The Covid-19 crisis has strongly affected the economic life and labour market as much as the school life.All forms of education and training, including VET, have been disrupted, with WBL and apprenticeships being the most affected. During the lockdown, distance learning failed to reach between 5% and 20% of beneficiary students in Europe, including those living in rural areas, with poor IT literacy and limited economic means, as well as students with special needs.In this context, there is a critical need to improve the quality of Virtual and Blended WBL (V&BWBL) and to ensure its inclusiveness. In order to reach the desired scenario, the needs of the target groups addressed by the project (VET Students, especially the ones with fewer opportunities and special needs, VET School Staff, Company Tutors) have to be satisfied. The needs of the target groups have been analysed during the project design and the results highlight poor knowledge of adequate technological means (both VET students and Compay Tutors), a lack of trust (VET School Staff and VET students), engagement (VET students) and payoff (CompanyTutors) in and from V&BWBL.Hence, the main objective of “MoBlend – Educational Resource to enhance Virtual & Blended Work-Based Learning” is to improve the quality of Virtual and Blended WBL initiatives and to guarantee an equal and inclusive access and participation to ensure its inclusiveness, especially for students with fewer opportunites and special needs.The specific objectives are: O1) Support VET Students, VET School Staff and Company Tutors in improving the quality of V O2) Promote the inclusiveness of VO3) Deepen the interest and trust in V&BWBL, affirming their value and match with the requests of the labour market;O4) Develop a cross-border and cross sector synergy with the purpose of creating innovative uses of Virtual&Blended Work-Based Learning tailored to the needs of students with fewer opportunities and special needs, even afterwards the COVID era.The activities planned aimed to achieve such objectives are: - development of a tailored learning course on digital tools and methods of V&BWBL- design of an ad-hoc and user-friendly tool for the evaluation and validation of VET experiences- Best Practice and existing policies research- Awareness campaign- Virtual WBL Test- 4 Transnational Project Meetings- 5 Multiplier EventsThe main expected results and impact of the project activities are the following:- OER aimed at improving the digital competences needed to perform V&BWBL- WebtTool to monitor the progress and the results of VET mobilities - Compendium of Virtual VET Best Practices to learn from previous positive experiences- Promotion and dissemination pack that includes: leaflets, logo, headed paper, social pages, newsletters, a website, articles on local/regional/national newspapers and on European magazine- Community of Practice to promote cooperation and further development of virtual and blended WBL at the European level- increased ability to provide a work based learning path through virtual or blended means;- increased awareness and confidence of virtual WBL opportunites;- increased digital skills, knowledge of IT tool for WBL, language skill and soft skills- enhanced cooperation between organizations active in the VET field enabling mutual exchange and improvement of working methods and good practices;- increased awareness of learning needs of students and especially those with FO and SN;- deepened knowledge of OERs for the provision of training courses and learning activities;- gained knowledge of Video pedagogy for the provision of training courses and learning activities;- increased awareness of learning needs of students and especially those with FO and SN;- increased training offer;- fostered dialogue with political decision makers, public institutions and other stakeholders and increased its prestige at European level;- increased network of organizations active in VET field at European level- increased knowledge and management skills of the Erasmus + KA2 and KA202 projects

COVID19 pandemic set a serious challenge before the educational sector and reconfirmed the need to integrate digital resources in education. Still, the transition to digital education has been much smoother and easier to organise for some vocational fields than for others. The professions and qualifications that rely on human creativity, attitude and interactions have not been considered as appropriate for distance learning. Though there are some attempts for digitalization of VET for service-sector professions (besides the IT-based ones), the practical trainings and examinations are still delivered in-class and through physical presence in most EU countries. Accordingly, the practical trainings in VET curricula for obtaining qualifications in these professions were severely affected and interrupted during COVID19 lockdown regimes as VET-providers were not prepared to organise them in distance or blended mode. However, the provision of uninterrupted VET programs is vital for keeping VET learners in training and for preventing drop-outs.VET@HOME is designed to create and pilot a standard unit-based syllabus model for virtual practical training courses (training practice) within the VET for the profession “Cook”. It allows the sustaining of vocational training in extreme circumstances as the one caused by the pandemic. The project introduces a new approach to the delivery of practical training courses leading to qualifications that are adapted for distance and blended-mode delivery, usage of alternative learning facilities and the new operational circumstances of the food-and-beverage sector across the EU. The approach is also applicable for disadvantaged learners who have difficulties to be present physically in the training premises on daily basis. The overall aim of VET@HOME is to reinforce the ability of VET institutions to provide high-quality, inclusive digital education in culinary arts adapted as to the post-COVID19 operation standards in the food-and beverage industry. The specific objectives are to- develop a model unit-based syllabus for virtual practical training courses in VET for the profession “Cook”, - create an on-line platform for the virtual delivery of practical training courses for partial qualification for the profession “Cook”, - equip VET-providers with a common protocol and guidance how to utilise virtual resources in practical training, - sustain the attractiveness of VET in the culinary arts and post-crises recovery by outlining paths for recognizing the outcomes of practical training in distance mode. Hence, the target groups of project are VET providers with their staff, trainers for practical trainings and company tutors, VET learners and VET regulating institutions. VET@HOME activities include the development of intellectual outputs, transnational project meetings, joint staff training, evaluation, dissemination and sustainability. The main project outputs and results are:- A model unit-based syllabus for virtual practical training courses in VET for the profession “Cook”,- An e-learning platform for the delivery of the virtual practical training courses for partial qualification for the profession “Cook” with 4 pilot courses, adapted for distance-mode guided or semi-guided delivery,- A Protocol and Guidebook for trainers and company tutors in culinary arts on how to conduct on-line VET practical training courses,- А Roadmap for integration of distance-mode practical training learning outcomes in VET qualifications, including recommendations for policy reforms in VET in the partners’ countries that facilitate the delivery of VET practical training in distance mode and alternative learning environments,- A joint-staff training for VET-experts, - National-level conferences “Practical VET in the Digital World” in the 5 project countries – - Peer coaching. The intended longer-term impact of the project refers to:- Increased availability of tailor-made resources to support VET-providers and learners to sustain learning processed in extreme circumstances, - Valorisation of digital resources for practical training in VET,- Enhanced transnational cooperation in the digitalization of VET, - Better integration of the learning outcomes from distance-mode training in VET qualifications,- Increased capacity of VET to include and accommodate disadvantaged learners.VET@HOME is a partnership initiative involving three established VET-centres, a CSO for LLL, a business entity and a national qualification authority from Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal, the Republic of North Macedonia and Croatia.

