COOPTERR is a strategic partnership for Adult Education that aims at training people on key skills that are necessary for cooperation. Our approach associates cultural, social, economical and territorial dimensions. It brings together organisations that implement territorial cooperation through the mutualisation of means, collective events, shared-places, collaborative cultural projects or territorial networks regrouping social & solidarity economy organisations. They experiment cooperative approaches for local development, that are creative, evolving and innovative.The project aims at developing training regarding territorial cooperation practices, in order to help professionals and volunteers of these organisations.In a world that is changing and reinventing social involvement, personal development and ways of working, being able to cooperate isa key skill that everyone can assimilate, all throughout life. The context of the health crisis - how it shakes the work organisation and fosters the need to reinvest the territories - brings this to light.COOPTERR brings together six European partners, for 28 months, involved in civic, cultural and social life: CRIES (Romania), Fekete Sereg (Hungary), Largo (Portugal), Solidarius (Italy), RIPESS Europe (Luxembourg), UFISC (France).These non-profit organisations chose to share their experiences, practices and knowledge in territorial cooperation. They wish to foster networking between actors involved in territorial cooperation, and disseminate their practices and methods.The assimilation of cooperation skills enables to develop a critical reflection on the world,on the professional organisation and reinforces civic implication altogether. It promotes a transformation of our behaviour, enhances capacities of each person, makes people more attentive to others and defuses competitive situations. The cultural, social and economic dimensions develop the aptitude of people to engage in multidimensional and transversal projects, and to animate collectives that include multiple stakeholders. These dimensions promote creativity and expression, and the ability to work as a team, in projects and within networks.The partners co-constructed a programme consisting of six mobilities, four transnational meetings, and sessions of online collaboration, to share experiences within each partner country, meet local territorial actors and engage in theoretical and practical training. Each activity will be composed of 25 to 30 participants or more, on the occasions of public meetings and visits. Based on informal education methods, peer to peer and in real situation training, as well as shared-knowledge among the participants, the programme aims at improving adult’s skills. It will strengthen relationships and networks among the people and within the partner organisations. It will enable the creation of a learning community and the capitalisation of experiences, social innovations, and co-constructed tools and methods.The various situations of cooperation will highlight the added-values inherent to the respect of human rights and sustainable development, and to a greater inclusion and equality. A fil rouge will emerge from experiences of cultural cooperation, lived through cultural events and festivals, and more particularly through the European Capitals of Culture framework, that several partners will experience. This theme will raise awareness of cultural diversity in Europe and on the necessary valorisation of cultural resources of people and European territories. The project, focusing on the transformations experienced by territories and social practices, will work on common references and values and facilitate the understanding of the European context and its evolution.Aimed at people involved in the animation and transmission of methods of territorial cooperation, and at actors of cooperation, it will expand beyond to spread the culture of cooperation in Europe, through free, open dissemination of the project resources and results. This dissemination will take place over the long term through a website, public events and through the cooperative community. The expected impacts are to strengthen people’s capacities and skills, mutualisation, collective governance, shared-places, collective and territorial events...It will enable the partners to make recommendations in terms of adult education and public policies to social, private and public decision-makers.The COOPTERR project is based on the shared thought that there can be no real economic and social transformation without a profound cultural transformation, a transformation of the imaginary with which we think our life, work, the society, our territories and through which we live our relationships. This strategic partnership wishes to partake in developing this cooperative, creative and innovative culture. Let's learn together!

The SSEE+IVET, developed from September 2016 and August 2018, aimed to affirm SSE through IVET innovation. This objective was based on two dimensions: 1) SSE as an alternative socioeconomic model and 2) IVET as a tool for social change. According to these, the project focused on:1)Mapping the opportunities and constraints for affirming SSE in IVET curricula at European and national levels2)Developing a common package of IVET training modules on SSE3)Advocating the inclusion of IVET training modules in IVET curricula at European and national levelsThe project was developed by eight organisations from different countries, including RIPESS EU (a European network of SSE organisations), three entities specialised in training and the remaining four dedicated ito SSE. All partners worked to include SSE in the IVET curricula and to disseminate the main activities and results of the project among the target-groups.The main activities developed throughout the project were:- Mapping of opportunities and constraints for affirming SSE in IVET curricula, through the shared effort of all partners, useful to assess and analyse the state of art concerning SSE and IVET curricula at the partners’ countries.- Development of a common package of IVET training modules SSE: M1. Values and Principles of SSE; M2. Democratic Management; M3 Ethical and Solidarity Finance. These modules were tested in three pilot-training programmes.- Advocacy actions to include training modules in IVET curricula, at national and European levels. In order to support said actions, two documents were produced: the Intellectual Outputs 5 (Action Plan) and 6 (Policy Brief).In general terms, the results of the project show that SSE is practically absent from the training curricula, particularly in terms of IVET in the majority of countries. However, the report (O1.) shows that SSE can be a tool of curricula innovation.Hence, SSE can assume a crucial role in the 2030 Agenda and the SDG through its concrete and innovative practices in social, institutional and technological terms.

