JUST successfully completes test & validation sessions for the project’s training resources
The Erasmus+ co-funded JUST project celebrates the successful completion of test and validation (T&V) sessions conducted by project partners to evaluate the effectiveness of the newly JUST multilingual training programme. This milestone marks a significant step forward in equipping students and professionals with the essential skills tailored to meet the demands of the modern workforce. JUST, which stands for “Joint University and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) Training,” has engaged in rigorous testing and validation sessions across the different countries represented in the consortium, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia. Partners have collaborated closely with +300 participants to gather valuable feedback and assess the impact of the training modules. Positive Results and Impact The test and validation sessions have yielded positive results, demonstrating the effectiveness and relevance of the JUST training programme across diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Participants have reported: Improved understanding of smart working Enhanced cybersecurity awareness Development of key soft skills Increased productivity and efficiency Strengthened business etiquette and organizational communication The T&V sessions were conducted in a supportive and engaging environment, fostering active participation and collaboration among participants. Partners noted the enthusiasm and dedication of attendees, who actively contributed to discussions and exercises. The positive reaction and feedback received from participants reaffirm the importance of this activity in validating the effectiveness of the JUST training programme. Their valuable insights and suggestions will inform further refinements to ensure the programme meets the evolving needs of learners and employers alike. Overall, the test and validation sessions have underscored the significant impact of the project resources in equipping learners with the skills and competencies needed to thrive in today's dynamic work environments. By addressing the objectives of each training module, the programme empowers participants to navigate the complexities of the modern workforce with confidence and proficiency. For more information, please visit www.just-training.eu or contact the project team at just.training.eu@gmail.com. Stay updated with the latest developments by subscribing to our YouTube channel
JUST Project releases the Green Paper: a wealth of knowledge for strengthening collaboration between SMEs and HEIs
The JUST project presents the release of its Green Paper, a comprehensive document that consolidates lessons learned and insights acquired during project implementation. The Green Paper serves as a repository of knowledge on collaborative dynamics between Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), aimed at enhancing students' employability and competitiveness in the labor market. As the culmination of the project's efforts, the Green Paper provides valuable inputs for evidence-based policy making in the fields of higher education, employability, social inclusion, and equal opportunities. By establishing clear operational and policy linkages between the project and the public policy level, the Green Paper contributes to shaping policies that foster collaboration between universities and businesses, driving socio-economic development and innovation. The Green Paper represents a significant milestone in promoting the JUST project to a higher level of implementation, transcending its impact solely from a learning perspective to influencing policy and practice. By collating the extensive experience and expertise gained through the project, the Green Paper offers insights into the concept of the entrepreneurial university, university-industry collaboration, and their role in fostering socio-economic development. Key features of the Green Paper Consolidates lessons learned by gathering insights and experiences acquired during the implementation of the JUST project, offering a comprehensive overview of successful collaborative practices. Informs evidence-based policy making by providing inputs for evidence-based policy making, and influencing public policies related to entrepreneurial universities, university-industry collaboration, and socio-economic development. Promotes higher-level implementation by elevating the impact of the JUST project by advocating for its integration into policy and practice, ensuring sustainability and scalability beyond the project's duration. The Green Paper will be available online at this link to provide stakeholders with access to a wealth of knowledge and insights to inform decision-making and drive innovation in the fields of higher education and business collaboration. For more information, please visit www.just-training.eu or contact the project team at just.training.eu@gmail.com.
JUST project produced essential resources for university-SME collaboration
The Erasmus+ co-funded JUST project is excited to announce the release of the final deliverables of Project Result 2, offering a suite of practical resources designed to facilitate the creation and implementation of partnerships between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). These resources, which represent the JUST model for University-Business Cooperation (UBC), are now available for free on the project’s website at this link. JUST, an acronym for “Joint University and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) Training,” tackles the critical need for enhanced collaboration between universities and the business sector, particularly SMEs. The project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, includes a diverse consortium of 9 partners from Belgium, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, and Slovakia, combining expertise from universities, businesses, business agencies, and the tertiary sector. Innovative tools to enhance collaboration The JUST project has developed six key resources to support and streamline UBC: Selection Criteria - Guidelines for HEIs to effectively select SMEs for collaboration, ensuring alignment of objectives and capabilities. Collaboration protocols - Step-by-step protocols outlining how HEIs and SMEs can establish and maintain productive partnerships. Cooperation Model - A comprehensive model depicting successful collaboration structures and strategies between universities and businesses. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - A customizable template for formalizing agreements between HEIs and SMEs, tailored to meet specific partnership needs. Code of Conduct – Ethical guidelines and best practices to ensure professional and respectful collaboration throughout the partnership. Cooperation Model and Working Methods - Detailed working methods and operational practices based on successful case studies and lessons learned from across Europe. These resources provide a robust framework for building and maintaining effective HEI-SME collaborations, addressing common challenges and leveraging best practices to enhance student employability and drive innovation within SMEs. By offering these tools, the JUST project aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry, fostering a more integrated and dynamic educational and business environment. For more information, please visit www.just-training.eu or contact the project team at just.training.eu@gmail.com. Stay updated with the latest developments by subscribing to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/JUSTchannel.
