The main objective of the ESTEEM project is to improve and enrich social sciences graduates’ transversal and entrepreneurial skills in order to increase their competitiveness in the labour market and enhance their future employability. The project consortium will approach this aim by developing and implementing a holistic, work-based and flexible training program which will combine e-learning and work-based teaching methods as well. The teaching scheme that will be introduced by this project involves active collaboration between HEI, SMEs and major national social partners in all steps of project’s implementation and monitoring. The innovative aspect of the project lies in the training model to be developed that combines e-learning and digital teaching with a “remote internship/mentorship” program. The proposed methodology will test new cooperation models between VET providers and enterprises to promote work-based learning. The innovative model of the “remote internship/mentorship” program will be pilot tested and assessed thus feeding into policy innovation experimentations for the labour market. The workplace is shifting from traditional structures into innovative ones where physical presence on the job location is not necessary and companies are adopting virtual employment methods. In this context, the project will form new partnerships and develop new teaching and assessment methods for virtual employment and work-based learning.The main objective of the training program to be introduced by the project is to develop an effective blended training course on transversal skills that meets the skill needs and requirements of young SME employees and entrepreneurs. The transversal skills the project aim to address are: • Personal development skills: Personal development skills are essential life and employment skills, especially current in the fast changing economic landscape and include soft skills as coping with uncertainty, ambiguity and risk, learning through experience, embracing change, eliminate resistance or fear, self-promotion etc. • Working with others: Collaborating, communicating effectively (including social media communication and digital social skills), team-working, cooperating are important transversal skills for the workplace environment.• Conceptualizing and transforming ideas into business options and entrepreneurial opportunities: The ability to develop ideas, creating concepts and transform them into options and opportunities than can be realised are the core competencies for creative and innovative thinking. In this context, skills like identifying a need or a problem, prioritize, initiative taking, envisioning, planning, mobilizing and managing resources and entrepreneurial thinking will be included in the training program. To this end, the project main objectives are to:a) Design a training methodology for transversal skills development which combines e-learning and remote work-based learning b) Organise, implement & evaluate a “remote internship/mentorship” programc) Support the model of work-based learning and project-based learning for customised learning experience d) Promote collaboration and exchange of good practices among VET providers, HEIs, social partners and enterprisesThe project’s consortium consists of 6 partners from 4 countries incorporating a wide range of experience and expertise related to the scope of ESTEEM. The Lead Partner is KANEP-GSEE representing the Greek General Confederation of Labour in the area of Education and Lifelong learning, promoting the agenda of trade unions which includes employment policies, policies for combating social exclusion, and reinforcement of trade union presence in society. The project is expected to have a significant impact on the target group of social science graduates as it will facilitate their transition from education to labour market and enhance their career prospects and business progression. Moreover, the project will feed into the educational organizations which can be further motivated to shift from traditional, teaching methods, including the incorporation of a larger proportion of blended learning or wholly work-based modules than is generally common. Finally, the ESTEEM project’s desired impact is expected to be realized in both national and European level. Overall the project aims to address the priorities of European 2020 strategy on transversal skills development in a lifelong learning perspective as well as the promotion of novel forms of work-based learning by providing insights, experiences and policy recommendations.

