Democracy in Action: Empowering IVET Learners for a Resilient Europe

Sector

Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Priority

Participation in democratic life (2021-27)

Scope

International

Type of participation

In person

Event country

Italy

Event city

Rome

Working language

English

Key Action

KA2

Postponed

No

E+ Academy

No

Start date

04.11.2026

End date

06.11.2026

Subtopic

Networking, strategic partnership, teaching, democracy, EU policy, awareness-raising

Themes and objectives

Europe today faces a critical level of complexity. Geopolitical instability, climate change, hybrid conflicts, and widespread information manipulation are reshaping societal dynamics.

To address these evolving challenges, the European Commission has recently launched two key strategic initiatives:

• Preparedness Union Strategy: designed to strengthen Europe's capacity to anticipate, prevent, and respond to crises;

• Union of Skills Strategy: designed to close the skills gap by enhancing competencies both within the existing workforce and among new entrants to the labour market.

Preparedness requires a shift from a reactive model of emergency management to a structural one. As climate, cyber, and health crises become the “new normal,” resilience depends not only on material resources but also on how quickly people can adapt to changing circumstances.

A central measure of the Strategy, the population preparedness initiative, emphasises raising citizens' awareness of emerging risks and developing their ability to respond effectively. In this context, education plays a critical role in enabling individuals to navigate uncertainty while upholding European democratic values.

Addressing such complexity requires not only technical skills and crisis-response mechanisms, but also the systematic development of competences for democratic culture (CDC) across all levels and sectors of the education system. These competences have been defined and conceptualised in detail in the Council of Europe's Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC).

Within this landscape, VET stands out for its heterogeneity in how democratic competences are integrated. National differences, dual systems, and the central role of companies as learning environments create a fragmented picture. Nevertheless, VET is not merely a field that provides labour-market skills; it is also a key component of the broader education system that prepares learners to become active and responsible citizens. This is particularly true for IVET (initial vocational education and training) learners, who are still developing the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes required to participate in modern democratic workplaces and communities.

It is therefore essential to consider how European VET systems can ensure that learners, particularly those in IVET, acquire strong democratic and preparedness competences, as well as the ability to adapt their occupational profiles to the diverse challenges Europe faces every day. In this context, Erasmus+ can play a strategic facilitating role by providing opportunities for:

• The joint development of innovative approaches that integrate CDC competences and preparedness elements into curricula;

• Strengthening the professional development of teachers and in-company trainers and equipping them with tools to foster democratic and resilience-building skills;

• Increasing coherence between school-based and company-based learning, ensuring that both make a meaningful contribution to learners' preparedness and democratic competences.

The TCA is organised within the framework of the PEACE+ long-term activity (LTA).

Expected outcomes

The seminar will bring together VET professionals, experts, and stakeholders to:

• Gain a clear and shared understanding of the key concepts underpinning competences for democratic culture and the preparedness approach;

• Reflect on how competences for democratic culture and preparedness skills can be integrated into IVET systems, including school-based, work-based, and dual VET models, taking into account their specific structures and learning dynamics;

• Explore how democratic competences and preparedness skills, particularly media literacy, critical thinking, crisis awareness, collaborative problem-solving, etc., can be strengthened through curricula, learning environments, and learner participation;

• Identify opportunities for more coherent and cross-sectoral cooperation to ensure that democratic values taught in schools are consistently reinforced in companies and workplace settings.

Participants will:

• Increase their knowledge of competences for democratic culture and the preparedness perspective;

• Reflect critically on the challenges, gaps, and opportunities involved in integrating competences for democratic culture and preparedness into different IVET systems—school-based, work-based, and dual—and identify the specific needs of learners, teachers, and company-based trainers;

• Share practices and co-design new project ideas by applying the knowledge gained during the seminar, with a view to developing potential future Erasmus+ partnerships.

Additional information

The seminar will begin at 15:00 on 4 November and end at 13:00 on 6 November.

Accommodation and meals are covered by the IT01 National Agency: Participants will be accommodated for two nights, from 4 to 6 November 2026, at a hotel in central Rome. Hospitality includes:

• 2 breakfasts (5 and 6 November)

• 2 lunches (5 and 6 November)

• 2 dinners (4 and 5 November)

Participants will also be invited to a cultural activity on the evening of 5 November. Any additional accommodation outside the official programme dates must be covered directly by participants.

Organising National Agency

IT01 – Istituto per l'analisi delle politiche pubbliche (INAPP)

Number of participants

46

Target group

Teachers, trainers, education professionals, experts

Experience level

Experienced beneficiaries

Reserved places pending

0

Accepted places

46

Participant profile

VET professionals with solid experience in the Erasmus+ Programme (KA1 and KA2), curriculum development, and innovative teaching methodologies, who are strongly motivated to design project proposals focusing on democratic participation, shared values, and civic engagement. Ambassadors from the EuroApprentices network are also invited; the number will be agreed with the IT01 National Agency.

