"The project ""ME.M.O.R.Y. - MEditerranean Memories and mObilitiesfoR Young learners ""(n° 2017-1-IT01-KA102-005733, Cup D56J17000280006) intended to promote the territories of southern Italy, home of the Mediterranean Diet, and specifically the Apulia Region, planning the transnational mobility addressed to 100 recent graduates from Apulia Region (with an High School Degree earned for no more than 12 months) coming from Technical and Professional/Vocational Institutes according to Tourism, Hospitality and Agrifood fields of study.The project proposal was born from the awareness that a full enhancement of the territories of reference cannot be possible without adequate training of human resources, both in relation to more traditional and emerging professional figures.The mobility lasted for a total duration of 122 days and was carried out in host companies located in the following 4 European countries: Spain, Belgium, Malta and United Kingdom.The project proposed to stimulate the re-launch of the economy and work of the Apulia Region in relation to the Agrifood, Tourism and Hospitality sector in a European perspective (starting from the dissemination and visibility of the Mediterranean Diet as a food model), involving a local partnership between VET schools and private bodies operating in a context full of traditions that have been able to enrich their network and get in touch with many other territorial communities outside the national borders, in a perspective aimed at strengthening a European ideal that also contrasts the logic of defence to the bitter end of national identities.The specific objectives pursued by ""ME.M.O.R.Y."" were:- the realization of a transnational mobility destined to a target of 100 recent graduates aspiring to operate in the Agrifood, Tourism and Hospitality sectors;- the identification of new emerging professional figures in the Agrifood sector linked to the Mediterranean Diet;- the creation of a new economic model that bases its relations on the philosophy and values of the Mediterranean(factor) , in support of European programming and as a matrix for sustainable development capable of facing the challenges of globalization;- the enhancement of the ""product / territory"" through the exaltation of biodiversity, cultural identities and the rich heritage of typical products that implement their relationship, proposing the areas suitable for the development of crossroads between tourism, environment and wine –agrifood sectors;- the link between the environmental sustainability of community and national policies with the growth of the territorial productive and socio-economic system, induced by research and technological innovation necessary for the development of new working methods;- the promotion of European mobility for learning purposes, ensuring maximum visibility of project results;- the enrichment of the curriculum profile of the participants, with particular regard to language skills.The results achieved can be expressed with respect to the following quantitative indicators:- 100% of the participants, on return, claim to have improved and strengthened their linguistic-cultural as well as technical-professional skills in the areas of the internship;- 60% of the trainees found a stable job following the skills acquired and certified by the mobility experience, both at Italian and foreign companies;- 25% of trainees enrolled in a university course;- possibility for public bodies, schools and companies, thanks to the testimony and experiences of the beneficiaries, to acquire new skills and quality experiences in the various areas of intervention of the project, innovating and relaunching these professional sectors throughout the South."

F.O.O.D. AND. W.IN.E. – Fitting cOoking Offer and DemAND Working IN Europe”is created to help new graduates from Calabria Region to enter the labour market and and to be successful in the gourmet kitchen. The projects also aim at increasing the knowledge of food products from the Calabria region (it has 207 typical products but only a few are known abroad). A young guy, who wishes to be successful in food and beverage sector, should have these following features: practical and teorical knowledge; specialization on a specific field, quantity and quality of international experiences, flexibility in working contexts, good ability to communicate their professionalism to the end user. At the same time, the food and wine sector represents a field with very important employment opportunities. Restaurant sector needs professional figures and not only chefs or attendants but also people with a deep knowledge of digitalization that can help in the promotion of dishes also using the tecnique of storytelling describing it and producting emotions between clients also before the tasting. F.O.O.D. AND. W.IN.E. will allow the mobility to 100 new graduates from school years 2017/18 and 2018/19 from food and wine, tourism and marketing schools of Calabria Region, which will have the opportunity to carry out a period of training of 120 days (plus two traveling ones ) in United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Malta, will get trained in one of the following professional figures: kitchen attendant; restaurant operator; waiter; sommelier, and Expert in food and wine communication. The project will have a positive impact on the participants, on the National Consortium and on the European partners. The learners, at the end of the mobility, will have increased their professionalism, both in terms of language skills, in disciplinary sector (related to the food and wine, tourism and marketing sectors) and personal development. They will increase their employment potential, the project plans that the 25% of participants will find work in Italy returning from the mobility experience and 15% in the country where they will have completed the Erasmus + experience. For the Consortium, the mobility action will be an important opportunity for enhancing and improving staff skills and the ability to communicate and maintain constructive dialogue with organizations of a different nature. The international comparison, in fact, will allow the staff to know different company and association structures and to better understand global trends in the restaurant sector. All this will increase the knowledge of company needs in personnel, translating into the opportunity to develop training programs more in line with what is required by the employment market. The project will have a positive impact on companies that from medium to long term will have more qualified personnel, no longer being forced to hire certified staff, ready to change jobs in the face of better contractual conditions. The greater availability of professionals (also trained on the use of digital tools for promotional purposes), moreover, will result in a greater ability of companies to use storytelling techniques, to tell the experience of a dish even before tasting it. This will increase the online visibility of companies according to the 5% , favoring the arrival of new customers and tourists (mainly tourists interested in the food and wine sector and wishing to visit villages and little-known villages, but still linked to the culinary traditions of the past). Through F.O.O.D. AND. W.IN.E, moreover, the participants will be able to increase the knowledge abroad of some Calabrian food and wine products. Finally, at a European level, the project will contribute to consolidating the efforts undertaken in the political arena for the recognition and validation of professional qualifications, making it increasingly easier for those who want to leave their country of origin to move to a different member state in search of employment opportunities..

