Call for proposals
Erasmus+, Key Action 2 “Sector Skills Alliances” - EAC/A05/2017
(2017/C 361/04)
Objectives and description
The European Commission published its 2018 Call for Proposals for Erasmus+,
the European Union's programme for mobility and cooperation in
education, training, youth and sport. With its annual budget expected to
increase by ?200 million, Erasmus+ will provide an unprecedented number
of opportunities for individuals and organisations in Europe and
beyond.
Sector Skills Alliances aim at
tackling skills gaps with regard to one or more occupational profiles
in a specific sector. They do so by identifying existing or emerging
sector-specific labour market needs (demand side), and by enhancing the
responsiveness of initial and continuing vocational education and
training (VET) systems, at all levels, to the labour market needs
(supply side). Drawing on evidence regarding skills needs, Sector Skills
Alliances support the design and delivery of transnational vocational
training content, as well as teaching and training methodologies for
European professional core
profiles.
Sector
Skills Alliances for strategic sectoral cooperation on skills identify
and develop concrete actions to match demand and supply of skills to
support the overall sector-specific growth strategy. This should be
achieved through actions aimed at the following objectives:
· identification of existing and emerging skills needs for professions in specific sectors;
· strengthening the exchange of knowledge and practice between education and training institutions and the labour market;
· modernising VET by adapting provision to skills needs;
· integrating
work-based learning in VET provision, and exploiting its potential to
drive economic development and innovation, increasing the
competitiveness of the sectors concerned;
· building
mutual trust, facilitating cross-border certification and therefore
easing professional mobility in a sector, and increasing recognition of
qualifications at European level within a sector;
· improving
skills intelligence and providing a clear strategy and instruments to
address skills shortages in specific economic sectors.
Sector
Skills Alliances are transnational projects identifying or drawing on
existing and emerging skills needs in a specific economic sector and/or
translating these needs into vocational curricula to respond to those
needs. A particular focus will be on digital skills as they are
increasingly important on all job profiles across the entire labour
market.
The call is divided in three lots:
1. Lot 1: Sector Skills Alliances for skills needs identification
will work at sectoral level in order to provide clear and detailed
evidence of what the needs and gaps are. This would make it possible to
address such gaps through training provision, whether it is VET-based
(Lot 2) or other education and training.
2. Lot 2: Sector Skills Alliances for design and delivery of VET
will work to design and deliver common training content for vocational
programmes for one or several related profession/s in a sector, as well
as teaching and training methodologies. A particular focus is to be put
on work-based learning, providing learners with the skills required by
the labour market. Lot 2 - Sector Skills Alliances are required to apply
EU wide instruments and tools such as the EQF, ECVET, EQAVET.
3. Lot 3: Sector Skills Alliances for implementing a new strategic approach (Blueprint) to sectoral cooperation on skills:
The Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills is one of the ten
actions in the New Skills Agenda for Europe. In the current call, the
Blueprint will be implemented in six sectors that are experiencing
severe skills shortages. Alliances under Lot 3 will support the
implementation of the Blueprint by developing a sectoral skills
strategy. This strategy has to lead to systemic and structural impact on
reducing skills shortages, gaps and mismatches, as well as ensuring
appropriate quality and levels of skills to support growth, innovation
and competitiveness in the sector. The sectoral skills strategy must
include a clear set of activities, milestones and well-defined outputs
with the goal to match demand and supply of skills to support the
overall sector specific growth strategy. The objectives of Lot 1
(forecasting skills demand) and Lot 2 (responding to identified skills
needs through design and delivery of VET) have to be included in the
sectoral skills strategy.
Eligible participants
Any
public or private body active in the fields of education, training,
youth and sport may apply for funding within the Erasmus+ Programme.
In addition, groups of young people who are active in youth work, but
not necessarily in the context of a youth organisation, may apply for
funding for learning mobility of young people and youth workers as well
as for strategic partnerships in the field of youth. The Erasmus+
Programme is open to the participation of the following countries:
· the 28 Member States of the European Union,
· the EFTA/EEA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway,
· EU candidate countries: Turkey and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
More specifically, the following rules of participation apply per lot:
1. Lot 1: Sector Skills Alliances for skills needs identification:
The
Sector Skills Alliance must cover at least 12 Programme Countries and
include at least 2 full partners, out of which at least 1 represents the
industry and at least 1 represents education and training providers.
All sectors except the six sectors that are eligible under Lot 3.
2. Lot 2: Sector Skills Alliances for design and delivery of VET:
The
Sector Skills Alliance must cover at least 4 Programme Countries and
include at least 8 full partners, out of which at least 3 are companies,
industry or sector representatives (e.g. chambers or trade
associations), and at least 3 are education and training providers. All
sectors except the six sectors that are eligible under Lot 3.
3. Lot 3: Sector Skills Alliances for implementing a new strategic approach (Blueprint) to sectoral cooperation on skills:
The
Sector Skills Alliance must cover at least 8 Programme Countries and
include at least 12 full partners, out of which at least 5 are
companies, industry or sector representatives (e.g. chambers, trade
unions or trade associations), and at least 5 are education and training
providers. The following sectors are eligible:
· additive manufacturing;
· construction;
· maritime shipping;
· peer based value chains;
· renewables and green technology;
· steel industry.
Please refer to the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for further details on the modalities of participation.
Funding conditions
Maximum EU contribution awarded for a Lot 1 - Sector Skills Alliance for skills needs identification (2 years): 330 000 EUR.
Maximum EU contribution awarded for a Lot 1 - Sector Skills Alliance for skills needs identification (3 years): 500 000 EUR.
Maximum EU contribution awarded for a Lot 2 – Sector Skills Alliance for design and delivery of VET (2 years): 700 000 EUR.
Maximum EU contribution awarded for a Lot 2 – Sector Skills Alliance for design and delivery of VET (3 years): 1 000 000 EUR.
Maximum EU contribution awarded for a Lot 3 – Sector Skills Alliance for implementing a new strategic approach (Blueprint) to sectoral cooperation on skills (4 years): 4 000 000 EUR.
Deadline of proposals' submission
The deadline for submitting proposals is 28 February 2018 at 12:00 (noon), Brussels time.
Applications must be submitted online using the Participants Portal.
Further information
Please find attached the call for proposals text. The Commission published the Erasmus+ Programme Guide (http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/resources/programme-guide) in all official EU languages. The
Programme Guide is the key document that provides applicants with full
details of all opportunities available in the 2018 Call for proposals
for Erasmus+.
More information: https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/funding/sector-skills-alliances-2018-eaca052017_en
Kind regards,
Flora
Flora Stavropoulou
Junior Officer
European Office of Cyprus
Rue du Luxembourg 3, 2nd floor
B-1000, Brussels
Tel/Fax: +32 (0) 2 280 22 85
E-mail: eoc.brussels2@ucy.ac.cy
THE GREEK TRANSLATION OF THE CALL TEXT IS ATTACHED.
