craft and smes VET-NET | PROJECT ACTIVITIES
Craft and SMEs VET NET
International Online Conference of SMEs Vocational
Education Training Providers (VET)
2nd INTERMEDIATE Event
“CONTINUING VET: THE KEY FACTOR FOR SMEs SUSTAINABLE GROWTH – NEW CHALLENGES & STRATEGIES”
16-17 September 2021 –Thessaloniki – Greece
The Conference will take place as an online event at 16- 17 September 2021 during the week that Thessaloniki International Fair will be organized as well.
Introduction
New challenges faced by Craft/Micro-Small-to-Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are increasing as well as uncertainty in the existing business environment, especially after the COVID-19 crisis. Some of them are related to global changes that increase competition or to new skills needs and new Market conditions require adaptability and awareness on the recovery and growth potential of Digital and Ecological transformation.
Moreover, the risk of Internal Market fragmentations, due to not converging and unprecedented market competition conditions for craft and SMEs, will need to be addressed with specific support programs by EU/ National/regional policymakers.
There are also societal issues, like climate change, or fewer opportunities for third countries that increase SMEs concerns.
Taking all the above challenges under consideration, National Recovery and Resilience Plans approved in July 2021 by the European Commission should be geared, exploited, and monitored to the emerging sector training and new competences needs of craft and SMEs.
Main Conference objectives
Continuing Craft SMEs VET providers impact on these challenges as a key element for deal and respond with these challenges: a crucial activity for the future of European SMEs that require a deepened analysis on the training needs and a rapid cross sector business process transformation of upskill and reskill in order to deal with the new markets and SMEs global value chains, new products/services, demands and issues of a mutated world.
The Conference will focus on:
- Main national and regional obstacles and entrepreneurship models, sector based best practices exchange and SMEs VET solutions and future opportunities for European and not European CRAFT and SMEs providers and will confront on.
- How EU/national/regional third policies on C-VET could facilitate and support new role and meaning that SMEs C-VET providers is going to assume for SMEs and in general for the whole society.
- How to further promote and capitalize the results emerged until now during the exchange of Know-how and experiences took place in the framework of the CRAFT AND SMEs VET NET Community Platform.
Main target groups
The main target groups for the Conference are composed of EU and international Craft and SME training bodies offering in adult education, continuous VET national providers and trainers, business and industrial cultural Foundations, specialized media, invited Social Partners (SMEunited and ETUC), EU/National /sector based Representative Organizations of SMEs (Digital Alliance, UETR, EBC, Coiffeur EU, CEPEC), Chambers, HEI, Cedefop, ETF and EACEA but is as well opened to Schools and Universities, Students, learning, Civil Society Organizations and consumers organizations
Themes & Round Tables
1-Digitalization and SMEs
Specifically, in order to address current challenges, C-VET providers and networks have to follow the Craft and SMEs needs and the incoming request that technology brings. New educational opportunities and digital learning technologies and methods for upskilling and reskilling should be provided to companies and employees. The range and nature of opportunities and the challenges faced by SMEs, in the context of digitalization and technological developments, will be discussed in “roundtables”.
2-Climate Change
Most SMEs say that their actions cannot influence the environmental issue such as climate change. However, this topic remains a significant concern for everyone, and especially, for many businesses, resulting changes which will present both challenges and opportunities. Thus, this is Existing Best practices and future actions will be included in the Event’s Agenda.
3-SMEs & CVET in third countries
SMEs are a fundamental part of the economy in all countries, and they play a crucial role in furthering growth, innovation and prosperity. However, there is a significant necessary for reforms of the CVET systems in the third countries (e.g., West Balkans, non-EU Mediterranean Countries) in order to support their modernization. Reasons and solution will be discussed during the Event.
4-Recovery and Resilience
A significant topic of the Event will be regarding the National Plans for Recovery and Resilience that aim to mitigate the economic and social impact and make SMEs economies and societies more sustainable, resilient and better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the green and digital transitions.
Background CVET material
A list of background documents dealing with vet policies at EU level are available in the Craft VET NET Community Platform Repository. Please register to the platform to have access to this repository for your better information via the following link:
The Craft and SMEs Community platform
Craft and SMEs VET NET Community platform is dedicated to build the first European Community of Practice (CoP) focused on C-VET. The objective is to create a space for a common European perspective about C-VET. A bottom-up process that involves all the possible interested members: C-VET providers, professional trainees, institutions at regional, national, and European levels. A place to discuss and meet others, to share resources, issues and ideas, a place to attended courses, to improve skills.
