DEMETRA (Development of a Methodological Training for Company Instructors Providing Work-Based Trainings in the Plastics and Related Industrial Sectors) reflects on the emerging needs of companies in the plastics and related industries for employing young generations graduated at VET schools that are technically prepared and also motivated in working in the sector. Work-based trainings carried out by corporate mentors using a methodology suitable for generation Z could ensure better match between training and labour market needs and ease transitions to employment and hence also decrease youth unemployment in the field. To meet this end, the project partners carried out a work-based training for corporate mentors in the plastics and related industry to support them - on the one hand - to technically be able to adapt to the rapidly changing challenges in this industrial sector, and on the other, to motivate Generation Z’s commitment in the given profession and to make work-based training more popular by means of game-based learning tools. Therefore, our project’s main target groups were corporate mentors providing work-based trainings, younger generations graduated in vocational schools, entering the field of work – mainly in plastics and related industrial sectors, and VET providers and companies already providing work-based trainings or willing to introduce these. It was inevitable to involve VET providers’ leaders, trainers and teachers, trainees and students, companies and decision makers of the industry from more than one country to achieve a measurable improvement of the above mentioned situation at an EU level. The six members of the consortium have been selected in a way that all roles were represented in the consortium, supported by their professional networks: P1- TREBAG Ltd. (coordinator, Hungary) has significant practice in EU project coordination, development of training materials, and providing trainings and business consultancy activities; P2 - PEMÜ Plc. is a front-rank company in Hungarian plastic processing industry, carrying out work-based trainings for students as a daily routine; P3 - Hungarian Plastics Association is the co-partner of PlasticsEurope and also takes part in the work of Council of International Plastics Association Directors, assures the involvement of decision makers of the industry in the project activities; P4 - Babes-Bolyai University is the largest university in Romania with extended network of educational institutions and great experiences in carrying out surveys, elaborating competence profiles; P5 - IDEC (Greece) has an accredited lifelong learning centre and organises in-service training courses for teachers and trainers as well for students in vocational training and people in labour market, also an expert on ECVET and EQF and quality management. They also involve several associated partners that can utilise the results; P6 - Energom Ltd. (Romania) apply WBL, and this project supported this intention from the very beginning. P7 - A-OMEGA Ltd. represents the Slovak Plastic Cluster (as a main founder of it) having direct connections to large companies of plastics processing which carry out work-based training. Main results of DEMETRA: 1) Competence catalogue for corporate mentors/instructors based on a generation Z desk research and focus group interviews with students experiencing WBL methodology, with corporate mentors/instructors and with company leaders/executives of industry or education. 2) Training material consisting of a Guidebook, a Methodology with DEMETRA model, and a Case study collection which contains the best WBL practices in the plastics industry. 3) Training of corporate mentors/instructors was carried out in Hungary, Romania and Slovakia focusing on how to create and adapt gamification methodology as well as situational games methodology in WBL practices. 4) Pilot training, at which corporate mentors applied the new methods acquired in WBL in Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, supported by supervision process in Hungary. Moreover, two Joint staff events were organized – the first focused on the application of ECVET criteria in harmony with WBL and the second on gamification methodology and Z generation - where the obtained experience was organically integrated in the knowledge of DEMETRA modell of the staff of the partnership, moreover, the empirical results appeared in the second and third Intellectual Outputs as well.Additionally, six multiplier events and six transnational project meetings were organised for the demonstration of the project and its results. The partners also participated in several workshops, conferences and meetings. To ensure smooth project implementation, and the quality of the Intellectual Outputs, the project followed the PDCA method (Plan-do-check-act). Each result is available at the projects’ web page. The project needed to be extended by 4 months due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

"The LEAR consortium gathers a panel of 6 vocational industrial sector High Schools from the East-Lyon area of the Academy of Lyon: urban Vocational High Schools which welcome a disadvantaged and vulnerable community. Supported by the President of the Academy of Lyon during the Academic Committee in September 2016, our main purpose was to enrich both pedagogical practices of the EFP staff and student's educational pathways through European motilities and also strengthen and promote a European dimension to those educational sectors, traditionally not open to the international mobility.Our project fell in the recommendations indicated in the reference community policy's documents, it also answered to the needs of the actors of this professional field and, above all, to young people's expectations, students who are sometimes shy and afraid to discover new horizons. We managed to send 72 vocational school's trainees, in 7 European countries with the purpose to add an international experience to their CV, an added value to their later job research. Totally, 97 skills internships abroad had been provided when initially, only 36 were planned in our first contract. The students, often coming from modest backgrounds, found the Erasmus+ scholarship a unique way to accede to training abroad, a springboard to the pursuit of post-secondary education, or to a facilitated integration to professional life, thanks to the achievements of this international experience. The Erasmus+ mobility, connected to high-level courses given by the schools will allow young people to pursue their studies or to integrate the professional world more easily in the months following the training abroad.Our synthesis of survey measures testifies that the impact of the consortium on the target group is real. Young people could carry out internships in companies located abroad in order to put into practice the professional techniques studied in class, understand intercultural differences and adapt to them, improve the knowledge of the language and of course discover inhabitants, patrimony, cities, the culture of the concerned European country.This consortium allowed, from one hand, to