The importance of the agricultural sector is crucial for the economy and society of the EU. Its contribution in terms of employment globally accounts for 32% and can provide great potential in creating new jobs, fighting unemployment and strengthening cuntries` economies. The significance of involving young people in agriculture, improving their skills and entrepreneurial competencies in reversing the trend of ever aging population of farmers in the EU is plain to see. This importance is also clearly presented at EU level: Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) 2014-2020 and the EU 2020 strategy for innovation, growth and jobs but also the new EU Research and innovation strategy 2020-2024 that will play a key role in responding to the challenges brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic. It will help deliver Europe's recovery plan, paving the way out of the current crisis based on economic growth that respects the planet. These strategies call to adopt recommendations in order to support different national high-quality education programmes that will focus on youth agriculture entrepreneurship by offering innovative educational training. Programmes such as Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ nurture research and training in the field of agriculture and entrepreneurship and stress their growing importance. AGRIENT Project: “Enhancing Youth Entrepreneurship Skills, Career Guidance and Competences in Agriculture Through a Game Based Virtual Reality Platform“, aimed at designing a training curriculum in agriculture and entrepreneurship with innovative courses and creation of Open Educational Resources, complemented by up-to-date and technology-enhanced 3D virtual world training platform to meet the needs of training in these fields and indirectly to promote and support young people in formulating, starting, running and improving their own agribusinesses. The project implementation period had initially been scheduled for 24 months but due to the pandemic situation this period was extended by 5 months, with the end in June 2021.AGRIENT project adapted the curriculum and materials to specific regional and national needs, developed 5 distinctive courses or modules with exercises on complex issues, gathered examples of good practice from participating countries and provided interactive and innovative open educational resource. The learning materials of the courses, 3D learning scenarios following gamification ideas were all hosted in the 3D virtual world educational platform freely available online with the total of 21 interactive learning scenarios. The main target groups young people interested in agriculture and entrepreneurship, graduates of agriculture educational institutes, young NEETS, teachers/trainers/tutors from HE institutions, VET institutions, elementary and secondary schools, youth training centers, young people from isolated rural areas, adult education and training institutions and other related groups: career counselors and agencies, policy makers, youth educational networks, development agencies, youth agriculture and entrepreneurship networks.The main aims of the AGRIENT project were to :• Create an innovative curriculum based on agriculture and entrepreneurship, create an innovative 3D educational virtual world platform;• Promote entrepreneurship education for developing active citizenship, employability and creating new businesses, support future learning and career pathways for individuals,in accordance with their personal and professional development;• Update and improve instructors’ knowledge and support related professional groups, educational and youth institutions and training centres • Create a network of stakeholders at local and regional level to raise awareness of relevant institutions in the field;• Provide young people in isolated and remote rural areas with freely available and innovative learning environments to overcome geographic and economic obstaclesThe results of the project were materialized in the following Intellectual outputs:• O1: Design of Agro-Entrepreneurship Curriculum, Formulation of Innovative Courses and Creation of Open Educational Resources • O2: Game-based 3D Virtual Reality Educational Platform for Agro-Entrepreneurship EducationIn the final stage of outputs development, these were validated by selected participants during pilot testing, and the final results were improved according to their feedback andrecommendations. The project has developed user-driven and interactive training tools, which are unique in Europe; it had a major impact not only in terms of target beneficiaries, but also through relevance, usefulness and transferability of the project results.AGRIENT is a sustainable project and it developed innovative practices which are fully transferable to other areas. Both project outputs can be used as a model for educational processes, as a guideline how to proceed with the educational and methodological aspects of trainings not only in the subjects of agriculture and entrepreneurship, but they can also be adapted into other fields and sectors in education.

