Immigrant Friendly Cities

Start: 03-09-2018 - End: 02-09-2020 Project Reference: 2018-1-TR01-KA204-059285 EU Grant: 163238 EUR Programme: Erasmus+ Key Action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices Action Type: Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Summary

The digital age offers local governments unprecedented possibilities to engage with residents in novel ways. Cities across the globe are using digital tools, such as web portals and applications (apps), to improve access to public services, enhance responsiveness, better understand the needs of the populations they serve, and provide platforms for deeper civic engagement.

Research has shown that disadvantaged groups, including immigrants and minorities, are high users of smartphones and social media, and could theoretically be reached through these tools. Newly arrived immigrants are some of the most vulnerable in society and are often in need of support settling in and connecting to information about local services and jobs. However, these groups are often thought to be digitally, as well as socially excluded, and the move by governments to online platforms could exacerbate existing barriers to accessing public services. Furthermore, these groups may lack the necessary digital skills and host-country language ability to take full advantage of digital government services.

Based on interviews with city officials, local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), academics, business practitioners, and experts on immigration and digital inclusion, the article analyzes city efforts to capitalize on the new opportunities offered by digital technology to reach immigrant communities, and explores the efforts of municipal governments to ensure that no one is left out of these technological shifts.Cities serve as epicenters for immigration and hubs of innovation in digital governance; some have developed digital-inclusion strategies aimed at reducing the digital divide and thus helping integration efforts.

In this way,our project aims to create permanent information services for immigrants by developing web platforms, mobile Apps and online trainings for immigrant advisors. The need to develop immigrant information services exists because in many cases people have a lack of information when moving into a new country or a new city about how to proceed with residence permits, social security issues, jobsearch etc. and even about what services are available. For this purpose the project will produce a web platfarm as a OER for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in 6 languages and a mobile APP for refugees.So there will be information services in the nearby area which genuinely work and are organized in co-operation between different public authorities.Adult education trainers will also improve their competences by offering new ways of learning, as a result of the cooperation and exchange of experiences at international level.As education is considered indispensable to integration there is an increasing need to prepare all adult education providers ,immigrant advisors and officers in public authorities in the most affected EU countries to initiate relevant programmes with the newly arrived migrants and refugees. Additionally, the project aimed at developing and growing the multicultural skills of these staff by organizing MOOC(Massive open online course) on the web platform.The objective of the Partnership is to propose and implement ways for better managing the integration of migrants and refugees considering in particular cities’ challenges and needs.Increasing the supply of and encouraging individuals’ engagement in adult learning as a means of strengthening social inclusion and active participation in the community and society, and improving access to adult learning for migrants, Roma and disadvantaged groups, as well as learning provision for refugees and people seeking asylum, including host country-language learning, where appropriate.Totally 450 refugees/newly arrived immigrants will join the surveys and workshops as a participants.And totally 80 staff will join the MOOC to develop their cskills and competences in refugee integration.

By the end of the project,public authorities will create a web based platforms,APP and they will train their staff.So the refugees/immigrants should have public guidance services by using digital tools.A learning model will be developed with digital tools and fostering respect and understanding for diversity, intercultural competencies and values

Refugees and newly arrived migrants will communicate with others beyond one’s own group, to move about independently,or thus helping them to adapt to a place of arrival easily, efficiently and effectively.

Newly settled migrants and refugees are equipped with functional and practical language skills to carry out simple tasks required of them during their first few months in-country.

