"In the training programs for the profession of nutritionist and catering services, the chef, confectioner still has too little time and lesson hours for teachers on new issues in gastronomy.Teachers often also lack the time and opportunity to raise their own competences with new trends such as Flexitarianism in the catering industry.Flexitarianism is a diet based on vegetables and other plant products, but meat and fish are allowed. Such a diet helps protect against cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. its use can cause weight loss. Switching to a flexitarian diet has many benefits, not just health benefits.We would like to explore this topic by establishing a partnership between public vocational schools in Kaunas (Lithuania) and Rezekne (Latvia) and implementing the above Flexiplant project.The main goal of the project is to enable access to practical solutions used in gastronomy and nutrition using a plant diet and new products.The main goal will be achieved when we achieve the following specific objectives:- acquiring knowledge through a prepared diagnosis and corresponding training in the gastronomy industry related to the plant diet,- exchange of experience and transfer of knowledge in the field of plant diet in Polish, Latvian and Lithuanian realities at school level.- developing new approaches to improve teachers' competences and equip them with new competences and skills related to dietetic cuisine based on flexiterianism,- supporting the professional development of teaching and scientific staff and enterprises (we learn from each other)- ensuring recognition of skills and competences acquired during training,- increasing the opportunities, attractiveness and international dimension of the organizations involved in the project.Activities planned under the project are:-Creating a report that is a collection of three analyzes (PL, LT, LV) containing research, diagnosis and comparative analysis in the gastronomy industry including plant diets.- Training in the field of flexible approach to nutrition with the use of a plant diet carried out by the RCK conducted by experts and entrepreneurs of the catering industry from companies cooperating with the Leader within the Food Cluster ""Naturally from Podlasie"", which one of the main goals is to promote knowledge of nutrition and health human and environmental protection.During the training, participants will learn the results of research and experience on new products and trends using machines and devices in the production of organic and dietetic food, learn the main issues related to the preparation of dietary dishes based on plants. The above issues related to new trends in nutrition such as flexiterianism and prepared training programs are based on the needs of employers and their experience in cooperation with vocational schools.- Preparation of a guide that includes the results of training implementation, results of testing training in schools, recommendations for teachers and practitioners developing vocational education in the gastronomy industry and substantive materials related to dietetic cuisine based on the use of plants.TARGET GROUPS AND NEEDS THAT THE PROJECT APPLIES TO:- vocational education teachers in gastronomy from Polish, Lithuanian and Latvian schools (cook, confectioner, nutrition technician and catering services) who are required to implement the subject section ""Nutritional trends"" and need to update their workshop with healthy eating methods, healthy diets and healthy cooking techniques and gastronomy trends,- entrepreneurs from the gastro industry, working as educators in practical forms of acquiring competences by students of vocational schools and cooperating with those schools, who need to meet the needs of clients with various dietary needs,- other trainers, mentors of vocational education and training in schools and in the workplace, who need to develop knowledge in the field of Flexitarianism for students who have acquired basic knowledge in school and want to develop it in extracurricular activities.Cooperation with foreign entities creates a huge European platform for the exchange of experiences, to which entities do not have access, because they cooperate with local or national institutions on a daily basis. Foreign partnership has been built around common problem areas, thanks to which these needs can be better solved. The diversity of the partnership ( Vocational Training Center LT- RCK foundation of 22 vocational schools PL- vocational school LV) affects the synergy effect, i.e. gaining some experience would not be possible for each institution in a separate operation, however partnership already creates such opportunities. These possibilities include, for example, access to international experiences, broadening the horizons of students and staff, improving language skills, building creative attitudes."

"The digital era has led to changes in the way the economy and companies work. It is clear that neither companies, schools, training centres nor society is adequately prepared for this change. Professionals on the labour market nowadays need to be able to work with ICT tools and understand how these work. It has taken a bit longer for this change to arrive in VET curricula and VET institutions. Yet, digitalisation has progressed at a different pace in different EU countries. While Estonia is by many considered a “digital state” which has managed to digitise its society nearly completely, Germany is considered to be far behind when it comes to digitisation especially when it comes to government services and digital education, whereas Lithuania is somewhere in the middle field (see Digital Economy and Society Index 2017). When it comes to Vocational Training and Education (VET), the need for adapting to the digital markets and making VET more attractive by including digital learning into the curricula is obvious. Students and apprentices need to be able to have the necessary ICT skills for the modern labour market. Currently, there is a skills gap between the increasingly digitalised labour market and VET training that is provided. In order to close the skills gap, VET providers need to digitalised their learning environment so that apprentices and students learn the necessary skills and are adequately prepared for their professions. This is especially true for disadvantaged learners such as students with learning difficulties who need digital skills teaching methods adopted to their learning speed and needs.The Exchange of Good Practice project ""Digitalise VET"" focused on three different aspects of digitalisation: - digitalisation of training: e-learning methods and digital skills - digitalisation of VET tools: managing learning with different digital tools (e.g. moodle and other learning and exchange platforms) - digitalisation VET for disadvantaged: adapting e-learning and its tools to disdavantaged learners: what are their needs and limitations? The project consisted of two transnational project meetings and three study visits to each of the involved partner organisations. During the study visits one of the three above mentioned aspects was the main focus. The study visits involved a mixture of presentations, discussion groups, practical demonstration and job shadowing. After the study visits a guideline for digitalisation of VET institutions with the three mentioned topics in focus was developed and can be downloaded via the coordinators website: https://www.internationaler-bund.de/angebot/10589/"