JUST Partnership launches implementation suite to ease exploitation and sustainability of projects’ results
The partners of the JUST project proudly announce the release of its Implementation Suite, operational guideline designed to promote the uptake of project results and deliverables beyond the project's scope and duration. The Implementation Suite represents a significant milestone in fostering collaboration between universities and businesses, offering tools and guidelines for enhancing cooperation, developing curricula, and implementing joint teaching initiatives leveraging on the partners’ experience and the JUST project’s methodology. As part of Project Result 4, the Implementation Suite serves as a comprehensive set of guidelines to mainstream and facilitate the replicability of the JUST project's outcomes. This resource equips operators within the education and training ecosystem, including universities, SMEs, and HR professionals, with the tools and guidance necessary to adapt and adopt JUST tools for enhancing collaboration and employability. The Implementation Suite includes practical tools for delivering training and represents a set of guidelines for universities and SMEs to enhance collaboration in various aspects, including curriculum development and joint teaching. By providing a framework for implementing JUST project results, the Implementation Suite empowers stakeholders to leverage the project's findings to benefit their respective institutions and industries. Importance for future exploitability and sustainability The Implementation Suite plays a crucial role in ensuring the future exploitability and sustainability of the JUST project results and partners' efforts. By offering a structured approach to implementing project outcomes, the Implementation Suite enables stakeholders to integrate JUST tools and methodologies into their ongoing practices, ensuring the continued relevance and impact of the project beyond its formal conclusion. Furthermore, the availability of the Implementation Suite online ensures accessibility to a wider audience, extending the reach of the JUST project's outcomes beyond the formal timeline of the project and partnership itself. This democratization of knowledge enables universities, SMEs, and other stakeholders to benefit from the project's findings and contribute to the advancement of collaboration in the education and business sectors. The Implementation Suite will be available online at JUST Implementation Suite. Stakeholders are encouraged to explore this invaluable resource and harness its potential to drive meaningful collaboration and innovation in the university and business ecosystems. For more information, please visit www.just-training.eu or contact the project team at just.training.eu@gmail.com. Stay updated with the latest developments by subscribing to our YouTube channel
Developing an innovative model for University-SME Cooperation: the JUST Pan-European report
The Partnership of the Erasmus+ JUST project is proud to announce the release of a significant deliverable within Project Result 2: the Pan-European Report, a comprehensive stocktaking of current models of Higher Education Institution (HEI) and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) collaboration. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the existing frameworks and practices at both EU and international levels, encompassing perspectives from universities, businesses, and students. JUST, which stands for “Joint University and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) Training,” addresses the pressing need for stronger collaboration between academia and the business sector, particularly SMEs. The project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, includes a consortium of 9 partners from Belgium, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, and Slovakia, representing both the university and business sectors, as well as business agencies and an organization from the tertiary sector. Key Findings of the Pan-European Report The Pan-European Report reveals that while the majority of HEIs engage in some form of university-business cooperation (UBC), there remains a significant gap in active collaboration between academics and businesses. This limited engagement has been identified as a critical factor reducing the labour market relevance of study programmes, the employability of graduates, and the overall impact of research. Despite efforts by European governments and the EU Commission to promote UBC, a widespread lack of awareness persists about how HEIs and businesses can effectively cooperate and the benefits of such collaboration. The report highlights that cooperation is most developed in research and development, followed by education, yet the overall level of cooperation remains low. It identifies eight types of collaboration and underscores the need to understand practical collaboration models and synergies between HEIs and SMEs. Identifying and addressing the main barriers and drivers for cooperation is crucial for unlocking the full potential of these partnerships, especially during this phase of transition and recovery. This comprehensive report is a preparatory step for developing the JUST project’s University-SME collaboration model, offering practical insights and frameworks to guide future partnerships. By enhancing these collaborations, the JUST project aims to align educational programmes with labour market needs, boost student employability, and drive innovation within SMEs. For more information, please visit www.just-training.eu or contact the project team at just.training.eu@gmail.com.