Website:

Coordinator:

• Aydin Il Goc Idaresi Mudurlugu - TURKEY

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE
• Sosyal Etki ve Yenilikci Egitim Dernegi - TURKEY
• PRO IFALL AB - SWEDEN
• wisamar Bildungsgesellschaft gemeinnuetzige GmbH - GERMANY
• Fønix AS - NORWAY
• CENTRO INTERNAZIONALE PER LA PROMOZIONE DELL'EDUCAZIONE E LO SVILUPPO ASSOCIAZIONE - ITALY
• Aydin Valiligi - TURKEY

Developing Farmers' Digital Skills

Start: 01-11-2018 - End: 31-10-2020
Project Reference: 2018-1-TR01-KA204-059557
EU Grant: 250265 EUR
Programme: Erasmus+
Key Action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices
Action Type: Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Summary

The advances in information and communication technologies (ICT), which have become increasingly important, have contributed to the increase of the economic growth of the countries and the improvement of the living standards of the individuals.According to this many countries have recognized the imperative of digital technologies, acknowledging the necessity to educate their citizens.

The improvement of digital infrastructures and mobile technologies creates new opportunities for increased citizen digital participation; however, digital participation faces numerous challenges.

The role and significance of ICT and information literacy within agricultural activities present through a review of European development initiatives and theoretical insights regarding this topic. It will reveal obstacles on the current level of skills and promote the readiness to adopt new knowledge and technologies.

Proficiency in basic computer skills and information literacy will contribute to empowerment and emancipation of farmers who can become active participants in further agriculture development stages within the chain of decision-making. As an important social group, farmers should be empowered through training programmes within the education system and through other initiatives aimed at upgrading the existing body of knowledge

After we defined the problems and the needs, we have designed the "Developing Farmers' Digital Skills (DIGIFARMER)" project.Our partnership composed of agricultural local authorities,NGOs,vet insitutions and digital companies from Turkey,Chezc Republic,Spain and Italy.

Our project aims to contribute to the active involvement of rural farmers/producers in social & business life and to ensure that farmers are more active by increasing digital transversal skills; thus to increase their efficiency and productivity in their life.

And our project will provide training on developing digital skills ensuring that therural population is able to take advantage of new technologies and tools.

The objectives of our project are;

• Increase the digital skills of farmers who live in rural areas
• Develop trainers' cross-skills and competencies
• Develop an innovative educational methodology in the digital field
• Increase productivity & efficiency through increasing farmers’ transversal skills
• Develop digital citizenship skills of rural farmers
• Ensure farmers to use internet tools & smartphone applications in social and business life effectively.

In our project;We will produce Digital skills taining course-module,learning/Training Materials (printed and digital),training tools and OER,digifarmer Website,digifarmer application (smartphone app) and Digifarmer E-Platform as intellectual outputs.

We will identify key drivers for digital citizen participation and compares the results in the context of rural and urban settings. The descriptive analyses provide insights on digital competence differences in the rural versus urban areas and their current usages of online public services.

22 Trainers will be trained to improve their digital skills and competences.

By implementing and on its completion of the project main expected results and outcomes are;

• Digital skills of rural farmers/producers who live in rural areas will be increased providing to rural farmers different problem solving ways.
• Farmers who live in rural areas will become more active in their social life and in their works.
• Trainers' cross-skills and competencies will have been developed.
• An innovative educational methodology in the digital field for rural farmers will be developed.

Website:

Coordinator:

• AYDIN IL TARIM VE ORMAN MUDURLUGU - TURKEY

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE
• Euroform RFS - ITALY
• AYDIN ADNAN MENDERES UNIVERSITESI - TURKEY
• Soke Zirai Uretim Isletmesi Tarimsal Yayim ve Hizmetici Egitim Merkezi Mudurlugu - TURKEY
• KARPUZLU ZIRAAT ODASI - TURKEY
• Institut pro trénink pohostinnosti - CZECHIA
• Aydin Valiligi - TURKEY
• INERCIA DIGITAL SL - SPAIN

Charter of Common Refugee Strategies

Start: 01-11-2018 - End: 31-10-2020
Project Reference: 2018-1-TR01-KA204-059635
EU Grant: 166370 EUR
Programme: Erasmus+
Key Action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices
Action Type: Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Summary

The number of international migrants has increased by 49 per cent since 2000 to 258 million in 2017, according to a report published by the United Nations for International Day of Migration. According to the report, in 2017, 26 million (10 percent) of international migrants are refugees or asylum seekers. Moreover, these numbers belonging to asylum seekers and refugees are increasing due to the internal war in Syria in recent years. This is becoming a significant issue of European Union's and Commission's agenda, which are “strengthening the common asylum policy” and “developing a new policy on legal migration”.

