Choose a cheese Erasmus Project

Project Title

Choose a cheese

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Project Summary

SOZSU “Gjorce Petrov” in line with the school’s strategic documents wants to introduce a new curriculum and educational programmes, i.e. new profiles and occupations in order to meet needs of local businesses and increase attractiveness of vocational education. In the next two years focus will be on development of curricula and educational programmes for cheese making as well as relevant training for cheese making.

Project aims to foster small scale cheese production by providing training and product development activities.
Achieving the above aim, it is need to reach following specific objectives:
1. To Improve animal health and the quality and volume of on-farm forage;
2. To improve hygiene and milk quality;
3. To promote innovation and entrepreneurship in cheese making;
4. To demonstrate how cheese can be defined as tourism product and how to get started cheese tourism.

The project aim and objectives will be achieved through the implementation of 5 work packages (WP) within 3 phases. The project will take place in 3 European states and each WP has an appointed organisation that is responsible for the successful implementation of their designated WP. Activities and expected results are defined for every project phase.
Phase 1 – Preparation phase
Phase 2- Implementation of concrete training activities to enhance cheese making and strengthening technical skills of the participants in the training and preparation of applicable training material.
Phase 3 Consolidation of activities, dissemination and creation of awareness for cheese making.

The project will have an overall impact on participants, various institutions and local communities. The expected impact of the project (outputs) on individuals and organisations involved is described below.
PARTICIPANTS – 27
The project will increase the skills and competences of direct participants in the project who will be trained in Macedonia, Croatia and Greece in animal health and nutrition, milk production and cheese making thus contributing to improve the situation of local communities. More preciously:
• Teaching staff active in education – 12
The Cheasy project will broaden the existing knowledge of the teaching staff involved and enhance their competences (personal and professional development).
• Students – 15
By means of the output developed the students will be educated in such a way that their skills and competences meet the labour market needs.
Through the exchange, students are able to improve their skills on intercultural learning, social relations and even practice foreign language.
Project will contribute to improvement of the motivation and confidence of students to become successful entrepreneurs.
• Professionals working in organisations that offer and develop work opportunities for unemployed individuals.
PARTICIPATING ORGANISATIONS IN THE PROJECT
The educational / training institutions (High agricultural schools, Gastronomy Club of Epirus, and Zdravje) outside of the partnership will:
– Take advantage of the developed materials for career orientation
– Use the online resources for training activities in the field of career orientation and entrepreneurship.
At the same time the partner organizations will benefit from increasing the capacities of its employees, associates and partners.
TARGET GROUPS
Farmers and young person, students interested to start business in cheese making and culinary tourism will benefit from the new ideas for possible innovative business.
BENEFICIARIES
Consumers in the Balkan region will have a greater variety of cheeses and food choices. They will benefit by having better-tasting cheese products as well as new touristic product – cheese tour/s.

Methodology that will be employed in this project belongs to traditional approaches, i.e traditional project management methodology: Initiation, Planning and design, Execution, Control, Validation (testing), Closure (installation and maintenance). Teams are assigned for different tasks of the project to take responsibility for, passing things along as goals are reached or assigned tasks are completed.

The results of the project Animal Health and Nutrition (O1), Milk Production and Cheese Processing (O2), How to Serve and Cook with Cheese (O3), How to Start up Business with Cheese Tourism (O4) will be made available on the project website as well as websites of partner organizations in the PDF version. Apart from that, information and links to the project and its outputs will be published on relevant sites for educators as well as in Erasmus+ dissemination platform and EPALE platform. That will ensure a long-term transferability of output and sustainability of the project. The training materials will be uploaded additionally in online libraries to ensure their wider and longer use.

Training program will be verified by the Adult Education Centre and initiative & teaching program to introduce cheese making in High Agricultural Schools will be submitted to VET Center.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 125068 Eur

Project Coordinator

SOZSU Gjorce Petrov Kavadarci & Country: MK

Project Partners

• DOO Veterinarna Stanica ZDRAVJE Delcevo
• Srednja gospodarska skola Krizevci
• SUGS Brakja Miladinovci Skopje
• GASTRONOMY CLUB OF EPIRUS