This project aimed to affirm the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) in Europe, specifically through VET trainers’ curricula innovation. Its inspiring vision is a comprehensive training and professional development of VET trainers, which integrates innovative competences and skills models in their professional framework. Currently, SSE is mostly inexistent in VET curricula in most European countries (see Mapping of opportunities and constraints for affirming SSE in IVET Curricula (O1.), SSE-IVE: affirming SEE through IVET curricula innovation). At the same time SSE is a promising but still largely unexplored subject of action, transformative attitudes, research and policy, and its potential is largely unknown, to most people, professionals such as VET trainers and therefore to the future generation of citizens, students and/ or trainees. The project aimed to build capacity of VET teachers and trainers to introduce and approach SSE in study programmes. This second edition off SSEE.VET enhanced the contribution to a more complete and inclusive training and professional development of new generations, integrating alternative socio-economic models with innovative competences and skills that SSE promotes. Given this context, the specific objectives of the project were set and accomplised: - To map of VET trainers competences in SSE and existing training programs, focusing on the need to develop a competence profile for SSE in different disciplines of VET studies; - To design a training course for trainers, including a training programme (objectives, learning outcomes, contents, methods, duration, etc.), list of pedagogical resources, list of study cases/good practices/inspiring examples and a e-learning platform, starting from the mapping (O1.) - To advocate for the inclusion of training in SSE for VET trainers, through national and european Action Plans to advocate for the inclusion of training course in SSE for VET trainers; - To raise awareness and to disseminate the project through multimedia tools reaching not only trainers and trainees but networks and general public at national and European levels. Following these objectives, the project developed in a sequential logic structure based on a three steps approach: Step 1 | Strategic assessment – The first step focused on data collection and stakeholders’ identification at national and European level. It was linked with the first project specific objective, which was to assess and analyse the national and European scenarios concerning VET trainers’ SSE competences and existing training programs in the same field. This step provided a solid foundation for steps 2 and 3, in terms of increased knowledge based on comparative data and harmonization of concepts and terminology, crucial to effectively work at European level. – Related outputs: O1. Mapping of trainers’ competences and existing SSE training programs – Related events: National workshops to disseminate O1. (E1. – E6.) STEP 2 | Trainers’ curricula innovation – The second step builded on the first one and was focused on a collaborative process to develop one training course which is relevant and meaningful both at national and European level. It was linked with the second project specific objective, which is to design a training in action course for strengthening skills of VET trainers. – Related outputs: O2. training in action course – Related training activities: C1-C17 – Related events: National workshops to disseminate O2. (E7. – E18.) STEP 3 | Advocacy – The third step was focused on amplifying the dissemination and exploitation of the mapping and the training course developed in previous steps – looking for the sustainability of project outcomes also beyond the lifetime of this project. It iwas linked with the third and most comprehensive objective of the project, which is to advocate for the inclusion of training in SSE for VET trainers. – Related outputs: Action Plan O3 and O4. Multimedia tools – Related events: International Final Seminar (E19) In this sense, the project completed four IO and an extra IO with a compilation of the SSEVET2 project for all interested stakeholders. Additionally, we implemented 19 multiplier events (18 national events and 1 European event) with a total of 184 participants; and 12 training activities (10 national training activities and 2 European training activities) with 103 participants. The participants are from different target-groups, such as local, national and European VET providers, local, national and European SSE organisations, local and national VET trainers and policy and decision-makers at national and European levels.Aligning with the values and principles of the Social and Solidarity Economy, the project methodology was democratic and participatory.

