The overall objective of our project CO-HOST is to support the realization of mobility projects between EU member states and WB countries, aimed at the enhancement of skills and competences of VET learners, in order to improve and modernize the VET system in enlargement countries. The project focuses on the topic of Tourism, Marketing and Hospitality, with a strong emphasis on green and entrepreneurial skills. Precisely in countries that are experiencing a rapid growth and social change, development must be understood as sustainable development, in line with the 2030 objectives of the Global Agenda.CO-HOST encourages forms of tourism that respect the environment, local cultures and that contribute to the sustainable development of the territories: it will be particularly interesting and strategic, for VET students and staff, to experience during their internship periods in the EU, the most advanced practices in this field, which are ensured by experienced partners. Therefore, the SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES are:- To share best practices among VET providers coming from EU and enlargement countries, encouraging the involvement of VET providers in EU cooperation and mobility projects;- To improve technical and pedagogical skills of VET staff from enlargement countries;- To improve technical, transversal and soft skills of VET students from enlargement countries, in order to improve their occupational prospects;- To establish Solid National Networks in the WB Countries.

“Creating Theory to Practice Centres for Innovation and Employment” project aimed to improve the relevance of higher education for the labour market and society in Kosovo through creating sustainable models of interaction between universities and enterprises. It responded to the Erasmus + objective in the Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education that strives ‘to improve the quality of higher education and enhance its relevance for the labour market and society’, since it assumes the establishment of Theory to Practice Centres (T2Ps) as sustainable models of fostered cooperation between universities and enterprises and exchange of experience and good practices with HEI from Programme countries. Six Theory to Practice Centers were established, which were also united into European Association of Theory to Practice Centers-T2P Europe, to ensure further sustainability of the project. While using a new teaching methodology (case studies), the T2Ps will continue to serve not only as advice centres, but will act as hubs for three disciplines and three sectors (education, business, public sector). The new established centres already brought together more than 150 local teaching staff from six partner institutions in Kosovo engaged in peer learning activities, 83 individual mobilities were realised, more than 500 students benefiting from updated courses and lifelong education studies and more than 340 researchers and business professionals at the conferences. The project will benefit to 20,000 persons engaged in higher education and economy in Kosovo and abroad (through its professional dissemination). This project will contribute to resolving the problem of identified skills mismatches in the long run, through modernization of higher education in Kosovo, its improved cooperation with the private and public sector and introduction of recognized lifelong learning outcomes as a base for flexible career paths. It is the first endeavor of this size and the impact to the whole territory of Kosovo, embracing its ethnic, cultural and language diversity as strengths in the project design.

This project aims to develop links between universities and enterprises in order to enhance teaching and learning, upgrade the curricula in line with the needs of enterprises and improve the financial sustainability of HEIs in Kosovo.Enterprise managers will be appointed to university boards as the voice of the private sector to help universities design programmes of study in line with the needs of enterprises and the labour market. Universities will send a number of their lecturers to companies for a short period to observe the working of companies and identify challenges facing companies as well as the business environment in which they operate. The lecturers will use their knowledge of the companies and the insights they have gained to prepare material for case studies to be used in their subjects. EU partners will assist the Kosovar lecturers to write case studies which can be used in the classroom. The use of case studies, particularly those based on Kosovar companies, is rare in Kosovo and will require a change in teaching, learning and assessment methods which will help improve students' knowledge of the actual conditions of Kosovar companies and will improve their preparedness for the labour market. A book of case studies of Kosovar companies will be prepared in Albanian so that it can be used by students at partner and non-partner universities in Kosovo.The project will also identify the knowledge and skills gap in university graduates through a Survey of the 150 largest to micro companies. It will be used by universities to revise their curricula in order to embed in their programmes the knowledge and skills required by enterprises. EU partners, using their own experience, will support the Kosovar colleagues in this endeavour.Using the Survey, the project will also identify the training and other needs of enterprises. Universities will offer training courses and consultancy services to companies. EU partners will also provide updating visits for the Kosovar teaching staff to prepare themselves for conducting training courses. The provision of these services can potentially contribute to the financial sustainability of Kosovar universities.Finally, universities will work with NGO partners and SMEs (using the Survey of 50 SMEs) to identify training needs of SMEs. University staff and NGO partners will prepare training workshops for SMEs in the range of subjects which have been identified. These training courses will also help foster closer relationship between universities, their staff and SMEs.Kosovar partner universities will be provided with modern equipment that will help them improve the teaching and learning process particularly on the subjects which have had their curricula improved or case studies offered to students. Some of the specialist equipment will also be used when offering training courses for company employees.The closer links with the enterprise sector, improved curricula with embedded employability skills, case studies of actual Kosovar companies, combined with student placements will enhance the employability of university graduates. In this way, some of the targets of the national strategy for higher education will be realised.