In many EU countries there is a severe shortage of young skilled workers, especially in SMEs. This has a negative impact on the growth prospects and competitiveness of SMEs. Even countries such as Germany, with its dual vocational training system, which has traditional strengths in attracting young talent, are having increasing difficulties in meeting the shortage of young skilled workers. (Capterra, 2019)At the same time, many SMEs also have problems integrating the new recruits they have acquired into the company properly and building a relationship based on mutual satisfaction. The fact that this is increasingly not achieved on both sides is shown by both surveys on employee satisfaction and employer surveys. The high prevalence of mental illness, such as burnout and depression among young people, which is the reason for 50% of all dismissals in Millennials and 75% in Generation Z, is also worrying (Mindsharepartners, 2019). The overall aim of this project is to improve the situation described above, taking into account both the employer and the employee side. Instruments, best practices and digital models for human resource management as well as various training programmes with different measures for SME managers lead to the implementation of a modern human resource management in SMEs. The toolbox to identify competencies, skills and life aspirations will help to ensure that employees' concerns are recognised and adequately addressed. It will also make it possible to compare personal ideas with company goals.A train the trainer programme, which is continuously carried out by colleges and universities, ensures that the digital models and the toolbox are used properly and that SMEs receive high-quality training and advice. With a further training programme, SME managers acquire all the necessary skills. While learning on the job, modern human resources management in SMEs is simultaneously realised by using all models and the toolbox. The mentoring programme is particularly intended to work towards better understanding between employees of different age groups. With the project contents compiled in this way, the aim is to achieve a holistic, forward-looking human resources management and to offer SMEs all the instruments, qualifications, advice and support they need to implement the programme from a single source.The seven partners of this project from Denmark, Germany, Estonia and Poland were selected according to their special skills in developing concepts, designing teaching materials and programmes, individual implementation and dissemination skills and project management knowledge. The result is an experienced, transnational consortium of qualified research and vocational training institutions. The partners are characterised by their broad catalogue of skills, competences and experience. Personnel expertise as well as management capacities are available to a sufficient extent. A mature project management concept ensures that all objectives are achieved on time. The communication between the partners is supported by a communication concept. The content work is carried out according to the highest academic standards. Sophisticated work is carried out by proven experts. The meticulous development, testing, evaluation and improvement of the project results ensures validated and transferable intellectual outputs. These methodologies ensure a favorable cost-benefit ratio when implementing the project. The composition of the partner structure is important for estimating the potential longer-term benefits. The direct implementation of the project results with individual project partners ensures the emergence of positive implementation examples. These lead to high adaptation rates. From the beginning of the project, 68 associated partners from 13 countries will be involved in all project activities. They receive all project results and comprehensive advice, so that a very large number of SMEs are addressed and the project results can be used on a broad regional basis. Further dissemination of the project and its results, for example on websites, through press releases, social media channels, etc., is also very important and is explicitly addressed in the dissemination concept. International dissemination and use in as many regions and countries as possible plays a major role at the beginning of the project, as all digital models, best practices, toolboxes, concepts and curricula are designed for international use in order to promote transfer and implementation in other countries.

BACKGROUND: Starting point for our project “Learning e-Mobility Plus” were the increasing requirements on vocational training in handling new technologies. The digital change and the entry of innovative technologies like electromobility (e-mobility) require new competences from the professionals, which now go clearly beyond the traditional content of VET professions - such as diagnosis and repairing of computer-aided integrated motor vehicle technology. At the same time, vocational training should become more appealing for young people. Thus, vocational schools must respond with new ways of learning and learning content. Main PROJECT GOAL was to show, how innovative technologies could be included in vocational education and how to build up practicable learning environments, by using the example of e-mobility. Further, the project shall show, how to interlock vocational training more closely with higher education/research, to promote mutual learning, to strengthen cooperation of vocational training schools, academia and entrepreneurial practice and to bring forward internationalization - as a contribution to strengthen quality, job market orientation and future viability of vocational education (“new skills for new jobs”).Our project had three TARGET GROUPS:* Trainees (but also students) as learners - they shall use the newly acquired competences in their future working life * Teachers and trainers that shall pass on the new contents* Companies as future employers, decision-makers from politics and economy as well as social partners as supporters for strengthening of innovations and permeability in the education systems9 partners from Germany, Poland and Italy cooperate in our STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP - vocational training institutions, higher education institutions and business associations. With the “knowledge partnership” vocational training-higher education-companies, the central actors were represented in the project, in order to develop and implement a practicable learning environment for vocational training schools and EU-wide applicable cooperation models for the future technology e-mobility.PROJECT ACTIVITIES Key element of the joint work was the development, testing and use of an innovative learning environment for vocational schools. For this, we developed the following products: * Concept and quality indicators for innovative teaching systems and learning environments in the technology sector* Learning models for 3 topics: “Power split in hybrid drives” (Berlin), “Switching from the conventional to electro drives” (Poznan), “Gears in hybrid and differences in technical performance” (Vicenza) - with functional requirement sheets, product