Month: June 2024

RELIEF project releases an e learning platform with online courses

RELIEF Launches Free Online Courses to Enhance Agricultural Bioeconomy Skills

Written by Nikolina Frangoullidou on 28/06/2024. Posted in Project News.

RELIEF is excited to announce the launch of its new e-learning platform, designed to upskill individuals in the agricultural bioeconomy. This innovative platform, now available to the public, offers 20 specialised courses complete with supplementary materials, aimed at boosting knowledge and skills essential for sustainable agriculture.

Engaging and Accessible Learning Experience

The platform provides an interactive and engaging learning experience through gamified resources, ensuring optimal user engagement and knowledge retention. Supporting multiple languages, including English, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, and Swedish, the platform is accessible to a diverse audience. Courses cater to various educational levels, from university students to agronomists and farmers, and are entirely free of charge.

Comprehensive Course Offerings

The platform features five primary modules, each containing multiple learning units. Watch the introductory videos to discover the course contents:

Participants can explore introductory videos to get an overview of the comprehensive knowledge in bioeconomy and circularity concepts, as well explore multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral, and managerial skills to further enhance and implement bioeconomy practices in rural contexts.

Easy Access and Support

Interested individuals can register and access the courses online for free at the RELIEF E-Learning Platform. To assist users, the platform offers detailed guides and a YouTube tutorial for effective navigation. Additionally, trainer support materials, including PowerPoints and activity instructions for each module, are available.

About RELIEF:
RELIEF provides training opportunities for university students, agricultural consultants and farmers to facilitate the transition to the bioeconomy in the agricultural sector and help revitalise rural areas in the EU. RELIEF is funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the EU – Partnership for Innovation, Alliances for Education and Enterprises action.

For further information: relief@uop.gr

TINKER findings and recommendations of a recent research

TINKER Research Reveals Ground-breaking Findings and Recommendations

Written by Nikolina Frangoullidou on 28/06/2024. Posted in Project News.

The TINKER project, aimed at enhancing informatics education across Europe, has released its comprehensive report on the state of informatics education in six European countries: Cyprus, Italy, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, and Croatia. The report, compiled through literature reviews, focus group discussions, and questionnaire responses, offers a detailed insight into informatics education, authentic learning practices, and gender inclusion initiatives. Key aspects of the research included a thorough analysis of National Curriculum frameworks, educational guidelines, and textbooks used for teaching informatics.

Curriculum Structure and Integration of Informatics

TINKER highlights significant variations in the structure and integration of informatics education across partner countries. In Greece, informatics stands as a standalone subject in primary education, whereas Cyprus integrates learning outcomes into optional and compulsory subjects. Italy and the Netherlands embed digital competencies within various subjects without a distinct informatics course. At the same time, Ireland integrates informatics concepts across subjects rather than offering it as a standalone subject at primary and secondary levels. At the secondary level, Cyprus and Greece maintain informatics as a separate compulsory subject, whereas Italy and Croatia integrate it into other subjects, making it optional in later grades. Despite these variations, the TINKER project underscores the universal recognition of informatics education’s importance while highlighting the challenge of establishing it as a standalone subject with dedicated time allocation.

Authentic Learning Practices

The TINKER project identifies significant implementation limitations across the studied countries regarding authentic learning, which connects academic concepts with real-world applications. Despite the National Curriculum’s intent in Cyprus, many teachers lack familiarity with authentic learning, leading to inconsistent application. Greece faces gaps in aligning teaching methods with digital competency development, necessitating comprehensive professional development. In Ireland and Italy, efforts to incorporate authentic learning are hindered by time constraints, limited resources, and resistance to change. Croatia’s educators encounter obstacles like inadequate resources and large class sizes despite using authentic learning practices.

Gender-inclusive practices

Gender inclusion in informatics education emerges as an area requiring substantial improvement. While efforts are made in some countries, such as Cyprus, to represent male and female role models in curricula, comprehensive strategies for diverse perspectives still need to be developed. Greece and Italy struggle with tailored approaches for diverse student demographics, perpetuating gender stereotypes. In Ireland and the Netherlands, challenges like gender imbalances in the field and curriculum materials reinforcing stereotypes are prevalent.

To address these challenges, the TINKER project proposes strategic recommendations. These include advocating for curriculum reform to integrate informatics as a compulsory subject at the primary education level, aligned with the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp 2.2). Recommendations also focus on updating curriculum guidelines to explicitly promote authentic learning and gender inclusion, alongside enhancing teacher training and professional development programmes.