"<< Background >>The concept of green skills, defined by Cedefop (2012), as ""the knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes needed to live in, develop and support a sustainable resource-efficient society"", and recently recognized further as two complementary areas, skills for the green economy (as a results of sector transformation) and general green skills for all citizens (transversal), has recently been high on the EU agenda.As recognized in the European Skills Agenda, developing a set of core green skills to support the twin transition, as well as taking a fresh approach to make VET more modern, attractive for all learners, flexible and fit for the digital age and green transition, are among the flagship actions to both ensure recovery from the impact of the pandemic and help drive the twin transition. Finally, Osnabrück Declaration (2020) on vocational education and training as an enabler of recovery and just transitions to digital and green economies, recognizes the need for cooperation, knowledge-sharing and exchange of practices among VET institutions, teachers and trainers, and companies, social partners and other stakeholders, as ""sustainability is a transversal concern that intersects with labour demand, education, skills, occupations and the geographical distribution of jobs and workers.""Developing green competencies has become and will be in the foreseeable future the key to maintaining added value in sustainable economy EU thrives to create. It has become clear that VET and businesses alike must adapt to the uncertainties the future brings and simultaneously contribute to sustainable society. The importance that green skills are gaining in these unpredictable times, when demands for more sustainable operating and functioning are more pressing and changing, translates also into the world of education, if not into the world of vocational education and training even more naturally, being the education sector the most closely linked to the industry.Green skills and sustainable economy require the development of a high-value, high quality skill sets within the VET and SME sector. Agile mindset and readiness for change are immensely important, more than ever, to foster and enable change toward sustainable and green economy. Raising awareness about environmental and climate-change challenges of decision-makers in both educational and economy sector is pivotal to change behaviour and guide shift toward greening the existing curricula resulting in and developing new green competencies. As the EC is aware that “new measures on their own will not be enough to achieve the EGD’s objective” and that “the EU has the collective ability to transform its economy and society to put it on a more sustainable path” (COM, 2019), Green Collider project’s main aim is to explore and contribute to the readiness of European VET providers and SMEs to introduce changes and measures set in the EGD.<< Objectives >>VET has a key role to play as an intermediary in building sustainable relationships and mutually beneficial partnerships between education and the business community. Bringing the worlds of VET and business closer together is one of the main aims of the Green Collider project. Building the capacity of VET providers through the provision of appropriate masterclass-format content and appropriate cooperation model is one of the first challenges to be addressed if VET provision is to be more responsive to the needs of the wider business community in regard of sustainable economy. The main objectives of the Green Collider project are: 1) to raise awareness on the importance of introduction of the changes brought by the EGD in both VET and business sector; 2) to raise readiness for change level in VET and business sector (with special focus on SMEs); 3) to contribute to bridging the gap between labour market needs and vocational education and training programmes in the field of sustainable thinking and circular economy, by establishing and further strengthening the cooperation between VET providers and business sector through the VET-Business Green Cooperation Collider; 4) to facilitate transnational knowledge and know-how exchange and knowledge co-creation; 5) by developing innovative tools and frameworks for the training of VET professionals, in-company mentors and facilitating organisations, to implement sustainable thinking and to consequently prepare VET students for future needs of the labour market, i.e. provide them skills needed to be competitively advantaged after completing their VET programmes; 6) to develop sustainable and transferable tools for implementing sustainable thinking and developing green skills in both formal and in-formal VET; 7) to develop sustainable thinking competencies and green skills of all particpating organisations; 8) to empower VET teacher, learners, SMEs and facilitating organisations with sustainable thining competencies and green skills through the VET-Business Green Cooperation Collider.<< Implementation >>The following activities oriented toward achieving the key project results will be implemented in the Green Collider project:1) Development of the Green Collider Masterclass consists of the following processes: setting up the methodological framework and supporting tools and templates, development of modules and webinars, assessment and validation by local stakeholders, implementation in national contexts.2) Development of the VET-Business Green Cooperation Collider consists of the following processes: development of methodological guidelines, assessment and validation, identification and selection of participants and authentic task challenges (using webinars as a communication tool), conceptualisation of the online tool - an interactive self-reflecting game, assessment and validation of the concept, programming of the game, beta-testing of the tool, planning of pilot activities, pilot testing in partner countries, revision, finalisation, translation and provision of national and transnational reports.3) Development of the Green Collider Policy Paper consists of the following processes: conceptualisation and validation of questionnaire, data collection and analysis, drafting, designing and finalizing the policy paper.Harnessing the potential of sustainable thinking in VET can have a major impact on the adaptability