FPEmpresa Hosts the Second Meeting of the SiT Project in Madrid
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FPEmpresa Hosts the Second Meeting of the SiT Project in Madrid

The Asociación de Centros de Formación Profesional FPEmpresa has hosted members of the SiT Project (Sustainability in TCLF) in Madrid on November 13 and 14 of 2024, for the second project meeting. The IES Leonardo Da Vinci, an FPEmpresa-affiliated VET center, has served as the venue for this European meeting, where attendees observed the work of students specializing in Textile, Clothing and Leather studies, as well as their workshops featuring dyeing and fiber production machinery. Elena Argudo, Project Director at the Association, has emphasized “the importance of hosting the visit at a member center with such a rich history and commitment to international initiatives as IES Leonardo Da Vinci.”

Progress Updates and Achievements

During the sessions, project partners have provided updates on various work packages and the current status of each. Specifically, it was announced that the project successfully has secured 147 organizations as signatories to the Knowledge Triangle Agreement, aiming to foster effective collaboration between educational institutions, businesses and research centers—a cornerstone of the SiT project.

Additionally, it was revealed that over 625 companies and 90 vocational training centers has participated in a survey to identify the skills gap and training needs of vocational students in the textile sector. The survey results has highlighted two emerging professions, which will be the focus of new training curricula within the project. These professions, Biotextiles Technician and Waste Manager, are projected to play a crucial role in driving the ecological transformation of the industry.

Next Steps in the SiT Project

A significant part of the program has focused on upcoming actions within the SiT project. This November marks the start of Work Package 3, which will focus on curriculum and module development, as well as the creation of a network for certification, validation, recognition and accreditation of the training programs. The goal of these materials is to implement a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) to enhance accessibility and impact within the textile sector. The MOOC is set to be developed throughout the coming year.

In addition, attendees has enjoyed an English-language tour of Madrid, led by VET students in Tourism Guidance, Information and Assistance from the Madrid School of Hospitality and Tourism as part of their practical training.

About the SiT Project

This initiative, coordinated by ITKAM – Italian Chamber of Commerce for Germany, is part of the Erasmus+ funding program Alliance for Innovation and will run until January 31, 2027. The SiT project involves 15 partners from 8 European Union countries: Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia and Slovakia.

The project’s objectives include promoting innovation in education, training and the textile, clothing, leather and footwear sectors. It focuses on the potential of the green transition and developing new training modules in educational institutions to address gaps in green skills.

PRALINE meets in Helsinki to learn about Finnish VET and its new education reform
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PRALINE meets in Helsinki to learn about Finnish VET and its new education reform

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa has participated in the seventh PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks) that has been held on 22nd and 23rd May in Helsinki (Finland). On this occasion, the AMKE organisation was in charge of organising the conference, which was held at the Taitotalo educational centre.

The conference focused on the educational system of the Finnish country, as well as the functioning of Vocational Training. The different speakers explained the different training options available to students, as well as the possibility of personalising their study itineraries.

In addition, the theme of VET as a solution to unemployment was addressed, with Annukka Jamisto, Director of Services and Adwoa Brewun, Business Coordinator at Omnia, explaining possible solutions to help immigrants in the country to train and get a job.

Among the participants who also shared their perspectives on the Finnish education system and the commitment to work-based learning were Marika Koski, teacher at Sataedu; Matti Isokallio, Director of the Education and Training Consortium at Sataedu; Minna Sandberg, International Coordinator at Spesia, a special VET institution; Saara Ikkelä, Senior Specialist at the Ministry of Education and Culture and Keijo Honkonen, Deputy Director of the Taitotalo Centre.

One of the main themes of the conference was to continue to work on the fact that young people and adults can learn together, as half of the VET students are between 20 and 60 years old. In this way, both age groups can complement each other in terms of knowledge and professional and personal experience.

After having concluded the presentation of the days, as it was done in the six previous ALMPs, the PRALINE partners have met to explain their points of view and to motivate a debate to find new ideas on the subject among them.