Skills competition contribute to the prestige of vocational education schools and self-esteem of learners, raising public awareness of vocational education as a value and inspiring young people to choose vocational qualifications. Local competition held at school level inspire students to explore their profession deeper, check their skills and get ready for national competition. The winners of national competition have priority to take part in international competition organized by partner countries and continue for EUROSKILLS AND WORLDSKILLS. The objectives of this project is to prepare tools for national, Baltic, EUROSKILLS and WORLDSKILLS competitions in catering (cooks and pastry cooks) and food industry sectors. The partners of the project (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) are vocational education schools and have programs for cooks, pastry cooks and food industry workers. All schools are very international, they belong to Association of European hotel and catering schools. The schools have great experience in organizing national and international competitions, but there's a gap in agreement on competition requirements at national and international level. The need to organize competition at the same level, with the same requirements, goals and evaluation is of great importance. Till today we were writing competition rules, evaluation, inventory and ingredients every time we decided to organize competition (national or international) and they varied every time depending on the school, country, students competences. There's a great need to create manual for organizing competitions, create competition rules and agree on evaluation requirements in order to talk the same language and properly prepare students for local, national, Baltic competition leading to EUROSKILLS and WORLDSKILLS.Target groups- students of catering and food industry sectors and teachers who prepare students for competition.The project fullfills sectorial, national and international needs. There will be created intelectual outputs: manual; competition rules; requirements for evaluation.During the project period will be held 4 international meetings, 1 blended mobility, 3 multiplier events.Will be created project logo and Project Facebook page.The project activities are divided into three main Work Packages. WP 1) “Project Management”: all partners will contribute to the proper management of the project by carrying out the activities as foreseen in the Detailed Project Plan and providing all the necessary information for the preparation of the technical and financial reports to be submitted to the Education Exchanges Support Foundation (SMPF) Lithuanian National Agency. The lead applicant - Kaunas Food Industry and Trade Training Center (KMPPMC) will be the coordinator for WP1 and will be the interface with the National Agency for all related matters. WP 2) “Exchange of good practices and development of the competition model”: the main goal is to develop competition model according to the principles of EUROSKILLS and WORLDSKILLS. All partners will identify, study and analyse the related competition rules for catering and food industry VET students in their country and will come up with suggestions for the development of competition model. KMPPMC will be responsible for writing competition rule, VSIA Rigas Turisma un radosas industrijas tehnikums- for writing manual and Tartu LINN- for evaluation guideliness. 4 transnational meetings will take place during the project period. The 1st and the last ones will be held in KMPPMC, 2 nd in Tartu LINN and 3rd in VSIA Rigas Turisma un radosas industrijas tehnikums. The last transnational meeting will be held at the same period when blended students' mobility will take place in KMPPMC (the intelectual products will be tested during the blended mobility and international Baltic States competition for cooks, pastry cooks and food industry VET students will be organized). At the same time KMPPMC will organize multiplier event and the participants of the multiplier event will have opportunity to evaluate project results. WP 3) “Communication and dissemination of results”: Dissemination of the results will take place in 3 partner organizations. Seminars will be organized and all interested partners will be able to get acquainted with the project results.All intelectual outputs will be available for all interested parties. They will be found on partner schools webpages, will be shared also on the portal Open Education Europe, The Erasmus + dissemination platform will be also used.

<< Objectives >>The project proposes to:- Identify the labour market needs and food sustainability best practises within the food and health sector across partner countries - Evaluate digital competency training needs of food and health VET educators across Europe- Digitally upskill food and health VET educators in line with the DigiCompEdu framework- Develop and Implement training for VET educators on adapting food and health curricula to incorporate SDGs, food sustainability and digital competences<< Implementation >>The partners will apply a mixed methods approach utilising a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods throughout the project. Activities will include, data analysis, case studies, surveys, questionnaires, focus groups, networking events, document analysis and formal and informal interviews with stakeholders.3 Multiplier events: project results evaluation and dissemination 1 LTTA: develop, implement, evaluate Training Guide5 TNMS: project management and communication<< Results >>Report on Food and Health labour market needs informed by industry Evaluation of VET educators' digital competency training needs and teaching practices in food and health curriculaProduce:Infographic booklet on Europe's food sustainable prioritiesExtensive list of job opportunitiesInfographic booklet of digital resources Case studies of food sustainability best practices in partner countries Training guide for Food and Health VET educatorsPresent best practice and learnings from Covid

A closer and more structured, transparent cooperation among providers of VET- education in the Baltic and Scandinavian countries created a stronger flexible and common platform for future mobility activities of their pupils. The project explored in depth the content of the partners individual educational programmes in order to identify, how mobility of the pupils can be organized better in the future. The target was to integrate mobility of pupils as a more natural part of the educational programme and in the same time be able to live up to the required formal learning goals, set by the local Ministries of Education and demands of other stakeholders, including the local industries/branch organizations. The project ensured quality assurance of future mobility projects. In the same time the project uncovered needs for language and cultural preparation. The project is an initial step towards a more transparent qualification system between the partner countries, to enable more flexibility in transfer of pupils and accumulation of better learning outcome. Involvement of teachers and managerial staff, involved in daily run of the educational programmes, contributed to the discussions and planning of common mobility activities, in order to secure commitment and sharing of knowledge and experience in the further process. The project results implements to the recognition of competences and applying ECVET.