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The new EfVETNationalMember SylviaLiuti willrepresent Italywithin EfVETBoard“I am grateful to my colleagues in Italyfor having selected me to represent Italyin the EfVET Steering Committee. I amlooking forward to contributing withinspiring ideas and good practices, alsoby enhancing all the highly committedItalian members, so to involve moreothers in the coming months.”Graduated with full marks inEconomics from the University ofPerugia in 1989, Sylvia beganworking early in 1990 for a privatetraining services company, asProject Designer. Although she atthat time was more interested ineconomic studies and analysis,she had the opportunity to betrained at the Business School ofAdministration of BocconiUniversity in Milan as a Trainer ofTrainers. Thanks to this careerpath she has discovered moredeeply human resourcemanagement and adult educationand how to improve the sectorthrough quality assuranceprinciples and practices. After 6years of working as an employeeshe decided it was time for abigger challenge and in 1997 shedecided to step down from thatjob to start a personal andprofessional business project:becoming an entrepreneur.Since then she is still one of thethree owners of FORMA.Azionesrl, a private company thatoperates as a consulting companyin applying for public funds,mainly addressing the educationand training sector as well asbeing an accredited trainingcentre that specifically accessesNEW BOARD MEMBER (IT)ESF funds. She brought herprofessional expertise in theQuality Assurance system to thecompany, since then she hasbeen in charge of both theAccreditation and the ISO 9001certified Quality AssuranceSystem and the Projects Design.Her expertise has also grown witha specific work area, focused ongender equality in the labourmarket, in the workplace and inthe education, training andlabour market chain, thanks tothe Executive Master for “GenderEquality Experts in Labour MarketPolicies”, successfully attended in2001-2002.Since 2009 she is the Director ofEuropean projects, first alsoworking as project designer andsince 2015 more focused onEuropean networks and strategiccooperation partnerships. Thanksto her commitment andparticipatory leadership style thatmotivate the European projectsteam to compete successfully,mainly on ERASMUS and REC(Rights, Equality and Citizenship)projects, she now works more asprojects coordinator, bysupporting other organisationsand institutions in applying forfunds and/or willing to leadproject partnerships.During these many years ofactivity she has had theopportunity to deepen thefollowing strategic areas ofknowledge and work: first of all,Gender Equality, also beingassigned as a GE expert in theNational Inclusion Group of AIDP(Italian People ManagementAssociation); Quality assurancesystems, in particular through theEuropean peer reviewmethodology; Validation of nonformal and informal learning being also professionally certifiedas a "Validator"; Media andInformation Literacy.Her vision of the future is basedon putting VET, Adult Learningand the Lifelong Learningapproach, at the core of theItalian and EU investments, beingconvinced that Italy shouldrapidly improve its position inOCSE-PIAAC surveys, byequipping adults and youngadults with the right skills tothrive in the next years,completely overcoming thesituation that sees Italy as almostthe last Country in Europe forAdults' Literacy.www.efvet.org 04

Behind the EfVET scenesMaria João Proença, Head of Office & Programme ManagerCould you please introduce yourself and the work youdo at EfVET?My name is Maria João Proença, originally Portuguesealthough I have left Lisbon very many years ago and havelived in several different countries, working always on theEducation Sector (both formal and non-formal) in differentareas among which the professional development ofteachers and managers and local communities which hasundoubtedly allowed me to learn and develop as aprofessional and as a citizen of the world.I have joined EFVET as Head of Office & Programme Managerwith the main responsibility of supporting theimplementation of EFVET Strategic Plan 2019-2021, assuringproper planning, monitoring, and reporting mechanisms.This unfolds in several different tasks from the support tothe Executive and Steering Committee, the support in thefinancial planning and monitoring, the support to theThematic Teams, support to the Vice-President of Policy andthe management of a portfolio of projects.What exactly is your work within the projectmanagement?The project area of work in EFVET is diverse. It ranges fromthe analysis of the invitations to join different partnerships,the design of projects and writing applications to theimplementation. In a nutshell, my role has been to assurethat the Projects Teams of EFVET has the knowledge theyneed to proceed with the decision-making processes towhether join or not a project partnership; to be responsiblefor the overall project design