This issue increases the demand for the basic needs of newly arrived refugees and provision of these needs. This is becoming a priority social policy area within countries with asylum seekers and refugees. Lack of informative, educational and supportive tools make refugees less likely to seek remedy for health, follow advices from the authorities to find official employment. In addition, lack of language skills creates another barrier for newly arrived refugees to understand bureaucratic procedures to integrate into society.

On the other hand, lack of informative, educational and supportive tools for adult education providers and professionals working with refugees to benefit from in order to ensure quality of services provided; to better understand refugees; to better integrate them into society.

CORES addresses those issues by working with adult education providers in different program countries to ease the burden of refugees’ crises left on governments in EU; to contribute the newly arrived and host society mutual acceptance. CORES, firstly, will examine social harmony within the Programme countries, and develop a Charter of Common Refugee Strategies at the European Union level, which takes into account local dynamics and values for each partner country.

CORES aims to develop tools (online learning platform) for professionals working in the field of adult education to use during their practices. This tool will be computerized through using the information contained in this charter to be used by the adult education providers as informative, educational and supportive material in electronic format.

In this regard, for Turkey and all EU Member States, our project proposal specifically aims (1) to prepare an analysis report (needs and situation analysis) in order to inform local and national authorities, adult education providers regarding the holistic needs of refugees; (2) to inform the newly arrived about the rights of citizenship and the possibilities of acquiring citizenship; (3) to support them about the problem of housing (4) to inform and guide them about the right of access to the health services, (5) to inform them about the right and possibilities of basic education, (6) to support them in finding jobs and help them to integrate the labor market, and finally (7) to support the quick and better social harmony to newly arrived country and society (8) to create an online learning platform in order to make use of specific aims mentioned above for authorities, adult education providers, refugees.

Website:

Coordinator:

• Recep Tayyip Erdogan Universitesi - TURKEY

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE
• EUROPEAN GRANTS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY SRL - ITALY
• HACETTEPE UNIVERSITESI - TURKEY
• INICIATIVAS DE FUTURO PARA UNA EUROPA SOCIAL COOP. V. - SPAIN
• REINTEGRA, z.s. - CZECHIA
• KU TU EOOD - BULGARIA

LIFELONG SPECIAL EDUCATION

Start: 01-10-2018 - End: 30-09-2019 Project Reference: 2018-1-TR01-KA104-055976 EU Grant: 27360 EUR Programme: Erasmus+ Key Action: Learning Mobility of Individuals Action Type: Adult education staff mobility

Project Summary

It is aimed to increase the education quality as the teachers of the Public Education Center can have the opportunity to learn the applied special education and training methods and techniques in Europe and to apply these methods and techniques in their courses. Within the scope of the project 12 teachers were attended the course which was held between 11/3/2019 till 17/3/2019 in the premises of Anaptixiako Kentro Thessalias.

Coordinator:

• AVCILAR HALK EGITIM MERKEZI - TURKEY

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE

A warm Touch to The Cold Heart

Start: 03-09-2018 - End: 02-09-2019 Project Reference: 2018-1-TR01-KA101-052532 EU Grant: 43266 EUR Programme: Erasmus+ Key Action: Learning Mobility of Individuals Action Type: School education staff mobility

Project Summary

Our project was prepared under Erasmus+ KA1 School Education. Consortium members are Atatürk Anatolian High School, Amasya Anatolian High School and 12 June Anatolian High School.

