contributes to the green transition in Europe.

The SEER - The STE(A)M Education European Roadmap, is an improvement journey with different stages associated to intervention steps based on research and proven experiences with recommendations, to get more STE(A)M-happy motivated and connected citizens. The SEER will be at the intersection of four major dimensions: (1) the need to collect all that currently is in place (such as STE(A)M education policies, innovative STE(A)M teaching practices, and feedback on how existing STE(A)M programs were implemented so far), (2) the importance to foster exchange and dialogue among all STEAM education stakeholders, (3) the necessity to permanently carry out needs analysis activities that would identify gaps, as well as impact analysis of initiatives and policies and (4) provide guidance for future actions and get the buy-in of citizens and particularly major stakeholders (Ministries, schools, parents, teachers) through outreach mechanisms. The SEER will deliver: a) The SEER process: including focus groups, seminars and case studies with supporting surveys, polls, and results, leading to the identification of gaps and the STE(A)M Education European Roadmap; b) The STE(A)M Education European Roadmap: The Atlas of roadmaps that will help improve STE(A)M Education from different stakeholders starting point and using a myriad of paths depending on the goal to achieve; c) The STE(A)M Education European Roadmap Impact Strategy providing a standard impact assessment mechanism for new STEM plans, projects, and initiatives; d) A proposal of how an Integrated STE(A)M education certification framework could contribute to educational reform, why it is relevant for students, teachers, citizens and MoEs, and how schools can self-evaluate. Additionally, to continuously engage the community at large on the options and benefits of STE(A)M in our lives and their connection to a better / greener world, and future degrees and careers, SEER will run an ambitious series of dissemination actions.

Europe could become more competitive and more innovative by recognising the role of VET in R&D. The European Commission is aware of that. The Council Recommendation on VET calls for the establishment of CoVEs, acting “…as catalysts for local business investment, supporting recovery, green and digital transitions, European and regional innovation and smart specialisation strategies, development of vocational education and training, including at higher qualification levels (EQF levels 5-8) in line with national context and provide innovative services such as clusters and business incubators for start-ups and technology innovation for SMEs, as well as innovative reskilling solutions …”. In the same vein, Erasmus+ has included applied research (AR) in VET as a priority. The objective of AIRinVET is, after understanding existing experiences, to define the role of VET in R&D by proposing a European reference framework for AR in VET. This framework will help European countries and regions to build more competitive innovation systems. To produce the framework, we will: 1- Do a mapping of VET centres involved in AR in Europe and abroad. The AR affinity group of the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics will support us. 2- Do case studies to explain, describe, evaluate, and understand different approaches to do AR in VET. 3- Analyse how VET AR activities can fit in different policy contexts in Europe 4- Identify financial models of AR in VET. 5- Create a glossary to clarify the meaning of the term “applied research”, and other terms related to R&D, in the context of VET. 6- Identify the main barriers to engage SMEs: What are the success factors? 7- Create tools to develop VET staff and teachers mind-sets for AR. 8- Develop a framework and work on ways of building the capacity of VET systems to work on AR projects.9- Co-work with established AR agents within regional innovation ecosystems

- Context and background of the projectMany EU member states are experiencing an increasing ‘skills mismatch’ in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). This mismatch has both a quantitative dimension (shortages of STEM skilled people) and qualitative dimension (mismatch between the skills of recent graduates and the needs of employers).Several EU member states have addressed this problem through developing national STEM strategies and / or dedicated organisations for their implementation and coordination (‘STEM platforms’) and implementation programmes. The strategies and implementation vary widely from country to country but typically rely on the close cooperation between the ‘triple helix’ of government, industry and education providers, increased coordination between education sectors (from primary education to the labour market) and a strongly regionalised, ‘bottom-up’ approach. In recent years, an increasing number of countries and regions are actively developing strategies and approaches aimed at reducing skills mismatch in STEM. Consequently, there is a rapidly increasing demand for insights in how similar problems are tackled in other countries, as well as for direct support in the development of these approaches. The project aimed to upscale an informal partnership between the STEM platforms of the Netherlands, Denmark and Estonia (the EU STEM Coalition) in a functional support mechanism for the development, improvement and upscaling of national and regional STEM strategies, platforms and approaches. The main objectives of the project were:(1) Facilitate best-practice sharing between existing national STEM platforms(2) Support the development of new national and regional STEM strategies, platforms and approaches.The project partners consisted of three STEM platforms (Netherlands, Denmark (2), Estonia), three national partners that aimed to develop a national STEM platform (France, Greece and Hungary) and three European partners representing relevant groups of stakeholders (ThinkYoung, FEANI, CSR Europe). The main activities of the project included: (1) periodic General Assembly (GA) meetings, bringing together the entire network. These meetings were mainly focused on best practice sharing around a specific theme (e.g. impact assessment, link between research and education practices, etc.), and (2) Taskforce Meetings (TM): targeted (series) of support actions aimed at the development of new STEM strategies, platforms and programmes. The meeting format varied greatly, ranging from one-day work visits to longer series of 'taskforces' bringing experts from multiple countries together to support the development of new strategies. (3) Web-portal: This portal aimed to aggregate and structure relevant information on national and regional approaches, primarily to be used during Taskforce MeetingsThe project achieved its main objectives and contributed to the development of new national STEM strategies (e.g. Danish Technology Pact based on the Dutch Technology Pact), STEM platforms (e.g. Hungarian STEM platform) and programmes (e.g. Jet-Net programme in the Basque country). Several additional initiatives supported by the project are still under development (e.g. Norwegian Technology Pact, Bulgarian STEM platform).More generally, the project delivered an active, well-structured network for best practice sharing and direct support, as evidenced by the growing number of support requests which are still ongoing. This is also evidenced by the growing number of members of the EU STEM Coalition (since its launch, STEM platforms and partners from Norway, Switzerland, Finland, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Bulgaria, Turkey and Ukraine have joined the network, including national ministries, regional governments, innovation agencies, industry-driven initiatives and relevant EU-level networks. Finally this is highlighted by the participation of high level policy makers in General Assembly meetings (including the ministers of education of France and Hungary), several nationally-focused side-events that were organised by host countries aimed at improving coordination on a national level, and the broad and growing use of the dataportal and communication channels.On the EU-level the succeeded in highlighting and promoting its approach and was included in the European Commission’s ‘Communication on a Renewed EU Agenda for her Education’ and was consequently in several high-level forums like the Directors-General meetings of several EU presidencies and fact-finding seminars of BusinessEurope, etc.

<< Background >>Anchoring Social Circular Economy Attitudes in VET (SCE - VET) is a cooperation partnership where the transnational network is as important as the innovative results. It is due to this partnership that we can innovate and develop a Social Circular Economy (SCE) network online and to offer accessible online course modules focusing on social circular economy. In this partnership it is also important for all partners to focus on inclusion and diversity in all fields of vocational education and training (VET). The creation of an open online SCE course modules with examples from all partner countries offer flexible, multi-sectorial inclusive and diverse materials provided in a digital learning environment where students in a flexible way can learn new skills or get up-skilling.VET educators must adapt vocational education and training to labour market needs. Between 2012 and 2018 the number of jobs linked to the circular economy in the EU grew by 5% to reach around 4 million. Circularity can be expected to have a positive net effect on job creation provided that workers acquire the skills required by the green transition. Therefore, it is important to stimulate innovative learning and teaching practices in education and to increase the attractiveness of VET by strengthening the link between the educational world, society and work life. SCE-VET has the intention to highlight substantial opportunities, insights and themes regarding Circular Economy (CE) and the link to social enterprises. There are 6 concrete needs analyzed and identified that will be addressed in this partnership cooperation. The needs are directly linked to the project priorities. 1. Good practices and research how to strengthen environment awareness and fight against climate change need to be shared and incorporated to improve the competitiveness and social responsibility. The review of existing SCE strategies in the partner countries will offer social, economic, cultural and educational cross-over information that can be implemented into training programs. 2. The creation of a Social Circular Economy MOOC course will offer flexible and inclusive material that meet the needs to enhance inclusion and diversity in all fields of VET. The network platform will be an important channel to share experiences, contacts, consequences of results and impacts. 3. There are clear needs to improve the competencies and skills in the SCE and entrepreneurship field and to switch from linear to circular models by adapting VET to labor market needs. By investigating the integration of SCE in society the partner organizations will have in-depth discussions and evaluations on the educational methods needed. 4. In order to contributing to innovation in VET, educators need updated knowledge, methods and tools. It is important to anticipate changes in workplaces of the future. They are influencers with the capacity to inspire and encourage teachers and students to be aware of environmental and social challenges. The Social Circular VET Method Canvas will be an eye opener with elements describing education program’s content services, benefits, target groups, activities by illustrating potential educational trade-offs. 5. New technological innovations and solutions are forming our societies and also demand more stimulating innovative learning and teaching practices, both in higher education and in VET. Mapping of students’ attitudes regarding SCE will be done 2 times during the project period. The purpose is to evaluate how the actions of this project has encouraged a change of attitude in all target groups. 