"The project Training Activities for the Development of New Enterprises is designed starting from the needs of the area and the problems that young people from Calabria have to face with reference to the inclusion in the labor market. In this context, ""T.R.A.D.E"", it is a great opportunity for / the younger generation (VET learners) increasing professional skills in tourism and agribusiness fields for to allow the younger generation to create enterprise. In line with the European Development Plan Shared by All Members of the Consortium the project will increase the following skills: - Acquire knowledge of the hotel business reality, the optimization of accounting computerization and booking processes, marketing choices and management / organization of human resources; - Promoting rural development and encourage responsible management of resources; - Promoting awareness of the stages of creation of hotel and non-hotel business, analysis of the market and innovative business strategies; - To acquire problem-solving skills in all management and operational phases; - Acquire skills of analysis of financial feasibility, technical, economic and commercial enterprise; - Foster the development of transversal skills. The project targets are100 high school graduates (50% is reserved for women in 2017/2018 - 2018/2019) having residence in Calabria. They will apply those who, within a year after graduation, they will mast graduates of higher education institutions belonging to the following sectors: 1) the accounting, finance, marketing, accounting, management software development for administrations in the tourism sector; 2) tourist accommodation and hotel hospitality; 3) operational management of the service in the lounge, bar and plans, including sales and customer loyalty; 4) agriculture, rural development, processing, valuation and marketing of agricultural and food products. The internships, will last four months, will be completed with foreign companies related professional sectors mentioned, as their aim is to develop transversal skills aimed at the creation and management of enterprise, from holdings in Spain, UK, Ireland and Belgium. The experience offered by the project will change the perception of local opportunities, transferring best practices for solutions / management for innovative competitiveness through the internship to the return that will be offered at local farms listed in the paragraph C.1.3. of this form. During the project, the trainees will be supported by the Commission in co-ordinating the Team -working through the provision of the following services: • linguistic, cultural and pedagogical; • matching action between the companies in which it held internships; • identification of the flights, buying tickets and better housing accommodations; • insurance coverage for the entire period of mobility; • mentoring and constant monitoring; • practical support for any logistical and organizational problems and a monetary contribution, called ""Erasmus + pocket"" in order to contribute share to cover the cost of meals and local transportation to / from the workplace. The mobility experience abroad will have a major impact on the participants: 1. In the professional point of view: knowledge of other labor markets and other economies, methods, approaches and different work techniques; development of new professional skills, language and technology; 2. From the point of view of personal growth: to know the aspects of another culture, develop a sense of responsibility and autonomy, increasing self-esteem and, therefore, self-employment. The project T.R.A.D.E. will have an impact at local, regional, national and European level, thanks to the following benefits: • opening of new start-ups; • 45% of learners (25% in Italy and 10% abroad) will find a stable employment by reducing the regional unemployment rate; • increased availability and availability on the labor market of qualified personnel; • improving management skills and strategies of internationalization; • closer link between education and the business world; • easier recognition of competences at European level; • Development of the European labor market."

"Among the sectors of the Smart Specialization Strategy of the 2014-2020 Region, two are highlighted with great intrinsic potential on which it is still important today, following the publication of the new programme, to invest resources for the improvement of skills and competitiveness:- TOURISM AND CULTURE;- ICT AND INNOVATIVE TERTIARY.""ICT4Tourism"" was born from the idea of integrating the two aforementioned sectors, to create opportunities to forge new job prifiles r able to apply the principles and tools of ICT to the tourism industry and to all economic sectors connected to it, since the innovative development of the sector represents a potential strength capable of taking off the regional economy and producing consequent benefits in terms of employment.The participants to the Erasmus + ""ICT4Tourism"" mobilities were 102 Calabrian graduates who benefited from the grant within one year of graduation in one of the following VET sectors:1) administration, finance, marketing, accounting, management software development for administrations in the tourism sector;2) tourist reception and hotel hospitality;3) operational management of the service in the dining room, bar and on the floors, including sales and customer loyalty activities;4) agricultural sector, rural development, techniques for the transformation, promotion and marketing of agricultural and agro-industrial products.Most of the candidates came from a medium-low socio-economic and cultural background, with a strong need to refine what they learned during their training from a theoretical point of view through on-the-job training; to develop those soft skills that are impossible to acquire if exposed only to the ""class"" environment, but which can be absorbed in a very receptive way if immersed in a real business dimension; to enhance their skills in a foreign language to broaden their career opportunities and enrich their curriculum; to look out on an international context from where one can learn.Internships were carried out at foreign companies located in Spain, United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium belonging to the professional sectors mentioned.During the project, the trainees were supported by the Coordinating commission and the Project Team thanks to the provision of the following services:• linguistic, cultural and pedagogical preparation;• matching action between the companies in which the internships took place;• identification of flights, purchase of tickets and the best accommodation;• insurance coverage for the entire mobility period;• tutoring and constant monitoring;• a monetary contribution, so-called ""Erasmus + pocket"", in order to contribute in part to cover the cost of meals and local transport to / from the workplace• practical-logistical, psychological and health support during the most critical moments triggered by the spread of the COVID -19 pandemic and economic and financial support for the organization of additional services necessary to overcome all the critical issues arising from the situation.The ICT4Tourism project has had an impact at local, regional, national and European level, overcoming the obstacles posed by the advent of the pandemic:• 40% of learners achieved positive results in terms of employment directly attributable to participation in the project;• greater availability and availability on the labor market of qualified technical personnel;• improvement of management skills and internationalization strategies;• greater connection between the educational and the productive world;• easier recognition of competences at European level;• development of the European labor market."