and viability of VET provision. Ensuring that VET professionals and learners are confident introducing sustainable thinking in VET can have an ongoing impact in reaching sustainable development goals. Green skills development and the collaboration between VET and SMEs has considerable potential in all EU Member States and the initial training to accompany the authentic task challenge will be transferable to VET providers throughout the participating countries and beyond.The Green Collider project is further exploring the possibilites of development both sector-specific green skills (as it will involve different sector through the authentic task challenges) and transversal green skills (through the development of modules that will deepen the understanding of the competence of sustainable thinking among the target groups). In this sense, it will provide an evidence-base for a novel policy paper focusing on the potential VET-business cooperation has in reaching the sustainable development goals and identify potential obstacles, as well as propose solutions to tackle them.The content oriented project activities will be complemented with the activities oriented toward management, quality and dissemination, in order to ensure the project impact and sustainability.<< Results >>Both VET sector and businesses are also facing challenges with green-skilling the management, employees and potential future employees. To address these concerns, the Green Collider project delivers the following key results:1) Green Collider Masterclass, consisting of 4 tailor-made modules covering the theoretical and practical knowledge on the sustainable thinking and green competencies development, enrinched with series of short webinars.The Green Collider Masterclass will give a variety of elementary knowledge and practical uses so that VET teachers and learners can implement them in the next step of solving a real-life authentic task provided by the SMEs.2) VET-Business Green Cooperation Collider, a conceptual framework covering different methodologies for VET-business cooperation, such as authentic task challenge from the real work environment and accompanying self-reflecting tool in a format of an online interactive game, which can also be used independently. There are some challenges that VET is facing in keeping up pace with the needs of the labour market and appropriate initial training forunderstanding the sustainable thinking is not provided. This PR proposes a comprehensive experience for VET teachers and learners in collaboration with SMEs; it supports them to maximize the potential of the introducing sustainable thinking in learning environment and thus representing an innovation in the VET arena.3) Green Collider Policy Paper, which summarizes thoroughly designed bottom-up policy learing and making process and considers two key issues - a) the role of VET teachers in developing green competencies and sustainable thinking through VET-business cooperation and WBL/apprenticeship activities - what policy changes need to take place in order to ensure VET teachers to follow the more than ever evolving teaching environment and to reach a satisfactory level of sustainable thinking, i.e. what actions need to be undertaken to improve policies in a way that VET teachers and training systems become equipped to face the challenges emerging from the EGD; 2) how can the proliferation of competence driven curriculum and using of sustainable thinking and green skills within the VET sector close the skills-needs gap and what is the role of VET in this process; empowering VET teachers and learners to be confident when introducing sustainable thinking in teaching environment through policy actions. These key results will assist the VET sector to more flexibly and responsively meet the green skills and innovative capability requirements for a transition to Education 4.0, leading to a green economy where needs of industry, individuals and communities are met. This will be achieved by ensuring the right mix of methodology and tools, curriculum, appropriate training delivery, online tools and the support of local, national and European stakeholders. On a transnational level, the key results will be open, user-friendly and transferable to both different learning and teaching environments and industry sectors. The consortium consists of seven partner organisations from six EU member states (GR, SI, ES, IT, AT, HU) covering a wide range of expertise and experience related to the scope and aims of the Green Collider. The partnership represents a variety of different geographical, social, cultural and educationalbackgrounds, pedagogical and didactic knowhow, and business consulting and coaching competencies to implement the project activities and produce comprehensive quality results, applicable to both VET and business sector, and overcoming the ""language barrier"" between the two hence leading to the achievement of the sustainable development goals."

<< Objectives >>The specific objectives targeted by BENEFIT are: - Developed and evaluated framework for blended learning and evaluation practices for inclusive higher education - Establishing a Blended Learning Inclusive Module (BLINC) - Upgraded courses that follow blended learning and evaluation practices for inclusive higher education - Workshops for teaching and training staff (through the BLINC).<< Implementation >>The implementation of BENEFIT follows two horizontal and one specific priority based on digital transformation, innovative teaching methods, and creating inclusive HEIs. By ensuring quality management and coordination, the project activity consists of assurance framework, dissemination plan, various meeting agendas, including reports of progression and finalization. Three main outcomes are targeted through BENEFIT, divided into more than 15 separate components.<< Results >>BENEFIT will yield the following four results: - Report through BENEFIT European analysis, which will include statistics and trends for the current state of inclusive Higher education- Free E-tool for inclusivity (ETI) for usage to all HEIs, providing a framework and mechanisms for implementing inclusivity practices in Higher education- Blended Learning Inclusive Module (BLINC) targeting teaching and research staff at partnering institutions and learners with disabilities.

