SELF-REGENERATE will equip VET institutions with an enterprise coaching methodology that enables their students to enter the business world fully equipped with the business and English skills to become successfully self-employed. By supporting the creation of an incubation programme in VET, students will become active economic players of the region - thus supporting the local development. SELF-REGENERATE recognises that developing entrepreneurial competences and business English are two sides of the same coin. The need to develop entrepreneurial competences is urgent, as is set out by the EU’s EntreComp. As recognised by Eurostat (2012), we need to increase the entrepreneurial careers of young people. This can only be done by raising awareness of entrepreneurship, developing entrepreneurial competences and helping them set up an enterprise that is adequate to today’s markets. Moreover, it is recognised that no second language is a barrier to career progression and becoming a successful entrepreneur. Eurobarometer’s ‘Europeans and their Languages’ (2012) reported that one of the main motivating factors to learn a language is to improve career prospects and work abroad. However, language support is limited and costly for young people (Eurobarometer, 2012). SELF-REGENERATE will achieve this by creating a practical methodology that combines the Bridge Model and business English. The Bridge Model is a structured method with 4 stages from pre-start up to a mature and sustainable business. This is based on BTF's experience of supporting over 40 enterprises of different sectors and countries to become fully fledging enterprises. This methodology will be complemented by the improvement of students' English. The ability to speak English is seen as a key to raise your career aspirations. It plays an important role in upskilling the students so that they can make their enterprises more sustainable and also become more employable. This will result in a flexible methodology, allowing students to start at the stage they wish. It will be delivered by mentoring and/or independent student work. These results will be achieved through the development of the following outputs and their targets: O1 - SELF-REGENERATE Curriculum & Trainer's Manual: the curriculum and how to implement manual that will equip Trainers to become expert start-up and business English coaches. 2 trainers will be trained during the pilot stage of this output. The manual's will be part of the online platform and shared during the multiplier event so that more VET institutions can access the material. O2 - SELF-REGENERATE Training Manual for Learners: Aimed for the students, this manual will enable them to become entrepreneurs that can revitalise their peripheral region. 20 students will receive business coaching during the pilot of this output. The manual's will be part of the online platform and shared during the multiplier event so that more students can access the material from any background. O3 - SELF-REGENERATE OER and Online Platform: An online platform where SELF-REGENERATE products with interactive learning material and handbooks will be downloadable. Moreover, it will also have an action platform encouraging peer support in English and Enterprise. Multiplier Event: Final conference in each partner country

Connect 2018 is a project designed to bring together learners and educators from Vocational Education and Training Institutions from Malta and Friesland, in the run-up to the European Capital of Culture celebrations for 2018. With Valletta and Leeuwarden having been designated ECoC's 2018, a number of collaborative projects have been planned to bring together four VET institutions: MCAST (Malta College of Art, Science and Technology), Friesland College, ROC Friese Poort and Nordwin College. The main objective of this project is to promote VET education at a local, regional and European level, while instilling in project participants a deeper sense of European citizenship through a growing awareness of cultural diversity. Project outputs are based on four distinct elements: Sustaining Sustainability; Creative Cultures; Traditional Tastes; Entrepreneurial Endeavours - all revolving around contemporary educational, societal and cultural fores. These outputs will materialise in tangible results from the cooperative efforts between students and staff from these four VET institutions. However, the project aims do not intend to come to a close at the end of 2018. On the contrary, the legacy of this project is essential, and hence the participation of Plovdiv and Matera as partners in this project. As they will carry the torch as ECoC's for 2019, these two cities will pave the way for new connections with other VET institutions in Italy and Bulgaria, once again with the aim of broadening this network of collaboration between VET partners. It is hoped that this will be the start of an ever growing web of connections and collaborations for a more attractive and relevant VET education experience, as well as for increased public awareness of VET and its application in the community.