In the Community’s platform there are tools, contents, information’s, debates, new maps of the changing landscapes of Continuous VET: a place to discuss and learn but more than all a place to build with us through your participation.
More specific, the Conference topics will be anticipated some days before the conference and will continue to be debated on the Craft VET NET Community Platform Forum as a follow-up in view of the 3rd project event: FINAL CONFERENCE at 9 – 10 December 2021 in Brussels. Please register to the platform to participate in the above-mentioned dialogue via the following link:
The organizer
The Conference is organized by the Small Enterprises Institute of the Helenic Confederation of Professionals Craftsmen & Merchants (IME GSEVEE) in the framework of Crafts and SMEs vocational and educational training network, that is an EU innovative network supported by the EC ERASMUS+ Program.
Five distinct training, research and representative bodies at National and European level (ECIPA CNA, EFQBL, IME GSEVEE, PIMEC, SME ACADEMY) participate in a European project consortium which aims to establish a network for the development of value added continuous vocational and educational training to support Craft & SMEs in their cross sector digital transition.
International Online Conference of SMEs Vocational Education Training Providers (VET): Topics and schedule
International Online Conference of SMEs Vocational Education Training Providers (VET): Agenda
First day Thursday 16th September 2021: 10.15 – 17:00 (CEST)
10:00 – 10:15 Technical set-up and login of the participants
10:15 – 10:45 Welcome open introduction
Mr Georgios Kavvathas – Small Enterprises Institute of GSEVEE (IME GSEVEE), President
Mr Alban Maggiar – SMEunited, President
10:45 – 13:30 Opening Plenary Session: New EU programme period 2021-27 – New Challenges & opportunities for Continuing VET
10:45 – 11:00 Dr Charles Dannreuther – Professor in European Political Economy, Research, Expert at SME Academy Avignon
11:00 – 11:10 Ms Malgorzata Kozak – DG Education & Culture (EAC), Policy Officer responsible for Adult Education (AE) / Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships
11:10 – 11:20 Mr Loukas Zahilas, – European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) Head of Department for VET Systems and Institutions
11:20 – 11:30 Mr. Christopoulos Georgios – Representative of European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) for the Executive Committee of Cedefop
11:30 – 11:40 Mr Panagiotis Gkofas – European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Member of Group III
11:40 – 12:00 Q&A
12:00 – 12:15 Short Break
12:15 – 13:00 Panel Discussion
Mr Rob Versteeg – European Vocational Training Association (EVTA),Treasurer
Mr Theodore Grassos – European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB), Secretary General
Mr Stefano Tirati – European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Efvet), Vice President
13:00 – 13:10 Ms Marieke Vandeweyer, – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Labour Market Economist – Skills & Employability Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs
13:10 – 13:20 Mr Fotios Athanasopoulos – State Scholarships Foundation (IKY), General Director
13:20 – 13:30 Ms Isabelle Le Mouillour – Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (Bibb), Head of area 3.1 VET in international comparison, research and monitoring
Moderator: Mr Vassilis Siomadis, IME GSEVEE, Responsible for EU projects
13:30 – 14:00 Break
14:00 – 15:20 Roundtable 1: Digitalization of SMEs & CVET
14:00 – 14:15 Mr Marco Bettiol – University of Padova, Professor in Economic and Business Management
14:15 – 14:25 Mr Antonis Angelakis – Small Enterprises Institute of GSEVEE (IME GSEVEE), Expert on digital transition
14:25 – 14:35 Mr Juan José Berbel – Petita Mitjana Empresa de Catalunya (PIMEC), President of PIMEC Innovation and Digitization Commission
14:35 – 14:45 Mr Roberto Corbelli – Italian Confederation of Craft Trades and Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CNA), President of CNA Riccione.