specification sheets, multimedia documentations and operable prototypes (e-karts)* Guidelines for using the models in the education* Recommendations for actors from politics, education and economy with regard to the integration of the learning environments as well as their EU-wide transfer and use The development and the testing of the learning environments took place in joint working groups with active participation of the learners.Intensive networking with stakeholders and PR/dissemination accompanied the work on the products. Further, we executed 12 multiplier events in order to make available the project results to a larger group of users and to gain supporters for transfer and implementation. By this, we reached 500 people.With a view on a sustainable anchorage in vocational education practice, stable networks were build up in all three countries. As a RESULT, there is a tested innovative learning environment for vocational training in the area of high-technology that brings together the needs of learners, job market demands and academic know-how and at the same time strengthens permeability between vocational training and academic education. This covers the practical use of new learning models for technology issues in vocational schools that are easy to transfer and to use, qualified teachers, a greatly strengthened cooperation between vocational training schools, higher education and companies as well as an improved transfer of knowledge in the international context. The trainees as end users own new competences in the innovative technology area e-mobility. OUTCOMES: Our project has an effect beyond these results. The inclusion of new technology, praxis-oriented learning models and participative learning forms make vocational education more attractive. The international cooperation with higher education institutions strengthens vocational schools in handling technologic innovations. The new competences improve the employability for young professionals. At the same time they strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs. With these offers, vocational education is enhanced by educational policy-makers. In the medium-term we further expect effects on the job market and in economy (improved service quality for and demand for E-vehicles).

In all EU countries, there is a clear and rapidly growing shortage of entrepreneurs and managers, which is the most limiting factor for the further development of SMEs. The need for young talent and the required skills have been comprehensively analysed by Hanse-Parlament for all Baltic Sea countries. In some EU countries, e.g. Germany, a large proportion of the next generation of entrepreneurs is recruited through vocational training, particularly master craftsman training. However, there are increasing problems.In many EU countries, vocational education has lost much of its attractiveness, and more and more young people are striving to study. Master craftsman training is perceived as a dead end and not a good alternative to university studies.In Germany, master craftsman training is classified at level 6 of the Qualifications Framework, like the Bachelor's degree. However, there is hardly any practical impact associated with this, the actual permeability is very low.Competences already acquired in master craftsman training are generally not credited towards a course of study.Internationally, the master craftsman qualification is only recognised to a very limited extent.Master craftsmen have comprehensive practical knowledge, professional experience and good skills in specialist practice and theory. In contrast, competences in business administration and corporate management are increasingly insufficient for running a company.In SMEs, practical experience and professional knowledge are essential for self-employment. As many university graduates lack these skills, SMEs can only recruit a very limited number of junior managers from this group. In order to overcome these problems, courses of study must teach relevant skills in specialist practice and theory as well as professional knowledge. The following objectives were pursued with the development and implementation of dual Bachelor's degree courses which integrally achieve Bachelor's and Master's degrees:a) Increasing relevance and quality and improving competences and knowledge with orientation towards the needs of the SMEs.b) Through the dual study approach, at the same time imparting relevant vocational skills and practical experience.c) Realisation of important contributions to overcoming the shortage of young entrepreneurs for SMEs.d) As a Bologna-compliant course of study, full international recognition, including master craftsman training.e) Making contributions to the EU agenda for the modernisation of Europe's higher education systems.f) Increasing the attractiveness of vocational training.g) Creating full permeability while avoiding recognition problems. The project was implemented by six experienced partners from Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Finland. The internationally active lead partner is particularly experienced in the qualification and promotion of SMEs and in the implementation of complex projects. A chamber was involved, which contributed its experience in master craftsman training and represented the interests of SMEs in the project. Four partners were higher education institutions / universities; only one has extensive experience with dual study programmes in cooperation with SMEs. During the three-year implementation period, the following main activities were carried out and results achieved.1. project management as well as implementation of 6 workshops and 2 international consulting and transfer conferences.2. development of alternative methods and models for the realisation of dual study programmes with integral achievement of master and bachelor degrees.3. development of module manuals for two integral dual study programmes for construction and electrical professions.4. accreditation, testing, evaluation and implementation of the study programme for building professions. 5. initiating the accreditation and testing of modules of the study programme for electrical professions.6. development and coordination of examination regulations for both study programmes and the different countries. 7. development of checklists and procedures for adaptation to different national conditions and coordination of four national implementation concepts.8. transfer of the project results to 70 chambers and higher education institutions/universities from 13 countries, which were involved in the project implementation as associated partners and received sustainable implementation advice, and implementation of further dissemination measures. For the freely accessible products of the project- Blueprint models & concepts for integral, dual study programmes, - Module handbook for construction professions, - Module handbook for the study programme Electrical professions,- integral examination regulations for master and bachelor degrees and - Manual with all project results and distribution via bookstoreshigh sustainable uses are ensured with a process-oriented expansion of the implementation regions including financing.