<< Background >>The fashion & textile industry is second largest polluter in the world. Boosting the sustainability of the sector and addressing the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 crisis are the EU wide concerns, in which the stakes in terms of cross border pollution effects and impact on the internal market are high. The changes proposed by new EU Textiles Directive will be enforced starting next year, pressing businesses in the textile sector to change their operations and products. However, since the changes required are drastic, many businesses will be affected due to the lack of specialized education and preparation, especially in the small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). In order to comply to the new legal and market demands, businesses will have to train their employees on sustainable fashion and textiles (SF&T), with specialized trainings that involve high costs, endangering the small business world, that may not have residual funds for such trainings. Currently, in Europe the training alternatives include few Bachelor’s and Master’s programs that require a high degree of involvement and cost and several charged online courses, making the options for education very limited. It is vital for SMEs to gain knowledge on SF&T, meet the sustainability criteria and stay on the EU market.The European apparel market revenue is worth €422,003mil in 2021 and it is projected to keep growing by 5.24% annually until 2025. The volume of the total EU apparel market is expected to reach 37,892m pieces by 2025, with an average of 40.6 pieces/person/year. Out of the yearly 26 kgs of consumed textile clothing, the average European throws away 11 kgs, which usually ends up landfilled or incinerated .The full environmental impact is ~ 36 to CO2/€1mil of textile and leather products produced . In Romania, such VET course does not exist, while SMEs are far from applying sustainability criteria. As a nationwide policy, there is an obligation to separate and collect textile waste and in the absence of recycling companies’ textiles waste is incinerated or landfilling. Still, there are few initiatives in fashion, such as Reginnova (associate partner), Sustainable Lifestyle, Maneca din Canepa (NGOs), Lara & Leah, handling topics such as creating clothes from sustainable materials, upcycling products, collecting textile waste, etc. For Italy, as the world’s biggest luxury fashion producer, sustainability is an important issue and it is seeking to promote the green transition of SMEs, directly by providing for fiscal incentives, that became more relevant during the pandemic when attention to climate change crises rose. National authorities published a Manifesto for the sustainability in Italian Fashion, as the starting point for the (r)evolution of the fashion industry in Italy. Guide-lines concerning many different aspects of the fashion industry supply chain, thus from its beginning up to the retail phase have been published. Slovenia is leading the way in developing a circular economy society, with fashion as an of the key area for innovation. Growing awareness of circular fashion has been driven by the rapid advancement in material innovation, particularly focused on sustainable alternatives for materials and the implementation of new and innovative fashion business models, focused mostly on secondary materials and renting. Obstacles are perceived in client’s unsustainable consumption and the lack of competencies in SF&T and how to employ bankable and financially sustainable fashion products. The Greek Apparel & Textile sector has undergone significant changes over the past decade. These have been caused by systemic changes on the international stage, through globalization, the liberalization of textiles trade and the resulting increase in competition. Sustainability initiatives are very few, coming from small fashion companies and NGOs, while the textile waste has no systemic solutions.<< Objectives >>The project aim is to help SMEs and consumers to cope with the expected legal and market challenges in the fashion and textiles industry, by increasing their capacity and knowledge through awareness and education. In this respect, our approach is envisaging both sides of the economic sector: textiles design and manufacturing on one hand and textiles consumption on the other hand. The new educational program in ReFashion will be tailored on the SMEs needs and will be offered for free, by making us of innovative digital practices, while the ReFashion Consumer Guide, available at one click , in an attractive and easy to understand format, will support consumer to get the right information and be able to change their consumption habits and preferences. With this project we will fill a gap in the VET education dealing with sustainability knowledge and competences in fashion and textiles sector, develop green sectorial skills and prepare the learners, companies’ staff and consumers, to become agents of change, enabling behavioural changes and more sustainable production and consumption patterns. In doing so, the project set the following specific objectives: 1.Developing new VET educational programme and create work-based learning opportunities in line with the need for green skills and digital transition, expected in the fashion and textile industry; 2.Increase cooperation between educational institution and businesses aimed at promoting work-based learning in all its forms and supporting VET learners in acquiring and developing skills and key competences in fashion and textiles sustainability, fostering employability in the sector;3.Introduce open education and innovative digital practices, making education available for all and facilitating new and innovative learning methods, by developing the ReFashion online educational program and a new learning source, the ReFashion Guide that will enable behavioural changes for individual preferences, will contribute to change consumption habits, and lifestyles<< Implementation >>The consortium will introduce a project management approach based on the principals of Adaptive Project Framework concept. The key activities will be broken into four main areas: the initiation (good start), the Intellectual Output/phases boundaries (commitment of resources), ad hoc direction (monitoring progress, advice and guidance, reacting to exception situations) and project closure (confirming project outcomes and controlled close). The planned IOs will have clear methodologies and will be achieved by performing sequential activities. All partners will be involved in the delivery of IOs, having