The first day of the INNOVET webinar: Thematic Teams and best practices from partners
The first transnational event organised by the INNOVET partners and hosted by EfVET was held online from the 1st to the 3rd of June in a virtual format.
Its main aim was an intense exchange of practices focused on thematic areas selected as priorities by EfVET members through a bottom-up approach, namely Internationalisation and Technology and Industry 4.0 (renamed VET 4.0 due the impact that it is having on the teaching methodologies). Focusing on exchanging practices in these fields, project partners will develop and test a model of a “transnational conference” targeted to the staff of VET providers all over Europe.
The webinar started with the welcome from Roc Da Vinci College and a short video about the campus in Dordrecht since the event was supposed to be held in The Netherlands.

Stefano Tirati, EfVET Vice President (Projects) welcomed the participants on behalf of EfVET and introduced the objectives of the 2021 edition of the event. EfVET strategic plan for 2019-22, titled ‘Work hard, dream big’, counts 3 pillars involved: Networking, Innovating, and Influencing. In this webinar the aim is to focus on 2 Thematic Teams: Internationalisation and Learning mobility and VET 4.0 (how can VET manage the digital transition).
André Schoonhoven, Andrea Lombardi, Mari Kontturi, and Szilvia Hegyine – Coordinators of the Internationalisation and Learning Mobility Thematic Team – presented its state of play showing a Training Guide. A presentation of the Coaches&Athletes initiative was given by two TT Members – Heidi Jokinen from Kpedu, Finland and Francesca Drago from Scuola Centrale Formazione, Italy – who are working on the topic of I@Home with a group of approximately 10 athletes.
Kari Puumalainen and Vibeke Norgaard – Coordinators of the VET 4.0 Thematic Team – presented its state of play. VET 4.0 (previously Industry 4.0) is focusing on the future of VET. What will be the factors that will influence the way VET will be organised in the coming years? They work with a tool in the Futures Platform presented by Kari. The TT is working on four different scenarios based on the two axes private funding versus public funding and the other is college learning versus enterprise colleges.

The first Keynote speaker at the event was João Santos, Senior Expert on Vocational Training, Apprenticeships and Adult Education, from the European Commission. He stated that motivation is a big part in the European policy driven VET education. A strategic vision, showing inclusiveness and equal opportunities are needed. Of the 60% of the students benefited from VET education only 8% benefit from learning mobility abroad, which is the reason that Internationalisation is a core dimension and in the treaty of VET education. The key actions are amongst political dialogues, international mobility of students and staff, Internationalisation@home, corporate transparency and purpose. Although Internationalisation@home is effective, physical mobility is not only effective but also inclusive and engaging. Discussions as to what we can expect from Erasmus+ regarding European support for mobility and Internationalisation@home will continue.
As a second Keynote speaker, Suvi Kylmala from Keuda, Finland, presented the “Virtual Reality: an international meeting point and learning environment” through a video with avatars (virtual people) showing the campus in Finland. They have used the Alt space environment which is free of charge and available to all. It is widely used at Keuda and imbedded into their education.
Coordinators of the Thematic Team on Tourism – Nicola Alimenti, Udo Lut, Timo Paakkanen – introduced the TT and the work done so far. They used a ‘bottom-up’ approach where everyone was involved in the definition, later on sub-groups were formed leading to a definite road map for the future. At the moment there are 33 VET providers in 9 European countries in all sectors, but the involvement in tourism is very wide and looks at mobility, sustainability, digitalisation, on future and work-based learning.
Martin W. Huizinga, Coordinator of the Thematic Team “Sustainability though VET” also introduced this TT. How can VET pay a key role in facilitating green transition and gain a more resilient future? The video used for the presentation showed different fields regarding sustainability in education, the driving industry etc.
In the afternoon session, four good practices were presented as follows:

- Creation of a new Job Profile in VET: Digital Tourism Technician by Renato Guiomar, Insignare, Portugal
INSIGNARE shared a new qualification for one of Europe’s and World’s highest growing sectors, Tourism, focusing on one of its most relevant trends, Digitalization. This new qualification mixes both Tourism and IT skills, meeting the market new trends of consumer choices, mostly online and through peer reviews. It aims at preparing young people and adults to work in several types of Hospitality organisations, both under traditional business models and online/cloud business models, the digital travel market, or traditional Tourism companies that already work / want to upgrade their work on the electronic sales channel, with all types of Tourism products.

- SCF Virtual Mobility by Francesca Drago, Scuola Centrale Formazione (SCF), Italy
SCF shared the “Virtual Exchange”, a pedagogical model adopted to experiment the virtual mobility (blended mobility) in the context of VET. Virtual Exchange is a learning model, based on the principle of “engagement with difference”, cultural, ethnic, religious, linguistic, political and social differences, through peer-to-peer comparison, the support of a neutral facilitation and the technologies.

- VRinVET: Virtual reality in VET by Katriina Lammi, Keuda, Finland
KEUDA shared their experience using Virtual Reality (and other innovative technologies) to create learning environments, to teach, to pilot its use with international partners, and to utilise it in organising events.

- INTERMOVE FOR TRAINERS by Juan Guerrero, Incoma, Spain
INCOMA presented us an online training course aiming at training facilitators and mobility providers in interculturality and intercomprehension activities for mobility actions for students.