14:45 – 15:15 Discussion
Moderator: Mr Luca Reitano, Foundation ECIPA CNA, Craft and Smes Project Manager, e-learning expert
15:15 – 15:30 Short Break
15:30 – 17:00 Roundtable 2: Green Skills / Climate Change & CVET
15:30 – 15:45 Ms Irene Terzidou – Institute of Energy of South East Europe, Researcher
15:45 – 15:55 Mr Carlos León – Petita Mitjana Empresa de Catalunya (PIMEC), Commission Member at Pimec
15:55 – 16:05 Ms Barbara Gatto – Italian Confederation of Craft Trades and Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CNA), Expert from the Green Sector Department of CNA
16:05 – 16:15 Mr Leonidas Vatikiotis – Small Enterprises Institute of GSEVEE (IME GSEVEE), Expert on Climate Change
16:15 – 17:00 Discussion
Moderator: Mr Dimitris Bimpas – Economist / SMEs expert at SME Academy Avignon
17:00 End of the 1st day
Second day Friday 17th September: 9.30 – 14.00(CEST)
09:15 – 09:30 Technical set-up and login of the participants
09:30 – 11:15 Roundtable 3: CVET & SMEs in third Countries
09:30 – 09:45 Mr Georgios Zisimos – European Training Foundation (ETF), Head of Policy Advice and EU Programming Unit
09:45 – 09:55 Ms Aggeliki Bouziani – Head of the Managing Authority of European Territorial Cooperation Programmes
09:55 – 10:05 Mr Aleksandar Stevanovic – Serbian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (SASME), President of the Economic Council
10:05 – 10:15 Ms Mirsada Mehremic – International University of Sarajevo, Professor
10:15 – 10:25 Ms Charo Cuart – Petita Mitjana Empresa de Catalunya (PIMEC), Head of European educational innovation projects at the company STUCOM
10:25 – 10:35 Mr Yaman Ömer Erzurumlu – Bahcesehir University International, Professor
10:35 – 10:45 Mr Antonio Franceschini – Italian Confederation of Craft Trades and Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CNΑ), National Secretary of CNA Federmoda
10:45 – 10:55 Mr Grigoris Zarotiadis – Association of Economic Universities of South and Eastern Europe and the Black Sea Region (ASECU), President
10:55 – 11:20 Discussion
Moderator: Mr Vassilis Siomadis, IME GSEVEE, Responsible for EU projects
11:20 – 11:30 Short Break
11:30 – 12:30 Roundtable 4: The role of CVET & SMEs in NPRRs
11:30 – 11:45 Mr Francesc Colomé Montserrat – Associated expert of Jaume Bofill Foundation & Former Secretary of Educational Policies in the Department of Education of Generalitat de Catalunya
11:45 – 11:55 Mr Claudio Cappellini – Italian Confederation of Craft Trades and Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CNA), Head of European Office CNA
11:55 – 12:05 Ms Ioanna Makri, Small Enterprises Institute of GSEVEE (IME GSEVEE), CVET Expert
12:05 – 12:30 Discussion
Moderator: Ms M. Angels Benitez, PIMEC, Training & Employment Policies Technician
12:30 – 12:40 Short Break
12:40 – 13:30 Closure Plenary Session: Synthesis of the main Conclusions/ Findings from the roundtables
12:40 – 12:50 Mr Luca Reitano, Foundation ECIPA CNA, Craft and SMEs Project Manager, e-learning expert
12:50 –13:00 Mr Dimitris Bimpas – Economist / SMEs expert at SME Academy Avignon
13:00 –13:10 Mr Vassilis Siomadis, IME GSEVEE, Responsible for EU projects
13:10 –13:20 Ms M. Angels Benitez, PIMEC, Training & Employment Policies Technician
13:20 – 13:30 Q&A
Moderator: Mr Luca Reitano, Foundation ECIPA CNA, Craft and Smes Project Manager, e-learning expert
13:30 End of the Conference
Format: Due to COVID 19 and social distance obligations both days will be organized online: people from all parts of Europe could connect and discuss with us during the foreseen Questions time from all over Europe. The speech will be held through a webinar platform.
Organizing Committee:
Giuseppe Vivace, Luca Reitano – Foundation ECIPA CNA; Dimitris Bimpas – SME Academy Avignon; Vasilis Siomadis – IME GSEVEE; M. Àngels Benítez – PIMEC; Peter Mazohl – EFQBL
Contact:
Mr. Vassilis Siomadis
Mail: siomadis@imegsevee.gr
