Gastro-Guide, new professional profile for rural sustainability through education and promotion of agro-food and gastronomy

<< Background >>The project focused on the strengthening of the competences in the tourism especially in the Gastronomy tourism in rural low development regions through the development of the professional profile of the person who works as coach/trainer to inhabitants (mainly young, unemployment, women, disable) to cover their lack of skills regarding the local communities; gastronomy, cultural and natural heritage. Tourism is the largest employer of young people, migrants, part-time workers and women. It’s the main entry point to the labor market and provides job opportunities to people who want to re-enter the labor market. Businesses and the workforce must adapt to new technologies, new market demands and changes in customer behavior and expectations.The project through the training and the certification of Gastro- Guide, covers the lack of training/coaching in rural areas. The GASTRO-GUIDE helps local villagers express their knowledge to those who come in order to welcome better the visitors. He gains the didactic collaboration and the hospitality of his own neighbors by teaching them the skills of receiving visitors.He encourages his local villagers’ neighbors to be enterprising by producing handmade food, ceramics,rehabilitating old houses.<< Objectives >>We have achieved our objectives: - we have developed a new professional profile for Gastro-Guides in the area of gastronomy and cultural tourism in rural areas. -we have created a CURRICULUM which includes 5 Units (Training modules) covering the training needs of Gastro-GuideMODULE1 - FUNDAMENTALS OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITYMODULE 2 – IDENTITY AND CONTEXT OF GASTRONOMIC TOURISMMODULE 3 - ENTREPRENEURSHIP & SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION IN AGRO& GASTRO TOURISMMODULE 4. PRESENTATION AND COMMUNICATION SKILLSMODULE 5. COACHING AND MENTORING--we have developed a website platform which includes -the E-LEARNING, networking between the GASTRO-GUIDES in Europe (Gastro-Guide Community) and information about Gastro-Guides and their regions and local recipes in the interactive map- we have created and uploaded 50 GASTRO-GUIDES videos in the youtube channel, as well as a GAtsro -Guide Routes document which includes the stories of the 50 Gastro-Guides and a local recipe from each of them<< Implementation >>In the project participated 9 partners from 6 countries in Northern and Southern Europe who collaborated in each activity: transnational and online meetings, creation of the project results, LTTA, Multiplier events etc.The first major activity was: the Identification of the training needs of the new profile, as a first step to recognize the special needs and the level of competences need the Gastro-Guide as coach. The survey in the rural regions in each participating country led the consortium to the correct curriculum for the profile. The Identification had 3 phases: -a bibliography research for the existing situation in the rural areas in each participating country, accordingly the already known lack of knowledge of the people in the rural areas, in the sector of gastronomy and culture tourism. - a survey in the field, using questionnaires and the following national reports - a state of the art which compared the above two phases. The state of the art concluded on the results of the research and the survey and highlighted the necessary training needs. The second major activity was creating the curriculum and training for the Gastro-Guide, together with designing the multifunctional professional profile of GASTRO-GUIDE, by enclosing the following competences: 1. Know the local food products. How they are produced, qualities, kinds, etc. 2. Know and improve culinary techniques and processes with local quality food. 3. Know the other local attractions for visitors and tourists. 4. Organize tourist packages and visits for tourists. 5. Know pedagogical skills in order to transmit knowledge and practical techniques so as to fit in the knowledge value process. 6. Collaborate and network with other local hosts from other European regions. The third major activity was the creation of the online platform that includes the online training for a person to become a Gastro-Guide, (PR2), the Gastro Guides Community, the interactive map with the 50 Gastro-Guides and the document (PR4) including the stories of the Gastro-Guides, their advice for others to become Gastro-Guides and also a local recipe from each.<< Results >>Project Result 1: Identification of the professional profile and training needs of Gastro-GuideProject Result 2: Training Modules and Profesional ProfileProject Result 3: Online platform with e-learning platform, website, Community, online youtube channel, interactive map with 50 Gastro-GuidesProject Result 4: Gastro-Guide Routes, a PDF with presentation of each Gastro-Guide and their regions and local recipe, and 50 Gastro-Guide videos