The research findings will be used by the partners to shape the project materials and activities. The ultimate aim is to develop innovative teaching methods that meet the needs of teachers and students. This will involve creating resources and strategies tailored to enhance informatics education across Europe.

Find the TINKER Transnational Report on state-of-the-art and needs, here.

TINKER – An authentic learning and gender inclusive framework for teaching informatics in schools across Europe.

Written by Nikolina Frangoullidou on 28/06/2024. Posted in Projects & Initiatives.

TINKER project aims to revolutionise informatics education in upper primary and lower secondary schools through a comprehensive pedagogical framework. Rooted in authentic learning principles, the project encourages students to engage with real-life tasks, promoting exploration and intentional connections between theoretical knowledge and practical experiences. The project also aims to address and overturn the severe underrepresentation of women and gender minorities in the field, by adopting a progressive gender-inclusive stance. In particular, it will promote gender-inclusive teaching practices creating positive student-centred environments that celebrate diversity.

Teamwork2 Launches HotDesk to Combat Sexual Harassment at Work

Written by Hanna Yerega on 21/06/2024. Posted in Project News.

Teamwork2, in collaboration with the Paphos Chamber of Commerce and Industry office, is proud to announce the successful launch of its new HelpDesk service, a free telephone support line dedicated to providing legal advice on matters of sexual harassment at work. This initiative is fully supported by a reputable legal firm, ensuring expert guidance is readily available to those in need.

This significant milestone marks a huge step towards enhancing prevention and protection mechanisms of sexual harassment, and explores new proactive interagency collaboration to address the needs of victoms of sexual harassment in the workplace, as well as provides capacity building and support to employers, organisations and HR professionals.

Working two-fold, the HelpDesk aims to:

Provide confidential legal advice: offer victims practical guidance and advice on their rights, the steps they can take to address the issue, and the legal avenues available for seeking justice.
Contribute to Policy and Code Development: Advise on creation and implementation of comprehensive policies and codes of conduct aimed at preventing sexual harassment.
Advocate for Awareness and Prevention: Offer strategies and best practices to raise awareness about sexual harassment and promote a culture of zero tolerance.
Offer Investigation and Support: Guide employers on how to properly investigate claims of sexual harassment and how to support victims within the workplace.

The HelpDesk is now operational and available to the public. To access the service in Cyprus, individuals can call the dedicated telephone line – 26 81 81 73 – during business hours for immediate assistance.

For more information about this project, its goals and supporting materials, please visit the official website of Teamwork2.

Celebrating LEADING 2030 Latest Successes During Fourth Transnational Meeting

Written by Hanna Yerega on 21/06/2024. Posted in Project News.

In a collaborative effort to drive sustainable practices across Europe, LEADING 2030 partners met in Cyprus for the 4th Transnational Working Meeting. Drawing close towards the end of the project, CARDET welcomed partners from Estonia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain to discuss and strategise the remaining tasks before successfully concluding the project.

In particular, the LEADING 2030 consortium celebrated the completion of the LEADING 2030 Practice Principles Framework and also focused on the progress of the LEADING 2030 Upskilling Programme. The meeting also gave an opportunity to finalise the preparation for the piloting of the Corporate MOOCs and consulting sessions with business leaders, scheduled for September and October, later this year.

In addition, the partners presented the LEADING 2030 StoryMaps outlining the best practices in regards to sustainability specific to the contexts of their individual country and region. These best practices will be presented on the LEADING 2030 WebHub by the end of the year.
To stay in the loop with the progress of the LEADING 2030 project, check out the official website here and stay tuned for more exciting announcements coming soon.

MYCOMM Makeathon Strives to Empower Migrant Youth Advocates Across Europe

Written by Hanna Yerega on 20/06/2024. Posted in Project News.

On June 13th, the Makeathon event took place in Nice, France, marking a significant milestone on the journey towards migrant youth advocacy for MYCOMM project. This pivotal event brought together thirty dedicated youth workers and migration experts from across Europe with a common goal of creating a European network of youth organisations committed to migrant and refugee inclusion, as well as reinforcing their capacities to communicate and influence policies and public perception.

