"<< Background >>The ESPAS Global Trends 2015 stated that the transformative industrial and technological revolution will be a global trend up to 2030 and new industrial production, life science, communication and digital processes will transform societies. The speed of technology change is increasing. With this global trend there is an increasing number of companies which are becoming active in the aviation industry (drone and UAS, vertical flying, autonomous driving) – a constantly growing number of companies have established themselves on the drone market as manufacturers or professional users. The Drone Industry Barometer 2018 highlights that there is a significant market growth “for commercial drone applications.” Which according to statista.com will evolve from 99,53 Million US Dollar in 2015 up to 3.035,33 Million US Dollar revenue in 2030. Also, the SESAR European Drones Outlook Study 2016 also outlines the evolving drone landscape and that the types of use expand rapidly. There is a potential valuation of 10 billion EUR annually by 2035 and over 15 billion annually by 2050. Next to technology, ATM, regulation and societal acceptance, education plays a crucial role in the development of the aviation industry sector.The fast growing of the aviation industry sector leads to new requirements in the vocational education and training of personnel working in this field. Respective ESCO occupations such as Mechatronics Assembler (Code 8211.3) or Aircraft Maintenance Technician (Code 7232.5) lack specific skills and competences such as programming, electrics, mechatronics or safety issues. So, especially the competitiveness of small SME working in the aviation industry sector is endangered as they cannot afford recruiting only specialised engineers for simple tasks.AMTech is fully in line with Erasmus+ priorities as follows:VET priority 1, ""VET: Adapting vocational education and training to labour market needs""The AMTech project performs a trends and dynamics identiciation within the aviation industry sector to develop a new professional profile of the avaition aerospace mechatronics technician (AMTech), a new, innovative curriculum as well as a European Aviation Aerospace Mechatronics Passport for the new professional profile through the coooperation between educational institutions, SME working in the field of aviation industry as well as business institutions.VET priority 2, ""VET: Contributing to innovation in vocational education and training""The AMTech project with its new professional profile making VET more relevant for the future needs of SME working in the aviation industry sector (drone manufactures, autonous driving, vertical flying) The project AMTech plans to address the following needs:NEED: creating innovation in vocational education and trainingVET providers who need to upgrade and update their offerings and services to more innovative curricula and courses that meet labour market needs to support innovation, growth and competitiveness of SME working in the field of aviationNEED: upgrading competences and skills for the aviation industry VET learners who gain skills and knowledge relevant for labour market needs in the growing aviation industry sector NEED: skilled personnel for SMESME working in the field of aviation they will have workers who have the skills to meet the labour market needs<< Objectives >>The AMTech project has very clear and concrete objectives of adapting vocational education and training to labour market needs by:- upgrading competences and skills of VET learners to be able to find a job in the growing aviation industry sector- helping VET learners to gain the right skills that Europe can strengthen its position in global competition and have a sustained economic relaunch geared towards a green and digital transition- identifying trends and dynamics in the aviation industry sector and developing a new professional profile of an aviation aerospace mechatronics technician (AMTech) in alignment with ESCO through the cooperation between educational institutions and SME and chambers of industry and crafts- creating a new and innovative curriculum of the AMTech specifically designed for labour market needs- developing the “European Aviation Aerospace Mechatronics Passport – EAAMP” to codify the most relevant profile and occupational features of the new profession, highlighting the competences, knowledge and skills requiredMoreover, the AMTech project requires and produces European added value:1. materialize the transnational confrontation and exchange between different VET realities. AMTech brings together countries that have a strong connotation of SME and can each contribute greatly to creating a European product thanks to the diversity of the partners representing different approaches to the same challenge2. the diversity of the organisations represented amplifies the cross-border dimension of AMTech: VET providers (in different environments and contexts), SME as well as SME support organisations3. the diversity above materializes in a truly cross-border and transnational dimension allowing AMTech to broker the exchange from and between different realities, methodologies, working mechanisms and entrepreneurship models<< Implementation >>The AMTech project will have the following project activities:1. Project Management and implementation activities: Transnational Project Meetings (TPM): TPMs will serve the purpose of gaining an up-to-date overview about the overall project and financial management, the project activity implementation progress as well as to plan next activities. The partners will also discuss issues like possible delays, risks or controversies, the resources availability or the (re-)distribution of tasks and responsibilities etc. The project