Establishing a model of VET excellence in EU islands to accelerate Smart Specialization (S3) activities associated with the twin transition.
Context
OVER-SEES is a multi-stakeholder consortium gathering four diverse EU insular territories (The Azores, Portugal; West Region, Ireland; Aegean Islands, Greece; Sicily, Italy) to establish a model of VET excellence in EU islands to accelerate Smart Specialization (S3) activities associated with the twin transition. Our goal relies on four pillars:
- People, namely young people under 35, especially those in greater vulnerability (e.g., NEETs) who are more affected by structural school-to-work transition barriers in EU islands.
- VET providers, by building up their capacity to co-developed new VET curricula for sustainable agriculture, rural tourism, marine renewable energies, and digitalization.
- Businesses, by significantly expanding the cooperation between SMEs/cooperatives/startup initiatives with VET providers.
- Governance, by introducing a paradigm of integrated governance leading to regional VET skills ecosystems in the selected regions.
Learning and teaching outcomes will be addressed by co-creating a portfolio of orientation and training programs focusing on the targeted S3 areas. Multiple (trans)national activities addressing cooperation and partnership outcomes will culminate in an international collaborative digital platform, the OVER-SEES NEXUS. Funding and governance outcomes will be met by deploying a model for VET excellence in European islands. All these major achievements will be aggregated under an international community of practice (OVER-SEES.com), that will work beyond the project lifetime to advance VET excellence in European islands and meet EU ambitions for fully achieving decent jobs, skills development, and twin transition agendas in insular territories.
Objectives
- To establish a model of VET excellence in EU islands (The Azores, Portugal; West Region, Ireland; Aegean Islands, Greece; Sicily, Italy) to accelerate Smart Specialization (S3) activities associated with the twin transition.
- To contribute to the diversification of orientation and training opportunities at EQF 4 and 5 levels linked tothe S3 for young people aged 15-35, particularly among vulnerable groups, in each of the regions involved in the OVER-SEES consortium.
- To establish a collaborative ecosystem of innovation of VET systems forS3 acceleration for European islands involving businesses such as SMEs, start-ups and the third sector.
- To set-up an international integrated governance model for VET excellence in European islands.
Activities
- Exploring training and employment opportunities in the S3 areas covered by the project.
- Implementation of 4 courses combining pre-training for individual skills recognition, technical training and apprenticeships in connection with local businesses for reskilling competences in: sustainable agriculture, marine renewable energies, rural tourism, digitalisation.
- Pilot implementation of an online international EQF5 program “Digitalisation for green innovation”.
- Hybrid training program aiming at local entrepreneurs.
- World-caféseries, transnational workshops and working meetings series to co-create guidelines for the different OVER-SEES counselling and training programs.
- Bilateral missions of teams of VET institutions in the regions involved in the project.
- Series of local/regional 1-day dates between companies and VET providers.
- Organisation of hybrid events for promoting existing opportunities for skills development and employment in S3 areas.
- Transnational hybrid workshop of key players on integrated governance principles.
Resources
- Scientific papers series.
- Outlook report.
- Orientation and training portfolio roadbooks series.
- OVER-SEES charter and quality seal.
- OVER-SEES NEXUS: Digital co-work platform.
- VET policies Hub.
Impact
- Increased access of young people under 35 to VET orientation and training opportunities in S3 areas, particularly of those with fewer opportunities, in the regions covered by the consortium operation.
- First international portfolio of co-created S3 VET programs for the twin transition in European islands.
- Stronger relevance and internationalization of VET programs focusing on the selected S3 areas.
- Establishment of regional and international-level collaborative thematic group for advancing VET excellence associated with S3 priorities in European islands to be integrated in the OVER-SEES.com.
- Facilitated collaborations between VET providers and companies beyond the scope of OVER-SEES timeframe, leading to more jobs and the acceleration of businesses growth.
- Creation of a transnational cooperation model for advancing VET excellence in European islands according to the integrated governance framework.
- Establishment of a common framework and sustainable cooperation mechanisms for collaborative governance for international VET excellence in European islands.
Partners
- Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Portugal, coordinator)
- DRQPE – Direção Regional do Emprego e Qualificação Profissional (Portugal)
- TERINOV (Portugal)
- FEPPV – Fundação de Ensino Profissional da Praia da Vitória (Portugal)
- Frutercoop – Cooperativa de Hortofruticultores da Ilha Terceira, CRL (Portugal)
- UNIVERSITY OF THE AEGEAN (Greece))
- APOPSI (Greece))
- Ifestio Anemotias SCE (Greece))
- OLLSCOIL NA GAILLIMHE (Ireland)
- WDC – WESTERN DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION (Ireland)
- MSLETB – Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim Education and Training Board (Ireland)
- MATRIX INTERNET APPLICATIONS LIMITED (Ireland)
- CESIE ETS (Italy)
- Associazione Euroform (Italy)
- Lemon Sistemi SpA (Italy)
