BLUe growth connects European Seas Erasmus Project

Project Title

BLUe growth connects European Seas

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Project Summary

Our coasts and seas have the potential to deliver growth and jobs in the coming years. In order to achieve Blue Growth, the European Commission’s long term strategy to further harness the potential of Europe’s oceans, seas and coasts, for sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sectors, highly qualified and skilled professionals are needed. Yet many Blue Economy sectors are experiencing difficulties in finding the right employees for highly qualified technical positions – and most sectors expect these difficulties to continue throughout the foreseeable future.

The proposed project brings 5 key partners from different countries (located in the Mediterranean Sea, Iberian Sea, Baltic and Black Sea) which cover all EU seas and are dealing with Blue Economy and Education, providing coherent response to the challenges facing the sector by complementing and adding value to existing initiatives by Member States, regions and other stakeholders.

The main target group the project is addressing professionals working in blue economy sectors, (such as coastal, cruise tourism, Maritime Safety and Security and Greening Maritime Transport and Fisheries Monitoring and Aquaculture) wishing to develop their competences, VET Participants, unemployed people, as well as students searching for education in the areas of blue economy field.

The overall objective of the BLUES is to promote the development of blue economy in the partners countries, strengthening cooperation between industry and education, to fill the skills gap in this sector (Training Course on Maritime Safety and Security and Greening Maritime Transport (IO1), Training Course on Coastal and Cruise Tourism (IO2), Training Course on Fisheries Monitoring and Aquaculture (IO3) and to raise awareness of Blue Careers and tools through the creation of a dedicated One Stop Shop Portal, which will also accommodate among other the e-learning component of the project (IO4).

This project will also include four transnational project meetings that will contribute to the preparation, implementation and evaluation phase of the project. All the information gathered through this project and the promotion of the project itself will then be uploaded on the One Stop Shop Portal. Multiplier events are foreseen in Greece, Cyprus, Latvia, Spain and Bulgaria. Furthermore, one joint staff training activity in Spain for 10 participants in order to be trained as regards to testing and operating the BLUES One Stop Shop Portal as well as delivering the Training Courses will take place.

Through the implementation of this project the partners aim at contributing significantly in enhancing the opportunities for up-skilling VET learners and professionals working in the field of blue economy sectors (such as coastal, cruise tourism, Maritime Safety and Security and Greening Maritime Transport and Fisheries Monitoring and Aquaculture) both nationally and at EU level, as well as for other members of the target group. The project will aim to boost opportunities for people in these areas by bringing them together with experienced entrepreneurs and stakeholders thus creating new partnerships for business and business support providers.

The total number of people, who will directly benefit and indirectly benefit from or will be targeted through the project activities during its duration, is moderately estimated at approximately 3000 people. Partners in each country will aim to achieve, as much as possible, the number of such indirect beneficiaries and, in general, of people informed about the project, its objectives and results attained. It is expected that this will contribute towards greater awareness of the issues with opportunities to develop the needed competences for supporting the up skilling of professionals working in the field of blue economy sectors.

The project aims at supporting professionals, students and unemployed in the Blue Economy industry to:
• Acquiring new tools and knowledges upon Blue Economy sector;
• Improve the professional skills and competences;
• Enable a full understanding of possibilities and barriers associated with combining blue economy sectors (such as coastal, cruise tourism, Maritime Safety and Security and Greening Maritime Transport and Fisheries Monitoring and Aquaculture).
•Improve professional’s income;
• Increasing opportunities for professional development;
• Improve the position of the target group in the labour market;
• Strengthening of occupational/career profiles of job seekers and young professionals;
• Better understanding and recognition of skills and qualifications in Europe and beyond.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 169140 Eur

Project Coordinator

DIMOS PEIRAIA & Country: EL

Project Partners

• Associacio Barcelona Cluster Nautic
• LATVIJAS JURAS AKADEMIJA
• MARINE CLUSTER BULGARIA SDRUZHENIE
• ENOROS CONSULTING LIMITED