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Project

STEMEUROPE Project

Project Acronym:

STEMEUROPE

 

                              Project logo:

 

Project number:

101194015

Granting Authority Responsible Unit:

EACEA/A/02

Model grant agreement -type of action:

ERASMUS-Lump Sum

Topic:

ERASMUS-EDU-2024-PEX-COVE - Centres of Vocational Excellence

Development period:

04/02/2025-31/01/2029

 

From Idea to Implementation!


Within the framework of the EU STEM Coalition activities, representatives of institutions and organizations involved in this network gave rise to and developed the idea of creating Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) by integrating the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), with the participation of various centers across Europe. Consequently, the project was named CoVE STEM EUROPE.

This marked the beginning of the challenging and laborious work of the representatives from the following organizations:

  1. PTVT - Stichting Platform Talent voor Technologie (Netherlands)

  2. ZDI.NRW – ZENIT Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in Nordrhein-Westfalen GmbH (Germany)

  3. BZE Euskirchen (Germany)

  4. Teknikcollege - Riksföreningen Teknikcollege Sverige (Sweden)

  5. Hacettepe Bilim Merkezi Eğitim Araştırma Ltd. Şirketi (Türkiye)

  6. Önce Öğretmen Vakfı (Türkiye)

  7. Public University "Kadri Zeka" – UKZ (Kosovo)

  8. IMC Natura (Kosovo)

  9. ENAIP Veneto Impresa Sociale (Italy)

  10. La Cometa Società Cooperativa Sociale (Italy)

  11. Industrifacket Metall (Sweden)

  12. Confindustria Veneto SIAV Srl (Italy)

The hard work paid off, and the consortium submitted a project proposal titled CoVE STEM EUROPE on May 7, 2024, through the Research & INNOVATION (Grant Management Services) platform of the European Commission.

The project leader, a representative from PTVT, informed the consortium as follows:

“Dear members of the consortium,
I am pleased to inform you we submitted our proposal STEM the Tide last week. Thank you very much for all your contributions on the project proposal the last weeks. We expect the evaluation results of the European Commission by November, so until then fingers crossed! If you have any questions/remarks regarding the proposal let us know.
Kind regards”

After 6 months, on November 7, 2024, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) informed the project consortium of the positive evaluation (with a score of 88 out of 100) and provided instructions for proceeding with the implementation phase:

“Dear Madam/Sir,
Congratulations. Your proposal has reached the stage of Grant Agreement preparation.
To view the evaluation results and the instructions on how to provide additional information and data required for the preparation of your Grant Agreement, log on to the...

Among other comments, the Evaluation Report emphasized:

“With a strong partnership consortium and associated partners, STEM EUROPE is set to advance diversity and inclusion in STEM VET education. Leveraging the extensive expertise of lead partner PTvT, with its longstanding commitment to STEM education with the EU STEM coalition, STEM EUROPE ensures a solid foundation for its endeavours. …”

About the project STEM EUROPE - Inclusive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education in Vocational Excellence Centres

As Europe undergoes the green and digital transition, the demand for skilled STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) professionals becomes increasingly critical. At the same time, the EU faces persistent challenges, notably labour shortages and skills mismatches, particularly in STEM. The project STEM EUROPE addresses these challenges by attracting, retaining, and empowering STEM professionals in VET (EQF 3-5) from diverse backgrounds, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status or background.

The project's cornerstone is the establishment of six regional Centers of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Turkey, Kosovo, and Italy, complemented by an overarching international platform - STEM COVE EUROPE. Each CoVE evolves around one main VET (Vocational Education and Training) expert and one industry organisation to foster regional skills ecosystems to support STEM education and address diversity and social inclusion issues in STEM VET education.

STEM EUROPE is directed at four main target groups: VET students and potential VET candidates, particularly those from underrepresented demographics such as women, migrants, and minorities; VET teachers and managers; companies and their employees; and policymakers. The main project outputs are: mentoring, afterschool engagement, and outreach programmes, diversity and inclusion training initiatives for both VET providers and companies, public-private partnership training and hackathon events as well as policy papers to influence decision-making at national and European levels.

With a strong partnership consortium and associated partners, STEM EUROPE is set to advance diversity and inclusion in STEM VET education. Leveraging the extensive expertise of lead partner PTvT, with its longstanding commitment to STEM education with the EU STEM coalition, STEM EUROPE ensures a solid foundation for its endeavours. The project's impact will be amplified through partnerships with the EU STEM coalition, totalling 45 members from Europe and beyond, as well as stakeholders from each COVE region. These collaborations will facilitate knowledge exchange, capacity-building, and the exploitation of best practices, guaranteeing the project's reach and effectiveness.