The business networks involved in the present partnership from Bulgaria, Finland, Portugal and Spain, represent mainly SMEs, with a clear prominence of the very small, so-called microenterprises, which have less than ten workers, and autonomous entrepreneurship. These micro businesses have strong growth & innovation potential as they often populate the regional RIS3 of the partner areas. The innovation agencies need to improve their performance, development and resilience. According to Daniel Calleja, the General Director of Enterprise & Industry from the European Commission, the needs of the entrepreneurs should be more efficiently fulfilled to support them to grow, be stronger & more resilient to crisis and external circumstances. Indeed, the main objective of this new proposal is to support SMEs to growth at global level, in an innovative and sustainable manner, offering practical solutions designed specifically in direct collaboration with them and with the Innovation support agencies participating. The relevance of the project In- Business Growth to the Call INNOSUP5 & the associated work program is perfectly adequate, as its objective aims to revise the actual program and methodologies used in term of entrepreneurial growth between the Innovation support agencies involved directly or indirectly to the project, to update and actualize these programs to be more demand driven and ensure the satisfaction of the beneficiaries with the support provided, and to promote permanent mutual policy learning and exchange of good practices. The objectives will be achieved using the 'twinning+' methodology based on peer learning among innovation agencies which include peer reviews at national & international level, the establishment of a guide of good practices & methodology and the comparison and transfer of practices to third parties. The quality management of the whole process will be a key element. The final result will be the delivering of the "Design Options paper".

Europe is experiencing a rising wave of unemployment. As a result, a greater emphasis is being placed on the development of VET to meet industry needs, so learners can access and gain qualifications in their chosen vocations that are trusted and recognised both within their own and other EU countries, thereby supporting labour mobility. The European VET system must be capable of providing learners the knowledge and skills needed to become productive and valued members of the European workforce within their chosen sector. Implicit within this challenge is the need for effective employer involvement in the design and development of VET. This will ensure that VET is “fit for purpose”, future proof and addresses the technical, green and digital skills relevant to employers, as defined by each industry sector through its representatives. The project “Employer Engagement in Design and Development of VET (ED2-VET)” therefore set out to investigate the factors that determine the extent and impact of employer involvement in VET design and identify good practices for sharing. The project resulted in tangible outputs that have been disseminated to support relevant organisations and individuals, leading to improvements to employer-led VET development within the EU. Project outputs comprise an evaluative report on employer involvement in VET design and development, including the influence of nationality, the nature of each sector and company type and size. Any issues to be resolved, as well as benefits and successes, have furthermore been identified, analysed and presented. An online portfolio of good practices has also been published, which includes 18 case studies, based on questionnaires and interviews with stakeholders. This portfolio was designed to present transferable models of good practice and includes tips for employer involvement in the design and development of sector-relevant VET programmes. The project, completed by the partners UK NARIC (ECCTIS Ltd), Pisces Learning Innovations, the Bulgarian Development Agency and DIMITRA, focused on the target groups of employers, and VET qualification / programme designers. In order to adequately provide a comprehensive set of results and address the complexity of the VET systems and the issues surrounding the possible contexts for employer involvements in VET development, the project followed a methodological approach incorporating staged data collection and analysis, developed from both primary and secondary sources, preceded by an initial research phase enabling the opportunity to frame the questions, definitions and other background information necessary for clear and consistent results. Interviews with stakeholders, supplemented by short-term joint staff training in each partner country, ensured the best results were achieved. The approach enabled the elaboration of in-depth case studies for the online portfolio, highlighting tips for replicating these examples of good practice in other contexts. Final multiplier events ensured the project outcomes were shared with relevant bodies, including VET qualification designers, employers, employer associations and sector bodies, and policy-makers. Expected impacts, both short- and long-term, include improved engagement by employers in the process of designing and developing sector-relevant VET programmes in cooperation with qualification awarding bodies, ministries of education, and other educational sector organisations; improved understanding by all parties of the challenges to engaging with employers, and the possibilities for fostering improved cooperation and engagement; improved policy and regulation with regard to employer involvement in the qualification and programme development process; the development of new VET programmes which have been developed with employer and industry support and involvement. Ultimately, these improvements may lead to a reduction in skills mismatches, greater satisfaction among employers regarding the skills which VET learners have upon programme completion, and greater mobility for VET learners in Europe.