<< Objectives >>The project aims to promote education on sustainability in the VET sector in order to develop sustainability competence of HORECA employees. Successful implementation of the project will identify the requirements for sustainability competence and highlight what skills HORECA employees need, in order to properly apply the relevant sustainable actions. This will allow the creation of appropriate teaching/learning content on sustainability topics in accordance with HORECA sector.<< Implementation >>A survey of HORECA representatives and VET staff will be carried out to gather relevant information.The analysis of the results will lead to the establishment of Guidelines for Sustainability. All the information gathered will help to develop the content of the teaching/learning material. Sustainability-related materials will be created and hosted online publicly as OERs.<< Results >>The project will result in 1.Guidelines for Sustainability as a Competence in HORECA, providing a common ground and guidance to everyone in the HORECA sector and VET teachers advancing a definition of what sustainability as a competence entails. 2.Online Aim2Sustain learning space on sustainability in HORECA related topics hosting Open Educational Resources, that might be integrated in different subjects promoting interdisciplinary approach.3. Transnational dissemination conference.

CASYS was designed to - enhance the quality and relevance of the adult learning offer in culinary arts by developing new and innovative approaches and disseminating best practices;- contribute to increasing the labour market relevance of adult learning programmes and qualifications in culinary arts;- improve guidance into lifelong learning and facilitate the transition of culinary arts learners through different levels and types of formal and non-formal education, in particular through the use of European reference tools for the recognition and validation of qualifications; - contribute to increasing degree productivity in education and training institutions offering adult learning and other forms of education and training in culinary arts;- foster youth employment and the gradual reorientation of the culinary business toward social objectives, impact and responsibility, in particular by integrating the social, sustainability and innovation dimensions of business into culinary arts training, and by establishing a social incubator for the culinary business.Accordingly the project was aimed to support young people (including NEETs) in the development of higher competencies in culinary arts with special attention to innovation and to increase the social responsiveness of business.The project objectives were achieved through:- development of an interdisciplinary culinary arts training course suitable for adult learning and easily adaptable to tertiary and vocational education (IO1). Its topics are related to the sustainability, social and innovation aspects of culinary arts. The course is complemented with a map for flexible learning pathways between different types and levels of education and training, an LLL guidance model and country-specific procedures for the validation of skills acquired through informal and non-formal learning and work experience as well as recognition of the learning outcomes and internships among the partner institutions (IO3). The course is also adapted for e-learning, where the online training platform (IO6) is digitally integrated with a blog on culinary innovations (IO2) designed to make trainees co-creators in the teaching process;- creation of a Social Incubator as informal structure dedicated to providing consultation, advice and assistance to culinary businesses engaged in innovations or wishing to undertake activities with strong social impact. The Social Incubator implemented a set of pilot activities aimed at mobilizing the social impact of the culinary business and at demonstrating the interconnections between the labor market on the one hand, and formal, non-formal education, vocational training and other forms of learning on the other hand (IO4 and IO5).In order to facilitate the achievement of the objectives, 7 multiplier dissemination events were organized in Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Spain and Slovenia. The partnership also carried out two targeted trainings for adult learners and for its own staff respectively in order to prepare trainers and staff for the adoption and management of the CASYS course in the curricula of the partner institutions and other local stakeholders .The project partnership includes various types of institutions and thus a balance of viewpoints and constituencies was achieved. The initiative resulted from the joint efforts of a higher education institution offering VET programs – the Mariampole College (Lithuania), two VET and adult learning institutions – International College (Bulgaria) and FASE (Spain); a regional culinary business cluster – CAHA (Bulgaria); a social enterprise GEA (Slovenia); and two LLL and stakeholder organizations – YouNet (Italy) and BEFO (Latvia).In the long run, CASYS benefits adult learners (improving quality & relevance of training), business (improving trainees’ competencies) and society (promoting social responsibility and social entrepreneurship). It has a long-term impact on adult education and life-long learning by contributing to - the gradual improvement of the adult learning offer in the field of culinary arts; - a further development and wider use of digitally-based learning methods in adult education;- the attraction of more unemployed youth and NEETs into the culinary sector due to increased flexibility of the pathways between various types of education and training and due to better opportunities for recognition and validation of skills gained outside formal education; - an increased visibility and credibility of social objectives and social impact within the culinary business community and among their customers;- an increased knowledge and strengthened competencies for social business and innovation among employees and managers in the culinary sector;- a stronger culture of entrepreneurship in the culinary sector, including in relation to social entrepreneurship.- a gradual overall shift toward a more socially and environmentally responsible culinary business.