Trajnostno hortikulturno oblikovanje zunanjega prireditvenega prostora - izobraževalni modul za prihodnost

<< Background >>The COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed consumer habits. There has been an increased demand for outdoor socializing and the use of plants to improve living environments. As a result, new needs have emerged for specific knowledge in the field of horticultural design of outdoor event spaces. The lead partner already experienced a shortage of experts in this type of planning during the pandemic. The partners conducted a labour market analysis and found that educational programmes are not adapting quickly enough to these changes. The survey included vocational schools, educational institutions, hotels, agritourism providers, and development agencies. As many as 81% of respondents confirmed the need for new content and its practical application. The project addresses knowledge gaps, strengthens sustainable design, promotes the local production of ornamental plants, and supports the preservation of native plant varieties. In doing so, it responds to the needs of the market, education, and broader society, and represents an important contribution to the development of green infrastructure.<< Objectives >>The general objectives (GO1) of the project were to adapt vocational and professional education to labour market needs and to improve the quality assurance of vocational education and training. The specific objectives (SO) were: enhancing and acquiring new knowledge, skills, and competences required by teachers from partner organisations to implement the goal of WP2/A – a freely accessible e-platform with a curriculum, teacher’s manual, and learning content for the module Sustainable Horticultural Design of Outdoor Event Spaces, including video materials and knowledge assessment tasks. Through this, we achieved the creation of new, innovative, or joint curricula and courses, enhanced employability, and the development of training courses. LTT1 contributed to plant knowledge, good practice examples, and marketing, while LTT2 focused on practical work, interdisciplinary cooperation, and the development of recommendations. The e-platform, available in five languages (SL, EN, HR, IT, PL), also supports the horizontal priority of digital transformation.<< Implementation >>The project included regular management activities, such as partner coordination, report preparation, organisation of the kick-off meeting, international coordination meetings held both in person and via Google Meet, regular internal communication, and ongoing monitoring of the timeline and content implementation. We established a process for collecting learning materials, technical preparation, and language adaptation, which enabled the development of digital materials and their integration into the online environment. We carried out two learning activities (LTT): the first focused on identifying new plant varieties, examples of good practices, and marketing in horticulture, while the second centred on interdisciplinary practical training for teachers and students. We conducted testing of the online learning environment with participants in all partner countries. As part of dissemination, we organised several webinars, held practical workshops, prepared a roundtable discussion, and participated in in-person events to present project activities. All activities were carried out in a coordinated manner and according to the planned timeline.<< Results >>The project results include the development of a curriculum for the module Sustainable Horticultural Design of Outdoor Event Spaces and recommendations for teachers on how to implement it. A freely accessible online learning platform was created, featuring learning content divided into five professionally designed units: infrastructure, plant knowledge, plant use, sustainable design, and marketing. Each unit includes learning texts with motivational introductions, video materials, practical tasks, and a final test. Upon successfully passing the test, the participant receives a partial certificate. After completing all five units, participants can take a comprehensive test and obtain a full certificate for the entire HDS module, which meets the requirement for receiving a Europass supplement for 5 ECVET points. Instructions for obtaining the certificate are available on the website. The content is available in several languages (SI, HR, SK, RS, EN), enabling broader international use.