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HRM – KITCHEN TEAM: ENAC Puglia’s experience in Poland

A week of international training, cultural exchange, and culinary discovery: this is the experience that the students of ENAC Puglia enjoyed in Poland as part of the HRM – KITCHEN TEAM project, an Erasmus+ initiative dedicated to training in the catering and hospitality sector.

The adventure began with their arrival in Gorzów Wielkopolski, a Polish town in the Lubusz region. After settling into their hotel, the students took their first walk through the city center, beginning to immerse themselves in a new culture and a context completely different from their own. It was a first taste of what would be an intense week, full of discoveries and international relationships.

The heart of the experience focused on practical cooking workshops, where the young people from Puglia had the opportunity to cook side by side with their Polish and Ukrainian peers.

At the Lubusz Chamber of Crafts, they prepared and decorated catering snacks, discovering different techniques, new aromas, and traditional local recipes. It was a moment of authentic cultural exchange, where the universal language of food broke down linguistic and cultural barriers, creating genuine bonds between the participants. In the following days, the training continued at the ZSG (Zespół Szkół Gastronomicznych) school, where the students took part in a more structured international cooking workshop. Cooking together means sharing knowledge, comparing different approaches, and enriching each other: not only technical training, therefore, but also personal growth and transferable skills that are fundamental for their professional future.

A particularly significant moment was the workshop at the bakery in Gorzów, where students learned how to make bread and rolls according to Polish tradition. Kneading, shaping, and baking bread is an ancient art that requires patience, precision, and passion: values that the students were able to experience firsthand, guided by local artisans.
The trip also included a stop in Szczecin, an important Polish port city, where the group visited a local artisan pastry shop, discovering the region’s confectionery specialties and observing traditional processing techniques up close.

The experience was not limited to Poland. As planned, the students traveled to Germany, to the Schwedt/Oder and Angermünde region, to visit two farms at the forefront of sustainability and short supply chains.

After the farm visits, the day in Germany ended with a convivial moment at the UBV in Schwedt, where Italian, Polish, Ukrainian, and German students cooked and ate together. It was an opportunity to put into practice what they had learned during the visits, but above all to strengthen the bonds created during the week and celebrate cultural diversity through food.

This Erasmus+ mobility program was not only an opportunity for technical training in the catering sector, but also a real journey of personal and intercultural growth.

Discover more about the project

Social Club TPM Meeting a Helsinki

Social Club TPM Meeting:
Three days of work in Helsinki, Finland

From 16th to 18th December 2025, the second TPM meeting of the European Social Club project took place in Helsinki. The project aims to reduce cultural distance and discrimination among students through teacher training and the active involvement of young people.
Social Club was created with the aim of creating more inclusive school environments, where cultural differences become opportunities for mutual enrichment rather than barriers.

The project involves several European partners: Rauhankasvatus – The Peace Education Institute (Finlandia), Erasmus Valencia IC, Istrategies, EoC Cyprus e Kautech, who are working together to develop innovative tools and methodologies for the world of education. The first day of work focused on defining the Action Plan, a strategic document for teachers that brings together good practices to be implemented in the classroom to promote
intercultural dialogue and combat all forms of discrimination.

Together with our partners, we then discussed the organisation of the next bootcamp for students, a key training event that will see young people playing an active role in the inclusion process. The day ended with a reading on the theme of anti-racism by our Finnish partner Rauhankasvatus – The Peace Education Institute, which provided valuable food for thought for the entire working group.
On the second day, the focus shifted to the interactive platform that will be made available tostudents. This digital tool will be a fundamental reference point for actively involving youngpeople in the educational process, offering them spaces for participation, sharing and dialogue.
Space was also dedicated to dissemination strategies: how to raise awareness of the project, reach as many schools and educational communities as possible, and disseminate the results and good practices developed. The aim is to create a multiplier effect that will enable Social Club to have a real and lasting impact on the European education system. The meeting in Helsinki proved to be a rich and stimulating opportunity for discussion, allowing us to align our objectives and consolidate our collaboration.

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Teaching Human Resource Management in the Culinary Sector

Teaching Human Resource Management in the Culinary Sector: Towards a European Curriculum with Intercultural Competences

The Human Resource Management (HRM) for Chefs project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme, is developing a unified European curriculum on human resource management for current and future food service professionals. The initiative is led by TPA (Poland), with UBV (Germany), LIR (Latvia), CBiR (US), and us. It aims to strengthen the management and interpersonal skills of chefs in multicultural environments — including a focus on Ukrainian citizens integrating into the European labour market.

The project’s methodology promotes a comprehensive pedagogical approach for students, teachers and vocational trainers, combining classroom training, digital learning, and webinars. It also integrates interactive and flexible learning methods, such as blended learning, microlearning, and short video-based materials, allowing participants to learn at their own pace and apply knowledge directly to real-world contexts. The main results include:

A research report assessing HRM competences among culinary students and teachers across partner countries;
A training programme consisting of five key modules: task delegation, team building, employee selection, conflict resolution, and motivation;
A methodological guide for teachers and trainers;
Diagnostic and evaluation tools for assessing HRM skills;
A series of webinars and digital resources to foster online learning and international cooperation.