clear responsibilities, by carrying on activities according to the Work Plan. The sequence of the activities follows a logical approach until the achievement of the final outcomes of the project. The ReFashion Expert Educational Program will be tailored for the ReFashion Expert job profile, as the solid and realistic base for the training program development and structured in accordance with the standards outlined in EQF and ECVET. The educational program will consist of curricula and course content; those will go through a validation process by target groups and stakeholders. The course will support VET Teachers/learners in acquiring and developing skills and key competences in SF&T, creating green jobs and fostering employability in the sector. Development of ReFashion ICT elements: the introduction of open education and innovative digital practices, making education available for all and facilitating new and innovative learning methods, will be facilitated by the development of the website and of the e-Learning platform. The ICT tools are going to be developed simultaneously and will be tested in different phases of the project. ReFashion Course Testing – will comprise of pilot trainings, organised in all countries according to the following sequences: (a) information, organizations and commitment of the target groups to participate in the demo trainings. (b) performance of the pilot trainings in all countries (c) collecting feedback (d) summarizing feedback for further improvement of the course. The pilot trainings will build on interaction and cooperation between educators and businesses. ReFashion implementation and testing of the e-learning platform, the activities refers to preparing the structure and content and prepare it for moving online, incorporation of interactivity in the content and conduction of the Online testing. ReFashion Consumer Guide will take the form of a handy and visually aesthetic guide with relevant information for consumers on SF&T. The guide will focus on raising awareness and educate consumers on how to be responsible, change consumption behaviour and lifestyle and will be wildly promoted and used, directly on the website. Project dissemination. Outputs: Communication and Dissemination Plan (CDP), info tools developed to communicate results. According to the CDP, partners will have clear tasks and timeframe to complete them. The promotion activities will be equal opportunities for interactions and discussions, targeted social media campaign, designed to promote “refashioning” and reach out wide audience.Four multiplier events planned in all countries in a systematic manner to disseminate the intellectual outputs, involve stakeholders at key steps of the project and demonstrate several sustainable fashion practices (clothing swap, street workshops, textiles selection workshops, etc); Project Management and Implementation. Outputs: Work Plan; Project Reports. The Methodology used for project management is: strategy formulation and revision (Intuitive, systematic and normative creative techniques, and Critical Path Method), implementation and control strategy (Gantt chart); Implementation and articulation of the vision, key values, and core ideology of the project; quality control, monitoring, reporting.<< Results >>The ReFashion Expert Educational Program consisting of the ReFashion Expert Job profile, curricula and interactive course content; (IO1) . In simple terms, the ReFashion Experts will be involved in the processes that will drive ahead the textile products and business sustainability. They could be business owners, fashion designers, product developers, buyers, NGOs employees, VET teachers/learners, environmental managers, etc. At the heart of the notion of the ReFashion VET course is, thus, a pragmatic and rational actor who optimizes the product and businesses’ sustainability performance. The ReFashion Online Course, in the form of an Open Educational Resource for all, will enclose a dedicated project website and e-Learning platform (IO2). This involves the development of a project web page, from where, users can access the training materials. The idea of implementing an e-Learning platform for ReFashion is to offer a modern, online vocational training, by providing updated training material according to relevant (EU) standards. The innovation elements of the platform consist of dynamic and collaborative learning experiences, such as involving participants by incentive educational resources such as video recorded interviews, assignments, quizzes, drag and drops exercises, mark the words, summary statements. The e-Learning platform will be used to display the training material elaborated in IO1. All partners will provide translations, the e-Learning platform will be available in several languages, allowing the broad participation of target groups in the countries. ReFashion Course testing, with the main aim of collecting feedback from target grouse and further improve the course, facilitating the interaction and cooperation between educators and businesses (IO3) . The objective of this IO3 is to evaluate and test the training content (IO1) and the functionalities of the ReFashion e-learning platform (IO2) during four pilot trainings performed in the all partners’ countries. The piloting will take the form of blended teaching activities, feedback collection further used for the refinement of the learning products. ReFashion Consumer Guide focusing on raising awareness and educate consumers on how to become more responsible, change consumption behaviour and lifestyle (IO4). The aim is to provide an informational guide for consumers that is easily accessible and understandable. This guide is an adaptation of the courses created for businesses, a simplified version catered to regular consumers to educate them on issues of the industry and what the appropriate attitude and behaviour is regarding the consumption care, and appropriate disposal of garments. Four multipliers events to promote the project and the sustainable fashion and textiles practices. The project implementation will have boosting effects on VET in 4 countries. ReFashion skills and knowledge can be multiplied by initiating further trainings in other areas of education; youth, adult education, HEI, due to its innovative set of products and novelty of the topics. The ReFashion educational programme will produce skilled and knowledgeable learners capable of solving sectorial problems related to the products design, use of resources, efficient production, more sustainable products, as well as new circular business models for SF&T.