<< Background >>EU has recently introduced circular economy as a high-level global emerging strategy to move societies beyond the boundaries of existing development and towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) set by the UN 2030 agenda for sustainability. Thus, the concept of a circular economy emerges as a global strategy and as an overriding priority in the EU, to stimulate the transition from today's model of linear production and consumption economy to resource efficient use. Circular agriculture, as a new paradigm, penetrates every aspect of the agri-food sector, and furthermore, of the agricultural local communities, the rural landscapes, and semi-natural environment. The transition process towards circular agriculture, requires the implementation of a new management model which includes all the main stages of the agri-food system, such as the primary production, the food consumption, and the by-products and food waste. This new sustainable framework, viewed as a closed circle, sets the goal for a more efficient food supply chain, but also un update of the HE curricula at the Faculties of agriculture. The main concept of circular agriculture is the reuse into the agri-food system of the agricultural biomass and food processing residuals, as renewable resources with high added-value. Resource circulation, which is the core goal of circular economy, is the new proposed model for the future sustainable agriculture. This model should provide the flexibility to various company styles and earning types, without restrictions, to adapt to the required socio-economical and ecological transformation, by introducing a wide range of activities varying from intensive to extensive, small to large, and low-tech to hi-tech. But the transition to circular agriculture depends not only on technology and significant restructuring of production but it has a lot to do with the change in the attitudes and perspectives.SKILLS idea is grounded at the necessity to promote environmental sustainability, economic prosperity, and social equity as valid objectives of Circular Economy Model and to approach them accordingly in academic and practice.<< Objectives >>The main objective of the project is to contribute towards up-to-date skills development of the target beneficiaries ( students, potential students, ag producers) by introducing and promoting the concepts of Circular agriculture and Green Growth, as well as to boost the modernization of the curricula and introduce digital courses at the Faculties of agriculture by making them more attractive for the future students. It is very important that changes and upgrades of the agricultural HE curricula are made, because Faculties f agriculture are facing a decrease in the number of enrolled students per students due to the level of (non) attractiveness of the field of agriculture. On the side, this can be efficiently changed by raising awareness for the needs and potential of agriculture exp. during the pandemic time, the agricultural sector was among the rarest which survived because the production of food (including raw food-agriculture products has to continues regardless of everything). This opens perspectives for increased potential for employment after graduation, even more, professional occupations which are not just traditional agriculture, but new agricultural concepts like the circular agriculture and the green jobs. Additionally, SKILLS puts to opening employment opportunities and widening the perspectives of jobs in the green skills and CA by boosting the skills of the target group. Eventually, SKILLS project promotes the concept of Circular Agriculture as a sustainable, resilient branch. SKILLS consortium aims at enhancing and speeding up the awareness for Circular Agriculture through elaborating a Baseline study in typology and training material composed of practical know-how and a well structured set of tools, modules and digital courses that agricultural practitioners can go through and change their mindset and rethink their activities.<< Implementation >>In order to contribute to modernization at the programs and courses offered at the Faculties of Agriculture, as well as the promotion of the Circular Agriculture, SKILLS project planned a set of project activities as: project meetings, project results, dissemination, national webinars, E1 media event.All pProject activities are aimed at and tailored according to the needs of the target group such as students, ag producers, potential future students, policy makers, researchers, development practitioners, as well skilled as unskilled other members of vulnerable groups. For successful implementation of SKILLS project, the following concrete project activities are foreseen: 1) Organization of five transnational meetings for the project partners during which the project results will be elaborated, discussed, coordinated, and implemented. 2) 5 project results: PR1. Baseline study in typology of agricultural profilesPR2. Module in green skillsPR3. Agri-Lingua Practicum PR4. Tool-kit in agro-food productionPR5. Digital course in Circular Agriculture3) 10 national webinars (digital training) based on the project results outcomes 4) E1 media event which is planed as a large scale media event to promote the SKILLS project activities, Erasmus+ program and to provide for networking among stakeholders in circular agriculture, sustainability, , but also HE and representatives in the ministries of education who are in charge with the monitoring and upgrade of the courses curricula.<< Results >>Expected results are :1. Created Baseline study in agricultural typology (PR1);2. Developed digital course in green skills (PR2);3. Created Agri-Lingua practicum (PR3)4. Creating a network and strengthening the synergy among agriculture stakeholders by widening their perspectives on application of green skills and soft skills in agriculture made possible with the developed training materials for green skills (PR2) and linguistic skills (PR3);5. Organizing national webinasr based on project results outcomes;6. Developed tourism based agro-production tool-kit (PR4);7. Created digital course in circular agriculture (PR5);8. Attracting higher number of fresh-comers at the Faculties of Agriculture;9. Increasing the skills of min. 1200 ag producers and CA stakeholders will be strengthened in the field of sustainable-green agriculture;9. Skills gap of ag producers hampering their income will be filled;10. Establishment of a strategic partnership between the participants of the consortium for sustainable exchange and development of good practices in HE and applying them in further developing the LLL programs in agriculture;11. Networking of and best practice sharing among students, agricultural stakeholders, academic staff and ag producers will be initiated through their participation in the webinars and the E1 media event as well as the dissemination activities;12. Strengthened cooperation between the ag producers and educators will be improved (business and academic axes);13. improved sustainable agriculture at the project consortium countries and beyond;14.Modernized higher education in the field of agriculture.Having been exposed to a range of research environments, different areas of food development and life in different countries, the academic staff and representatives for curricula development will be in a much better position to make informed decisions on their HE programs.