In our country refugee/immigrant number is explained as 3 million 551vthousand 78 people on 15 February 2017. Only about 800 thousand refugees from Syria are at school age and about %45 of them can go to school.

According to province migration authority data there are 2 thousand 987 registered foreign guests in Amasya and 2 thousand 264 of them are covered by international protection.

The total number of refugee/immigrant students studying in our schools is 623 according to Provincial Education of Ministry. There are 55 students at Kindergarten, 275 at Primary School, 172 at Secondary School and 121 at High School.

Except for Temporary Training Centres, public schools’ not having an appropriate separate training program, registration and equivalence problems, other students’ and especially parents’ reluctance about refugee/immigrant students’ school registration and teachers’ not having enough skill to deal with troubles are basic problems.

With this project, we aim to help refugee/immigrant students (in our schools) integration into both education environment and social life to help teachers and managers have more emphatic view to refugee/immigrant students’ lives. So we aim to communicate with students properly and find solutions about their social and psychological problems. Also providing high academic success, regular school attendance, a wish for staying happy place, increase in their success and social capacity and more healthy plans for future are our aims.

While determining staff from schools, firstly guide teachers then teachers and managers teaching refugee/immigrant students were selected. It was paid special attention to select teachers having most communication with refugee/immigrant students.

A responsible teacher tries to support his/her students by having more information about students’ lives, feeling and ideas. By means of this project, our teachers will have a chance to win a more emphatic view towards refugee/immigrant students’ lives. So they will be able to help them and make them participate in education life with full capacity.

With these trainings refugee/immigrant students’ school absences will decrease, academic success will increase, they will increase their knowledge and skills required in the future by having a better education today and consequently their and their families’ life quality will increase. Staff involved in the project will see different cultures and with cultural interactions, interaction between communities will increase.

Thanks to language training in this project, refugee/immigrant students’ education and social life integration courses and seminars; our teachers will be more cultured and chief architects for building a peaceful society.

All preparations necessary for European Mobility Activities (before and after), airfares, insurance, airport transfers, other transportation and passports will be organized by travel coordinator.

With completion of our project, refugee/immigrant students’ academic performance will increase by connecting proper communication, their school absenteeism will decrease, more realistic solutions will be found to their social and psychological problems, education and social life integration will take place faster, both they and their families will be happier and more successful.

Teachers involved in the project will make cooperation with teachers from other schools. Also with seminars after mobility activities, 150 teachers from all schools in the province will benefit from information, skill and experience. After mobility activities, effective communication seminar will be given to 200 teachers from all schools in the province and participation in this seminar will be provided. Thanks to this seminar, these teachers’ communication with refugee/immigrant students and other students will increase.

The total number of participants in our project is 18. They will have course and examinations about refugee/immigrant students’ integration into education system and social life as groups up 6 in Greece, Italy and Netherlands for 7 days in each country as part of mobility activities.

Coordinator:

• Amasya Il Milli Egitim Mudurlugu - TURKEY

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE
• Compass Education - NETHERLANDS
• EUROPE FOR ALL - ITALY

Game-based Learning for Adults

Start: 01-09-2017 - End: 31-08-2019
Project Reference: 2017-1-TR01-KA204-046822
EU Grant: 136174 EUR
Programme: Erasmus+
Key Action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices
Action Type: Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Summary

We focus on the development of an innovative non-formal game-based education simulation tool to enhance and improve communication and presentation skills with a focus on entrepreneurship for adults and through play and practice, teach them basic presentation and communication skills, the objective on finding employment or become an entrepreneur so they can be applied effectively in real life, in particular enhancing their self-confidence in presenting themselves thus increasing their chances of finding and maintaining suitable employment and abilities to communicate in an effective way.

It will be an interaction game that makes the social dimension the main element of one’s mechanism. In general games which are not competitive can be considered interaction games, where there are no adversaries to beat, but where the goal of the game is essentially merely fun and interaction among the participants.

