CONTINUING VET: THE KEY FACTOR FOR SMEs SUSTAINABLE GROWTH – NEW CHALLENGES & STRATEGIES
The Conference is organized by the Small Enterprises Institute of the Hellenic 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 Avignon) 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.
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 of 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 policy makers.
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.
The Conference will focus on:
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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.
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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.
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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
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 then all a place to build with us through your participation.