Flora creates working places

"""Flora creates working places"" project was a competency based approach where formal education met non-formal learning in floristry designers education and training. Six partners - vocational schools from Italy and Spain, private company from Portugal, non-governmental organizations with VET profile from Estonia, Poland and representatives of work of world from each partners' country are involved in this Erasmus+ Programme strategic partnership project with coordinator Fundacja Integracji Społecznej FIS (Poland).The general objective of the project was to enhance the quality and relevance of the learning offer in education and training by developing new and innovative approaches and support the dissemination of best practices. Project partners involved own staff members and students/learners to be trained and become multipliers of new competencies and experience in own and other organizations/ educational institutions in own and other countries in Europe.The specific objectives of the project were relevant to Erasmus+ Programme objectives:1) increasing labour market relevance of learning provision and qualifications and reinforcing links between education training with the world of work and particularly in floristry;2) promoting take-up of innovative practices in education and training by supporting personalized learning approaches, collaborative learning and critical thinking, strategic use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), opening educational resources (OER) and innovative learning methods;3) increasing vocational competencies of project participants; 4) reducing the number of youth unemployed, migrants and unemployed in the age group 50+;5) awakening and reinforcement of creativity and innovation;6) supporting synergy and cross-sectoral cooperation and learning of all involved to the project;7) offering tools and results for everyday work activities to the partners' organizations and all interested;8) cooperation with labour market for career guidance and response to its demands for qualified workers in the floristry;9) develop international cooperation and dialogue between partners, sharing the best practices in learning and teaching;10) facilitating development in the vocational education via EU funded projects.There were a few target groups in ""Flora creates working places"" project: 1) staff members from partners' organisations, 2) students/ learners from partners' organizations, 3) participants of dissemination events (florists, designers, educators, different stakeholders, general public etc), 4) web-surfers engaged in social networks and in the reading/watching of partners websites. There were representatives of disadvantaged groups among participants of this project: people from rural areas (Italy, Poland, Malta) and undeveloped urban areas ( Portugal, Estonia), unemployed (Estonia, Spain, Poland), national minorities (Estonia), migrants (Italy, Malta, Spain). More than 200 people were directly involved to this project and more than 500 during dissemination activities. International and local training courses, seminars, study visits, communication and dissemination activities took place in this project. The project activities were aiming at increasing the cooperation among institutions, organizations, enterprises and third parties in terms of volume and quality collaboration for the project partners and for other external project stakeholders and interested organizations. All the project partners were involved at local and European levels: at local level via trainings, seminars and study visits chosen in order to maximize partners' expertise and fulfill local needs, while at international level fostering broader participation. At the international level there were 4 project meetings and 2 training courses during the project months. Furthermore the project promoted encouragement of cooperation between VET, the world of work, high education, NGOs and private companies via the advancement of the best practices linked with different stakeholders involved at different degrees in recognition of formal/ informal qualifications, the matching about job and workplaces needs. The impact of the project were seen in the development of better mobilities experiences, recognition of in/formal competencies, the promotion of modern languages and the development of ICT contents. The work on the project tangible result -E- Book, E-Album with the best practices of flowers' decorations and videos about flowers compositions for different occasions: Christmas, Easter, birthdays, weddings, Valentine's Day etc. - were undertaken by the international and local teams. Among other results generated by partners there were study materials in vocational education contents, new competencies and opportunities for future cooperation as the potential long term benefits."