partners plan to meet for four TPMs that all partners will attend with at least one representative. Due to the uncertainty about the prospective development of the Covid-19-pandemic, the partners decided to conduct the First Transnational Project Meeting, which serves as the Kick-off meeting online as a video conference.Quality assurance measures: The Project Management Plan will include a section specifically dedicated to QA, which will define precise tools, actions and timetable of the internal monitoring and quality assessment to be realised, leaded by P5 IDP. Every PR will be peer-reviewed and evaluated with a QA Grid through the Steering Committee (SC). Three different evaluation results can occur, and the deliverable will be either: “Accepted”, “To be reviewed“ or “Rejected”. The coordinator will act as mediator for improving low quality outputs and get in contact with the respective project partner in charge for the PR. After 2 rejections, the PR will be again discussed at the SC, which may assign its preparation to another partner by transferring the referred staff days (loss of Budget for the respective partner).2. Project Dissemination Acitvities: Multiplier Events: The MEs will be held at the end of the project implementation to present the tangible results of the project to users, target groups and stakeholders. The MEs are not only a mere dissemination event. On the one hand, it is rather a real exploitation effort aiming to present the developed project results and get additional inputs from stakeholders and potential users as well as facilitate their adoption and use. The Multiplier events are going to be a workshop with clear “how to” practices on how to use and mainstream the projects results. On the other hand the ME is going to be a platform to discuss. An initial list of attendees and practitioners to be involved is to be seen as follows but not limited to it:• SME working in the aviation industry sector that need technicians-to-be,• VET institutions and VET learners, representatives• associations, interest groups representing the topic aviation and aerospace; the project will raise awareness for the new AMTech professional profile and curriculum • Public sector representatives to raise awareness of the topic• Policy makersSpecific dissemination activities: Through our dissemination strategy we are planning to implement dissemination activities- separated in ONLINE and OFFLINE. Offline means: personal meetings, conferences, publications, traditional media activities. Online means: websites, press release, activities in social networks and more. Before starting the activities, we need to develop a portfolio of dissemination material, including a visual identity (logo) for the AMTech project, branded templates for use across all electronic and printed materials.<< Results >>PR1 - Partners will first establish the digital identity of the project and formal “online storage” of all project’s results, relevant news and updates. Users will be able to access the content completely for FREE – no log in credentials will be ever required. The content will be also available for download, use and reuse in compliance with the “open access to research and data” as highlighted by the programme guide at page 14. The AMTech platform will remain available (free and open) for 2 additional yearsPR2 - In conjunction with PR1, the project partners will kickstart the identification of relevant trends and dynamics for the aviation industry sector. A common methodology for the assessment will be developed and shared among partners to assure comparability of findings and common operative guidelines. The analysis will highlight qualitative dynamics, quantitative data/statistics, tangible skills gaps, further challenges and opportunities and best practices Based on the above analysis, partners will start to develop the new professional profile of an aviation aerospace mechatronics technician (AMTech), qualifications and skills set needed and align it with ESCO references. Training needs, required skills as well as capacity gaps will be identified by the partnership to ensure accuracy and relevance of the training content to be developed by the project, especially in consideration of the target group of users. The partnership will involve at least 100 SME working in aviation industry.PR3 - During the project implementation period the project partners will develop an aviation aerospace mechatronics technician curriculum based on the defined professional profile designed in PR2. The curriculum will be designed in a modular approach. This will include generic as well as skills specific modules (like digital and new technologies skills).The curriculum will be prepared in English as it is the official working language of the project and later translated into national languages of the project partner countries. It is very important to know the exact competences that are needed for the future aviation aerospace mechatronics technician in order to be easily integrated into labour market.PR4 - With the completion of the previous PRs, the partners will have developed a complete set of professional profile, training content and capacity building strategy for the sector as a whole. To complete the picture, partners will develop the first “European Aviation Aerospace Mechatronics Passport – EAAMP”To develop the EAAMP partners will extrapolate the professional profile of PR2 and benchmark it against the ESCO profiles that are most relevant to this innovative profile. This process of “extrapolation” will allow to compile the set of skills, knowledge and competences for the specific Aviation and Aerospace Mechatronics occupational profile.In addition, the project partners expect further medium and long-term results through