Ubarburu pasealekua 30, 20014 Donostia Tfno: 943 460 145INFO@MLE.EUS www.MLE.EUS OINARRIZKO MAILAKO ZIKLOAK Elektrizitatea eta elektronika Informatika eta Komunikazioak Bulegoko informatika
Teachers from Portugal visit HETEL Schools
A group of teachers from the Portuguese ETAP center (located in Viana do Castelo) visited the HETEL schools of Salesianos Deusto, San Viator, Gurutze Gorria, and Sopeña as part of a mobility program co-financed by the Erasmus+ Program. For five days, they accompanied our teachers in the classroom, interacting with students and learning how the ETHAZI methodology is implemented and how it affects the daily organization and management of the school. A few years ago, ETAP began taking small steps to adapt this methodology, developed by Tknika, to its own vocational training system, and this is the third time they have visited HETEL schools to accompany them on this journey. This is further proof of the prestige enjoyed by vocational training in the Basque Country, even beyond our borders.
Kick-off Meeting in Lisbon of the STEAM Forward Erasmus Project
The kick-off meeting of the “STEAM Forward: Empowering Educators to Inspire Future Careers” Erasmus + project took place in Lisbon on 29–30 January, bringing together all partner organisations for the official start. Funded under the Erasmus Programme, the project aims to strengthen STEAM education and career guidance by equipping educators with innovative methodologies, digital tools and inclusive practices. Hosted in Lisbon by IMPACTsci, the meeting provided a valuable opportunity for partners to align on project objectives, work packages and timelines. The agenda included presentations and discussions on project management, training course development, MOOC platform creation, capacity building activities and dissemination strategies, ensuring a shared understanding of roles and next steps. The partnership brings together a diverse consortium of experienced organisations: the project coordinator Fondacia Prosveta-Sofia, Business Foundation for Education, Computer Technology Institute and Press Diophantus, HETEL, and IMPACTsci. This transnational collaboration lays a strong foundation for developing high-quality results and achieving a lasting impact on STEAM education across Europe.
Network of Networks annual meeting in Derry
Every year in November, the members of Network of Networks meet in one of the network´s countries to celebrate and boost our international collaboration. This 2025 Northern Ireland has showed us the famous Irish hospitality in Derry hosting the annual meeting where schools belonging to The Dutch Alliance, Finn-Net, HETEL, City of Dublin ETB, Colleges of Scotland and Northern Ireland Colleges, had the opportunity to come together in different working groups dedicated to relevant topics for European vocational education. Innovation, group mobility, friendly skills competitions, sustainability and entrepreneurship have been at the forefront of discussion and the topics for continuous and extended collaboration among the participating schools. HETEL´s schools Egibide, Nazaret, Maristak Durango, Jesuitak Politeknikoa and Goierri Eskola are part of the working groups and bring home international collaboration opportunities to involve students and staff from different vocational programmes to keep developing international skills among the VET community. Next year, Network of Networks will travel to Basque Country, hosted by HETEL. We will do our best to keep up with the great standards set by past editions. Looking forward to have our NoN family here!
Involving students in Cyber-In
The last stage of the Erasmus+ KA2 project Cyber-In officially started last week during our transnational meeting in Roskilde (Denmark). After researching about cybersecurity skills in OT environments, with the collaboration of almost 40 companies from Basque Country, Denmark, Italy, Estonia and the Netherlands, and the development of training materials addressed to VET teachers/trainers we are now in the stage of involving students to benefit from a higher knowledge and skills in terms of cybersecurity in industrial environments. From October to December, teachers from Maristak Durango (ES), Roskilde Technical School (DK) and ROC Da Vinci (NL) will work to develop a challenge based activity addressed to students in IT and OT programmes, promoting their international and transdisciplinary collaboration. Students will have 3 months to solve the challenge proposed and will present their findings at the beginning of March in Durango (Basque Country). Excited to bring students on board to the Cyber-In project!
VR4VET. Final meeting in Vitoria for the imminent launch of the application
The use of virtual reality has proven to have advantages for student learning: greater attention for longer periods of time, unlimited iteration, a safe environment… And these are the premises we have used to develop the VR4VET environment for developing customer service skills among VET students. The project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Program and coordinated by the Finnish school Gradia College, has developed various interaction scenarios applicable to courses related to hospitality, hairdressing and aesthetics, business administration and management, and commerce. After piloting with VET teachers from centers in Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, and the Basque Country, and soon to conclude the pilot with students from these schools, the application will be available on the project website (https://blogit.gradia.fi/vr4vet/) throughout November 2025, along with the manual for its independent use. In the case of HETEL, the Egibide (Vitoria) and Sopeña Bilbao school have been responsible for conducting the pilot project and will be the first to incorporate these materials into the training programs.
Strengthening our commitment to the Circular Economy within Erasmus CircularVET project
On September 3rd, the Erasmus CircularVET project consortium held a productive Steering Committee meeting.From HETEL, we actively contributed to the discussions on the different work packages, especially: These exchanges strengthen our commitment to bringing sustainability and the circular economy closer to Vocational Education and Training in the Basque Country, aligning sector needs with pedagogical innovation. #Erasmusplus #CircularVET #Sustainability #VET #GreenSkills #CircularEconomy
Otxarkoaga Teachers Explore Inclusive Vocational Training in Greece
Thanks to an Erasmus+ Grant from HETEL two teachers from Centro Formativo Otxarkoaga, Beñat Hernández and Ander Arrese, traveled to Athens, Greece, to explore the structure of the local Vocational Education and Training (VET) system, with a special focus on the tools and strategies used to support migrant students. Throughout their visit, they engaged with several educational institutions and organizations, all of which emphasized the key role of practical learning in effectively supporting this group of students. The trip also served to build valuable connections with schools and NGOs, paving the way for potential future collaborations in international projects related to inclusion and diversity. This mobility was made possible thanks to an Erasmus+ grant provided by HETEL, promoting international experiences and the sharing of best practices among teaching professionals across Europe.
Completing the blended training in cybersecurity in OT environments in Milan
This week, the participants in the blended training on cybersecurity in OT environments, part of the Erasmus+ Cyber-In project, completed the in-person sessions in Milan (Italy), hosted by the project partner ECOLE. The training complements the 5 modules already delivered on-line about differences between IT and OT cybersecurity, network segmentation, industrial firewalls, availability and standards and regulations, provided by ECOLE, BCS Koolitus and Orbik cybersecurity. The in person sessions provided a hands on approach on the topics already seen and included a visit to Vodafone Automation to learn about cybersecurity implementation in a highly automated industrial environment. Maristak Durango closed the training with the showcase of a challenge based activity involving VET learners based on a real experience between the VET schools Maristak Durango and ITS Rizzoli (IT). The Cyber-In partners also took the chance to have a short meeting to prepare project next steps. So all in all, a very productive week in the “Bella Italia”!
CircularVET: One More Step Towards Sustainable VET
This week, the third meeting of the CircularVET erasmusplus project took place in Norway.It was a highly productive gathering: This meeting marked an important step forward in our commitment to promoting greener Vocational Education and Training, aligned with Europe’s environmental challenges and sustainability policies.