The main objective is to create a learning environment (game/simulation) which simulates the communication and presentation skills process and stimulates the development of entrepreneurial attitudes and competences of adults. As the main learning outcome of this game/simulation is situated in the field of attitudes, it permits the expansion of the primary target group (young people), aspiring entrepreneurs, to include training specific target groups; marginalised groups such as migrants and unemployed, are more likely to have self efficacy difficulties. Setting up a new partnership with this project will stimulate the exchange of local and international experiences, expertise and vice-versa.

As an ideal complement to the realization of the project, the participating countries will focus on intercultural learning and non-formal working methodologies development in a multicultural context. Major milestones will be:

• to design and develop a specific game-based learning method for simulation training of adults with an aim of encouraging their entrepreneurship skills;
• to test and evaluate the impact of a game-based approach in formal teaching and pedagogic methodologies for adults;
• to validate the proposed approach as a means of learning and evaluate its impact on adult learners.

The project will be carried out transnationally because the synergy between international organizations and adults, will guarantee the knowledge and comprehension of different cultural realities and stimulates intercultural dialogue.

Coordinator:

• Aydin Efeler Halk Egitim Merkezi ve ASO Mudurlugu - TURKEY

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE
• aydin kulturel gelisim dernegi - TURKEY
• Associazione Let's Keep Learning Onlus - ITALY
• Foxpopuli - SWEDEN
• Agena proje egitim ve danismanlik A S - TURKEY
• ARTEMISAWORLD, S.L. - SPAIN

Providing Learning Skills about Generating Solutions of Refugee Parents Facing to Educational Problems of Their Children

Start: 01-09-2017 - End: 31-08-2019
Project Reference: 2017-1-TR01-KA204-045870
EU Grant: 134678 EUR
Programme: Erasmus+
Key Action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices
Action Type: Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Summary

Due to the war that started in Syria in 2011, our country was heavily exposed to the migration of refugees. Gaziantep city, which is one of the most refugee cities in this region, closely witnesses their life struggles. As people living in Gaziantep, we are witnessing their proplems in this harmonization and adaptation process since we can see them closely and have the opportunity to watch them. In addition to the economic, social and cultural problems that they have experienced, refugees have faced many problems in the field of education. When a society has to migrate to another country from a long-lived country, it is inevitable that there will be a variety of problems in other places where it has gone before, if it is directly exposed to the cultures. The most important aspect of this problem is that the individual internalizes the situation in which they are and can not control their feelings in the face of the situation and enlarges their problems more in their eyes. The other side is that in the face of the problems it has experienced, it does not know the operating system of the institutions of the country and the resources of the applicants. For example, if a refugee parent interprets the success of the child in his / her school in different ways and thinks that the child is being kicked out of the school by starting the crying or thinking that the parent may be exposed to social exclusion, the fear that the parent will be unacceptable to contact with the school administration, the failure of the child to adequately deal with his / her educational life or the lack of healthy communication with the child and the school, the failure of the community to empathize with the immigration process, the indifference to personal development programs as a parent, etc. We can list many problems such as this. For this reason, our project is a logical solution to the problems faced by the children of refugee parents who are children in school age in their educational life, and at this point the new gathering aims to integrate easily into this area. The target groups must be able to minimize their problems by participating in events such as trainings, conferences, panellas that may be useful for both themselves and their children in the collective adaptation process they are coming from. At the same time, the parents who will best understand the emotional dimension of their children who have to leave the country and have to study in another country, and who will solve the problems are also their parents. Our project will take 24 months starting on 1st September 2017 and ending on 31th August 2019. The project coordinator is Gaziantep University/ TURKEY and we have partners from Spain, Greece. Our project aims to create an applicable training module including social adaptation, integration and providing to increase the learning skills such as communication, empathy, social exclusion, cooperation with the environment and etc of Syrian and other refugee groups' in Europe (especially in the partner countries). This training module will be created and then implemented during the project to target groups then will be disseminated in local, ntaional and in Europe in the related organization and institutions. For this reason, we will give them the necessary support during the process of integration, with the thought that we can contribute to this sociological problem and at the same time taking them away from the point of their arrival and moving them to the target point. Work will be done to motivate their existing potentials and thus to lead them to the best, to increase individual productivity, to give them self-confidence, to prioritize their personal performances and to establish a planned development relationship to achieve their desired performance. One of our most important goals is to support refugee parents towards the goals we set and to ensure that they learn to overcome their problems on their own. We will contribute to the development process by creating awareness of what they should do in the face of their problems. While preparing our project for refugee parents, one of our most important main targets is to raise healthy generations and to contribute to them and to the people of the world. As a result of the research we conducted within the scope of our project, individual trainings, conferences and meetings, websites, etc. We aim to reach the target group and communicate with them in the best way and give them the trainings necessary for this process. In doing so, we aim to get support from all sectors, institutions and organizations of the society to be among our most important principles and reach our project goals in the most perfect way. The Syrian adult parents, who are the targets of the project, have a target language in Arabic and some of them speak English. Although most of them know Turkish language, we aim to increase our communication with our Arabic-speaking students and interpreter support.