ENAC, as one of the core partners, plays a leading role in the development of digital tools and testing activities, and in coordinating dissemination through national conferences and webinars involving vocational schools and training centres.

Round Table at the EfVET Annual Conference

During the EfVET Annual Conference, ENAC hosted a Round Table titled “Managing People in the Kitchen: HRM Competences for the Next Generation of Chefs”. The session gathered representatives from vocational schools, project partners, and industry experts to discuss how human resource management training can transform culinary education.

Participants shared experiences from pilot activities, explored challenges in motivating young apprentices, and discussed the role of digital tools in supporting teachers. The debate emphasised the importance of integrating HRM competences into VET curricula to enhance teamwork, leadership, and intercultural understanding in hospitality professions.
The project demonstrates how European collaboration can modernise vocational education by combining practical skills with soft competences and leveraging innovative, learner-centred approaches. Through the use of interactive, digital, and bite-sized learning tools, it brings human resource management training in the culinary sector closer to the needs of today’s learners and workplaces.

Discover more about HRM

EU CLASS launches online course

EU CLASS launches online course to boost VET teachers’ EU competences

EUClass Alliance, ihas launched its online training course aimed at strengthening VET teachers’ competences in EU-related topics. Designed and delivered by university professors from the University of Trento, the course offers an engaging and accessible introduction to European integration, institutions, policies and values. Hosted on an open-source Learning Management System training.eurocultura.it/courses/euclass-alliance, the course combines video lectures, self-paced study materials, interactive quizzes, and certification upon completion. Participants can freely register, monitor their learning progress, and explore and download complementary EU resources and publications.

EU CLASS is about empowering teachers to make the European dimension tangible for students,” explains Prof. Vincent Della Sala of the University of Trento. “By understanding how the EU works and why it matters, teachers can bring Europe closer to young people”.

The online training consists of two comprehensive modules, comprising a total of 14 short video lessons:

• Module 1 – History of EU Integration and EU Institutions:
Traces the evolution of the European project, explaining how the EU emerged from post-war cooperation to become a unique model of shared governance. It introduces the main EU institutions—the European Parliament, Council, Commission, Court of Justice, and European Central Bank—and outlines how decisions are made at EU level.

• Module 2 – 2 – EU Policies and Actions:
Examines the Union’s key policy areas, from the Single Market and Social Policy to Sustainable Development, Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence, and Citizenship and Values. Teachers are guided through real-life EU initiatives, learning how European policies affect citizens and the global community alike.

Each lesson is designed to make EU topics approachable, relevant, and adaptable to classroom use. Upon completion, participants receive an official certificate confirming their achievement

Do you want to know more before enrolling? Listen to our podcast

Discover the course and start learning!

Student Week in Groningen

Student week in Groningen of VETsdgs project

A week that transformed theory into practical experience. Students from Centromoda Canossa took part in Student Week in Groningen, alongside fellow students from Spain, Finland, Estonia, the Netherlands and Italy. Five days to discover how Sustainable Development Goals translate into real projects, everyday choices and possible lifestyles.

The Alfa-college in Groningen served as the base for this experience, welcoming the students with warmth and professionalism. The city itself proved to be a perfect case study: through a workshop organised in collaboration with the municipality, the students were able to get their hands on real issues, designing green areas, spaces for physical activity and innovative solutions to make urban spaces more sustainable and liveable. These were not mere theoretical exercises, but concrete proposals that showed how every citizen can actively contribute to the transformation of their local area. The students also discovered the concept of Positive Health, a vision that goes beyond the simple absence of disease, integrating physical, mental and social health into a single interconnected system.

The visit to the Alfa-college Textile Hub was also very interesting. This project demonstrates how the circular economy can be a driver of social innovation. It not only develops a local and fair textile supply chain, but also offers educational programmes for the community and creates job opportunities for people who struggle to enter the traditional market. It is a concrete example of how environmental, economic and social sustainability can be perfectly integrated.

The visit to Suikerterrein, a natural space dedicated to eco-sustainable projects, completed the picture: a true hub of green creativity where ideas take shape and are shared with the community.

The excursion to Schiermonnikoog, a UNESCO World Heritage Site measuring just 8 km by 13 km, is a living example of how to live in harmony with nature. Over 70% of the territory is a protected nature reserve, the island is almost completely car-free and mainly uses bicycles for transport, and is home to seals, migratory birds and unique ecosystems.

After being welcomed at the Town Hall and learning about the island’s characteristics, the students were faced with a real challenge: finding innovative solutions to reduce water waste in this delicate ecosystem. This exercise required creativity, technical knowledge and environmental awareness. In the afternoon, cycling through dunes and pristine beaches, they experienced first-hand what it means to live in a place where sustainability is not just a slogan, but a concrete daily choice.

It was not only the visits and workshops, but above all the international and collaborative dimension of the experience that added value. Working in mixed groups, the students shared different perspectives, learned to listen to each other, and found common solutions based on their different cultural backgrounds. The convivial dinners, such as the typical Dutch one based on Pannenkoeken, became precious moments to consolidate friendships and continue discussing sustainability in an informal way.