We believe that it is possible to have an impact on key skills of lifelong learning through new innovative and creative pedagogical methods. We want to focus especially on supporting social inclusion and abilities to participate in the society, work toward equality and enhance abilities in the working life for learners with special needs or disabilities and individuals who are otherwise in a vulnerable position in life. The main goal is to increase capacity to use creative pedagogical methods for professionals who are working with the target group. Indirect beneficiaries are learners with disabilities and special needs or other marginalized groups. The project group consist of organisations working in the field of vocational education, special education, research, circus arts and organisations working with young people and various vulnerable groups. The partner organisations will join forces to disseminate best practices and develop practical tools for using creative pedagogical methods with the target group. The project is coordinated by Invalidisäätiö´s vocational special education center Vocational College Live based in Helsinki, Finland. Sirkus Magenta, a non-profit association working in the field of social circus, also based in Helsinki, will offer their expertise on social circus. Vocational College Live and Sirkus Magenta have worked together in a previous social circus project, where the benefits of creative pedagogical methods were noticed and the idea for a transnational project was born. Haapsalu Vocational Education and Training Center from Estonia will share their knowledge on creative use of digital environments and Move and Develop Foundation based in Wrocław, Poland, will offer viewpoints to gamification. Institute of Technology Tralee from Ireland and especially their UNESCO Chair Research Centre will conduct a scientific literature review and offer their expertise in outdoor activities. Friesland College from the Netherlands is a specialist in the field of dance and theatre. Six transnational meetings will be organized to ensure the smooth proceeding of the project. Three intellectual outputs will be produced during the project. IO1 will be a scientific literature review which aims to develop a comprehensive review of existing policy and best practice of social circus methodologies, outdoor learning, dance and theatre, creative use of digital methods, gamification and the links with social inclusion. The IO2 will be a guidebook on these methodologies and it is meant as a practical manual for professionals working with the target group, such as teachers, counsellors, other educators and study and job coaches. The IO3 will be a toolkit for practical use in a form of a cardpack of the creative pedagogical methods with pictures and qr-codes for video instructions. The project activities include five short-term joint staff training events - one in each country. These learning, teaching and training activities cover all the creative pedagogical methods represented in the project. New creative pedagogical methods are disseminated through the training events for the members of the project group and the staff of the participating organisations. Activities consist of workshops and reflection on how to adapt the methods to each organisation´s field of work and clientele. An acitivity based multiplier event will be hosted in each country, where the outcomes of the intellectual outputs and project activities will be disseminated to associated organisations outside the project group. The outcomes will also be disseminated via various networks and channels including social media and the project blog. As a result of the project, the knowledge, tools and usage of creative pedagogical methods will increase. The participants will gain a wide knowledge of creative pedagogical methods. They will disseminate the knowledge and practical tools they gain in their own organisations and in their networks. Activities will also increase the key competences of lifelong learning, especially the personal, social and learning to learn skills of the target group. The increasing of basic skills will result in improvement in their social inclusion. This will also be a long-term result when the methods gained in the project will transform into continual practices.

In recent years there has been a notable shift in the skills required by employees by privileging soft skills over hard skills. Soft skills are currently described as some of the most important core competences, which represent a dynamic combination of cognitive and meta-cognitive skills, interpersonal, intellectual, emotional and practical skills and which can be applied across employment contexts. EU (2016) classifies soft skills as ‘Key competences for lifelong learning’. Nevertheless, there is no defining list of soft skills, but one can find common elements, which is that soft skills are divided into three main groups:a) Personal skills, i.e. Learning skills, Tolerance to stress, Professional ethics, Self-awareness, Commitment, Life balance, Creativity/Innovationb) Social skills, i.e. Communication, Teamwork, Contact network, Negotiation, Conflict Management, Leadership, Culture Adaptabilityc) Content-reliant/Methodological skills, i.e. Customer/User orientation, Continuous improvement, Adaptability to change, Results orientation, Analytical skills, Decision making, Management skills, Research and info management (Cinque, 2016).The optimum method to approach students and provide them the chance to develop the soft skills needed at work is work-based learning and apprenticeship. The work-based learning and apprenticeships, in fact, offer the shift from transmission models of teaching –learning about- to experiential learning -learning for- and provide the opportunity to integrate hands-on experiences with theory. Different forms of work-based learning have been implemented in Europe and currently provide apprenticeships for 2/3 of young people. However, apprenticeships are focused on the specific vocational skills, required in the specialisation and not on the acquisition of soft skills.Filling this gap, the DESSA project aims to develop an apprenticeship scheme for the acquisition of soft skills by students in upper secondary and higher vocational education and training.The specific objectives of the project are:-To organise focus groups in order to identify and focus on specific soft skills that best address the needs of the project’s stakeholders. -To map best practices and methodologies applied for the development of soft skills in VET apprenticeship education in partner countries. -To develop an apprenticeship scheme for the acquisition of soft skills and competences by upper secondary and higher VET students. -To apply gamification elements in the apprenticeship scheme -To develop a trainers’ guide addressed to trainers in VET schools and companies that will apply the apprenticeship scheme and will design, support and evaluate the apprenticeship programme. -To organize seminars for trainers in VET schools and companies that are interested to apply the apprenticeship scheme. -To create an online tool for self-assessing soft skills, for students to set their own learning agenda by identifying their strengths and areas of improvement.The project will produce three core intellectual outputs that are:IO1 Apprenticeship scheme for the development of soft skills and competencesIO2 Trainers guideIO3 Web platform for the assessment of soft skills The apprenticeship scheme for the development of soft skills and competences will be based on gamification and natural mentoring elements. These two elements, the gamification and natural mentoring methods, will help to keep the apprentice engaged, motivated, involved and comfortable. The apprenticeship scheme will include theoretical foundation and guiding principles for the design, implementation and evaluation of apprenticeship programme for the development of soft skills and competences.The direct target group of the project is VET trainers and companies involved in apprenticeship programmes, yet, the final beneficiaries are students enrolled in upper secondary and higher VET schools and centres. The project is implemented by 6 partners from 5 countries (Netherlands, Spain, Greece, Poland and Lithuania), representing four VET schools, one university and one adult training company.The project is designed to have an impact at local/regional/national and European levels. At local level, the project will contribute to the improvement of students soft skills, the promotion of apprenticeships and the increase of the employability perspective of VET students. At national and European level, the project will contribute to the promotion of apprenticeships, work-based learning and soft skills learning at the workplace.

Sustainable, future proof entrepreneurship is based on ethics and values. This is the motto of project Value and Future, an innovative project that connects 6 partners in Europe with a common goal: to empower young people towards ethical entrepreneurship and leadership, inspired by role models. The project sets the ambition to develop the skills and mind-set of young people, based on values and empathy instead of on only profit or professional protocols. The project encourages students of VET to actively seek the purpose for their own entrepreneurial future and to recognise the ethical choices that enterprises showcase around them. Through a set of activities and lessons supported by teachers and entrepreneurs, VET students engage in a dialogue about moral dilemma’s in enterprises in relation to people and planet. They learn to ask critical questions and they search for positive role models. Due to project activities, students engage in conversations with enterprises to define values, ethics and authenticity, and the difference businesses can make in society. In these conversations, students continuously ask themselves the question: ‘what matters to me as a future entrepreneur and what matters to entrepreneurs I meet? What matters to my future company and what matters to enterprises around me? The project connects the need of powerful entrepreneurship education that changes the mind-set of young people and teachers about the ethical and moral angles of their choices, carreer path and place in society. There is a growing attention for business ethics in the world; at the same time, the education of ethical entrepreneurship within VET is a not discovered area in Europe.Project partners develop a new educational method that combines entrepreneurial, sustainable and value-driven learning. This educational method consists of a series of lessons, future days with entrepreneurs, conversations through conducting a quick scan, and an online inspirational environment of storytelling. The learning process challenges young people to visit companies in their region, to get into dialogue with entrepreneurs and to seek moral dilemmas and answers to them. Their learning process is supported by role models they seek, find and appoint: entrepreneurs with a vision on ethical entrepreneurial mind-set who challenge young people to develop their own vision on ethics and values.The project is innovative due to a development in mind-set as educational method, towards the deeper values of individuals in relation to ethical leadership, where choices are made based on courage, truth, purpose and a sense of legacy.“Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.” Plato