<< Background >>COVID19 emergency has dramatically increased the focus on the needs of educational institutions, and schools in particular, of being ready to make full use of digital technologies to provide accessible education to all. On the other hand schools experimented the difficulties and the challenges that the passage to a fully virtual lessons has caused in dealing with the equally important theme of inclusive education and management of diversity.During the lockdown period, the students that suffered more have been the ones that already before, were at risk of underachieving at school, students:- Coming from minorities or immigrants families, due to linguistic and cultural obstacles- With learning disabilities that need special support and attention- Coming from disadvantaged social and economic environments and/or less developed areasAll of them, regardless the nature of their difficulties, have in common the rapid emerging of a sense of isolation and consequential demotivation towards their participation at school activities.For this reason the IDEAS project, intends to provide school teachers with the skills to exploit innovative teaching practices and digital technologies to promote the delivery of high quality inclusive education.The needs the project aims at addressing are: - Need of Secondary school teachers to acquire a deeper understanding of how to make use of digital sources and technologies to improve their teaching methods, overcoming the potential obstacles that might lead students at risk of losing motivation.- Need of Secondary school students (aged 14-17) to benefit from a more inclusive educational offer, that combining and making full use of new technologies, is able to involve and motivate them in the at distance lessons regardless to their social, economic, cultural and physical situation.The specific identified needs of teachers are:- Need to improve the skills and competences to effectively make use of digital teaching resources and methodologies - Need to adapt digital skills to make sure to be able to prevent students, with special regards with those with disadvantaged conditions, from losing motivation and feeling excluded. - Need of adapting their teaching activities to the full potential of digital and ICT based approaches, effectively preventing and dealing with the problems that weaker and at risk of exclusion students might experience.- Need to implement digital education practices within their teaching activities without affecting the participation and motivation of students more exposed to underachieving and of feeling excluded.The specific identified needs of secondary schools students are: - Need to include students in school initiatives and to access all the educational opportunities, regardless their social, economic, cultural and intellectual personal situation- Need to overcome all those obstacles that could affect their motivation as a result of the intensive use of digital base / virtual educational solutions.<< Objectives >>The main objective of the project is making secondary school teachers prepared to cope in the short / medium term with the new ways of learning, teaching and communicating with students at risk of exclusion whose situation has been further endangered by COVID19 emergency and in the longer term to develop an aware capacity to use innovative ICT based methodologies (e.g. blended learning) guaranteeing full access and equal opportunities to learn to all students.On the matter the project aims to remove the potential barriers that students already at risk and underachieving, are experimenting in adapting to virtual lessons and at distance didactic.These barriers might have different motivations according to the conditions of the students (e.g. language barriers for migrants, technological barriers for social / economicdisadvantaged students, cognitive delays for those who have learning disabilities etc.), but do have a common consequence, the resulting lack of motivation and involvement in theeducational activities.For this reason the IDEAS project intends to provide teachers with skills, knowledge and practical oriented interventions patterns to combine advanced and effective digital educationwith appropriate and successful inclusive pedagogical solutions and strategies.The IDEAS project has identified the following objectives to be reached in order to answer to specific needs:- Improvement of the skills of secondary school teachers in identifying, using, creating digital technologies based teaching and learning sources to promote inclusion and prevent early school leaving.Provide teachers with technologically and pedagogically validated digital sources specifically adapted to address inclusion related issues.- Improvement of awareness on the potential of digital technologies for the promotion of inclusion at school- Involvement of Public Authorities in charge of education making them aware of the project achieved results and outcomes, so that they will be able to take them into account for future policy planning- Providing teachers with the skills and competences to effectively make use of digital teaching resources and methodologies adapting them in order to make sure to be able to prevent students, with special regards with those with disadvantaged conditions, from losing motivation and feeling excluded.- Providing secondary school teachers with easy to use guidance tools (PR1) to be prepared to adapt their teaching activities to the full potential of digital and ICT based approaches.- Providing teachers with user-friendly teaching tools (PR2) selected, analysed and adapted in order to deal with the shift toward digital education while increasing self-awareness of students and make them ready to make full use of the resources according to an active participation to their educational path.- Providing teachers and educators through the online training package (PR3) with the skills to master all necessary processes to effectively implement digital education practices within their teaching activities without affecting the participation and motivation of students more exposed to underachieving and of feeling excluded.