and implementation andresponsible for the implementation of the activities EfVET isresponsible for in the projects I am responsible for. I amcurrently overseeing 8 projects, 3 KA2, 3 Sectoral SkillsAlliance, one KA3 and one pilot funded by JRC.The range of activities varies a lot from theparticipation in meetings, the administrativeand financial management and reporting and,in the cases of the Sectoral Skills Alliance, EfVEThas a more technical role and in one of them isthe lead of one work package and severaldifferent tasks.What are in your idea the most importanttopics today to improve VET?There are several topics, and we would needmany pages to go through each one. But if Ihad to prioritise I would say there are 4 mainaspects that would need immediate attentionand that are related with the ambitious targetsset by the European Commission regarding thetwin transition- the transition to a greener anddigitalised Europe. Understanding the impacton the labor market and the skills that will beneeded, assuring that no one is left behind.This will require from VET providers thecapacity to respond, quickly to changes,adjusting IVET and CVET curricula design,working very closely with employers andindustry, the capacity to have a forward-lookingapproach, embedding environmental andsocial sustainability into vocational educationand training curricula and organisationalmanagement and increasing the digitalreadiness of vocational education and traininginstitutions. All this thinking also of the need tocontinue fostering international cooperationand mobility of learners and staff in a genderedbalanced and inclusive ways.How do you see EfVET and the work donein the enhancement of VET?EfVET is a key player in the VET arena and hasgained increased recognition in these last yearsat National and European Levels. This is seenby the increased number of Members and theexpansion of the Thematic Teams (with 2additional teams being launched this year), theincreased exchange of practices and ideas inEfVET internal channels and the increasedinvitation to participate in events, meetings,consultations carried out at European Level.EfVET has been playing a key role in thefacilitation and establishment of opportunitiesfor networking and establishment ofpartnerships and work as an incubator forinnovative approaches and practices in VET in avery participative and engaging way. All thissupports the work done at policy level which isalso a key dimension in the enhancement ofVET in Europe.PORTRAIT OF EFVET STAFFwww.efvet.org 05

Behind the EfVET scenesValentina Chanina, Office & Project ManagerCould you please introduce yourself and the work youdo at EfVET?I hold a University Degree in Medicine and a MA inAdministration and Accounting from Open University. Ihave over 20 years’ experience in working with EU policiesand programmes in the fields of adult learning andvocational education and training and with the EUinstitutions as external expert. My main fields of interestare sustainable funding for lifelong learning and digitallearning.Before, I worked as a communication, project and officemanager for the European Association for the Educationof Adults (EAEA). Since 2000 I was in charge of theEuropean projects, tenders and gender. My first projectwas a Socrates pilot project focus on analysis of the adulteducation. I have coordinated and participated in manyEuropean project meetings, events and consultant inseveral European training and entrepreneurship/digitalproject. I manged all activities of EAEA, including theevents and Grundtvig Awards, publicity and includingOperating Grants.I started to work in EfVET central office in 2011 and havebeen involved and contributed to the dissemination andimplementation of innovative methodologies and tools oftraining and qualification of young people and adults inthe European context.In addition to my role of Office & Project Manager, since2011 I have been responsible for thecoordination of the EfVET AnnualInternational Conference with theConference Team and Steering CommitteeBoard and participated in numerousseminars and workshops as a speaker onissues related to dissemination activities.What exactly is your work within theproject management?In the project management I haveexperience in elaborating and preparingapplication and financial reporting andmanagement control. In the past severalyears I have used my communication skillsand experience in the preparation of a wholerange of materials (online article, socialmedia, policy/position papers, etc.). I alsotake care of the elaboration and monitoringof dissemination and exploration plan andstrategies, the organisation of project eventsand activities, as well as the development ofadvocacy packs for different targetaudiences and sets of guidelines.What are in your idea the most importanttopics today to improve VET?The main issue is that we are convinced thatlifelong learning can contribute to solvesome of the problems and to get Europe