The “ENTrepreneurship Experience and Rising PRofessionals In Sustainable Europe” (ENTERPRISE) project aims at implementing collaboration among school staff (teachers, educators, project managers) and professionals in the field of sustainable work start-up at European level in promoting intensive dissemination of newly produced teaching strategies and innovative ideas in the field of entrepreneurial education and sustainability. The four countries involved – Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria, and Norway – show different trends in the EU employment rate of the population aged 20 to 64 (data from 2002 to 2017), as recently published by Eurostat. Italy’s data are well below the EU averages. This is why two participants to this project come from Italy: I.I.S.S. Pio La Torre is coordinating this project with the experienced partner CEIPES supporting the development of IOs and the national dissemination. Data from Portugal and Bulgaria show fluctuating trends, recently in line with the EU average. Norway’s data settle well above the EU average. However, a look at the youth data (population aged 15 to 24) shows an alarming decline for all countries. The high level of diversity of education systems, different promotion of local/regional/national employability and caring of sustainable future in entrepreneurial instruction and work-based learning strategies at secondary school, makes this choice an excellent selection of countries participating the project. Moreover, the variety of languages implies a great influence of achieved results and larger access by European students and teachers. Today, students need to be goal-oriented, creative, and able to solve problems and come up with innovations, in order to be future responsible European citizens and workers. This project will foster in young students the development of specific know-how, linguistic and socio-relational skills necessary for searching or creating job opportunities in a rapidly evolving sustainable Europe. Within this project, professional development will take place through sharing good practices and experiences among teachers, students and experts in the field of entrepreneurship and sustainability at European level. Secondary aims of this project are to develop critical thinking, communication, financial literacy, and very important collaboration skills supporting entrepreneurial education and sustainability. The project will engage a total number of 24 teachers/educators and 48 students in a short-time mobility program (transnational learning, teaching or training activities):1) Short-term joint staff training events (Professional development in entrepreneurial education and sustainability) involving school staff (teachers, educators, administrative personnel). Each school will participate with 4 people and each association with 2, for a 3 day-long mobility. The course will be held in Trondheim in July 2020.2) Short-term exchanges of groups of pupils (Training students on entrepreneurship and sustainability for a duration of 5 days - travel excluded): 8 students with 2 accompanying teachers (10 people) for each school should participate in this exchange program in the three schools:a) Thora Storm videregående Skole, Trondheim, Norway (10 participants from Portugal + 10 participants from Italy), in September2020.b) Recursos Futuros, Lisbon, Portugal (10 participants from Italy + 10 participants from Norway), in October 2020.c) IISS Pio La Torre, Palermo, Italy (10 participants from Portugal + 10 participants from Norway), in November 2020.The project will develop the following intellectual outputs:- IO1: Collection of open educational resources in the field of sustainability and youth entrepreneurship.- IO2: Development of learning paths for teachers and students training in sustainability and entrepreneurial education.- IO3: Pilot study on student learning in entrepreneurship and sustainability.- IO4: E-learning platform in the field of entrepreneurial education and sustainability.The short-time mobility program and the development of IOs will mutually support each other. In particular, the first two IOs will support the activities to be carried out during the short-time mobility program. The experience collected by the teachers will be fundamental into the definition and achievement of the IO3 and for finalizing the IO4. The project will support transnational meetings and one multiplier event for each partner.Long term benefits: The project will extend the training to all interested people from other countries by means of an e-learning platform (IO4) on the topics outlined above freely available on the internet. Our objectives involve events and activities that will continue after the project, such as those events organized in conjunction with NGOs and local industries. Moreover, we would like to continue using the products and results of the project as a basis for future activities and as learning materials for students of other courses.

In order to improve the current insufficient participation of adults in learning in partner countries and across Europe, we need to provide high-quality education opportunities and identify main barriers that hinder participation and persistence of adults in learning. The aim of the project is to address problems and difficulties and respond to the needs of adult education providers and adult learners. The project aim is to contribute to:- increasing adult participation in learning- adult learners' demands for quality education provision that offers necessary support and takes into account learner needs- adult education providers' needs for teachers and staff equipped with necessary competences, strategies, and tools for motivating and engaging adult learners as well as maintaining their persistence in learningThe partners are proposing to develop the following intellectual outputs in order to accomplish the set project aims.IO1 How to Motivate and Engage Adult Learners: A Training Programme for Adult Education Staff and Teachers A training programme aimed at increasing motivation competences of teachers and staff in adult education. IO2 Open Source Online Platform for Adult Education Staff and Teachers An online platform featuring activities and tools in English and partner languages aimed at supporting adult education staff and teachers participating in the training programme. IO3 Information Guide for Policy MakersGuidelines for policy makers responsible for adult education regarding the deployment of professional staff and educators about the importance of their motivation and on how to develop a vision about the importance of adult education in relation to their responsibility for quality assurance and role in the labour market.The project plans to increase the target groups' quality of interaction with adult learners due to increased communication, and motivation competences, better cooperation, and communication through ICT tools. Thanks to the online platform, the target groups will also improve their access and use of online collections of digital training material and they will need less time to select motivation messages and instruments.The piloting of the IO1 will be based on practical and interactive training approach and tools in order to ensure that the target group will have the opportunity to apply marketing tools and methods contextualized in their role. The desired result is to have more competent and professional AE staff that can progress beyond their traditional approach to and culture of education.The project will also have positive results for the participating organisations since project partners will improve their in-person and digital training approaches, strengthen their cooperation with the relevant AE institutions in their regions and countries as well as relevant stakeholders in other countries, contributing to their internationalisation.