Successful Multiplier Event for the JUST Project Held in Brussels by IHF asbl
IHF asbl, the Belgian partner of the JUST (Joint University and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Training) European project, successfully organised and executed a two-part Multiplier Event (ME) in Brussels. The event, designed to foster collaboration between higher education institutions (HEIs) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), took place on March 26 and May 21, 2024. The first session of the ME was held on March 26 at the IHF office in the heart of the European Quarter in Brussels. This session brought together a diverse group of seven participants, including university students, representatives from the Corporate Women Association, and two representatives from an EU-level organisation. The second session took place on May 21 at the KU Leuven campus in Brussels, involving 8international students. These sessions focused on the project’s genesis, objectives and the direct relevance to the participants, who were mainly HEI students with early career experiences in associations and the workforce. During both sessions, IHF asbl introduced the participants to the JUST project’s objectives and showcased the project’s online platform and deliverables. The sessions emphasized the importance of bridging the gap between education and the labor market by developing up-to-date curricula through the collaboration of HEIs and SMEs. The discussions highlighted the innovative operational tools developed by JUST to facilitate HEI-SME interaction for joint teaching, work-based learning (WBL) and placements. Furthermore, it has been underscored the Brussels’ role as a pivotal international hub for HEI-industry collaboration. By hosting the event in such a strategic location, IHF asbl effectively showcased the international dimension of the JUST project, aligning with the city’s emphasis on internationalisation and HEI-enterprise interactions. Participants from nine different countries - Italy, Ukraine, India, Morocco, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Hungary, Canada and Rwanda - contributed to a rich exchange of ideas and perspectives, enhancing the event’s impact and reach. The event successfully demonstrated the value of international collaboration in developing the skills and competencies of the future workforce. About JUST: JUST (Joint University and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Training) aims to bridge the gap between the world of education and the world of work by bringing together Universities and higher education institutions (HEIs) and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop coherent, relevant, and up-to-date curricula using micro-credentials. JUST is an EU project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme. The partnership comprises 9 partners from 5 different countries (BE, ES, IT, SI, SK), with representation from both the university sector (4 partners) and the business sector (2). Additionally, 2 business agencies and 1 organisation from the tertiary sector are actively involved. For further information about the JUST project, please contact: just.training.eu@gmail.com Project website: www.just-training.eu YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/JUSTchannel
Innovative Collaboration Between HEIs and SMEs Showcased at JUST Project Event in Italy
IDP European Consultant, one of the Italian partners of the JUST (Joint University and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Training) project, successfully organised and executed a project valorisation event in Italy, took place on April 5, 2024. The event was integrated into the event calendar of the local Starting Finance club, an association of university students focused on economic and financial education both offline through university and community events and online through their social media channels. The event saw the participation of 20 members, primarily HE students and fresh graduates at the beginning of their professional careers. During the session, IDP presented the genesis and objectives of the JUST project, emphasizing the crucial role of HEI-SME collaboration in bridging the gap between education and the labour market. The participants were introduced to the project’s online platform and deliverables, which highlighted innovative tools developed by JUST to facilitate HEI-SME interaction for joint teaching, work-based learning (WBL) and placements. The discussions focused on the need for new and innovative curricula that are practical and skills-oriented, addressing the demands of the modern workforce. The event provided a valuable platform for participants to explore the benefits of integrating academic knowledge with practical skills through the collaboration of universities and SMEs. The feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive. Members of Starting Finance appreciated the insights into the international dimension of the JUST project and its relevance to their future careers. The event also underscored the importance of developing curricula that are aligned with the needs of the job market, enhancing the employability of graduates. The JUST project aims to bridge the gap between education and the world of work by bringing together universities and HEIs and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop coherent, relevant, and up-to-date curricula using micro-credentials. JUST is an EU project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme. The partnership comprises nine partners from five different countries (Belgium, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, and Slovakia), with representation from both the university sector (four partners) and the business sector (two partners). Additionally, two business agencies and one organisation from the tertiary sector are actively involved. For more information about the JUST project, please contact: just.training.eu@gmail.com Project website: www.just-training.eu YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/JUSTchannel
Bridging the Gap between Education and Employment: JUST Project Achieves Milestone in Training Curriculum Development