outof the pandemic crisis and contribute to theErasmus programme 2021-2027. VETshould be a first option and a natural one forthose who are looking towards learning newskills for a labour market which is not onlydynamic because of constant technologicalchanges and vocational education andtraining is the way forward to bridge theskills gap for the future.How do you see EfVET and the work donein the enhancement of VET?I believe that if we with the EfVET memberassociations provide access to learning forpeople who currently do not have as muchaccess to the high-quality learning, we mightcontribute to the social cohesion. So, theseare just some of the areas where we believethat the work of EfVET and its memberscontribute to EU 2027.PORTRAIT OF EFVET STAFFwww.efvet.org 06

Behind the EfVET scenesVittoria Valentina Di Gennaro, Communication & Project OfficerCould you please introduce yourself and the work youdo at EfVET?My name is Vittoria and I joined the International Secretariatof EfVET in Brussels as a Communication & Project Officer inearly 2020. I'm Italian and European, and although I did mystudies in Political Science and in International Relations (witha Master in European Projects Planning & Management) inItaly, I soon started my professional career abroad living indifferent countries before I found down here. Italian mothertongue, fluent in English, French, Spanish, and with a goodknowledge of Portuguese, I have worked for local/nationalbodies, universities, I then joined various internationalorganisations, EU institutions and agencies (European Courtof Auditors, Council of Europe, Eurojust) and NGOs gainingexperience in several fields, such as human rights,democracy and cooperation, as well as youth empowermentand education. Thanks to my strong interest in the Erasmus program I started working for garagErasmus Foundation andvolunteering for the Erasmus Global Partnership,collaborating with the Erasmus Student and Alumni Allianceand the LifeLong Learning Platform.What exactly is your work within the projectmanagement?As a Communication & Project Officer, I take care of thecorporate communications of EfVET including thefacilitation of communication among Members, and Ifollow the projects activities, supporting theirimplementation and leading the communication anddissemination part. Dissemination and exploitation ofresults are crucial areas of the projects lifecycle since itrepresents an opportunity to communicate and shareoutcomes and deliverables, thus extending the impact ofthose projects, improving their sustainability and justifyingthe European added value of Erasmus . "I enjoythe creative part of my work which every timeinspires me and suggest new stimuli to follow.Communication is a very broad sector and entailsvery varied skills and competencies. Attention todetail is also critical and this is also a challenge Ilike in my daily work".What are in your idea the most importanttopics today to improve VET?I believe that a strong role is and will be playedby a stronger digitalisation process and a higherlevel of internationalisation and mobility ofstudents. On the other hand, there is also aneed of ensuring that such digitaltransformation and internationalisation processare comprehensive and inclusive in order toguarantee equity and inclusion by facilitatingthe backgrounds and fewer opportunitiescompared to their peers wheneverdisadvantage limits or prevents theireducational path or participation to mobilityprograms. Moreover, a higher level of schoolindustry collaboration will also help developskills to meet business needs. Involving industryand businesses in the management ofvocational schools can provide school leaderswith crucial support in developing programs toproduce the skills the labor market needs. Withindustry participation, students can gainrelevant workplace skills before graduation. Ithelps address a recurring challenge where newgraduates cannot get jobs while companiescannot find workers with the right skills.How do you see EfVET and the work donein the enhancement of VET?EfVET seeks to increase more and more itsrepresentativeness at national/regional level,expanding its membership and stimulating VETnetworking, also between VET providers andcompanies. Moreover, it plays an important roleas a European umbrella association and seeksat enhancing its cooperation with othernetworks and common platforms, such as theVET4EU2, in order to allow maximum synergiesand joint efforts to sustain and supportdecision-makers in the VET policiesdevelopment and deployment in all EU memberstates. EfVET is also engaged in promoting VETprovision’s quality improvement, propagatingthe concept of excellence in VET, valorising localcontributions of its Members through the EUVET Skills Week in particular. “EfVET initiatives,activities, events have been strengthened, and I amglad that my work contributes to boost EfVET’spresence and increase the impact of its work in EUand beyond in favour of VET”.PORTRAIT OF EFVET STAFFwww.efvet.org 07