Project Material: IO3 - AWARENESS DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES FOR REFUGEE PARENTS TRAINING MODULE AND IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Coordinator:

• GAZIANTEP UNIVERSITESI - TURKEY

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE
• ASOCIACION CULTURAL Y DEPORTIVA LAHOYA - SPAIN
• Kayra Yoneylem Egitim-Arastirma-Muhendislik-Danismanlik Ltd. Sti. (Kayra Yoneylem education-research-engineering and consulting company) - TURKEY
• Aile, Calisma ve Sosyal Hizmetler Gaziantep Il Mudurlugu - TURKEY
• European Center for Education, Science and Innovation - BULGARIA

BLUE - Blended Learning usability experience

Start: 01-10-2016 - End: 30-09-2018 Project Reference: 2016-1-DE02-KA104-003220 EU Grant: 163265 EUR Programme: Erasmus+ Key Action: Learning Mobility of Individuals Action Type: Adult education staff mobility

Project Summary

The adult education centers in Bavaria are confronted with new challenges concerning the continuing digitalization in the educational sector. The development and diffusion of e-learning tools and technology has deeply changed the opportunities for adult education. Therefore, the Bavarian Association of Adult Education (bvv) initiates an Erasmus+ mobility project called “BLUE - Blended Learning usability experience”. We do not see e-learning as a replacement for traditional instructor-led training but as a complement to it, forming part of a blended-learning strategy for the adult education centers in Bavaria. We want to enhance the executive staff, the specialists and the teachers to continuously broaden their horizons, improve their qualifications and facilitate the exchange of know-how amongst the practice groups. Furthermore we would like to provide learners with opportunities for practical knowledge in very experienced institutions as far as Blended Learning is concerned. This includes rapid further development in pedagogy with regard to the use of information and communication technologies and their consistent implementation in teaching. Without a sustainable teaching concept, the technology is almost useless.Corresponding to the migration movements in Europe, the target groups of our members are constantly changing. We try to develop frameworks to support easy and cost-effective access to a wider range of educational opportunities for adults that include elements of blended learning approaches. During the two year-term of the EU-financed project, we plan to send about 99 participants from our associated members, the adult education centres in Bavaria, to different educational institutions among Europe, which offer courses for adults that deal with blended learning issues and are really experienced in the use of it. The bvv will be responsible for the project development, punctuality and proper billing. With our project work we would like to promote the intercultural exchange of ideas and knowledge, an exchange all sides could certainly benefit from. We plan to work with partners from Greece, Estonia, Denmark, United Kingdom and Cyprus.