JUST, an acronym for the EU co-funded project “Joint University and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) Training”, arises from the recognition that the collaboration between universities and businesses, especially SMEs, is inadequate, both in terms of educational and employment opportunities for students. This is where JUST coming in, with the aim of bridging the gap between the world of education and the world of work by bringing together universities and SMEs to develop coherent, relevant, and up-to-date study programmes using microcredentials. The target groups are: Universities Academic staff Students (18+ years, with an equal gender ratio) approaching the transition from education to the world of work SMEs from various sectors Project Results 3 (PR3): Multilingual Open Access Curriculum At the current stage of the project, partners have developed an innovative training curriculum, currently available in multiple languages (EN, ES, IT, SI, SK) and offered in an open-access format on the project’s OER platform, completely free of charge. This curriculum encompasses a diverse range of courses, each designed to equip students with essential and innovative job skills. Here is a brief overview of the courses with titles and brief descriptions: Smart working characteristics, tools and good practices: Defining smart working and differentiate it from other work types and to get acquainted with SW principles and good practices. The participant will be able to manage setting SW place and choose proper SW tools and technology. They will get familiar with the relevance and specifics of SW in relation to wellbeing and a well-balanced work Interacting safely in a digital setting: Explaining the importance of maintaining good cybersecurity practices, to highlight the importance of protecting personal information, and to provide a general idea of the handiest and effective cybersecurity tools Key competences for the 21st-century workplace: Introducing introduce the soft skills that are important for the 21st-century workplace, explain how to potentially improve them and transmit them into work and life Time, tasks and teamwork management: Underlining the importance of personal organization, to explain what urgent-important matrix is and how to use it, and to teach how to avoid procrastination Being smart, effective and efficient in managing your workload: Helping learners better plan and strategies their workload by prioritising tasks and commitments, to teach them how to perform under pressure and how to remain productive at their best Collaboration and Communication Skills: Explaining to the learners how to build relationships with teammates, to teach them to create good communication dynamics with others, and to improve their ability to understand people and situations in the context of organisations Business Etiquette: Introducing the concept of business etiquette and its role in presenting a united company image, fostering mutual respect for team members, and improving communication in the workplace. The module will explain why it has to be is to be understood and appreciated by all so the organisation is able to do business in all circumstances An unconventional guide to office life: Presenting the concept of organisational hierarchy and its most typical frameworks (including their pros & cons), to explain the Pyramidal Principle of communication that enables a more impactful and effective business communication, and to explain how to better structure the message content when sharing knowledge and information The 8 training courses consist of 1 .pptx module and 1 .docx handout each, enriched with a glossary and a final self-assessment test. To access the course contents, please visit the direct link: www.just-training.eu/training. Currently, these courses are undergoing testing and validation (T&V) by 300 university students who provide invaluable feedback on content and structure, ensuring they meet the needs of both academia and the job market. Transnational Project Meeting (TPM) in Malaga The recent TPM in Malaga (Spain) played an important role in assessing and advancing the JUST project. The meeting focused on the following main points: Drawing valuable insights and lesson learned from PR2 and PR3 Evaluating the successful implementation of the T&V process, yielding first results. Feedback received thus far highlights: An enthusiastic response from learners Significative positive impact on their professional preparation and competitiveness in the job market and the world of work Confirmation of the usefulness of the training areas addressed and of the quality of the material Next steps Looking Ahead As the project progresses, attention now turns to Project Result 4 (PR4), where efforts will focus on producing guidelines for utilising project outcomes (Implementation Suite) and recommendations for policy implementation to promote similar initiatives and collaboration between universities and SMEs (Green Paper). EU Co-Funded Erasmus+ Project JUST is an EU project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme. The partnership comprises 9 partners from 5 different countries (BE, ES, IT, SI, SK), with representation from both the university sector (4 partners) and the business sector (2). Additionally, 2 business agencies and 1 organisation from the tertiary sector are actively involved. For further information about the JUST project, please contact: just.training.eu@gmail.com Project website: www.just-training.eu YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/JUSTchannel
A cross-functional and multidimensional model for cooperation and collaboration dynamics between Universities and Small Medium Enterprises