"Nowadays, digital progress has ushered in a new era in which low-skilled adults tend to be left behind or fall into technological ""traps"" younger generations born ""engulfed"" with technology can easy to avoid. Digital illiteracy poses other obstacles for adults, whether in their everyday lives or in theirs Work and social environment. In addition, it is widely recognized that adults tend to avoid this educational process, since it is generally believed that the time for ""attending school"" has long passed, and a significant number of people are taking the first steps to improve their skillsThe training is terminated prematurely for various reasons, including lack of motivation, qualification difficulties and incorrect onesCourse expectations (DIDO 2018 results). Meanwhile, the amount of advertising and News-feeds are unprecedented and critical thinking is widely recognized as one of the most important necessary skills of the 21st century.The aim of this project is to carry out a series of training activities in which the participating institutes are involved will be able to share and localize the teaching methods / tools they use the differences and advantages of integrating each methodology / tool into our own processes.The partners will task adult trainers involved in their institutions to join the LTTAs and understand/discuss the processes suggested by the host partner organizations, such as:- Game based learning and Critical thinking and information filtering by BALGARSKA AGENTSIYA ZA RAZVITIE in the first LTTA- Augmented reality in the classroom by PRISM - PROMOZIONE INTERNAZIONALE SICILIA - MONDO in the second LTTA.The target groups for this project are:Trainers for adult education who can exchange ideas, gain experience and improve their skills,Adult Education Stakeholders who will make use of theaugmented skill-set of the Trainers, and finally Adults wanting to learn and keep abreast of 21st century skills.This project must be carried out transnationally because adults are located in different geographical regions and cultural regions and face similar educational problems that can be solved by exchanging goods practices between organizations mixed in different legal, economic, cultural and social environments.In our project,ALVIT - inovace a vzdelavani s.r.o from Czehia.,Aydin Egitim,Kultur ve Sanat Dernegi from Turkey,PRISM - PROMOZIONE INTERNAZIONALE SICILIA - MONDO from Italy and BALGARSKA AGENTSIYA ZA RAZVITIE from Bulgaria have come together to fulfill this project.There will be 3 TPMs with one participant per institution and two LTTAs with 2 participants per institution.Each of the two Learning Teaching Training Activities herein will provide a different skillset to the partner Adult educators who will in turn disseminate it upon returning to their peers hence benefiting the Adult Trainer target group as well as the participating institutions. in sequence, the institutions will disseminate the results within their network of associates, and the wider Adult Education society through uploading them to the project's website and their own as well as the Project Results Portal and Epale.The topics covered will further the skillset of the participants hence adding value in different ways,including:*Augmented Reality:--They will comprehend how Augmented Reality works and find out how they interact with a VR world, including the concepts and technologies of VR interaction.--They will use Augmented Reality apps for educational purposes--They will create basic AR content to use in their courses*Game-Based Learning and Critical Thinking-- Comprehend GBL and its usages within the Learning Proccess-- Use GBL and integrate it in their lessons-- Distinguish between various sorts of GBL-- Design their lessons based on GBL- Understand & apply key concepts in logical and critical thinking- Evaluate arguments based on criteria such as validity, strength and cogency-- Broaden knowledge about the importance of developing creativity and critical thinking;- Learn activities and games aiming at shaping creative thinking;- Learn how to engage their students and motivate them to establish effective collaboration and develop problem solving skills as well as their self-esteem;- Learn how to lead and deliver experiential activities to stimulate the students’ creativity in problem-solving;*European/Cultural--They will cooperate with people from different countries and cultures--They will gain a better understanding and respect for the cultural diversity within European Union--They will gain an opportunity to practice communication skills in foreign languages--They will comprehend more clearly their European identityThe target group will formulate an Individual Learning Plan which will identify their individual goals and the expected benefits of the visit for them as well as identifying the relevance of the visit to their future training or employment."