<< Implementation >>The following activities will be implemented before and during the project lifespan: Management and coordination of activities such as: - Participation of at least one representative for each partner in the 4 meetings of the steering committee - Coordination of the project activities of the international (mainly the University of Turku as applicant organization and Project Result leaders) and national workgroups (each project partner contact person/project manager)- Appropriate reporting activities and preparation of the Interim and Final reports- Monitoring of the respecting of deadlines - Constant sharing of information and solutions among the partnershipProject Web SiteThe project web site will contain main project information, a dedicated section for project results produced being introduced by explanatory texts guiding the target groups in making full use of them, dissemination and exploitation sections and a specific area to be used by the project partners to share the information about activities and results achieved.Monitoring and EvaluationMonitoring of the project achievements will be implemented through a detailed calendar of the activities also defining the indicators to assess the compliance of the activities and results with the expectations. Evaluation strategy that will involve representatives of the project partners and of the target groups (i.e. school teachers and students). The evaluation strategy will produce both qualitative and quantitative data, that, collected through questionnaires and testimonials and duly analysed, will be the basis of the final Evaluation Report.DisseminationA clear Dissemination Plan will be created committing, throughout the project period, the members of the Consortium to implement specific dissemination activities. The Dissemination plan will define the target groups to be addressed, and for each of them the most effective means of communication to be used. Exploitation and Sustainability Project partners will promote the project sustainability through the commitment of the partners, and more specifically the schools involved, to include the project results in their everyday activities. The deliverables produced, indeed, will be used by the schools involved for updating their teachers and as teaching sources for their students. Furthermore, the partners are committed to involve other schools as associated partners to be added to the ones already supporting this application and who will also use the project results.From the content development point of view the activities for the creation of the Project Results are believed to be the most appropriate to ensure the creation of innovative, consistent and transferable outputs and impact on the needs of the identified target groups.For each Project Results a clear methodology and set of activities have been outlined and are believed to be the most appropriate to ensure the creation of innovative, consistent and transferable outputs and impact on the needs of the identified target groups. The project will last for two years and the creation of the Project Results will be spread organically through the project period with a clear periodisation of the activities, according to which the end of the creation and testing of Project Results will lead to the starting of the production of the following one. During the whole two years, a constant transfer of knowledge among the different schools and language teaching institutions will be fostered being one of the most important methodological concepts of the project based on a peer to peer approach.<< Results >>The main result that the IDEAS project expects to achieve on its completion is making secondary school teachers prepared to cope in the short / medium term with the new ways of learning, teaching and communicating with students that are required and imposed by the COVID19 emergency and in the longer term to develop an aware capacity to use innovative ICT based methodologies (e.g. blended learning) guaranteeing full access and equal opportunities to learn to all students.On the matter the project focuses on the potential barriers that students already at risk and underachieving, are experimenting in adapting to virtual lessons and at distance didactic.These barriers might have different motivations according to the conditions of the students (e.g. language barriers for migrants, technological barriers for social / economic disadvantaged students, cognitive delays for those who have learning disabilities etc.), but do have a common consequence, the resulting lack of motivation and involvement in the educational activities.For this reason the IDEAS project intends to provide teachers with skills, knowledge and practical oriented interventions patterns to combine advanced and effective digital education with appropriate and successful inclusive pedagogical solutions and strategies.The expected result of IDEAS project is therefore a very tangible and important one in order to contribute to build resilient and future-looking education systems, as a key strategic feature of the European Education Area.The project also expects to achieve, as a result of the involvement of different partners in 4 European countries, a transnational and inter-sectoral cooperation among experts in the field of digital education, experts in the field of inclusive pedagogical strategies and practices and teachers and school leaders, so to pilot and mainstream solutions that are at the same time consistent, technologically advanced and tailored made to the needs of the end users and students.The cooperation pattern will be exploited to achieve the fundamental results of providing teachers with skills and appropriate training materials to use digital teaching solutions while ensuring full inclusiveness and motivation to learn to their students.For the purpose the IDEAS will develop and test 3 project results:1) Methodological Guidelines for promoting inclusion of students at risk and underachieving via the application of digital technologies and virtual teaching and learning. Methodological Guidelines will take account and transform in easy to use and applicable solutions, based on best practices and in depth exemplary real life case scenarios, the different perspectives (e.g. students, teachers, directors) of the actors involved.2) A Repository of quality, OER, digital based teaching sources to foster inclusion at secondary school level. The sources will be selected according to their digital standards, thanks to the technological experts, their pedagogical consistency and their inclusive potential, through the contribution of pedagogues and adapted to the specific needs of the teachers with the contribution of schools staff.3) Online course for teachers focusing on three main issues:a. How to identify and assess quality digital technologies based teaching sources in the field of school inclusion.b. How to implement and effectively use them in a blended/online based environment.c. How to create new digital technologies based teaching sources for promoting inclusion.