As part of MYCOMM’s unique focus on audio-visual capacity, the Makeathon brought together youth organisations, migrants and refugees from all over Europe to create 3 videos on integration of migrants and refugees. These videos, produced by 3 different groups, focused on key issues related to inclusion with an overarching aim to raise awareness among migrant and refugee youth about social and economic challenges and vulnerabilities.

In addition, this multifaceted event also hosted meticulously crafted training sessions to further participants’ understanding and essential skills to enhance their advocacy initiatives. These sessions aimed to empower youth workers and migration experts, providing them with the necessary tools to effectively navigate and influence the intricate landscape of migrant youth issues.

Following this inspiring 3-day event, all attendees have had the opportunity to emerge as stronger and more influential advocates for migrant youth, equipped to raise awareness and drive meaningful change within their communities. This event has certainly laid the groundwork for a stronger, more dynamic advocacy movement across Europe, and furthered MYCOMM objectives to elevate the level at which the unique challenges faced by migrant youth are being addressed.

VIRDUAL: Boosting digital innovation in VET by integrating Extended Reality to train work-readiness skills for Work-based learning programmes

Written by Nikolina Frangoullidou on 14/06/2024. Posted in Projects & Initiatives.

We are excited to announce the release of our new project VIRDUAL. A project which aims to boost digital innovation in vocational education and training (VET) by equipping teachers and in-company trainers with the skills to use Extended Reality (XR) tools and simulation techniques. This will help them train apprentices and work-based learning (WBL) participants in work-readiness skills.

VIRDUAL will increase the capacity and readiness of VET centres and companies participating in WBL to manage an effective shift towards digital education. The project will support the purposeful use of XR digital technologies in WBL for teaching, learning, assessment and engagement, developing digital pedagogy and innovative use of digital education contents in VET.

The digital-based methodologies and results of VIRDUAL project will enhance expertise of the target groups in the use of Extended Reality (XR) to train work-readiness skills in WBL and will promote the innovative use of digital education by means of implementing a double approach to training Digital skills:

1) VET teachers and in-company trainers, target users of the project, will be skilled on using XR to train work-readiness skills.

2) Apprentices and WBL participants, will be trained through XR on work-readiness skills, to be applied in businesses during their participation in apprenticeship programmes.

Become a Part of CARDET’s Community of Trainers

Written by Georgia Prastitou on 13/06/2024. Posted in Vacancies.

(External Collaborator Role)

CARDET, the leading independent education and training centre in Cyprus, is looking for skilled trainers and professionals to join its established and growing Community of Trainers.

The successful candidates will join a team of experienced professionals as external collaborators and have the opportunity to transform their expertise and knowledge into engaging and innovative training programs. They will be designing, developing and delivering cutting edge seminars to the Centre’s wide network of individuals and organisations empowering them to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving world.

Why Join CARDET’s Community of Trainers?

Impact: Make a significant contribution to the personal and professional growth of individuals and organisations.
Professional Development: Engage with top experts, industry trends, and innovative challenges.
Competitive Compensation: Attractive fees, plus travel and accommodation expenses covered.
Community: Join a supportive network of like-minded professionals.
Resources: Exclusive access to cutting-edge research, tools, and collaborative opportunities.
Flexibility: Tailor your schedule and choose from a variety of training assignments.

Trainer Profile

We seek professionals with expertise in:

Health and Wellbeing
HR and Leadership
Organisational Psychology
Psychological Interventions in Schools and Workplaces
Education and Emerging Technologies
The integration of technology in authentic learning environments
Education, Innovation and Teaching Methodologies
Teacher’s Professional Development

Qualifications:

Master’s degree in relevant fields. Applicants with Bachelor degree will be considered
Certified Trainer by the Cyprus Human Resource Development Authority (HRDA) or equivalent certification (e.g. EQF Level 5)
Proven professional experience of minimum 5 years in one of the fields above
100 hours of training, teaching or public speaking experience to organisations (corporate or schools)
Proficient in digital tools and e-learning platforms
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Greek and English
Strong interpersonal skills and a passion for the fields stated above.

Responsibilities:

Design and deliver engaging training programs (F2F, online and blended)
Adapt presentation and delivery to the needs of specific target groups
Customise training content to meet clients’ needs
Use various training methodologies, tools and techniques to enhance engagement
Receive and provide feedback to enhance training delivery
Collaborate with other trainers and staff to exchange insights and co-develop training materials and programs

Ready to Inspire and Educate?