According to recent assessment from official EU sources (European Commission, State of University-Business Cooperation in EU, 2018), cooperation and collaboration dynamics among Universities and private sector’s representatives (mainly, small and medium enterprises) are still too weak and fragmented to generate those major socio-economic outcomes as ideally foreseen. Labor market relevance of study programmes and the very same employability opportunities of fresh graduates are negatively impacted by this scenario. Interestingly enough, the causes from this mismatch seem varying from the source and nature of literature: academics name bureaucracy and lack time as main inhibitors, while business identify cultural differences, different management styles and diverging motivations as obstacles. With the scope to overcome such paradigm’s barriers, the European Commission contributed to the co-financing of the JUST project, a transnational initiative carried out with the support of the Erasmus Plus programme: 9 organizations in total are involved, coming from 5 different countries, and representative of the many groups of interest gravitating around this collaboration axis. In the next two years, partners will collaborate to develop innovative tools to broker sustainable and fruitful collaboration between HEIs and SMEs, and for the further development and delivery of labor market-relevant curricula; definition of joint Work Based Learning (WBL) arrangements; increased collaboration in career guidance and placement. The development of these tools starts from the recognitions, assessment and evaluation of critical success factors / good practices / case studies that can support the transition from theory to practice of sustainable and long-term oriented collaboration models. The needs-analysis as described is a formal project result of JUST, and anticipates the developed of the three aforementioned deliverables. Under the lead of the Faculty of Media of Ljubljana, and the expect co-guidance of Institut de Haute Formation aux Politiques Communautaires, partners carried out with refernece to the national context an in-depth and comprehsive analysis aimed at hihglighting what might be the theoretical premises of such collaboration model. Referenes and sources were distinguished based on the instututional nature of the partner involved in the assessment: HEI were requested to: Identify and disclose (If possible) systems and mechanisms for HEI and SME collaboration already existing at their institution Collect existing memorandums, protocols, guidelines, information on web pages and other documents on collaboration between HEI and SME Prototype the role and responsibilities of the promoter at HE level of such dynamics Gather good practices and students’ dimension …and on the other hand, partners that represent the SME cosmos were requested to: Review of existing models and documents about cooperation of SME and HEI Identifying ways in which SME (might) initiate collaboration with HEI Review goof practices form industry reports and other forms of business publishing This transnational and cross-dimensional analysis in complemented by 5 additional resources: Set of Selection Criteria to ease STKHs management and engagement Collaboration protocol the better establigh the scale and scope of the collaboration Code of conduct on how to implement and develop over time fruitful collaborations A template of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Good practices and recommended working methods All resources and deliverables prepared and compiled by partners will be available for free and in open access format via the official Open Education Resource Platform of the project under the Model section. To know more about the project, please feel free to consult: www.just-training.eu
Joint University and Small and medium-sized enterprises Training. JUST platform has been launched
The JUST platform, which offers information on the project’s aims, activities and results, is now online (https://just-training.eu/), It will also contain all the project’s deliverables and outputs. JUST (Joint University/SME Training) aims at bridging the gap between the world of education and the world of work, by bringing together Universities (HEIs) and SMEs to develop coherent, relevant and up-to-date curricula. This user-friendly platform has been developed by the Spanish partner of the consortium, IWS (Internet Web Solutions), and will be constantly updated by the partnership as a whole during the project implementation. The platform is available in five languages (English, Spanish, Slovakian, Italian, and Slovenian) and consists of the following parts, optimised for different devices and browsers: HOME: the section introduces users to the JUST platform by highlighting: The Project Vision The implementation Suite The JUST model The Modules to be created PROJECT: serves as a project manifesto, including information on background, mission statement and how JUST will develop innovative operational tools to equip HEIs to broker collaborations with SMEs PARTNERS: describes the Partners involved in the project. IMPLEMENTATION SUITE: This section will host two important documents for the project: The IMPLEMENTATION SUITE is the operational guideline for other operators of the education and training ecosystem concerned with HE, employability and HR GREEN PAPER ON HEIs/SMEs COLLABORATION: a repository of lessons learned with the aim of consolidating the wealth of knowledge related to collaborative dynamics between SMEs and HEIs to strengthen students’ employability TRAINING: consists of training materials tailored to the most wanted skills required by employers from graduates, divided into 4 skill clusters (in a free, multilingual mode): Business Etiquette Digital Skills Soft Skills Smart Working tools MODEL: The JUST Model (with tools and template docs) will allow HEIs to engage SMEs in a more structured and purposeful way. ASSOCIATES: to involve as many Associated Partners as possible and spread the word about JUST to users, targets, the general public and ultimate beneficiaries. NEWS: to be up to date with JUST’s latest developments. IWS will be the technological partner, in charge of the creation of the platform, its maintenance, adaptation and functioning, and will also contribute to the implementation of all project steps and phases. JUST is managed by nine partners from five countries, i.e., Italy, Spain, Belgium, Slovakia and Slovenia and is co-financed by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission.