The last day, dedicated to final presentations, crowned this journey. Each group illustrated the solutions developed during the week, sharing reflections and learnings. The awarding of certificates marked not only the end of the experience, but the beginning of a new awareness: that of being able to be active protagonists of change towards a more sustainable future.

In these short interviews, the students tell us about their experience from their point of view and, above all, what new sustainable practices they are taking home with them!

Discover more about VETsdgs

Erasmus Days 2025

Live Broadcast Canossa Erasmus III ed.

Again this year, Canossa Erasmus will participate in #Erasmusdays with a live marathon involving Canossian schools and vocational training centres that have taken part in #Erasmus+ mobility programmes. Students, teachers and staff will tell us about their experiences!

There will also be a second live broadcast with our European partners, with whom we collaborate every day to carry out our projects.

We will talk about group mobility, long and short mobility, internships, job shadowing, incoming activities, training courses and much more.

Watch here our broadcast on our YouTube channel!

What are #erasmusdays?

The EUAMI project workshop

The EUAMI project workshop: One Africa – many Africas by Anna Pozzi

Anna Pozzi, is a journalist and writer specialising in Africa. She is editor of the monthly magazine «Mondo e missione» and contributes to various publications, for which she has produced numerous reports from countries in Africa and the Middle East. She was invited by Canossa Campus to hold a new workshop as part of the European EUAMI project. This gave Canossa Campus students the opportunity to learn more about the African continent and make new discoveries.

The meeting was a journey through the complexity of Africa, a continent often reduced to stereotypes, but which reveals extraordinary cultural, geographical and demographic diversity. Anna Pozzi emphasised how the borders drawn by Europeans during colonialism have contributed to generating long-lasting conflicts, such as the one in Sudan. She went on to compare African population growth with that of India and China and demonstrated the need for a careful reading of the dynamics that shape the continent’s future.

The journalist also focused on North Africa, highlighting the challenges posed by conflict, terrorism and climate change, which have forced millions of people to migrate. She then analysed Africa’s rapid urbanisation: more than half of the population now lives in cities, where the pandemic has exacerbated social inequalities.

A significant example was that of the Kivu region, rich in minerals but devastated by instability and exploitation. He recounted the story of Denis Mukwege (Nobel Peace Prize winner) founder of the hospital Panzi Hospital and Foundation a Bukavu, capital of the province of South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for women victims of violence, linking local difficulties to the consumption choices of Western countries.

The journalist also cited Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, as an example of extreme contrasts: wealth and poverty, tradition and modernity. She concluded her remarks with an invitation to consider the impact of European policies and consumption on African humanitarian crises.

Anna Pozzi’s speech left a deep impression, stimulating greater awareness of a continent that is often misunderstood and of the responsibility to look at Africa with new eyes.

Get to know EUAMI!

Vet2sustain project meeting Verona

Vet2sustain project meeting a Verona

The VET2Sustain project team met in Verona on 12–13 March 2025 for a productive and collaborative meeting, working efficiently towards the project’s objectives.

The first working session was led by Sirje Hassinen and Oona Haapakorpi from Omnia, who provided an overview of the current status of the project. They reviewed the project objectives and commitments outlined in the project application. To align everyone’s understanding, they also introduced the working methods, key actions and target groups.

Later, Katarina Sandbacka presented the development of a long-term strategic action plan focused on promoting sustainable, inclusive and digital vocational education and training (VET). The main outcomes of the plan include establishing a partnership agreement for future cooperation, creating a shared strategy and action plan for the network, and organising a recurring annual event. In addition, short- and long-term action plans will be developed for VET organisations at regional, national and EU level, ensuring a well-coordinated and forward-looking approach across Europe. Virpi Kaasinen then provided an update on efforts to create and strengthen cooperation models for vocational education and training in Europe, with a particular focus on exploring networking opportunities. Key actions under development include the creation of an online platform for collaboration, participation in joint annual events for projects funded under the same theme, and the promotion of opportunities for internationalisation activities at national level.

During the meeting, the calendar of upcoming activities was shared, and discussions were held on how to organise joint meetings with national government and qualification awarding bodies and review the current progress report. A feedback session allowed participants to discuss the report, provide input and suggest improvements. The session also focused on assessing the next steps.
The team also worked on collecting examples of how AI and XR technologies are currently being used in vocational education at partner institutions.

At the start of the second day of the meeting, there was a presentation on the use of Thinglink in education. Samiedu showed examples of how Thinglink can be used. Henri Pennanen from ThingLink guided all participants in the meeting through the use of the platform’s tools.

Finally, Wednesday’s communication and dissemination session focused on guiding partners in reporting on their communication and dissemination activities. Mira Torvinen-Määttä clarified the distinction between these two concepts, explaining that communication involves spreading awareness of the project, while dissemination ensures that the right people receive and use the results.

This meeting laid a solid foundation for the next steps of the project, strengthening collaboration and shared commitment to achieving its ambitious goals.

VET2Sustain Project