intensive European cooperation and the joint development of an innovative curriculum on three levels:- Increase of personal/personal knowledge and know-how,- Increased experience and knowledge of the direct and indirect beneficiaries involved- Qualified project work experience.Furthermore, two aspects are to be emphasized on the personnel/personnel technical level of the project partners. On the one hand, the people involved in this project have the opportunity to get in contact with people from different European cultures, so they can learn a lot about the so-called intercultural behaviour in practice. They will live the European idea and work together on a concrete problem. On the other hand, they will learn from each other the following aspects, such as gaining practical experience, how to promote soft skills, how to expand competencies and how to support small and micro enterprises"

<< Background >>Due to the shut down of schools as the result of the pandemic and growing need for new forms of teaching and training, including hybrid learning in all of Europe we have come to a conclusion that in order to continue our international cooperation activities and offer cultural exchange, relevant skills and experiences to our students a new online hybrid learning course module is needed in the field of baker confectionery studies. In the project coordinator organisation the teachers have already experimented with online learning content creation including making instructional videos and carrying out some hybrid learning workshops. The teachers are eager to share best practices and learn from their colleagues in other schools in order to create an truly engaging hybrid learning experience for students. With travel restrictions also new forms of international cooperation have emerged. When the students and teachers cannot participate in physical mobilities to enhance their professional skills they are looking for new ways to learn about different traditions in different countries in the culinary arts. During the distance training period the coordinating partner staff also noticed that teachers’ digital skills in our school as well as our partner schools are at different levels. Therefore the proposed project addresses the development of teachers and students digital skills through actively learning by participating in project activities.<< Objectives >>The objectives of HYBAKE project is to create a student centered and engaging hybrid learning course for baker confectionery studies and pilot the course with students from all partner countries. The project aims to enhance teachers and students digital skills through active participation in course creation and piloting.The project aims to create a strong professional network of teachers, foster international cooperation and enhance participants' language skills.HYBAKE project objectives include creating Model structure for a hybrid learning course;Online learning material for baker-confectionery online course, including video instructions for practical workshops;Piloted hybrid learning course on a mutual platformTeachers will have a knowledge and experience of European culinary heritage and will be able to pass it on to students in a modern format.<< Implementation >>The project will include developing hybrid learning course module that will consist of 3 different intellectual outputs, the course design and structure, the course materials and hybrid learning course platform. The online learning materials will include three different baker-confectionery product instructions per partner representing three national holidays, in total eighteen products which are related to three different national holidays of their country and step-by-step instructional videos. In total the project results include at least 9 instructional videos on different traditional holiday bakery products.During the project period 3 physical meetings and monthly online meetings will take place between the project teams to discuss the project progress and content development. During the project period 5 Learning, Teaching and Training Activities will be held spread between partner countries. Each LTT has a specific topic that is related to the hybrid learning course development. In each country, teachers involved in the project will make the products and instruct their colleagues how to prepare the workshop. At the end of the project the coordinating partner will organise a hybrid conference in order to disseminate project results.<< Results >>As result of the HYBAKE project teachers have developed their digital competencies in using IT tools for virtual online meetings (Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Google Meets), creating virtual tours and videos online, Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Word for recipes and calculation purposes. The participants have benefited from cultural exchange, language training, new social skills in an international context and developing close cooperation relationships.The project contributes to the prestige of vocational education establishments by introducing a hybrid learning course module in practical workshops and develops virtual cooperation possibilities between VET schools. The students that have participated in piloting have knowledge of different European holidays and traditions including culinary traditions and new skills in preparing different national products from partner countries. They have also developed their communication and language skills, have higher self-esteem and developed their digital competences. The hybrid learning course created will be available to other schools to incorporate into their curricula and will be used to develop further virtual and blended mobilities between partners.

