<< Background >>The European plastics industry is facing a critical challenge – the skilled work force. The aim of the project was to respond to the plastics sector-specific labor market needs by designing, piloting and implementing an innovative WBL vocational training program and developing training material (Student's Book and Teacher's Book) for plastics machine operators with specific emphasis on digital and green skills, and entrepreneurial competencies.<< Objectives >>1.Performed analysis and identification of qualifications and European VET curricula of plastics machine operators based on the current and future skills demand in the plastics industry. The results provided in the Report. 2.Developed adaptive EQF-Based Model VET Curriculum for Plastics Production Line Conductor and training material with a strong presence of technical and practical skills in order to accommodate contents to the new digital era and respond changing skills needs.<< Implementation >>Coordinated by LINPRA, the key representative of the Lithuanian manufacturing companies, in partnership with 8 partners from Belgium, France, Finland and Lithuania, the project achieved an appropriate match between skills and labor market needs. Periods of work-based learning, development of entrepreneurial mind-sets, enhancement of technology and digital skills, Lean manufacturing tools, knowledge on circular economy were integrated into an outcome-oriented VET curriculum, applying ECVET.<< Results >>The main results delivered in the project are:1.Qualifications & Curricula Research Report (EN)2.Innovative EQF-based model VET curriculum (EN)3.Country-specific VET curriculum4.Student’s Book (EN, FR, FI, LT)5.Teacher’s Book (EN, FR, FI, LT)6.Digital training material (on VET schools e-learning platforms) (EN, FR, FI, LT)7.Project Website (EN, FR, FI, LT)8. Piloting (150 learners and 32 teachers trained)9.Final online Conference (recording:https://youtu.be/pWBjQy40rpM)

"""Education and Training 2020"" sets common strategic objectives for EU member countries for 2020. One of benchmarks is: the share of low-achieving 15-year-olds in reading, mathematics and science should be less than 15 % in 2020. According OECD, in 2018 about every fifth 15-year-old pupil in Europe showed insufficient abilities in science (in Latvia were 18,5%, in Lithuania - 22,2%, in Estonia- 8,8%) and in mathematics (In Latvia- 17,3%, in Lithuania - 25,6% in Estonia – 10,2%). Only Estonia reached benchmark of ET 2020. Low achievements in science and mathematics leads to situation when general education pupils after graduating do not choose VET or higher education in science, technologies, engineering, mathematics (STEM) or are not able to graduate STEM direction and obtain qualification which results in insufficient supply of qualified workforce in manufacturing, also in metalworking and mechanical engineering. Lack of qualified workforce forces sector associations to involve in education processes by providing information about career prospects in sector by mobile laboratories. Mobile laboratories which are fully equipped with modern technologies and supported with highly educated STEM trainer has successfully complemented the educational process by informing, presenting and demonstrating modern technologies, their capabilities and operational principles in general education schools. However, the capabilities of the mobile laboratories are much broader and can be integrated into the general education process, adding to the vital component of STEM knowledge-building exercises in the real environment. For integration of STEM knowledge provided by mobile laboratories in general education curricula, it is planned to develop up-to-date cognitive and educational content on contemporary technologies, their design, capabilities and applications, deploying and making them available in digital form and environment. This material will also support educators because here is lack of digital, interactive materials about STEM in national languages.Main objectives of the project are:1)Promotion of pupils’ achievements in STEM in attractive way. 2)Strengthening support for educators by open source, interactive, digital training materials about STEM.3)Strengthening responsibility and involvement of sector business representatives in education process.Main activities/ results of the project are:1)Open source, interactive, digital training materials about STEM for pupils in four languages – English, Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian.2)Teacher’s manual to support educators about usage of interactive, digital training materials in four languages – English, Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian.3)Guidelines for sector representatives for improvement of STEM knowledge in four languages – English, Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian.4)3 promotional and testing events for educators about usage of interactive, digital training materials (at least 30 educators in each country, not less than 90 in total).5)At least 100 pupils trained in pilot trainings in each country (at least 300 in total) covering all regions of involved countries.6)National competition of pupils about improvement of training materials 7)3 project promotional events (not less than 135 participants), at least 6 publications. All project activities are sequential and support project progress toward project main objectives. Pupils and educators are main target group and will be involved in testing, improving intellectual outputs, in pilot trainings and promotional and testing events. Guidelines for sector representatives will be prepared to provide insight how provide sustainability of project idea and strengthening responsibility and involvement of sector business representatives in education process.Project is innovative of specific focus on establishment interesting content for pupils, also with involvement of them (in time of contest) in field of STEM. This content will support idea provided in mobile laboratories and can also be used as support material of STEM teachers in general education.Main target groups are:1)Pupils of general education. 2)Educators (teachers of STEM subjects, carrier guidance and support specialists) of general education. 3)Sector representatives (the national and sectorial, regional) and other stakeholders who can be involved in improvement of STEM knowledge.4)Learners, educators in other education levels, parents, policy makers.All partners have wide experience and expertise in STEM, establishing of training materials, pilot trainings which will help to achieve best result and contribute transnational value of the project.Project will ensure long term impact on participants and also participation organizations, supporting implementation of project's objectives."

