Technology for the Training innovation in the European Agri-food Cooperatives of the digital era Erasmus Project

Project Title

Technology for the Training innovation in the European Agri-food Cooperatives of the digital era

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Rural development and urbanisation; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

ToTCOOP+i TECH project proposed to respond to the following challenges of the agri-food co-operatives in Europe:
– need of promoting the Corporate Culture among the members of their Board of Directors and,
– need of increasing their knowledge, abilities and skills about Business Administration and Management, in order to ensure a suitable decision-making process in their entities and adapt them to the strategic changes required by the market.
– need to incorporate women to the Board of Directors in co-operative companies, and promote the generational replacement, through the assumption of responsibilities by younger members.

In order to help the co-operatives facing these challenges, the project sets the following objectives:
1. Transforming the current offer of Continuing Vocational Training in the co-operative sector at EU level into an excellent training, based on the use of technology and in the new models of the digital era and,
2. Strengthening the capacities of Business Administration of the Board of Directors Members from agri-food cooperatives, through their direct involvement in the training process.

The project partnership was formed by 7 organizations coming from 6 different EU Member States. Coordinator (ICOS) and Partners 2 (AGACA), 4 (Association for Social Cooperatives), 5 (Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre) and 7 (MedAtlantia) are associations of co-operatives and providers of consultancy and advisory services to cooperatives. They have provided to the project a work-based experience in the co-operatives sector and a strong link with project stakeholders and project beneficiaries. Also, they have contributed with their specific knowledge about the agri-food co-operative sector to the content for the technological tools that have been developed.

Partner 3 (Changemaker) is a consultancy company and VET provider, specialized in change and organizational development and learning processes as well as digital service development, games and visualisation on a national and international level. CM have had the role of pedagogical supervisor of the project.

Partner 6 (GRIFO multimedia) with partner 7 (Medatlantia) are newcomer to the previous partnership. P6 (GRIFO) It’s an Italian SME that operates in the field of e-learning, knowledge and content management, integrating technologies, contents and services in customized solutions built around the entities’ specific needs. Partner 7 (MedAtlantia) is a worker co-operative specialized in designing and developing green and circular economy projects for entities belonging to the social economy (worker co-ops, agri-food co-ops, social co-ops, Associations of co-ops, Public and Private Foundations) in the rural areas. Also, it provides VET services such as Coordination and Mgt. of Public Administration Training Plans, and training offer in Mgt. of Cooperative companies.

Apart from the coordination and dissemination, the following activities were developed in the project:
– Observatory of Learning Innovation and technological opportunities for training
– Transformation of training content into innovative tools
– Short-term joint staff training event
– Implementation of national pilot training sessions

The main results achieved are:
1 Infographic Handbook of innovative technological resources for training (10 digital learning tools included)
1 Handbook of Best Practices in Learning Innovation
10 Video materials for training purposes
1 Serious game, with 50 boxes of knowledge activities (5 for Didactic Unit) (digital version)
1 Didactic App for smartphone
10 Gamification tools for training assessment
1 Final Conference held in Ireland in order to disseminate and capitalize project final results
4 Pilot training sessions with Final Beneficiaries, for testing the use of the digital innovative learning tools developed, in Ireland, Spain, Poland and Latvia
1 Short-term joint staff training event (in Spain) and assessment report

Regarding the ToTCOOP+i TECH, impact we can highlight the following achievements:
– Availability of common training contents on Business Administration, Mgt. & Corporate culture for members of Board of Director of agri-foods co-operatives, taught throw the use of technological tools based on digital solutions.
– Exchange of experiences and identification of best-practices for innovative learning.
– Increased awareness about the importance to involve younger generations (men and women) trough technological tools at European level to guarantee a generational shift in the sector.

The project sustainability is ensured by the inclusion of the TOTCOOP+i TECH training results in the VET offers provided by the different project partners to members of Board of Directors of agri-food co-operatives, rural and social co-operatives and members of co-operatives. Partners firmly agreed to participate until June 2024 in an Impact study, setting several specific measures to assess the long-term impact of the project.

Project Website

http://totcoopitech.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 299482 Eur

Project Coordinator

IRISH CO-OPERATIVE ORGANISATION SOCIETY LIMITED & Country: IE

Project Partners

• LATVIJAS LAUKU KONSULTACIJU UN IZGLITIBAS CENTRS
• GRIFO MULTIMEDIA SRL
• Association for Social Cooperatives
• MEDATLANTIA CONSULTORIA EUROPEA S. COOP. GALEGA
• CHANGEMAKER AB
• UNION DE COOPERATIVAS ASOCIACION GALEGA DE COOPERATIVAS AGRARIAS