"In line with ET2020 objectives elaborated in Riga Conclusions (2015) calling to ""to promote work-based learning in all its forms"", ""to enhance access to VET and qualifications through more flexible systems"", “to promote the use of transparency and recognition tools”, “to support for transnational mobility”, as well “to support for professional development of VET teachers, trainers and mentors in school and work-based setting”, the implementation of the project “ECVET-enterprise” was based on the following goals: 1) To improve the skills and abilities of VET tutors and enterprise tutors for using learning outcomes (LO approach) and ECVET in assessment and validation of LO in work-based learning; 2) To move towards uniformity and common understanding of LO and use of EU tools, especially ECVET, within the Baltic Sea region; 3) To promote the mainstreaming of ECVET (more active use by practitioners) by offering support tools and resources; 4) To promote partnerships between VET schools and enterprises in the Baltic Sea region for national and transnational mobilities, apprenticeships or WBL.The partnership of “ECVET-project” consisted from 7 partners: Latvijas Tirdzniecibas un rupniecibas kamera as a Lead partner, Tartu Kutsehariduskeskus, Lansirannikon Koulutus OY, Deutsch-Baltische Handelskammer in Estland, Lettland, Litauen e.V., Kuldigas Tehnologiju un turisma tehnikums, Valsts izglitibas satura centrs, BalticBright, Ltd. ECVET-Enterprise project partnership consisted of VET providers, enterprise sector representatives, VET stakeholders and policy/decision makers from Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Germany.The main target groups of ECVET-Enterprise project were:1) VET providers, managers of VET schools, coordinators of WBL, and particularly, VET tutors supervising apprenticeships;2) Employers, coordinators of training, particularly, enterprise tutors (mentors) supervising apprenticeships;3) VET learners (apprentices, trainees) involved in national and transnational mobilities, especially for WBL.Within the “ECVET-project” the wide list of activities was implemented: were developed 3 intellectual outputs – Needs analysis and the training program for VET and enterprise tutors supervising WBL, Open Education Resources for supporting the training program - piloting the training program and open education resources on 3 levels, ECVET toolset for Assessment and Validation of WBL; a short-term joint staff training for tutors from VET schools and enterprises was organized; 9 blended mobilities of VET learners, where trained tutors from enterprises could test their skills, were organized; 6 multiplier events were held in 4 countries, including project’s final conference; a wide list of dissemination and communication activities were implemented with the aim to ensure wide use of the ECVET-Enterprise outputs and their sustainability.Through the well-coordinated work of partners, significant results and outcomes were reached:1) Training methodology and training program ""LO outcomes approach and ECVET for validation and assessment of WBL"" for VET and enterprise tutors supervising apprenticeships, national and transnational mobilities;2) Open Education Resources with practical examples to support training program, which was placed online on project’s website for further use by WBL providers;3) ""ECVET Toolset for Assessment and Validation of WBL"" with case studies, best practices, comparative analysis, project experience on using ECVET in partner countries, credit transfer, validation and assessment procedures, which was as placed online on project’s website for further use by WBL providers;4) 15 tutors from VET schools and enterprises participating in short-term joint staff training, mastered the principles and criteria of assessment of vocational education training, which are the basic standards of ECVET systems.5) 9 VET learners participated in 9 transnational mobilities, which provided the opportunity to test the skills of VET schools and enterprise tutors, who previously participated in short-term joint staff training, to evaluate their ability to use ECVET system and learning outcomes approach in the assessment and validation of apprenticeships. 6) Approximately 201 representatives of VET schools, enterprises, policy/decision makers from Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Germany participated in organized Multiplier events, where experience gained through “ECVET-enterprise” was shared, transnational mobilities were promoted, learning outcomes approach and ECVET system were promoted not only as a basis for apprenticeships, but as useful instruments for WBL as well."

