Alliance for Digital Practice Enterprise Events

"<< Background >>The Practice Enterprise bridged gaps between education and the business world, strengthening inclusivity and empowering youth to control their learning. It enhanced academic skills, reignited interest in education, and raised enthusiasm for lifelong learning. Online youth events connected peers across Europe, actively engaging youth, fostering motivation, initiative, creativity, and responsibility.The JOINUS project improved access to training and qualifications by providing a safe online event space for youth. Low-skilled participants acquired skills through a peer-sharing model, simulating work-based experiences without real-world consequences. This allowed repetitive practice without fear of mistakes, enhancing virtual mobility and learning new ways of working, including remote learning.The project developed a future-proof event model, maintaining pedagogical accessibility during crises. The demand for both in-person and online events remained high. JOINUS ensured inclusivity, enabling youth organizations from economically challenged regions to continue their internationalization strategy. The project aimed to build a future-proof online solution while enhancing digital skills acquisition for all participants.<< Objectives >>JOINUS analyzed, benchmarked, and developed a platform for online youth events in the Practice Enterprise program. It created a digital model for 120,000 youth annually, facilitating virtual, practice-oriented transnational activities.As an alternative to live events, JOINUS enabled 5000 Practice Enterprises from 17 European countries to participate in online events, fostering a virtual international community. The project emphasized innovative methods, pedagogies, and content supporting ICT in education. Online events included fairs, competitions, challenges, and exchanges.JOINUS provided a digital experience for online job skills learning, integrating new approaches to mobility and trends in online job-based training. This prepared youth for hybrid in-person/online business environments, developing online learning and work skills. The project strengthened key competences for lifelong learning, including online communication, digital competencies, learning to learn, and initiative and entrepreneurship, aligning with the Top 10 Skills in 2025 by the World Economic Forum.<< Implementation >>Scaled events and competitions were regularly held across Europe and internationally each year; however, many were outright canceled over the past 18 months. Our goal was to offer a transferable and adaptable model for online events, enabling our partners and connected networks to continue hosting Practice Enterprise events through an accessible and inclusive online format.Partners drafted documentation and guides for planning JOINUS events, providing a step-by-step process, timeline, checklists, and necessary IT requirements for youth participants, trainers, and organizers. They also offered examples for potential costs.In-person event and activity models were reworked and adapted to the consortium's needs for moving activities online. The model's visuals, terminology, and wording were adjusted for Practice Enterprise youth participants and trainers. Examples for an online setup were tested, and possible designs/options were presented. Options for online competitions and challenges were modeled and developed, including enterprise challenges, elevator pitch competitions, business plan competitions, and networking events.The plan and model were combined, used for, and included in the second result: the platform and online resources for online events. The key components of this result were guides and resource documents, aiming to provide intuitive, easily accessible, transferable, and concise information. Text-based explanations were kept to a minimum, with infographics and visuals applied for appeal. Short how-to videos were produced for more technical processes. Texts, infographics, visuals, and videos linked to further resources, such as research publications, additional examples, suggestions for adaptations, and other findings. Resources beyond the JOINUS project's scope were added and made available. An overall look and feel to the guides, including terminology, colors, fonts, etc., were produced in accordance with the project's visual identity.<< Results >>The JOINUS project is a two-year Erasmus+ initiative dedicated to developing in-person, online, and blended event formats for Practice Enterprises1. The website is designed to support event organizers, mainly Central Offices for Practice Enterprises, in the preparation, management, and follow-up of in-person, online, and hybrid events.The key outputs and results of the project:1.Event Formats: The project developed various event formats that can easily be adapted to different requirements and needs, such as the target group, national curricula, or the training of specific skill sets.2.Increased Training: The project has enabled increased training opportunities. For instance, the Italian Central Office was able to increase the number of teachers trained per year from around 50 to over 400 through online webinars.3.Enhanced Learning Experience: The project has provided a safe online event environment for youth, allowing them to acquire skills and competences in a peer-sharing model. They can simulate a work-based event experience without fearing the consequences of making mistakes associated with real-world events.4.Future-Proof Event Model: The project has developed a future-proof event model that maintains pedagogical accessibility even during times of crisis.5.Increased Internationalization: The inclusivity of the JOINUS project allows youth organizations from economically challenged regions to continue their internationalization strategyDownloadable Resources:•The ""Organization Checklist for Social Media Competitions"" is beneficial for Central Offices new to organizing such events or those lacking extensive experience.•Central Offices unfamiliar with organizing PE fairs or those seeking guidance can benefit from the ""Organization Checklist for Online Practice Enterprise Events.""•Similarly, Practice Enterprises participating in events for the first time or those with limited experience can utilize the ""Organization Checklist for Online Practice Enterprise Events.""Useful Practice: A useful practice is ""Connecting to External Events,"" which involves leveraging established popular events like Vocational Skills Week, Global Entrepreneurship Week, EU Day of Languages, etc., to amplify the reach of a newly organized event. By associating with these established events, the new initiative gains enhanced visibility and attracts a broader audience."