Context/background of project; The Eng@ge project is motivated by the problem that the vast use of resources used by mankind is growing due to global population growth and increasing living standards. Although Europe leads the world in recycling, from 2.6 billion tonnes of end-of-life waste, only 40% is recycled, composted or reused. This can be improved through a 'Circular Economy (CE)' approach that is based on a vision of nil waste. The EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy, ‘Closing the Loop’, provides a critical step forward towards a sustainable, low carbon, resource efficient, and yet competitive EU economy. For this paradigm shift to be achieved, there is a need that CE's principles and benefits be disseminated as widely as possible. There is thus an urgent need that education stakeholders at different levels including VET be equipped with the right knowledge about a CE approach, its principles, its benefits to both society and industry as well as the concept that a CE approach can foster a novel breed of 'Green Entrepreneurs' Objectives of the project:The aim of the Eng@ge partnership is to thus improve the level of Green Entrepreneurial culture in Europe by providing knowledge about the CE concept to VET stakeholders through an innovative and open digital training toolbox. To achieve this overall aim the project will have these objectives:O1: To understand the training needs of VET stakeholder with respect to the CE and its benefits to society and business;O2: To develop a framework/curriculum that can address the needs identified in O1;O3: To develop an open and innovative digital training toolbox supporting the training framework/curriculum established in O2, consisting of a set of digital training tools/methods and six relevant case-studies providing trainers with the means to adopt their training approach to the needs of different learners;O4: To carry out 1 pilot test to hep improve the digital training toolbox developed in O3,O5: To disseminate and exploit the results of the project in particular the digital training toolbox, to make it available to at least 10,000 people.Number and profile of participants:The project brings together seven partners from six EU Member States with diverse interest and backgrounds, each having a clearly defined role to contribute to the Eng@ge project. These consist of one Chamber of Commerce, two VET centres, two Higher Education Institutes, one technical consultancy entity with expertise on eco-design and one social enterprise. Collectively, the partners have the expertise to design, implement and test a modular digital training toolbox complete with augmented reality based e-learning content. Main of activities:The seven partners will exploit their significant expertise in the development and use of multi-media resources, e-learning and the use of virtual and augmented reality for training purposes to design and develop the Eng@ge ditital training toolbox and other project outputs. Through a number of activities, the partners’ pool of expertise will be used to develop an interactive and immersive learning experience based on digital technologies which challenge conventional linear economy thinking and promote a green entrepreneurial approach. Methodology:The methodology to be applied in Eng@ge project is based on ‘’Project cycle Management (PM)” approach, which includes planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling the project efficiently throughout its phases, to produce the right Intellectual Output at the right time, cost and quality. For perform effective project management, a Steering Committee (SC) and Quality Control Group (QCG) will be set up. Eng@ge will have four phases, PM1: Planning Phase, PM2: Solution Development Phase, PM3: Solution Implementation & Testing Phase, PM4: Solution Exploitation & Dissemination Phase.Description of the results:The project will produce a number of original intellectual outputs, from the results of surveys conducted locally by partners, the proposed curriculum structure, training course material and the novel Circular Economy digital training toolbox. Other results will be the number of EU citizens informed/trained on Circular Economy through multiplier events across partner countries. Envisaged Impact:A th Eng@ge project timely considers the EU’s goal of amplifying the Circular Economy concept, it is anticipated to have a significant impact at both the national as well EU level. This will be achieved through the setting up of a strong presence on the internet via the project website, Facebook page, YouTube Channel and Twitter account. In addition the project will include a number of multiplier events in the form of seminars, workshops in different partner countries as well as a Final Conference. In total, the project is expected to impact 10,000 relevant EU citizens with a number of them eventually taking up the route of green entrepreneurship.
The aim of the Eng@ge partnership was to improve the level of Green Entrepreneurial culture in Europe by providing knowledge about the Circular Economy concept to VET providers and VET stakeholders through an innovative and open digital training toolbox comprised of training resources. The increased skills needed to cope with the changes in the labor market, relating to both new or existing jobs, are based on technological changes, globalization and climate change. Sustainable development and the shift to a low-carbon economy are of great importance for companies and imply structural changes across sectors and occupations. Greening the jobs is the new momentum and new skills, updating of curricula or new qualifications are at the heart of these changes. To achieve the overall aim, the project met five specific objectivesO1: To understand the training needs of VET stakeholder and VET providers with respect to the CE and its benefits to society and business;O2: To develop a framework/curriculum that can address the needs identified in O1;O3: To develop an open and innovative digital training toolbox supporting the training framework/curriculum established in O2, consisting of a set of digital training tools/methods and six relevant case-studies providing trainers with the means to adopt their training approach to the needs of different learners;O4: To carry out 1 pilot test to help improve the digital training toolbox developed in O3,O5: To disseminate and exploit the results of the project in particular the digital training toolbox, to make it available to at least 10,000 people. The project brought together seven partners from six EU Member States with diverse interest and backgrounds, each having a clearly defined role to contribute to the Eng@ge project : 1 CCI, (LP) , VET centers (LS ES CAMIS/RO) , two Higher Education Institutes (GCU/UK, BTU/BG) , one technical consultancy entity with expertise on Eco-design MECB /MT and one social enterprise (DRO/GR). Collectively, the partners put together different competencies and different expertise to design, implement and test a modular digital training toolbox completed with augmented reality based e-learning content. As the content required a careful consideration of TG needs, a desk research and field research were conducted in every country of the partnership. Field research was done based on a questionnaire, focus groups and in depth interviews. The report was the input for study cases selection ( IO2, IO3) and above all for the new curriculum (IO4). Based on the curiculum, the course material (IO5) was produced by the different partners and then was converted into e-learning format (IO6) so that it can be freely offer on the Engage learning management system (IO10) (available at www.camis.pub.ro/engage ). To help the TG tailor their own training programmes, a framework on how to apply, was developed (IO7). A prototype of the digital training toolbox was created (IO8) and evaluated during a LTT/C1/RO session and following different events organized in other participant countries. An evaluation report was done based on the questionnaires created by BTU/BG(IO9). Templates were created for TG (IO11) and final digital toolbox was uploaded http://www.engage-ce.eu/toolbox-main/(IO12). Dissemination and exploitation (IO13) were planned and implemented. Around 20000 persons were informed, dissemination materials were produced such as posters, leaflets gadgets for ME, newsletters, press releases, SM posts,events and articles. Results and impact attained: The project results were presented to a number of 307 participants during 9 ME organised in partners countries but as well in local and national events and through European networks ( i.e. EDIC network, SME network). They are freely available in e-learning format on the Toolbox http://www.engage-ce.eu/toolbox-main/ hosted by official project web site and on LMS hosted by CAMIS-PUB/RO. They can be used by stakeholders in any EU country to train VET stakeholders on CE and as already happened many stakeholders will use the result for different training programmes. Long term benefits - all partners can become CE training providers for different VET stakeholders in the involved countries, benefiting from an increased visibility as well as from a new body of knowledge very important for each country alignment to the continuous effort to transform Europe's economy into a more sustainable one and to implement the ambitious Circular Economy Action Plan, through the contribution to greening both existing and new jobs.