Environment in the VET system: a powerful tool for the future Erasmus Project

Project Title

Environment in the VET system: a powerful tool for the future

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship); New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

The project originated from 2 observations: a) in the school and in the society there is not enough talk about environmental sustainability (ES), while it is one of the 5 central points of Europe 2020; b) a fundamental EU document (Roadmap to Resource Efficient Europe ’11) proposes to create a sustainable European economy by the year 2050. Wanting to operate in the VET system on these issues, we have activated a partnership able to promote a joint action of institutions belonging to the knowledge triangle, aiming at the creation of tools for VET teachers and trainers. We involved 6 very qualified partners from different fields and coming from 5 countries (IT, DK, ES, LT, UK). They have experience both in training and in environmental topics and have strong links with stakeholders in the reference contexts.
Strengthened by a shared vision at the beginning, the partners immediately started to work trying to form a team focused on achieving the goals set by the project. They are: providing a coherent set of information and a program of advanced didactic modules for the VET teachers; designing the material (also using the ECVET approach) to help them develop an environmental-friendly mentality shared at European level and promoting, for their students, a proactive attitude, oriented towards the objectives of a resource-efficient Europe.
EN VET realized, according to the scheduled timeframe (two more months were added to the original period) the five IOs. In particular, the following was carried out: 1) a comparative Report on the approach to ES in the involved countries, 5 country reports and 12 case studies; 2) 3 introductory didactic modules, enriched with sub-modules connected to UN Agenda 2030; 3) 6 Deepening Knowledge modules; 4) a more extensive than expected and very fruitful testing activity of the modules; 5) the EN VET Book with guidelines and the enhancement of the value for the products. This material is offered free of charge to the European VET system and is ready to be used by VET teachers who will manage the tools according to their needs and their educational objectives.
Each one of the 9 modules is divided into three sections (handbook to organize the teaching; presentation with slides and learning questionnaire); they cover these topics: Renewable and non-renewable natural resources; Human load capacity of the Earth; Efficient management of resources in the EU; Circular economy; The water resource; Low carbon emissions in cement production; Sustainable waste management; Sustainable textile production; Energy efficient buildings. VET teachers, using the EN VET tools, will be able to increase their knowledge on strategic topics for humankind and transfer them to their students. On the other hand, the modules proved to be useful also for updating adults interested in the topic.
To achieve these products, from a methodological point of view, a highly intersectoral approach was used in order to recreate, in this case for the VET system, a synergy between training, scientific research and companies similar to that existing in the EU programs such as HORIZON 2020 and LIFE. This is one of the most innovative aspects of the project and it was possible by involving, in addition to partner experts, stakeholders from the production, research and VET trainers, to contribute to the planning and drafting of products and then to test and validate them.
The management of the project was carried out by the Coordinator, assisted by a Steering Committee. The climate in the partnership has been always clear and productive; no conflicts or misunderstandings have ever arisen. From the beginning there was full responsibility of all partners for the implementation of management activities; each of them coordinated one of the activities and actively participated in the others.
Proper communication to strategic recipients has been ensured; 5 project meetings were organized (one in each partner country); a Quality Plan has been planned, a constant monitoring of the project has been carried out and a final Report on the Quality System has been drawn up which used more than 100 indicators. Each product was evaluated by external experts and then approved with the consensus of the whole partnership. Finally the dissemination was made using various tools: two mailing lists; web page linked to the platform (www.en-vet.eu); blogs and social networks; 5 multiplier events; the brochure and the newsletters; printing and dissemination of the book. In total we estimate that around 2000 people were contacted during the life of the project. During the last meeting the partners approved a sustainability agreement. It commits them to carry out a series of actions in the years after the end of the project, to allow a full functionality of the tools developed; these actions have already been successfully launched.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 302097,04 Eur

Project Coordinator

CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE & Country: IT

Project Partners

• IISS Piaget Diaz Viale Nobiliore
• CLEAN
• TIME Associates Ireland Ltd
• VIESOJI ISTAIGA KAUNO MOKSLO IR TECHNOLOGIJU PARKAS
• Fundación General de la Universidad de Salamanca