Finally, the European partners will meet at the eighth ALMP in Croatia next October and will be organised by the Hrvatsko Andragosko Drustvo (HAD) association.

PRALINE is an Erasmus+ funded project that aims to strengthen and boost international networks of adult education providers already in operation by learning about good practice.

PRALINE holds its fifth PLA in Estonia to discuss improvements in education in the digital age
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PRALINE holds its fifth PLA in Estonia to discuss improvements in education in the digital age

FPEmpresa has participated in the fifth PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks) which was held on 6 and 7th of october in Tallinn (Estonia). For this occasion, the Estonian Association For Advancement Of Vocational Education has been the organization in charge of the conferences that have been carried out in the school Tallinna Teeninduskool and Harno.

The conference focused on digitalisation, automation and artificial intelligence and on how to improve the re-qualification of adults in the digital age. On these topics, the different speakers presented different proposals with examples of good practices in the country. In addition, the topic of digitalisation was addressed in general aspects of Estonia, which has a population of 1.3 million and is one of the most developed European countries in this area.

Among the participants who also shared their perspective on the Estonian education system and digital skills among adults were Merlin Tatrik, Head of Adult Education Policy at the Ministry of Education and Research, and Karin Künnapas, Head of Adult Education Policy at the Ministry of Education and Research; Karin Künnapas, Director of the company Kood/Jõhvi which offers an autonomous and self-taught education offer; Yngve Rosenblad, Chief Analyst at OSKA, Estonian Qualifications Authority; Keerli Požogina, Digital Competence Project Manager at Harno; and Jevgenia Smirnova, Head of the Labour Market Training Service at The Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund.

The project partners also visited the e-Estonia Briefing Centre to learn about the latest digital skills that have been acquired by the country. Among them, having a virtual medical portal for the inhabitants, which can be accessed only with the ID card.

After having concluded the presentation of the days, as it was done in the four previous ALMPs, the PRALINE partners have explained their points of view in order to motivate a debate and thus find new ideas among them. In this way, a group dynamic is created on how the actions of the Estonian education system could be implemented in the other countries that are part of the European project.

Finally, the European partners will meet at the 6th ALMP in France next January and it will be organised by the association Union Nationale Des Maisons Familiales Rurales d’Education Et.

PRALINE is an Erasmus+ funded project that aims to strengthen and boost international networks of adult education providers already in operation by learning about good practices.

The secondary school Puerta Bonita participates in the DOCE project together with 7 European centers
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The secondary school Puerta Bonita participates in the DOCE project together with 7 European centers

The secondary school Puerta Bonita, a center associated with the FPEmpresa VET Schools Association, has participated in the Erasmus+ KA226 project entitled Digital Online Creativity Education (DOCE). An initiative that arises from the difficulties in the teaching process that arose during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic and in which new strategies have been designed to deal with online learning. In addition, the DOCE project has been coordinated by the Grafisch Lyceum in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) and the secondary school Puerta Bonita has participated together with high schools in the European cities of Jyväskyla (Finland), Newcastle (United Kingdom), Lisbon (Portugal), Ghent ( Belgium), Sankt Gallen (Switzerland) and Verona (Italy).

The Erasmus+ DOCE project has helped teachers to share their own experiences on how they have taught lessons during confinement. A process in which not only theoretical sessions have been organized, but also practical ones telematically. “This exchange of ideas and proposals has allowed all of them to increase their technological and educational updating through the different activities,” said Raúl Martínez, head of studies at the secondary school Puerta Bonita.

This dynamic has contributed to the increase in the collaboration and commitment of the participating institutions through the practice of investigating and exchanging new ways of dealing with digital learning. Likewise, different telematic meetings and one face-to-face meeting have been held in the city of Verona (Italy).

On the other hand, the participating secondary schools and their teachers have established a better contact with the new reality of online learning, creativity and digitization in the field of media and design.

In conclusion, the DOCE project has been an opportunity to transfer knowledge and take advantage of synergies in the development of digital content as prototypes that can be used by other teachers and schools.