Medical Schools in the Middle East are currently suffering from a critical shortage of scientists and academicians holding higher degrees in the various disciplines of basic medical sciences (BMS). For most of these Schools, the requirements for a Bachelor degree in Medicine include the successful completion of three years of intense coursework in BMS, prior to passing through three additional years of patient-oriented, bedside clinical coursework. Thus, iBMS-JO project responds to the needs to graduate students with deep background in BMS. This can be achieved by the establishment the first innovative intercalated BSc (iBSc) programs in BMS. Moreover, Telemedicine Labs (TL) will also be established to support the research activities of students and faculty, as well as providing services to the health care facilities. The establishment of an intercalated BSc (iBSc) programs in BMS is an opportunity for students to learn more about a particular topic, to develop transferable skills and/or participate in a more in-depth research project than previously available as part of a medical degree. This is can be offered after the 3rd or 4th year, which could also include an intercalated year into their standard medical programs, making them a 7-year degree, where an intercalation typically lasts one year. The expected outputs of this program include: n. 6 accredited iBSc programs in BMS, capacity building for the staff (at least 48): a) to design curricula in line with the Bologna process, b) to design and develop inter/multidisciplinary course curricula in clinical nutrition (at least 7 new modules, 120 students/year); and c) to apply innovative and flexible teaching and learning methods. Moreover, TL will provide research facilities for students and staff (n. >40 research project/year), which will support the iBSc programs and function as life-long learning resources and Centres of Excellence in medical education and research.

<< Background >>The widespread pandemic of COVID-19 has significantly interrupted the traditional training and education, as well as VET education, throughout Europe and the whole world. The current situation is forcing European educators to adapt in a short time interval towards digitising their classroom. However, the pandemic has already placed the education system to the test. The circumstances became worse by the fact that apprenticeships and learning by working, which reflects the practical training in VET has been discontinued in almost all Member States, according to the European Centre for Vocational Training report. Digitalisation and industry 4.0 are perhaps the most important drivers behind the profound transformation of the labour market, the way people work and the new digital skills required to meet the needs of the digitalised market. VET is valued for fostering job-specific and transversal skills, facilitating the transition into employment and maintaining and updating the skills of the workforce according to sectoral, regional and local needs.Boosting digital skills at all levels helps increase growth and innovation and build a fairer, more cohesive, sustainable and inclusive society. Being digitally skilled and acquiring digital literacy can empower people of all ages to be more resilient, improve participation in democratic life and stay safe and secure online. Equipping Europe’s future workers and job seekers with digital skills and competences will be critical for economic recovery in the coming years, especially after the severe consequences of the pandemic in all fields of life.The skills to be gained will extensively affect their professional development in an ever more digital society of IoT and Industry 4.0., the hands-on teaching approach supported by the construction, coding, and gamified problem solving with drones' will help teachers reach out more effectively their audience. Students with disadvantages and learning difficulties will benefit from this project's results and potentially tackle early school leaving through students' more inclusive engagement.The benefits of making activities in an educational setting are numerous: they can play an important role in encouraging and guiding students towards the end goals, they can fosters students’ growth, the strategies and processes learned can eventually be transferred to other contexts and also be put into use in new and different situations. Moreover, making activities have a significant impact on overall skills and competence acquisition, as well as its usefulness for the purposes of personal growth, employability and social innovation.<< Objectives >>Drone technology stands out as fun and practical equipment for the contemporary classrooms, experiments, and exploration. Drone technology is a fascinating way to introduce students to STEM related professions, equip them with relevant skills and thus cover the gaps reported in the labour market to meet the new job creation arising. At the same time, it blends together all STEM fields such as maths and physics, electrical and mechanical engineering and computer science. It promotes other employability skills needed in the 21st century such as problem-solving, group work, leadership, creativity and initiative.The DRONES@STEAM project proposal addresses three main priorities of the Erasmus+ Programme as shown below:HORIZONTAL: - Addressing digital transformation through development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity- Inclusion and diversity in all fields of education, training, youth and sportSECTORAL:- Contributing to innovation in vocational education and trainingBased on the above, the DRONES@STEAM project will support VET trainers and educators in an attempt to strengthen their profiles with the acquisition of new skills, the development of targeted material, the collection of tools and resources, while at the same time it will create opportunities for linking VET schools with the labour market building on synergies and partnerships with established organizations.The key competences to be promoted as part of the project are:- high digital skills which appear to be missing from VET curricula and are currently needed to enter the labour market and be included in VET job profiles - targeted ‘wide and deep’ digital competences and the use of technologies leading to the 4.0 industry.- job-specific VET related skills for various fields and sectors which are not offered as work-based learning opportunities or include danger or hazards for the workers.<< Implementation >>The activities include:-5 TPMs-1 LTTA in the form of Blended Learning Mobility of Learners with their VET trainers-Multiplier Events: 7 events to be organised-Competition: 1 in each partner country (except GR which will organise 2 due to distance) and 1 at the EU level<< Results >>The DRONES@STEAM project promotes the capacity and readiness of VET schools to modernise their teaching, use digital technologies in training, create innovative digital content and equip trainers with digital competences. This will be achieved through the development of:-A complete READY-TO-IMPLEMENT DIGITAL PACK for the introduction of drones’ technology and STEAM skills in VET schools including a targeted competence framework based on which students’ skills acquisition will be monitored, assessed and validated through the eco-system of the Open Badges, -a set of DIGITAL CONTENT in the form of CROSS-CURRICULAR BASED SCENARIOs with real-life examples moving away from subject boundaries promoting STEAM skills and guidelines for exploiting drones’ technology.-Professional development course to be designed for VET trainers for digital up-skilling or re-skilling in order to become digitally competent and confident to introduce such skills and technologies in schooling. In that way the readiness and capacity of trainers will be increased and will be able to shift efficiently to online and flexible blended learning.-Guidelines and procedures to prepare VET trainers and teachers to familiarise themselves with the 2020 EU Drone Regulation as per the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) which has foreseen the need for regulating the fast growing drone usage across sectors in order for EU citizens to be informed about the proper use of drones and their capabilities and restrictions, and the E.U. legislation encompassing it.

