The exploitation of synergies in VET in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, the food industry and traditional crafts are a basis for the harmonization of job requirements and qualifications. The experience of the different territorial, cultural, economic and ethnic structures in the rural areas benefits the participants. The different practical and theoretical experiences in VET, the other approach, but with the same objective, promotes the merging of pan-European job profiles and degrees. With this project, the partners use their 20 years of experience in mobility and in vocational training. The aim is to develop a consensus in vocational education and training with our partners. We will make the results measurable for everyone equally. Vocational training in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, the food industry and traditional crafts is made visible and sustainable for the project participants. For this purpose, training recommendations with practical use in the training occupations for craft trades, sustainable agriculture, horticulture, food industry and tourism are created. Applications for similar occupational structures in rural areas are shown. The design of working materials for similar or the same job descriptions will be developed together and created basis for e-learning modules. The participants are trained by an intensive preparation both emotionally (national knowledge, cultural characteristics) as well as linguistically. This improves the language skills. The participants come from 7 European countries and are involved in the vocational training of their region. They are pedagogically trained and have practical experience in their professions. They ensure that the experiences and positive results in their environment are passed on to vocational schools and companies. Vocational school teachers, trainers and professionals are involved in the preparation, implementation and evaluation of the project. Activities: - Demonstration of work in the enterprises of agriculture, horticulture and food industry Kato Drys, Rimet, Lisov, Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland and Germany. Presentation of vocational training with its peculiarities, structures and economic opportunities. - Practical implementation of sustainable, ecological production and entry into vocational training. - Explanation and practical demonstration of the use of local food and natural resources - Finishing the products and sales with the objective of profit-oriented marketing. - To safeguard and develop Community initiatives and network structures to strengthen the rural economy. - Preservation and modernization of craft skills. In the rural regions of Slovakia, Iceland, Romania, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Ireland and Germany, participants learn about the specificities of territorial, traditional and educational structures. In workshops, demonstrations and practical exercises, the content, method and goal of VET are explained. Content-related and methodological differences in education and knowledge transfer will be identified in the training courses and opportunities for application in their own training will be incorporated. The exchange of knowledge and training methods are the focus here. In the participating countries, forums, exhibitions and publications will take place in the print media. In the WEB blog of the project, the results are published and the partners convey their experiences in their facilities. The goal is a comparable, high quality and practically applicable vocational education and training is achieved. The methodology and approach are result-oriented.
Findings about good, innovative and effective training methods in adult and vocational education for the continued existence of small businesses and institutions form an important building block for the preservation of small business structures. In the project, methods and possibilities were shown how skilled workers can be recruited under difficult conditions of social and age structures in rural areas. In the regions of the project countries, different professional groups come together who have to deal with similar problems. The participants in Iceland got to know the cooperation between production, distribution, sales and organizational structures of the most diverse industrial sectors. It was demonstrated how the greatest possible effectiveness was achieved in subject-specific educational approaches with the available workforce. It could be shown that the existing workforce can be used flexibly in a wide variety of work areas and that cooperation within the community is ensured. Important here are the approaches and methods of qualifying people with different educational backgrounds in such a way that they bring added value to the company and, on the other hand, can be used flexibly. In Slovakia, the development of infrastructure in rural areas, within or near nature park regions, was assessed. The project partners studied how small towns are trying to develop tourism as an economic sector. Participants explored how tourism as a common entity affects both supply and demand. This destination is connected by a common tourism and network infrastructure. In the rural regions, in the market competition of tourism, there has been a transition to managing the destination as a joint strategic business area. The individual offers are connected in terms of a synergy effect. It contains all the accommodation, catering, entertainment and employment facilities necessary for tourism. Here, the combination of tourist offers with synergies of the existing economic infrastructure of The participants will use the knowledge and experiences gained in their own environment to collect and disseminate conclusions for the work in their region. In Cyprus, similar conditions confront the participants. Here the participants examined the influence of the structure of rural regions dominated by agriculture on economic development and the labor force situation. The project partner demonstrated the interlinking and synergy effects of individual economic units in selected companies in the region around Kato Drys and Paphos. Vocational education and training and the influence of traditional handicraft techniques were a focal point of the consideration. The use of foreign workers also played an important role. The linking of modernity and tradition was an interesting aspect to include public services and further development of new aspects of economic activity in the educational process. Our partners in Romania are trying to train specialists from the existing workforce that can be used in small craft businesses, gastronomic facilities and in the construction ancillary trades. The greatest difficulty is motivating older people to take up training again. How it works despite this, they have demonstrated in some facilities in Sibiu and Rimet. Examples were presented that show that a stable infrastructure can be maintained despite the negative impact of demographic change. In Germany, the focus was on the demonstration of successful and stable craft and tourism/gastronomic business units. Despite the difficult conditions of the pandemic situation, all the project specifications could be met with good quality. In addition to the traditional craft facilities, innovative start-up facilities were included, which demonstrated the possibility of founding independent business units. It could be shown how tourist destinations can be developed economically and tourist attractions can be designed economically.
We wanted to make a contribution to the development of rural structures through many years of experience, the close and friendly relationships with our partners and through the need to exchange good practical work. We have placed the focus on traditional and modern activities that enable actors in rural areas to independently secure their public services. It was demonstrated how, with the existing social structure, the available means and opportunities, and taking into account traditional ways of life, methods of vocational training and further education from other countries can be applied in one's own regions. With the project for the exchange of innovative teaching and learning methods in the trade and service sector, a contribution was made to support vocational training and further education in various professional groups. This project made that clear. The owners of companies, trainers, prospective craftsmen and the self-employed as well as those responsible for vocational training in all partner countries have focused on practical activities in a wide variety of professional groups. The most innovative, most successful and most feasible ideas for the participants are documented and summarized in the minutes. They are available to every partner and form the working basis in their own field of activity. The target group were actors from various professions who are mainly active in rural areas. With their small businesses, they ensure the training of young people, the continued existence of the companies and make a contribution to stabilizing the rural infrastructure. The project partners support the development of national and transnational training applications that contribute to an improved quality of general and vocational training. They mark the synergies of different educational and further training paths. The need for an international exchange of innovative practice, the exchange of ideas through learning by doing has already aroused the interest of our partners in the run-up to the project development. Based on the knowledge and experience of the partner organisations, both trainers and those involved in adult education were able to experience the various methods of applying creative, traditional and successful educational approaches in practice. The range of innovative and a wide range of training and learning approaches help to ensure a healthy physical and mental lifestyle. An exchange of individual components and a transfer of skills for practical application in vocational training are important. This means that a larger group of educational institutions and companies that directly or indirectly practice vocational training will benefit. In the various job descriptions we favor, many factors intertwine in project implementation. Trainers and educators from a wide range of professional groups have learned that the service sector, with gastronomy, handicraft businesses, the food industry, housekeeping and food management, social professions and the area of "green" professions, contribute to the stabilization of rural infrastructure. Our participants and network partners demonstrated different approaches to internationalizing vocational training. The aim here was to create transparency in the content of training and the comparability of professional qualifications. The participants should recognize that there are ways to ensure goal-oriented and successful vocational training despite different approaches, operational and material requirements as well as structural conditions. In the present project, the partners were given the opportunity to assess their perspective on the practical and theoretical training of their learners and teachers in an international discourse, to make them comparable, to broaden their own horizons, to be inspired by new, innovative methods.