Professional qualification and supplementary skills for self-employed and one-person companies in the exhibition and event industry

"The project ready4future (""Professional qualification and supplementary skills for self-employed individuals and one-person companies in the exhibition and event industry"") contributes to the modernisation and internationalisation process in vocational education and training and supports the European agenda for new skills and employment.With the global crisis triggered by the Corona Pandemic, the international event industry has come to a complete shutdown. The question of when and how it will be possible again to hold events involving large numbers of people cannot be answered clearly and unambiguously in the near future. In concrete terms, the project aims to combat the acute threat of unemployment in the event industry. Often these are especially young, professionally inexperienced people, as well as career changers and immigrant workers who are particularly affected by a lack of qualification, competences and skills. A key question discussed by the project is: ""How can this target group be strengthened through qualification and competence acquisition, including the development of supplementary skills and of cross-sectional competences?"" In a working environment as multicultural and international as the event industry, it is necessary to tackle challenges in the field of qualification as well as training and further education transnationally. The organizations involved in the project ready4future are united by the European spirit and the ""good practice"" from numerous joint European cooperation and projects. One of the project's objectives is to examine and discuss the results of the successfully developed, sector-specific Erasmus+ projects (including the ECVAET series, TeBeVAT series, ETTE, LAAR, OiRA, TALQ, EI-Integr) by reflecting the latest developments and challenges. Furthermore, the consortium will discuss and develop answers to the following detailed questions:•How can the “antifragility” of the event industry and its actors, especially the self-employed, be strengthened? •What does this mean in concrete terms for the conception and adaptation of training and qualification of employees and stakeholders in the event industry? •How can the industry be supported by defining, developing and applying the urgently needed skillset for a new future? A catalogue of potential approaches is to be developed out of these questions. This also relates to topics like the digital and technological change and the perspectives of lifelong learning which play a key role in this context. Studies on success and influencing factors, the formation of country-specific aspects and common qualification levels are also included in the discussion and development process. In doing so, the consortium aims to integrate the European transparency systems (e.g. EQF, ECVET, ESCO) and standards (e.g. EQAVET) in the work processes.Three transnational partner meetings in Vienna (AT), Frankfurt (DE) and Brussels (BE) are the cornerstones of the joint cooperation. External national experts are also involved in the discussion and working process. The results from the discussion rounds are recorded and summarized in a report at the end of the project together with working papers. The cooperation during the transnational meetings is digitally supported by a ""Mutual Learning Seminar"", which is also used for preparation and follow-up. A series of online conferences addressing different kind of topics will be held between the partner meetings. The one-year strategic partnership, in which organizations from Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands and Austria collaborate, begins in October 2020 and ends in October 2021."