The general objectives (GO1) of the project were to adapt vocational and professional education to labour market needs and to improve the quality assurance of vocational education and training. The specific objectives (SO) were: enhancing and acquiring new knowledge, skills, and competences required by teachers from partner organisations to implement the goal of WP2/A – a freely accessible e-platform with a curriculum, teacher’s manual, and learning content for the module Sustainable Horticultural Design of Outdoor Event Spaces, including video materials and knowledge assessment tasks. Through this, we achieved the creation of new, innovative, or joint curricula and courses, enhanced employability, and the development of training courses. LTT1 contributed to plant knowledge, good practice examples, and marketing, while LTT2 focused on practical work, interdisciplinary cooperation, and the development of recommendations. The e-platform, available in five languages (SL, EN, HR, IT, PL), also supports the horizontal priority of digital transformation.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed consumer habits. There has been an increased demand for outdoor socializing and the use of plants to improve living environments. As a result, new needs have emerged for specific knowledge in the field of horticultural design of outdoor event spaces. The lead partner already experienced a shortage of experts in this type of planning during the pandemic. The partners conducted a labour market analysis and found that educational programmes are not adapting quickly enough to these changes. The survey included vocational schools, educational institutions, hotels, agritourism providers, and development agencies. As many as 81% of respondents confirmed the need for new content and its practical application. The project addresses knowledge gaps, strengthens sustainable design, promotes the local production of ornamental plants, and supports the preservation of native plant varieties. In doing so, it responds to the needs of the market, education, and broader society, and represents an important contribution to the development of green infrastructure.