Sending partners

IT01–3, LV01–2, PL01–3, PT01–3, ES01–3, EL01–2, FI01–1, AT01–3, BE03–1, SI01–1, HR01–1, CY01–1, LT01–2, RO01–3, NL01–1, TR01–1, MT01–1, DK01–1, SK01–2, HU01–1, DE02–3, BE01–1, FR01–1, CZ01–2, EE01–2, RS01–1

Application start date

27.04.2026

Application deadline

07.09.2026

Sending NA approval deadline

14.09.2026

Organising NA approval deadline

15.09.2026

Title

PEACE+

Coordinator

IT02 – Agenzia Nazionale Erasmus+ – INDIRE

Priority

Participation in democratic life (2021-27)

Subtopic

Networking, democracy, EU policy, awareness-raising, E+ role models

Sector

School Education, VET, Higher Education, Adult Education

Countries

Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden

Working language

English

Start date

01.2025

End date

12.2027

Rationale and background

The new phase of LTA PEACE+ (2025-2027) aims to build on the achievements of the first LTA PEACE initiative and strengthen European identity and civic engagement through an integrated network of Erasmus Alumni, Ambassadors, and Role Models. The main objectives are:

• Strengthen cooperation among Erasmus+ National Agencies to broaden participation and outreach.

• Enhance communication and dissemination activities to engage more stakeholders and citizens.

• Provide structured training on EU values and European citizenship education.

• Continue research on civic engagement to better target messages and content.

• Increase synergies among different European programmes to promote mobility and civic engagement.

Challenges

Expanding networks. The initiative aims to:

• Connect and expand networks of Erasmus+ Ambassadors, Alumni, and Role Models across multiple countries to foster a deeper sense of European belonging.

• Strengthen partnerships with institutions at local, national, and international levels to promote civic engagement.

• Develop a robust governance structure that ensures sustainability and impact measurement through National Observatories.

Institutional cooperation and measurement.

• Establish stable relationships with regional institutions for ongoing cooperation.

• Implement tools to periodically assess improvements in civic engagement, internationalisation, social inclusion, and the digital transition.

Event planning and outreach. Define a recurring programme of events at national and international levels; the draft schedule is as follows:

• PEACE+ Kick-off Meeting (February 2025, Florence, Italy – INDIRE)

• PEACE (9-11 April 2025, Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

• EU Values and Participation (October 2025, Riga, Latvia)

• TCA for Preschool Teachers (October 2025, Tallinn, Estonia)

• Event to be determined (October 2025, Greece)

• Event to be determined (November 2025, Germany)

• Event to be determined (2026, Vienna, Austria)

• Event to be determined (2026, INAPP, Italy)

• Organise multi-country meetings in which Alumni and Ambassadors collaborate with students and teachers on outreach activities.

• Increase the impact of Erasmus+ initiatives through coordinated communication strategies.

Planned activities (Work Packages – WP)

WP1 – Governance: Coordination and strategic oversight of PEACE+ activities; establishment of a Management Board and an Operational Board; signature of a Memorandum of Understanding among National Agencies; measurement of progress and impact through key performance indicators.

WP2 – Networks: Strengthening and expanding Alumni and Ambassador networks across Europe; formalising agreements with established Erasmus+ networks, e.g. ESN and Erasmus Garage; developing IT tools for efficient network management; establishing structured methodologies for selecting and engaging network members.

WP3 – Training: Development of training modules on European values, civic engagement, and political literacy; production of digital learning materials, including e-modules and interactive resources; facilitation of knowledge-sharing through structured online and in-person training activities; creation of an open-access training platform to support Erasmus+ beneficiaries and the general public.

WP4 – Communication: Design and implementation of a comprehensive communication plan; production of promotional materials, reports, videos, and case studies to highlight the impact of Erasmus+; delivery of targeted outreach campaigns at national and European levels; engagement of the media and stakeholders in dialogue on civic participation and European citizenship.

WP5 – Research: Conducting studies on key topics such as political participation, social inclusion, and EU citizenship; cooperating with academic institutions to develop research reports; integrating findings into policy recommendations and future Erasmus+ initiatives; organising international conferences to disseminate research results.

Expected outcomes (LTA)

• Strengthened and expanded networks of Erasmus+ Alumni, Ambassadors, and Role Models.

• Increased public awareness of and participation in European civic engagement initiatives.

• Greater synergies between Erasmus+ programmes and other EU-supported initiatives.

• Enhanced training opportunities to promote EU values and citizenship education.

• A data-driven approach to measuring the impact of Erasmus+ on civic engagement.

Individual events linked to this long-term activity

• SK01_0722_THO_2025 – Erasmus+ as a Pathway to Global Citizenship Education

• LV01_0738_THO_2024 – Strengthening EU Values through Digital Participation

• PL01_0756_THO_2025 – EU-Engage: Promoting Civic and Democratic Participation in Higher Education

• DE01_0770_THO_2025 – Promoting active citizenship and engagement through students presenting European values

• EL01_0785_TSS_2025 – Unlocking Democracy: Inclusive Participation with Erasmus+

• BE02_0851_TSS_2026 – Cohesion for Europe: Civic engagement and EU values through Erasmus+

• FR01_0863_THO_2026 – E+ Ambassadors – Activities (throughout the year)

• ES01_0875_THO_2026 – Participation in Action: Promoting inclusion in the Erasmus+ community

• IT01_0877_TSS_2026 – Democracy in Action: Empowering IVET Learners for a Resilient Europe