6. There is a need to raise awareness about environmental and climate-change, social challenges and potentials. The Social Circularity Day is an event where educators, students and relevant stakeholders will receive information, create new networks and cooperation. The event will help identifying new solutions and models increase attractiveness of VET and SCE.<< Objectives >>The purpose of Social Circular Economy (SCE) is to inspire people to rethink, redesign and pursue a positive future with the belief that linking the principles of the circular economy with social enterprise gives the right conditions to foster innovation and creativity, for a world with local solutions to meet societal, environmental and economic needs. The aim is to engage in a more socially, inclusive and environmentally responsible economy by merging the concepts of circular economy (CE) and social enterprising. The project partnership will be able to increase the quality and relevance of their activities, to develop and reinforce their networks of partners and to rise their capacity to operate jointly at transnational level. Furthermore, the partners can boost internationalization activities and exchange or develop new practices and methods as well as sharing and confronting ideas.It is important to be able to clarify SCE, highlight contexts and describe what CE means for different target groups. What does SCE really mean from a more practical perspective? Who needs SCE? What consequences and positive effects can SCE lead to? What are the challenges? The most relevant priority in this project is “Environment and fight against climate change”. The European Green Deal Communication is the European new growth strategy and recognizes the key role of schools, training institutions and universities to engage with students, parents, and the wider community on the changes needed for a successful transition to become climate neutral by 2050.Together the partners of this project can discuss and develop innovative local, regional, national and European solutions and models to meet societal, environmental and economic needs. The purpose is to engage in a more socially and environmentally responsible economy with practitioners of circular economy and/or social enterprise. The primary target groups are teachers and students, both in secondary level VET institutions and in higher education. The Secondary target groups are social enterprise and local stakeholders involved in supporting inclusion, e.g. through offering job opportunities, employments, and trading to socially disadvantaged groups. All partners participating in this project are promoting the integration of social circular economy. There are eight concrete project objectives:1. To map and publish a review of existing SCE strategies in Belgium, Finland, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain and Uzbekistan. The review can be used as a guide for schools and organizations on how to implement SCE. 2. To offer a Social Circularity Day where educators, students and relevant stakeholders get updated information, can create new networks and potential cooperation.3. To investigate the integration of SCE in society4. To follow up the student’s attitude development of SCE during the project period5. To create a massive open online VET course (MOOC) on Social Circular Economy providing a digital and flexible way to learn new skills or to get up-skilling. It will be added, implemented or replace existing course materials.6. To publish a SCE network online7. To develop a Social Circular VET Method Canvas. The canvas will be an innovative and illustrated strategic document for all partners to implement and add to their organization strategy. 8. To maintain a continuous dissemination through multiplier events, social media and the partners own channels. The objectives offer an innovative way of integrating SCE in VET education and to build bridges across stakeholders (interested new users), disciplines and countries. It includes information sharing, practice, and community building. All results that are developed to fulfil the objectives are openly available and sustainable.<< Implementation >>A project is sustainable when it continues to deliver benefits to the project beneficiaries and stakeholders for an extended period after the project ending. The activities implemented are in details described in the application that also constitutes the project plan of this partnership cooperation. The implemented activities are divided into project activities and sustainable result activities: - Project activities are activities that takes place during workshops, transnational meetings, and multiplier events with the purpose to jointly develop, test and evaluate results and to share experiences. The tasks between meetings are focusing on preparing and producing results, to disseminate outcomes and to implement the results into their own organization.- Sustainable activities that are implemented during this project are activities that are transferable to all target groups and stakeholders, both on local, regional, national and European levels. These activities are strictly based on the priorities, the objectives and expected results of SCE-VET.The timeline as well as the implementation and sustainability plan are vital documents that will support the partners in their activities.The partners are divided into 3 teams with the aim that everyone knows their activities and responsibilities. The activities are decided according to the partners previous experiences and skills, but it is also important that all team partners share their experiences and develop new skills.1.VET Team (Finland, Spain, the Netherlands and Poland)The VET partners are involved in activities connected to VET education (Social Circularity day and creation of MOOC).2.HE Team (Belgium, Uzbekistan and Greece)The Higher education team will be responsible for the research activities (review, survey, questionnaires, analysis, evaluation)3.Social Team (Italy, Romania and the Netherlands)The social partners will bring the social experiences and undertake activities of Mapping of SCE integration in society, SCE Network platform and Social circular VET Method Canvas. They are also the main link to the entrepreneurial worldActivities to develop and produce results during the project period is not enough. To ensure the sustainability of results and expected impacts a thorough needs analysis with all partner organizations was done during the application process. Sustainability is also an expected impact and a commitment for each partner organization and participant. This will strengthen the dissemination and implementation activities of the results to all target groups and stakeholders. The content and design are very important for the results to be sustainable. The good practices learnt during the project are sustainable and can be transferred by each partner through their own networks. Two results are developed, tested, and implemented in the daily training activities of the education providers and can be maintained without additional funding:•Anchoring Social Circular Economy course (Mooc)•Social Circularity Day for staff and studentsThe following results have been developed with the purpose to be implemented by the partner organizations as guides, strategy documents and research reports:•Social Circular Economy Anchoring Review•Mapping of SCE integration in society•Student Attitude Survey•Social Circular VET Method CanvasA sustainability analysis discussion at the end of the project will determine the final project relevance, educational usefulness, practicability, and adaptability of results. SCE-VET will highlight social and behavioural changes and needs for attitudes, individual preferences, consumption habits and lifestyles. The stimulating innovative learning and teaching tools and materials available on the Network Platform can be used and copied as a concept for other VET and higher education providers as well as social organizations and associations that want to re-skill or up-skill their employees.<< Results >>Educational institutions at all levels must take an active role in raising social awareness about the effects of climate change and the need to implement actions aimed at redirecting the trend of environmental deterioration because of the various actions of humans. SCE-VET has an innovative approach for promoting a change of attitude and to favour the incorporation of measures and actions of CE, environmental sustainability and social responsibility among the target groups and stakeholders. There is a link between products and social issues. The social economy has a long history of focusing on health, education, employment, and sustainable development. Very often social organizations act where governments have failed or are unable to meet social needs. These organizations create employment, social protection and other forms of support for people facing challenges in society.Connecting this tradition into the concept of CE includes an innovative transition development aspect for a sustainable social future, and the educational institutions have an important role in this task. The concept of SCE is linking the principles of the CE with social enterprises, giving the right conditions to foster innovation and creativity, for a society with solutions to meet societal, environmental and economic needs.The expected results are:1. A Social Circular Economy Anchoring Review Based on EU recommendations, declarations and action plans the aim is to map and publish a review of existing strategies for SCE in all partner countries.2. A Circularity day for staff and studentsThe Social Circularity Day is not just another Sustainability or Eco day. It is a day to encourage teachers, students, VET partners and other stakeholders to act, reflect and prepare for the future. Priority is given to a Circularity Day program content that concentrates on highlighting opportunities to develop VET education and VET competencies in various sustainability-relevant sectors, also focusing on green sectorial skills, inclusion, SCE activities and methodologies.3. A Mapping of SCE integration in society By investigating the integration of SCE in society the partner organizations will have in-depth discussions and evaluations on the educational methods needed. The objective is to identify the integration levels of SCE and to recognize indicators of So¬cial and Cultural As¬pects of CE. 4. A Student Attitude Survey In many of the partnership countries CE is implemented in the study programs. Subsequently, a main objective intended with all the actions of this project is to encourage a change of attitude in all target groups. Education providers should be an active part in raising social awareness about the effects of climate change. 5. Anchoring Social Circular Economy courseEntrepreneurial skills have an important role in VET education, regardless business or service field. The SCE Mooc will provide a digital and flexible way to learn new skills or to get up-skilling. It is important to anticipate changes in workplaces of the future and to adapt VET to labour market needs, enhancing multi-stakeholder partnerships across industry and society. 6. SCE Network PlatformWe vision to develop a digital experience SCE Network Platform that brings together VET and higher educators on different levels with society and entrepreneurs. The aim is to inspire people to rethink, redesign and pursue a positive future by linking the principles of the CE with social enterprise that offers conditions to foster innovation and creativity.7. Social Circular VET Method Canvas This illustrated and/or animated canvas is a visual chart with elements describing the education program’s content services, benefits, target groups and activities by showing potential educational trade-offs. The canvas is an innovative strategic document for all partners to implement and add to their organization strategy.All results are expected to strengthen inclusion and be sustainable.