upgrade2europe

upgrade2europe

Many small and medium sized companies and organisations face challenges that hinder them in going to the European market. Among others such hindering factors could be the lack of training in field of Europeanisation, high costs of external consultation, and the lack of resources and institutional readiness.

The upgrade2europe (Ref. No: 2020-1-DE02-KA202-007626), co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme and being implemented between 01.10.2021 and 31.05.2023, intends to provide an answer to these challenges. Its aim is to provide educational actors, SMEs and SMOs with the necessary materials to develop and implement their own Europeanisation strategies, thus intensifying their activities in Europe across national borders.

The project has 3 main target groups:

  1. Educational providers from vocational and adult education
  2. Small and medium sized organisations, e.g. foundations and associations, are particularly relevant for the development of civil society in Europe
  3. Small and medium sized enterprises

Content Developed

In order to support the target groups, the partnership will develop numerous professional contents during the lifetime of the project. They are as follows:

  • Process Model that includes the theoretical basis of the target groups’ Europeanisation
  • Necessary knowledge, skills and competences for the independent Europeanisation and further organisational upgrade presented in the thematic blocks of the EQF curriculum
  • Handbook that articulates suggestions It will include suggestions for Europeanisation actions depending on the maturity level of the respective organisation
  • The Teaching and Learning Videos will present the overview of thematic blocks details in the curriculum
  • Digital Self-Assessment Tool based on the further development of the Europeanisation Tool 
  • 10-12 learning units sent weekly as an e-mail course

The members of the target groups will encounter several positive impacts of the developed tools, like they can stay competitive, strengthen their market position, create new work places, broaden their training offer, and contribute to strengthening the European economic area.

In case you have some questions or you are interested in the project, don’t hesitate to contact us on the following e-mail addresses: anastasiia.dudko@taltech.ee or silvia.lips@taltech.ee

For more information, visit upgrade2europe Facebook page

Upgrade2europe Newsletter

JULY 2023 / ISSUE 4

As the upgrade2europe project is getting close to its completion, the partnership had their last meeting in person in the middle of summer, on 18th July 2023. Our last meeting was hosted by the lead partner,  emcra – Europa aktiv nutzen in the German capital, Berlin.

The main focus of the partner meeting was on finalizing and harmonizing the IOs, on the Europewide dissemination and exploitation activities of the project products, the quality assurance, translation into 8 languages, and insertion of the language versions on the project website. The project partners were preparing enthusiastically for the Multiplier event that was being organised on the following day as well.

The project provides SMEs and SMOs, as well as VET organisations and trainers, with the necessary materials and tools for developing their Europeanization strategies and supports them in intensifying their international activities.

During the course of the project our consortium has developed an integrated digital learning tool and six complementary products that will be soon available online.

Using the results of the upgrade2europe project learners can acquire the necessary knowledge for the Europeanization of their organizations step by step and apply them in their daily work. At the same time, training providers can use the material and our curriculum for developing training offers.

In the finalization phase of the project, the partners are putting the last touches to the training materials.

The results of the project are:

  1. A Process Model that demonstrates how to advance systematically and successfully from national to European work.
  2. A Curriculum based on the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).
  3. The upgrade2europe Handbook, which facilitates personal and practical training at the workplace with the help of “ready-to-use” methods and tools.
  4. Teaching and learning videos that include important areas of Europeanization in thematic blocks and provide users an overview of the relevance of the learning areas.
  5. A digital self-assessment tool which learners can use to analyze the maturity of their organization for transnational work in Europe and receive individual recommendations for development.
  6. An e-mail course to increase the awareness of the importance of Europeanization. The e-mails are sent to subscribers weekly for the period of 3 months.

We are proud of the high quality project products, that are supporting the target groups in implementing their international ambitions in a personalized and tailormade manner, thus responding to their individual needs and challenges.

On 19th July 2023, the upgrade2europe project team had the pleasure of presenting the project results in Berlin, Germany, on the project Closing Conference, organised by the lead partner, the emcra GmbH.

The participants had the chance to learn about the project results: the Self-assessment tool, the Handbook , the Learning and Teaching Videos and the E-mail course. All these tools can help the small and medium sized companies and organisations as well as the training providers on their way towards international success. Two further presentations were held on the Process Model and the Curriculum that provide the theoretical basis for the project.

The participants worked together with the members of the project team to identify major challenges of international work, and were shown how to apply the project products to solve these challenges effectively. The event offered a great opportunity for networking both with national and international stakeholders.Within the framwork of an interview session, participants had the chance to hear what Europe means to us on the national, organisational and personal levels: the democratic values, the continues opportunities for self-development, the travel and working opportunities and equal chances are only a couple of the most important aspects mentioned.

Hereby we wish to thank all attendants for their interest in our project and in European work. We wish to thank also the project partners, whose committed work resulted in amazing products, supporting the international ambitions of SMEs, SMOs and training providers.

The upgrade2europe partnership met in the sunny Palermo on Sicily on 10-11 January 2023. The main focus of the partner meeting was on the conducted internal and external testing sessions that aimed at gathering input and feedback for the improvement and finalization of the project’s products. By incorporating testers’ feedback and improvement suggestions, it will be ensured that the Process Model, the Handbook, the Teaching and Learning Videos, the Self-Assessment Tool and the e-mail course are completely adjusted to the needs of SMEs, SMOs and training providers.

Altogether at least 64 external testers tested the project products in Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Hungary, Germany and Estonia, and used them for a two months’ period in their day-to-day work to improve their international activities and become more successful at the European market.

Internal testing sessions involved at least three testers in 6 partner institutions, further enriching the list of ideas for improvements of project products.

Partners also discussed ongoing project management issues, forthcoming tasks, dissemination activities and quality management aspects of the project.

After the fruitful meeting partners will be working on giving the project outputs their final shape ja conducting lots face-to-face meetings with the target groups, including national test workshops, round table discussions and national multiplier events.

etEesti