To apply, please follow the steps below:

Start your application via link
Upload your CV
Sign the Self Declaration of Clean Criminal Records Form
Submit a Short 3 min video, presenting yourself and/or a sample of your work, in either Greek or English (optional)
Provide an outline of at least two previous training programs on relevant topics, in either Greek or English (optional)

Please note: all shortlisted candidates will be required to deliver a half-hour workshop as part of the selection process.

Green Up Yourself Successfully Completes Platform Testing in Cyprus

Written by Hanna Yerega on 13/06/2024. Posted in Project News.

CARDET, in collaboration with the esteemed Green Up Yourself partners, successfully concluded a Learning, Training, and Teaching Activity in Nicosia, marking a pivotal moment in the project’s journey towards promoting green skills and entrepreneurial training for young people across Europe. Held from June 10 to June 13, the three-day LTTA focused on finalising the Green Up Learning platform and showcasing its revolutionary potential as a free resource for educators, trainers, and the younger generation to leverage the unique potential of rural areas.

Through insightful in-depth discussions and practical platform presentations, all partners had provided valuable feedback on three distinct sections of the platform: e-Course, Mentoring, and Classroom, as well as got to explore its full set of features aimed to meet varying learning needs. This crucial step has assisted Green Up Yourself project to further refine its content and functionalities, as well as ensure that the learning platform adheres to the highest standard before moving on to the next implementation phase.

Indeed, the preparation for the piloting stage was certainly one of the main objectives of the meeting. Not only have the partners discussed their experience and best practices on approaches, but they also took part in a specialised workshop on “How to Develop Piloting Workshops in Your Country.” With the gained practical and theoretical support and knowledge, the partners are now even more prepared to train youth and educators back in their home countries across the EU.

For more information about this ambitious initiative aimed at fostering environmental sustainability and green entrepreneurship among young individuals in rural areas, visit the official Green Up Yourself website. And don’t forget to stay tuned for the upcoming release of the learning platform populated with comprehensive modules on various aspects of green business and digital competencies.

Empowering Sustainability: SDG NAVIGATOR Releases New Resources for VET Educators and Trainers

Written by Hanna Yerega on 11/06/2024. Posted in Project News.

The SDG NAVIGATOR project, funded under the Erasmus+ programme, is excited to announce the official release of its latest resources aimed at transforming the landscape of vocational education and training (VET) through sustainability-driven entrepreneurial mindsets and skills. Together with the partners from Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, and Austria, the project has now successfully completed the Sustainability NAVIGATOR Learning Path and SDG NAVIGATOR Digital Hub & Toolbox, creating an innovative systematic approach to assist VET educators and trainers in promoting a more sustainable, social and eco-driven entrepreneurship culture.

Sustainability NAVIGATOR Learning Path (SNLP)

The Sustainability NAVIGATOR Learning Path (SNLP) offers a structured and comprehensive learning journey through seven stages of sustainability-driven entrepreneurship: get ready, discovery, planning, start-up, build-out, consolidation, and outreach. These modules are designed to enhance individuals’ entrepreneurial competences and maximise their impact on sustainability initiatives. By providing a variety of changemaking tools and learning resources, SNLP empowers learners to navigate and excel in the entrepreneurial process, and helps VET educators and trainers to assist through this process in a coherent and structured way.

SDG NAVIGATOR Digital Hub & Toolbox (SNDH)

The SDG NAVIGATOR Hub and Toolbox (SNDH) is an online, open-access platform that complements the SNLP. It integrates the Sustainability Changemakers Competences Dictionary (SCCD) with the SNLP to offer personalised and action-oriented learning experiences. The SNDH provides a thematic toolbox featuring interactive exercises, storytelling, videos, infographics, action cards, flashcards, quizzes, and more. These resources are tailored to support dynamic and tailored training on sustainability-driven entrepreneurship, making it easier for educators, consultants, and individuals to address specific competences and challenges.

Next Steps

Both the SNLP and SNDH are freely available on the SDG NAVIGATOR website in seven languages: German, Greek, English, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Slovenian, and Spanish. These resources ensure broad accessibility and support for VET learners, providers, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders across Europe.

Following the successful release of these resources, the project is now scheduled to move on to the piloting phase, where the proposed materials will be put into practice for further refinement and feedback. To stay in the loop with the future developments and to find information on how to get involved with this important initiative, please follow SDG Navigator Facebook page.