The aim of EQVEGAN is to support the fast-changing sub-sector of the food industry, the processing of plant-based products (vegetables, fruits, cereals and nuts), by responding to the urgent needs of training staff to support this change, by upscaling staff competences and facilitating the conversion of staff into this sector through the correction of skills gaps.
To achieve this aim, EQVEGAN established the following objectives:
1. Supply innovative and scientifically updated training
Innovative trainings to be developed in the project will be based on innovative teaching methods, using e-learning, will be scientifically updated with new technologic innovations of meat and dairy substitutes prepared from vegetables, fruits, cereals and nuts. It will also include soft skills demanded by the industry, green skills for the upgrade of sustainable development practices, and digital and automation skills to furnish the professional with key skills to constantly adapt to a fast-changing world and, in particular, the industry environment.
2. Qualify trainings with quality assurance imbedded principles
Trans-national designed training with the application of European tools such as ECVET, EQAVET and EFQEA, will assure the development of high quality trainings, in-class, e-learning and on the job, with assessment that enables the validation of trainings in a wide range of countries and that facilitates recognition and mobility. Feeding the tools available in CEDEFOP will have a multiplier effect of the project results.
3. Create a European certification scheme for trainings and job profiles
Professionals and graduates with profiles drawn on ESCO will benefit from clear certification schemes that will facilitate their mobility in EU, a rich in variety but complex industry and legal environments. The scheme will be built on an existing scheme that includes job profiles for food technologists/engineers and on the certification of courses for food science and technology existing in EU.
4. Establish a Sector Skills Alliance on training for the vegan food industry
An international Sector Skills Alliance will be implemented during the project and will continue afterwards to review and upgrade training for the vegan food industry within regular time intervals, to support the fast-changing industry that needs to keep responding to the ever increasing demand for sustainability placed by policy makers sustainability moved by the demands of the world population.
Food Skills work-based learning Portal
Food Skills work-based learning is the place where apprentices/interns and work-based learning opportunities meet. Here students that would like to do an apprenticeship or internship related to the food sector can search for work-based learning opportunities in the database and apply directly by contacting the training organisation or company. On the other hand, training organisations and companies that offer work-based learning opportunities can post for free their vacancies and receive students’ applications.
The Federation of Hellenicc Food Industries calls the companies that are iterested to use the Data Base that is developed and to publish the available openings, through a simple form.
Stakeholders’ Database
In the framework of the ERASMUS+ project “EQVEGAN“, coordinated by the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Portugal, and represented by ISEKI-Food Association in Austria, we would like to invite you to contribute with your expertise and to benefit from the development of training activities for students and industry professionals.
The EQVEGAN project aims to promote the plant-based food industry from the perspective of upskilling the industry workforce in competences related to novel technologies, sustainability, digitalisation, and soft skills. Thus, training activities in several languages, an internship’s European programme and a certification scheme for the recognition of knowledge and skills of professionals working in the plant-based food sector will be developed soon.
In this context we invite education and training providers (Universities, VET secondary schools), food companies and others (food associations, public bodies, etc.), to join our stakeholders’ database. The database is located in the Food-Skills portal, and contains information about organisations complying with the EU General Data Protection Regulation. Please register here, or use the link: https://www.food-skills.eu/stakeholder/registration-form.
As a registered stakeholder, you will have free access to training activities and might be contacted to provide your feedback.