"This project focuses on pedagogical issues involving the teaching staff of each partner. The European school has traditionally been already engaged that allows harmonious development of students. But teachers at the same time need more information about how colleges work in other countries. Always we need more information, more inspiration, opportunity to look from another point of view. This project will give us that opportunity. The results of the project will be useful a long time after its end. Teachers will acquire new knowledge, skills and experience will be useful both in the lessons and in preparing students for practice in Tourism and catering enterprises participation in the professional competitions of Latvian and European level VET schools. In the project, we plan cooperation between VET schools of four countries Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Italy in the exchange of good experience in the field of tourism and catering. During the project, two project management group meetings, with 8 participants, are planned - one at the beginning of the project, the other before the end of the project. We plan four experience exchange and learning activities for teachers - once in each partner school for 6 teachers from 3 other schools. Each of the partner schools has its own strengths: the Italian school works closely with local food producers and local catering companies; Lithuanian school has a great experience in using the school teaching restaurant in the teaching process. The school in Vory, Estonia has a strong integration of culinary heritage in the learning process, the Latvian school - in Kuldīga cooperates extensively with various organizations - ""Culinary Heritage Association"", ""Lauku ceļotājs"". The main aim of the project is to support tourism and catering teachers, to help them gain new experience and knowledge in an international environment, which will allow them to broaden their professional knowledge and learn more about the partner countries, their culture and culinary heritage, and its integration into the useful cooking process.An additional goal is to broaden teachers' horizons and improve their knowledge of foreign languagesAs a result of the project we plan:• 6 teachers from each school (24 teachers in total) will have gained new professional experience and skills,• teaching video material will be prepared, which can be used in the teaching process of all partner schools. Added-value of the project - students and teachers from each of the host schools will have the opportunity to learn about guest teachers' presentations about their country, school, and culinary heritage."

SLEVET project corresponds to further strengthening key competences in VET and achievement of relevant and high quality skills and competences. It is in line with the individual and community needs, namely by contributing to: - providing better prepared for inclusion in the labor market students, and better prepared teachers how to properly train them; - providing employers, labour market, and economy in general on a regional, national and international level with competent and competitive workforce. SLEVET initiative was aimed to elaborate LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME for developing leadership and entrepreneurship skills, attitudes and mindset of students in VET schools. The innovation elements of this programme: Peer to Peer coaching and Peer to Peer training were applied; teachers were Facilitators; it involved real entrepreneurs; students gained experience as Leaders in real situations. Our specific objectives were: - to create, apply, test and disseminate Student-driven Leadership Skills Development Programme in VET Schools; - to promote the SLEVET approach across professional teachers’ communities in our countries and Europe; - to develop and launch sustainability plan for SLEVET Training KIT exploitation beyond project lifetime and across Europe by October 2020.The main target groups of our proposal were teachers and students in VET Schools. Through the implementation of our project we placed our target groups in new roles. Teachers became facilitators, and students from 10-11 grades took an active role of coaches and mentors to their younger schoolmates from 8-9 grades. The consortium is a combination of representatives of different sectors (public, private and NGO) from 5 countries, which is a positive precondition for: - exchange and analysis of best practices on the topic; - scope and impact of activities; - dissemination of results and their multiplication in various networks and partnerships. The approach for meeting the aim and objectives for this project is identified within the following key activities: development, training, piloting, dissemination, management and evaluation. These components are more than a list of typical activities. They are logically substantiated, intertwined and mutually influenced. Good implementation of each is a prerequisite for the fulfillment of others. The consortium expects the following project results: - Prepared students from higher grades who are on the threshold of the labor market for leaders, entrepreneurs, mentors. - Improved learning results of younger students; developed social skills and potential to be leaders, entrepreneurs, mentors. - Prepared teachers for facilitators of extracurricular activities, to be more adequate for the above listed processes. - Developed guides, programmes and instruments for the implementation of the above and ensuring sustainability by applying the approach after the project`s end. - Promoting social entrepreneurship as a tool for the modernization of VET. One of the major advantages of the approach is the option to be reproduced by using internal resources of students themselves and even to be profitable with a view to financial autonomy through the form of a social enterprise. The CASCADING MENTORING SYSTEM ensures the project’s sustainability beyond the initial pilot group i.e. there is inbuilt sustainability as an integral part of the Leadership programme. Each partner organization is able to spread and scale the Leadership programme and therefore the impact will be sustained through the very delivery and activity of the programme itself. In relation to financial sustainability during the project we will test the role of social enterprise for long-term maintenance of the approach. Europe considers social enterprise as an important driving force for innovation and growth, and as sector, whose role is key to tackling the economic challenges.