Website:

Coordinator:

• Bayerischer Volkshochschulverband e.V. - GERMANY

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE
• A' TECHNICAL SCHOOL OF LIMASSOL - CYPRUS
• Valga County Vocational Training Centre - ESTONIA

Innovative Training and New Business opportunities in the Energy Market

Start: 01-09-2014 - End: 31-08-2017 Project Reference: 2014-1-ES01-KA204-004996 EU Grant: 265392 EUR Programme: Erasmus+ Key Action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices Action Type: Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Summary

-Context of the project:

The European energy sector increasingly consists of ESCOs with a high variety of business models, adapted to the market conditions, regulations and changing technological developments in the sector. The technical profile required to be a promoter of this type of ESCOs makes increasingly necessary knowledge on management and business models.

Objectives:

• -Identify training needs in the sector of ESCOs in the participating countries
• -Identify appropriate tools for the design of business models in the sector of ESCOs
• -The drafting of a specific training plan (from the above objectives) for the design of business models in the energy sector, especially targeting ESCOs professionals
• -The creation of a web platform to disseminate and facilitate the content developed in the course
• -The dissemination of the project and its results among the target audience
• -Number and profile of the participating organizations: 5 members

ENERGY CLUSTER OF EXTREMADURA, (Spain): It includes some of the most important companies in the sector in Spain, as well as numerous SMEs in Extremadura. Cluster companies represent the entire value chain in the different subsectors of the energy sector. The Cluster is knowledgeable of the situation and needs of the sector and seeks among other actions, to identify training plans appropriate to their businesses, so that they know how to adapt to the continuous changes in the sector and maintain its competitiveness in the national and international markets.

FUNDECYT-PCTEX, (Spain): This Foundation for the development of science and technology in Extremadura, provides valuable experience in the following fields:

• -Identification of needs for enterprises and tailored training plans
• -Development and implementation of the training platforms
• -Knowledge transfer processes between Knwoledge entities and companies
• -design and implementation of training for companies

ECQA, (Austria): The European Association for certification and qualification is a non-profit organization that provides a certification scheme for many professions. ECQA brings its knowledge to create a training plan likely to be certified at European level and their methodology for certification and validation of the quality of the training Plan developed in the project.

UEL, (UK): The University of East London designs and develops training programs for business modeling and business management. It acts as a centre of applied research and also carries out ad hoc consultancy work and coordinates a project on modelling of electronic commerce for the Chamber of Commerce and industry in London. Currently, the UEL develops various projects for the development of business models.

AKETH, (Greece): Experts in methodologies of training and design of training programmes. AKETH also acts as Advisor to companies, entrepreneurs and investors. This entity will bring to the project its experience in the development of training materials and training courses, as well as in the development of ICT solutions for training courses, and its experience in specific courses for professionals in the energy sector.

Description of the main activities carried out;

1. analysis of the needs of the market and the ESCOs in the participating countries. Identification of tools for the design of business models in the ESCOs sector. It includes surveys to stakeholders.
2. design of the initial contents to include in the training and development of the web platform of the project plan.
3. multiplier events to disseminate the project, involve stakeholders in the design of contents and validate content. 2 events were held in each country and a final event in Spain.
4. preparation of the final Plan for training, design and content development, translation.

-Results and impact achieved;

We have managed to successfully develop the 3 outputs planned in time and form. A training was developed a Plan for the design of business models aimed at ESCOs. We have managed to involve a high number of stakeholders – more than 220 participants in events- and the impact of dissemination has been positive (see results of broadcasting).

Long-term benefits, if applicable;

Given the interest reached and the increase of this type of SMEs throughout all of EU, it is expected to continue this initiative and develop an appropriate online platform to implement the course online or through MOOCs.