The objective of MARKET4.0 is to define, develop and validate an open multi-sided marketplace, based on a trusted P2P data sharing infrastructure for Industry 4.0, that brings together Industrial Product Service Systems (IPSS) providers (supply side) and OEMs as their customers (demand side). It will allow direct interaction among the different sides to improve the sales power of production equipment SMEs. MARKET4.0 will offer advanced web-presence of production equipment SMEs extended by functionalities such as simulations, VR/AR capabilities and a P2P (Industrial Data Space) offering smart user-services and a secure API to try and test the Digital Twin of the production equipment, on top supplier and customer data. This will facilitate direct transactions between market peers (supplier-to-supplier, supplier-to-customer, customer-to-suppliers and more) during the entire B2B lifecycle, i.e. from equipment search to procurement and commissioning. MARKET4.0 will create trust in the business transactions between SME production equipment manufacturers and their customers, as an integral element of the Industrial Data Space (IDS) reference architecture. It includes technological trust (simulation before purchasing), financial trust (Blockchain distributed ledger technology for secure payment), delivery and (anonymized) feedback. In MARKET4.0 the supply side (mainly SMEs) may offer a) production equipment, b) services that extend the capabilities of the production equipment, c) production equipment as a service and d) collaborative engineering services. The marketplace will generate additional value by providing engineering services and acting as a mediator between suppliers and customers.

The lack of qualified specialists is one of the most important challenges faced by the mechanical engineering and metalworking industry in Latvia. Taking into account that this is also a problem in other European countries, there are opportunities for cooperation between countries by developing tools and methods for attracting young people to field education and career development in engineering industries. Only approximately 35% of the students in engineering educational programs complete their studies, the rest leave studies and the main reason is lack of motivation and exact knowledge base. A similar situation exists in Lithuania. Therefore is very important to use the VET training model to interest and motivate young people to acquire engineering and natural sciences right now. Companies in the sector are already experiencing a lack of qualified workers. The Latvian and Lithuanian associations of mechanical engineering and metalworking industries, on behalf of their companies, decided to adopt the experience of colleagues from the Northen German association of metal working and mechanical engineering to solve this problem using the VET training model, adapting the methodology, developing a plan for its implementation and implementing this model in Latvian and Lithuanian territories. One of the main tasks would be to motivate students to successfully complete their studies in the chosen specialty and continue to work in the industry. This goal can be achieved by showing graduates job opportunities in the member companies of the mechanical engineering and metalworking associations and creating an appropriate database for job vacancies. Germany has extensive experience in providing vocational education, one of the examples of promoting vocational education is the InfoMobil project.InfoMobil is a mobile bus - a laboratory where different equipment and machinery are mounted. The bus is equipped with automated CNC metalworking machines, automated factory model and other equipment and machinery. The following buses - laboratories is visiting German schools. By ongoing lectures on this bus, students are interested and educated in various areas of metalworking and engineering. InfoMobil visits are highly valued by German school headmasters and teachers. The main goal of this project is to use the experience acquired by German colleagues over 20 years, to adopt and practise these knowledge according to the circumstances in Latvia and Lithuania. It is helping and will help to go in a deeper perspective, get acquainted with the subjects of metalworking and engineering and to show to the target audience the perspectives by linking their future life with fiel companies. Targets of the project and achieved results:1) To develop a strategy and action plan for implementing the VET training model with the aim of increasing the number of employees in the sector. Result: strategy and action plan for the implementation of the VET training model in Latvia and Lithuania. 