The origin of this project is the Erasmus Intensive Programme “IT Forest. Innovative Training in Forest Biomass for Sustainable Rural Development” (http://www.itforest.uji.es/), with a partnership integrated by Universitatea “Vasile Alecsandri” din Bacau, Károly Róbert University College and Universitat Jaume I. Thanks to this, the universities have identified the relevance to continue with this line of work and complement the initiative “IT Forest”, focused in biomass, with other renewable energies appropriated for local development.
The potential of renewable energies is widely accepted. In fact, one of the EU 2020 targets consists of obtaining 20% of energy from renewables. Jobs related to this field cover a wide range and it is foreseen that new possibilities will be created in rural areas. Nevertheless, the experts highlight that renewable energies are immature and subject to contradictions. Thus, its reorientation is required.
In this context, IN2RURAL emerges from common goals and needs of the partners, and it is in the frame of the local, national and European agendas. For this reason, it is seen as a part of a long-term collaboration that started with the Erasmus Intensive Programme “IT-Forest” and will provide the incomes for new joint initiatives.
OBJECTIVES
The general objective of IN2RURAL is to promote innovative practices in the renewable energies sector to improve the employability of university students in the rural areas of Bacau (Romania), Castellón (Spain) and Gyöngyös (Hungary). To achieve it, specific goals have been established:
- To increase the applicability of the learning processes by strengthening the relationship between universities and SME.
- To identify and improve the key-competences for the employability in the sector.
- To introduce educational improvements and innovations.
- To strengthen the internationalization, project management procedures and sustainability of the organisations.
- To promote the active participation of geographically disadvantaged groups.
- To improve the preparation of the students for the professional world.
PROFILE
IN2RURAL partnership integrates public universities and SMEs: Universitat Jaume I and Heliotec (Spain), Universitatea Vasile Alecsandri din Bacau and General Electric (Romania), Karoly Robert Foiskola and Geolin (Hungary).
The direct beneficiaries of the project are the university students involved in degrees related to renewable energies and rural development. Efforts will be done to attract students coming from rural areas. Concerning the staff, three target groups have been identified: professors, technicians and administration personnel in both universities and SMEs. Furthermore, the project will count with the participation of relevant stakeholders, such as vocational education centres, local governments and social enterprises.
ACTIVITIES
To meet the goals of the project, various activities focused in increasing the employability of university students by promoting renewable energies for rural development will be carried out, including:
Applied research to promote the creation, development and/or transference of good practices in the main knowledge areas covered by the project.
Specialized trainings with an innovative and interdisciplinary approach (employment, renewable energies and rural development).
Dissemination and exploitation activities to extend the experiences and outputs of the project to specialized and general public.
To maximize their impact, the main stakeholders at local level will be actively involved (local governments, cooperatives, social organisations, education centres…).
Main activities consist in:
- Intellectual outputsMethodology and study of prospective and training needs of renewable energies market for local development
Project collaborators network: identification of local socio-economic needs and SME’s Renewable Energy Capacities
Open Educational Resources for effective use of virtual learning platform and ICT tools for online courses
Open online courses of technical English for renewable energy and for renewable energy for local development
Compilation of case studies of applying renewable energies for local development
Active job search open course for renewable energy in rural areas
Final evaluation of the project
Survival kit for Erasmus + K2 project application and management - Seminars during the first, second and third year with results of the project
- Learning activity through theblended mobility of higher education students
RESULTS AND IMPACT
In reference to the students, it is estimated that the project will result in:
Increased technical competences in the field of renewable energies for rural development
Improved employability by a closer relation between academic formation/enterprises in a international environment
Higher skills for active job search, including opportunities in the EU.
The staff of the organisations will obtain different benefits, such as better knowledge about the application of ICT to education and the entrepreneurial practices. For both, universities and enterprises, IN2RURAL will strengthen the competences to work at European level, reinforcing their language skills and facilitating the encounter with partners for future collaborations.
Regarding other relevant stakeholders, the project foresees to support the networking among participants and to promote the internationalization of local organisations.
POTENTIAL LONG TERM BENEFITS
It is expected that the effects of IN2RURAL will continue after the project end date. Some of these benefits will be:
Better competences of the students will facilitate their integration in the labour market.
Improvements of academic curriculum by fitting industry needs
Allowing free access to the Open Educational Resources generated by the project
The professional development of the staff will remain in the mid and long term, resulting in the institutional strengthening and internationalization
The collaborations generated by the project among other stakeholders will create future synergies