"NEw TOOls for Learning in Adult age - NEver TOO LAte is a 27-month project (October 2019-December 2021). The project is developed in 6 European countries: IT-GR-ES-PT-A-D. These are Countries affected by: general progressive impoverishment due to economic-socio-cultural crises occurred over time; political issues related to the lack of measures in favor of processes of integration and inclusion of people in marginal or deprived conditions; high unemployment rate mostly affecting young people, women and people poorly or at all qualified; incoming strong migration flows from countries afflicted by poverty and conflict.The priority addressed is social inclusion. In particular, the project aims to:a) develop tools to encourage young people and adults with poor or no schooling, EU and non-EU citizens, to improve and/or develop their functional lityeracy, numeracy and digital skills; to increase the ability to learn how to learn; to improve social and citizenship skills, such as the ability to act as responsible citizens and to participate fully in civic and social life. The project aims to involve 200 young people aged 16-30 with a particular focus on: poorly or not literate adults with a high risk of socio-cultural marginalization and with limited access to citizenship rights; applicants/holders of international protection; women at risk of exclusion and/or victims of trafficking and sexual/labor exploitation, beneficiaries of protection measures; unaccompanied foreign minors no longer subject to compulsory schooling (over 16); young and adults of Roma ethnicity, both male and female.b) provide methodological tools to 80 professionals in basic education and citizenship for adults, identified by partners among trainers, educators, teachers, cultural linguistic mediators.I partner sono:Legal entities participating in NEver TOO LAte are representative of 6 European countries: Italy, Greece,Germany Austria, Spain and Portugal. Project coordinator is Dedalus (IT), a social cooperative actively engaged in the promotion of inclusive services and paths targeting minors, young people and adults, both EU and foreign.The partners are:• STUDIO ERRESSE (IT) cooperative company expert in monitoring, evaluation and consultancy for third sector entities; and research, orientation and skill assessment;• DAFNI KEK (GR) institutions with strong experience in educational activities, particularly in digital skills learning, life skills and soft skills;• TEI WEST (GR) institution expert in the design of innovative digital technologies for learning;• VHS CHAM (D) involved in training for women (migrants and refugees) especially in the field of digital and linguistic skills development (English, German);• VHS WIEN (A) institution working in the field of professional training and social research;• CLUBE (PT) non-profit organization operating in Portugal in the fields of youth, education, training and employment;• UHU (ES) public university in Huelva which manages Erasmus + mobility projects for students and professors and participates in several Erasmus Mundus projects.The Macro phases of the project are:• PREPARATION AND IMPLEMENTATION (Lead partner DEDALUS)• MONITORING AND EVALUATION (Lead partner Studio Erresse and VHC Wien)• DISSEMINATION (Lead partner VHS CHAM).• COMMUNICATION (Lead partner STUDIO ERRESSE)4 Multiplier events are planned in 4 of the partner countries (Spain, Greece, Germany, Italy), to disseminate intellectual property and Recommendations.To achieve its goals, NEver Too LAte will produce 3 Intellectual outputs:a Comparative Research, with the analysis of methodologies and positive experiences in partner countries (Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Greece) in the the project field of interest; a ‘MyDigital FlipBooks’ Multimedia Library for the use of professionals, to support young people and vulnerable adults in lifelong learning paths; a Basic Learning Platform compatible with all digital devices and aimed at motivating young people and adults to complete learning paths to basic and citizenship skills.Expected outcomes are:- increased number of adults and young people, EU and not-EU, with poor or no schooling, motivated to develop/improve functional literacy, numeracy, digital, social and citizenship skills according to their social inclusion needs and aspiration.- improved abilities of professionals, in motivating the project target groups to learn and enhance their skills.- effective ""awareness, orientation, and motivation to learn"" strategies implemented at the community level, for the benefit of particularly vulnerable non-literate people"