EfVET projects for a strongrecoveryIntroduction to EfVET ProjectsEfVET is characterised by a twofold institutionalmission, representing the voice of VET providerswithin the European political debate on vocationaleducation and training, and promoting horizontalcooperation among practitioners, to supportinnovation and exchange of good practices.EfVET activities on projects should always keep aneye on both dimensions, be consistent and relevantwith European priorities, while serving the needsand interests of members.Under this perspective, what are the key pillarsand strategic goals ahead of us?Stefano Tirati, EfVET Vice President (Projects)and CEO of Learning Digital (Italy)At the heart of the Next Generation EU, I see a strongmessage which we should try to make ours: in times ofimmense crisis, the only alternative we dispose is to turnchallenges in opportunities and see problems aspowerful engines to introduce change.skills, both at basic as well as atadvanced level, and ultimately tocontribute to new digital educationecosystems. In this process, we need toface a wide number of transversalchallenges, from enduring ethicalguidelines on the use of data andArtificial Intelligence, to promotinggender equality and women’sparticipation in engineering and ICTtraining pathways.Now is the time to jointly rethink education, learn fromeach other how to embrace digitalisation to improveteaching and learning strategies, how to embedsustainability and SDGs to make our societies moreresilient.The digital transformation is our new normal.Although 60% of educators never used distance learningbefore, everyone is more and more conscious that thereis no return to the way we operated before COVID-19.Despite the significant improvement already observed ondigital skills, we are all confronted with major efforts toup-skill our staff, access to more relevant andinteractive resources, introduce more hybridsystems.The Skills Agenda for Europe and the new DigitalEducation Action Plan may help us to frame andorientate our work, to boost digital literacy andEFVET PROJECTS – INTRODUCTIONGreen transition is happening, and webelieve VET system can play a keyinfluence in boosting not onlyawareness but also concrete andeffective measures to support thisprocess. Skills and competencies are theprerequisite to all priority actions, fromrenovating buildings to renewableenergies, from clean transports andlogistics to more sustainable cities andcommunities. VET is key in promotinga circular economy inspired by andbased on SDGs.www.efvet.org 08

How is EfVET supporting VET Providers in thisprocess?We believe in the value of VET and we welcome the focuson VET Excellence, as a constructive measure to supportus in ensuring that VET is perceived as a first qualitychoice of education in Europe. While fostering its imageand attractiveness, VET needs to consolidate its distinctability to ensure that no one is left behind. That’s why isso important for us to talk and promote the concept of“Inclusive Excellence”.In this section of the Magazine, we showcase a numberof projects in which EfVET and its members leadinitiatives aimed at developing and piloting innovativesolutions to overcome some of the most urgingchallenges.If we want to succeed, we need to work together,fostering our networks and partnerships with multiplestakeholders and industry representatives.Let’s embrace initiatives like Pact for Skills andpartnerships for excellence and innovation, asopportunities to build stronger ecosystems for skillsdevelopment. Let’s promote VET attractiveness, alsovia Skills Competitions as effective mechanisms toshowcase our talents, innovate training offers andattract learners. Let’s promote Internationalisation, toconsolidate bridges and friendships and establishingnew cooperation frameworks among VET systems,across the world!The new Erasmus Programme sounds very promising,as it promises to introduce a number of fundingmeasures specifically designed for VET providers toimplement these steps.In order to get ready, EfVET is committed to support itsmembers by a wide range of initiatives.First, our Thematic Teams are clusters of VET providerscommitted to share know-how, tools and resources.EfVET Thematic Teams are an excellent opportunity toboost innovation and networking on key focus areas.We are delighted to see the launch of 2 new ThematicTeams, one on Tourism, a sector heavily affected by thepandemic, and Sustainability through VET, looking athow we can make our societies greener by innovatingEFVET PROJECTS – INTRODUCTIONour training offer.Secondly, EfVET has recently launchedits “Virtual Coffee Breaks”,

C O O RDI N A TO R & GRA PH I C DES I GN ER: Vi ttor i a Val en ti n a Di Gen n aro, C ommu n i cati on & Proj ect O f f i cer C O N TRI B UTO RS : Ef VET Presi d en t, Ef VET Vi ce Presi d en t ( Pol i cy ) , Ef VET S taf f PI C TURES : Ef VET S taf f , Ef VET M emb ers & Par tn ers, C an v a