2) To adapt German Infomobil training methodology to local conditions. Result: Adaptation of the German Infomobil training methodology for Latvia and Lithuania. 3) To train 4 teachers from Latvia and Lithuania to work with Infomobil. Result: 4 teachers from Latvia and Lithuania were trained in Germany to work with Infomobil 25-31 on January, 2016, in Hamburg and Hasenwinkel and 16-20 on August, 2016, in Latvia and Lithuania. 4) To adapt and develop study materials for using them in Infomobil projects in Latvia and Lithuania. Result: Adapted methodology, information materials on career opportunities, promotional materials on mobile buses - laboratories. 5) To adapt and develop the database of Latvian and Lithuanian industry companies. Result: Developed database of sector enterprises in Latvia: www.tebnobuss.lv. Database of sector enterprises in Lithuania: www.infomobilis.lt. 6) To develop and adapt the CLIL methodology, training plans and materials. Result: Adapted methodology and training plans with materials. 7) 400 VET pupils attend InfoMobil classes in Latvia and Lithuania. Result: More than 18300 students have visited Tehnobus in Latvia, 2654 pupils in Lithuania 8) 100 VET teachers and trainers will be trained in Latvia and Lithuania. Result: In Tehnobuss Latvia, more than 331 teachers have been trained, in Lithuania - 100 teachers. 9) 40 people of administration will be trained in Latvia and Lithuania. Result: In Latvia Tehnobuss trained more than 71 employees of the administration, 40 employees of the administration - in Lithuania. 10) 100 representatives of the company will be informed in Latvia and Lithuania. Result: 51 representatives of companies were informed in Latvia, 104 representatives of companies - in Lithuania. In Latvia, we are planing to continue to use various events to inform entrepreneurs about the results of the project, to summarize the recommendations how to improve the methodology. 11) Two conferences. Result: The project conferen

Plastics are an essential part of our daily lives and they are everywhere, being an important enabler of humanity's progress. On the other hand, in the way they're manufactured and used nowadays they're also responsible for 80% of marine litter and suppose 26mT/year of waste. Moreover, if we could recirculate these materials, manufacture them more efficiently and apply circular business models there will be a reduction of CO2 emissions of 50%. All of these are just some of the reasons why the EU have made the transition to a Circular Economy (CE) in the plastics sector a centrepiece of their action plan.Companies manufacturing plastics face a series of barriers to be a part of this transition, being key to the lack of knowledge and awareness. According to the them, there is still not enough training that goes from general concepts of CE to the specific aspects (i.e. which recycled material can use for my products?). CircVET project aims at developing the most extensive, free and tailor-made (according to companies needs and problems) training in CE for plastics at the European level. We believe that companies are one of the most relevant stakeholders needed for the transition and we expect to help them to play their role through knowledge. Plastics employs in the EU more than 1.56 million professionals directly demanding and in need of upgrading their skills.For achieving this objective, we have gathered a consortium representing more than XXX companies of the sector, academia and VET centres, that will:- Develop training materials according to companies needs, covering all the value chain of plastics in 6 EU languages- Adapt them to be used in I-VET and C-VET- Produce 9 MOOCs/NOOCs available accredited through micro-credentials- Develop a platform for learning and connecting- Build strong links between academia/VET centres/companies (through exchanges, challenges,...)- Pilot and validate them with around 80 companies and 200 students of the sector