"Context of PlanImplementation of the plan engages three axes: a. student mobility for studies and practical training b. mobility of staff for teaching and training c. development of activities targeting the amelioration of the Program's quality and the strengthening of synergy. With regard to the axes a. student mobility and b. mobility of staff, please note that they also function in parallel to the activity of incoming mobility.Student MobilityThe internal functioning of mobility at The University of the Peloponnese, is based on transparency, meritocracy and cogency so as to ascertain the quality of mobility. The Erasmus Office collaborates with the Academic Coordinators on an ongoing basis and their contribution to the functioning of the Program is significant. Individual consulting and promotional meetings providing information on the Program are organized on a regular basis. Particular emphasis is paid on: a. the publicizing through the web-page and informative e-mails- of all options on offer and b. the timely signing of documents necessary for mobility c. the adequate language knowledge of participants in mobility d. the adherence to the terms of of inter institutional agreements. Interested parties are summoned to submit applications through the publication of a relevant announcement and selection of candidates is based on the evaluation criteria publicized on our Institution's web page.Staff MobilityStaff Mobility is based on the same principles relating to the internal functioning of the Program. As mentioned, interested parties are called to submit an application upon publication of the relevant announcement. Selection of candidates is based on the evaluation criteria publicized on the Institution's web page.Activity DevelopmentAnother available option is for full time faculty members of our Institution to visit academic and other Institutions with which we do not collaborate-upon publication of the relevant announcement- so as to explore the possibilities of developing inter institutional agreements and other synergy in the context of Erasmus+.Incoming MobilityIncoming students have access to general information on practical and academic issues. Care is taken to update information on programs of study frequently, as well as to apply the ""Buddy System"" and to answer promptly questions of a practical nature. Regarding academic matters (program of studies, learning outcomes) there is close interaction between students and academic coordinators.GoalsStudent MobilityOur Institution has adopted the ECTS system, aiming at the recognition of mobility results. In this respect it appreciates the importance of transparency and of the recognition of the grades the student has achieved.Regarding the mobility of incoming students, our goal is to fully integrate students according to the new academic and social criteria. Recognizing the basic importance of housing, our University helps students by searching the ""best prices"" hotel in towns.Staff MobilityThe University of the Peloponnese institutionally acknowledges the participation of its members in Teaching and Training activitiesGeneral Goals1. Total adherence to the principles of the Erasmus Charter2. The development and dissemination of mobility results3. The expansion of existing and the development of new collaborations in the context of the ProgramCollaborating Parties: Categories and NumbersOutgoing MobilityStudents/Studies: Nineteen (19)Students/Placement: Twenty three (23)Staff/Teaching: Ten (10)Staff/Training: Six (6)Incoming MobilityStudents/Studies: Nineteen (19)Students/Placement:Twelve (12)Staff/Teaching: Eleven (11)Staff/Training: Seven (7)Description of completed activities- Informative meetings with students- Support of parties undertaking mobility (incoming and outgoing)- Consulting of students on an individual basis- Recording of student experiences and dissemination of this information through the Program's website- Updating of information on the webpage- Briefing of Faculty (ECTS)Results and ImpactAssessment of the Plan's application and the drawing of conclusions are based on: a. the extent to which funds are absorbed and b. the quality analysis of the answers ofparticipants. Results are accounted for under the relevant areas of the present report. On a general assessment, there are areas where the experience has been evaluatedas highly positive, strengthening the quality functioning of the Program. At the same time improvement is necessary in other areas, rendering this an immediate priority ofour Institution.Long-term benefitsThe long-term benefits of the programme are evidenced by the fact that:- our students tend to apply for the extension of their mobility period- they apply anew for their participation in action- especially with reference to Work Placement or Internship programmes the participation of students often leads to their proper employment or new job opportunities."