Capacity Building events
This report starts with the Capacity Building event held online on the 13th of September 2024 and led by two Italian members: FMTS and Aris Formazione.
The event “Utilizzo e vantaggi della realtà virtuale in ambito formativo e sociale” (Use and advantages of virtual reality in VET and the social sector) was focused on AI and other innovative pedagogies and assessment tools in VET and the social sector, thanks to the contribution of the above-mentioned Italian members. 25 participants joined the capacity building event in a lively learning environment.
Below the agenda and some screenshot of the Capacity Building event.
In addition, what is worth mentioning is the fact that the event has been proposed and organised by two new EfVET members, willing to collaborate and offer useful insights about their activity, also in view of disseminating their projects’ results.
The Annual National event
The 2025 National event took place in Matera, in connection with the Transnational events of the Cyanotipes and Mosaic projects on the 4th and 5th of March 2025, thanks to the excellent organisation by MateraHub. At the event the EfVET Secretary General Valentina Chanina and Susana Nogueira – Projects and Policy officer participated. The event was an interesting and effective combination of internal discussions and peer learning opportunities, including also site visits to handcraft workshops and exhibitions. A deepened knowledge on how Matera Hub works for make its training offer inclusive and tailored to the specific needs of its diverse target groups was a key element of the National event, also from an emotional point of view, getting in contact with very touchy personal stories from different learners with disadvantaged backgrounds.
The event has been the occasion to reinforce the collaboration and exchange among the Italian EfVET members, also by sharing thoughts and ideas on how to make EfVET a more productive and meaningful association for its members, particularly in view of increasing/improving cooperation at European level to start planning common projects designing through a more defined and structured system.
During the National event Paolo Montemurro General Director of Matera Hub and Lino Manosperta from the International projects Department of Teatro Pubblico Pugliese have launched the idea to create a new working group in EfVET focused on the Creative and Culture Industries – CCIs which is increasingly becoming a relevant economic sector, also with reference to VET skills needs and development in Italy as well as in Europe.
National Board ordinary activity
The regular planning of quarterly Board meetings on a fixed date (the 15th of Dec., March, June and Sept. if it falls on Saturday or Sunday it is reschedule the day after) has proven to be effective in:
- engaging mew members who have the chance to introduce themselves;
- planning the online Capacity Building events and the National Annual event;
- discussing the role of EfVET at National level, especially with reference to advocacy and lobbying towards the policy makers and the Institutions.
The four roles as National Coordinator, Deputy Coordinator, Secretary and Communication officer have been confirmed as functional to smoothen the decision-making process and monitor the main issues raising within the association at National level.
Moreover, with the aim to progress in members’ engagement and increase visibility of EfVET in Italy as key stakeholder in VET for both Institutions/PAs and other VET providers, during the in-presence meeting held in Amersfoort, the Board has decided to design and deliver an online survey targeting all the members with the aim to update the former mapping of their needs and expectations, investigated in 2021. In addition, questions related to their specific areas of work and contribution they can bring to EfVET have been added so as to set the ground also for building common activities and projects at Transnational level. The survey questions have been shared with the Executive Director Paolo Nardi considering that also at European level a similar one was planned to be launched.
Therefore, the survey has been launched at the end of January 2025, with 2 different deadlines to give members the opportunity to fill it. A report with the main results and specific expectations and contribution of EfVET Italian partners has been prepared by the team involved in the survey design and analysis (an Italian version is available and has been shared with Paolo Nardi).
In view of strengthening EfVET Italia role and visibility at National level, Scuola Centrale Formazione – SCF, a very active member, invited the coordinator Sylvia Liuti to take part to an important conference they organised within the context of SCF 50 anniversary. The event took place in Este (FE) on the 11th of April and represented one more occasion for the coordinator to present the Association and specifically EfVET Italia to all the providers intervening. Below the event flyer:
In the meeting held in June, the Board also decided to set up two internal small work groups, each focused on:
- designing the Advocacy role of EfVET Italia, current members are: Sylvia Liuti, Rita Festi, Monica Pillitu, Francesca Di Paolantonio, Monica Verzola, Chiara di IFOA, Veronica Vasilescu;
- monitoring members’ needs and contribution, through a regular update of the survey and by preparing a welcome kit for new members which includes the survey as starting point to “getting to know each other”.
In addition, it is worth mentioning that thanks to a proposal from Luca Calligaro, an ever-active member since the Board constitution, on July the 1st an online event has been organised to discuss the first evaluation report of the accredited mobility programmes from Erasmus + National Agency to:
- share common concerns and feedback;
- discuss and comment on the evaluation itself;
- point out possible lessons learned or element to be further investigated.
As a general conclusion it is important to underline that there is a increase of participation in the last Board meetings and more commitment to make the association better structured and well known in Italy, although the communication among members is not always effective, especially with reference to the events organised at National level which can be the appropriate occasions to make EfVET Italia more visible and acknowledged as key VET stakeholder.