launch a European opening in high schools, to promote opportunities of mobility abroad, and on the other hand, it contributed to a stronger value of the training periods abroad thanks to the obtention of internationally accepted certifications (optional mobility exams, Europass).The role of every cooperation partner was clearly defined. The GIPAL provided the project's administrative and financial management. The Academy of Lyon (DAREIC) supported high schools and acted as an interface with the Agency (dissemination of good practices, mobility engineering). The COPIL was in charge of the project monitoring (pedagogical aspects) and to resolve any malfunctions.The high schools respected the membership conditions of the consortium mobility program, they organized the logistics, the preparation and the assessment of the participants and they actively participated to the various events of promotion and dissemination (setting up of monitoring cohorts, participation at the Erasmus Days). They managed regional grants and relationships with families. A coordinator supported by a teachers team developed and checked the work program of every participant through frequent and effective work meetings for more than two years.The impacts are clearly identified and real for every actor of the project. During their stays abroad, the students strengthened their professional skills, improving their employability and obtaining skill certifications to facilitate their access to the labour market. Their ability to adapt to another cultural background would probably allow them to integrate more easily a company, in the future. Above all, they gained in personal independence.High schools developed training networks, partnerships with European companies, they exchanged innovative practices, valued their image and are nowadays more attractive. Thanks to their participation in the project, some of them, gained the ""International opening"" item of the ""Lycée des Metiers"" label. Moreover, the number of dropouts decreased and more students want to carry on their studies in higher education; also the results of the exams are better. The staff strengthened their pedagogical skills, exchanged know-hows, and discovered other educational systems. Companies contributed to the quality of the provided courses and got an opening to Europe.The submission of the application of LEAR-2 consortium in May 2019, now gathering 11 high schools which should provide 210 skill motilities over the next 2 years, testifies their genuine will to continue this adventure."

The importance of innovation for SMEs is widely recognised. Innovation boosts productivity and facilitates substantial growth in sales. Survival rates are also higher in SMEs that innovate, for the simple reason that they are flexible and better able to adapt to challenging market conditions.In order to operate effectively, a systematic approach is needed if improvement efforts are to succeed and businesses are to remain competitive in dynamic markets. Capacity enhancement trainings must meet the needs of the small firm and have to be easy to apply. However there are already some innovation standards on the market, the current approaches based on these do not satisfy the total requirements of the SME. Most solutions fail to provide a holistic, practical and effectively integrated approach to innovation management; the available ones too are prescriptive, overly complex and do not meet the needs of the organisation. It is clear that this deficit must be addressed.To meet the urging need, the EPIC project consortium is planning to develop a complex educational package that helps SMEs to increase their innovation capabilities and productivity based on the content of the technical specification of the CEN/TS 16555 1-7 “Innovation management” European standard family for both middle/top and innovation managers of SMEs and for any employees taking part in innovation projects or processes. It will enable SMEs to establish and manage an innovation management system as well as to implement successful innovation projects. Hopefully, this will help them to overcome the economic challenges that might get more difficult given the current pandemic situation around the word.Within the 24-month duration of the project, we foresee the development of the following Intellectual Outputs by implementing the described vertical activities:O1: Study of innovation management skills/competencies/knowledge- A1 Face to face interviews- A2 Quantitative research- A3 Desk research- A4 Research summary reportEPIC aims to improve the capacity of European SME’s to implement effective innovation initiatives. To do this, we must adopt a user-centric approach so that the intellectual outputs we develop aligns well with the needs of the end user. To ensure this, we will conduct research to assess the needs of innovative SMEs regarding the competences, skills and knowledge their employees are lacking or should improve in terms of innovation management to be able to carry out successful innovation projects; methods and parameters (length, depths, design) of a training that would be suitable and motivating for employees to do.O2: Online self-assessment tools - A1 5 self-assessment tools - A2 Facilitator guides- A3 Internal testing (Joint Staff Event)- A4 Corrections and translation- A5 Digitalization- A6 External testing- A7 O2 finalizationBased on the findings of research (O1) we prepare 5 online self-assessment tools and facilitator guides. These materials will be tested first by the partnership and secondly by the members of the target group.O3: Training package- A1 Templates for training material- A2 Training material development- A3 Offline interactive training kit development- A4 Internal testing (Joint Staff Event)- A5 Corrections and translation- A6 External testing- A7 O3 finalization and printingThe training material includes 6 chapters, 12 best practices and 18 practical group exercises. It is complemented with an offline interactive training kit.The training material and the offline interactive training kit will be tested internally and externally (by the target groups).The main short-term impacts on partners and end-users of EPIC results are that they will acquire new ways of thinking and acting and be equipped with the competencies, methods and skills to implement effective innovation management structures tailored to their specific needs.Long-term impacts – among others:- the partners’ extended networks, (e.g. educators, SMEs and clusters) will be better connected, which this bridges the gap which often divides the fields of education and industry.- participants will be able to pinpoint personal and organisational development needs to improve and develop their approach to innovation especially if supported by training resources.The EPIC project is implemented by a consortium of 7 partners – an innovation consulting company, an adult training and consulting provider, three training and business consultancy organisations, a manufacturing company and a business association - from 7 countries (Hungary, United Kingdom, Cyprus, Portugal, Greece, Slovakia, Romania).