Website: http://www.ibmplus.eu/

Coordinator:

• Asociación Cluster de la Energía de Extremadura - SPAIN

Partners:

• FUNDACION FUNDECYT - PARQUE CIENTIFICO Y TECNOLOGICO DE EXTREMADURA - SPAIN
• ECQA - AUSTRIA
• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE
• UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON - UNITED KINGDOM

Building Intelligent Interactive Tutors: Adult trainee-centered strategies for life long e-learning

Start: 01-09-2014 - End: 31-08-2016
Project Reference: 2014-1-EL01-KA104-001256
EU Grant: 22248 EUR
Programme: Erasmus+
Key Action: Learning Mobility of Individuals
Action Type: Adult education staff mobility

Project Summary

The swift growth of information and communication technologies (ICT) and their indisputable intrusion in every kind of production process, work, communication and culture have involved radical changes in all sectors of human activity (Castells, M. 1998, The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture, Vol. 1: The Rise of the Network Society). This changes and their social dimension constitute important priority issues of the agenda of political, economic and educational institutions in the most countries of the world (OECD, 2003.Beyond rhetoric: adult learning policies and practices, Paris).

The constantly changing social-economic environment prompts the person to readapt and constantly improve their skills, knowledge, and dexterities (YPEPTH, 2006. New Information and Communication Technologies in Adult Education) in order to correspond not only in their personal needs but also the rapidly changing needs of the labour market. Adults, in order to satisfy their learning and educational needs that are formed and created by these changes, seek alternatives and opportunities both in informal learning and non-formal education. The integration of modern ICT, especially e-learning, in programs of adult education is, in many cases, the solution and recourse in this search while, at the same time, it constitutes the basic priority of educational policies in most of the developed countries of the world.

The process of electronic learning (e-learning) is not only complicated but also exigent for both the participants/trainees and the teachers/instructors/tutors. The instructor’s contribution in the process of e-learning is catalytic during the process and also for the results. These are some of the reasons that concern the reduction of the leaks of the programs, the elimination of participants’ isolation feeling, and their encouragement (Denis V., et all 2004. Roles and Competencies of the e-tutor.)

In this particular proposed plan, 25 adults instructors of the Developmental Centre of Thessaly will take part. These instructors constitute the corpus of the adults instructors of our organization and they come from different scientific fields (economists, foreign language teachers, professors of ICT etc) so as to reinforce as many educational fields of training as possible implemented by the Developmental Centre Thessaly. As it has already been mentioned, the use of modern technology in the educational process (especially in e-learning) creates high requirements for the instructors as well, who ought to follow a constant reeducational process in order to be highly qualified.

According to this frame and logic our organization (Developmental Centre of Thessaly) has submitted an application for the approval of a plan that aspires to cover the needs of adults tutors participants concerning:

• a) their professional competences and skills
• b) their educational skills
• c) their communication skills
• d)their technological skills.

The activities and the methodology that will be used for the implementation of the plan concern mainly the attendance of a specialized and well-structured professional training seminar (ten weekdays) about the incorporation of e-learning in adult education aiming at the adults instructors/tutors training in modern practices and developments of the branch. The seminar will consist of both theoretical and practical training so that the trained tutors will have the opportunity to apply the acquired theoretical knowledge through not only the creation and management of virtual electronic courses (units) but also the development of short educational material suitable for e-learning process.

Following the principles of ECVET, partnership gives the trainees the opportunity to acquire certified and standard knowledge, dexterities and skills which is one of the main goals of the plan. The fact that the professional training seminar attended by the trainees will take place under the approval, recognition and certification of the Region of Umbria in Italy, shows its importance for the participants’ professional development.

The project will help our organization meet its targets relating to contemporary adult education, online learning, distance learning and open educational resources (Open Educational Resources-OER).

The AKETH will fully exploit the potential of e-learning and in combination with high level trained e-tutors for adults, that will arise from the project, will try to established itself as a major provider of online education for adults.

Website: http://up.aketh.gr/courses/AKETH100/

Coordinator:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - Greece

Partners:

• European Grants International Academy Srls Unipersonale - ITALY