"The RURAL HERITAGE project for innovation in VET proposes a training plan to support European policies that seek to make the European Cultural Heritage a factor of economic and social development. Rural cultural heritage offers great potential to revitalize rural areas where cultural tourism sector has an enormous potential for growth and job creation and there is a hidden tradition underexplored that must emerge to show the global heritage of Europe. There is a need of interpreters capable of developing the tourism use of rural cultural heritage, in order to satisfy this growing demand. European VET system shows a clear need of tourism professionals specialized in rural cultural heritage, especially in interpretation and communication techniques.It is important to support VET teachers through new competence units and innovative methodologies to facilitate knowledge and skills for tangible and intangible heritage interpretation in the future professionals. The project develops active and emotional teaching-learning strategies which will be eventually useful for the practise of heritage transmission in tourism activities.Besides, the project enhances access to training and qualifications for all, especially in rural areas, through specific results and actions, as a way to promote quality employment.The strategic association (6 entities, 5 countries) led by the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation León-Bragança, includes two VET centres, a University with Cultural Heritage studies, an entity for local development and a company specialized in environmental and heritage training.OBJECTIVES:a) To contribute to professionalization and economic development based on heritage use in rural areas through a training plan and concrete intellectual outputs that can be used by trainers and students, and rural population enhancing access to training for all.b) To promote the European rural cultural heritage transmission and to contribute to improve the current professional qualifications thanks to the design of new competence units of ""EUROPEAN RURAL HERITAGE INTERPRETER”.d) To raise awareness of the importance of rural cultural heritage at the local, national and European levels and its mutual recognition, through the practice of heritage interpretation in tourism services. e) To encourage intercultural and intergenerational exchange as a way of European rural heritage approaching.The project aims the involvement of the target groups through a fluid exchange of experiences among a stakeholders network (120) and direct-indirect participants (total estimated 6500). The main target groups and intellectual outputs of the project are:1) People from rural areas (non-qualified young and women, unemployed workers, tourism guides, entrepreneurs, owners of rural tourism hotels or companies, local authorities) as main participants in the training course available in the E-LEARNING PLATFORM (IO3).2) VET trainers, teachers and students from the formal and non-formal VET sector and the educational community and authorities, as main target groups of the METHODOLOGICAL GUIDE of the new competence units and the innovative pedagogical approach proposed (IO1) as well as STRUCTURED COURSE for teachers (IO2).3) Professionals related to tourism, heritage, environmental education, etc. and professionals of the rural development, regional and local administration, etc., users of the E-LEARNING PLATFORM (IO3) mainly but also of the other outputs.The project creates new professional competences, a European dimension and active-emotional methodologies that currently don’t exist in VET, among other innovative strategies. It includes a complete dissemination plan of the project and rural heritage awareness: 24 dissemination Seminars, 4 Newsletters, social media, leaflets, 4 multiplier events (face-to-face and in streaming). In addition one training activity for the association staff and 4 Transnational Meetings.The project capacity to use and transfer results after its completion and its long-term benefits are considerable. The main actions for sustainability are:-The IO will be widely disseminated, among target groups, policy-makers, VET centres and educational authorities and created for easy transferability and adaptability to different contexts of Europe. -The E-learning Platform and its online vocational course resulting on the project will be permanently active after its completion, as an essential tool to guarantee rural population training.-The OER package and new competence units for “INTERPRETER on RURAL CULTURAL HERITAGE"", available in 6 languages on the project Platform and website (and on other European and national platforms and websites of partners and collaborators).-Other actions: advice on heritage interpretation and its possibilities of employment, publication of articles in specialized magazines, agreements with organizations which declare interest to adopt IO in their activities, etc."