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.
Tag: erasmusplus
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.
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.
Teachers from the Dutch VET school Yonder visit HETEL schools
The relationship between HETEL and The Dutch Alliance dates to 2010. As a result of this long-standing collaboration, last week teachers from the Dutch VET school Yonder visited several HETEL schools (Otxarkoaga Training Center, Kooperatiba Peñascal, Egibide and Maristak Durango) to learn and exchange knowledge with our faculty on topics related to language support for migrant students, innovation management, teaching-learning quality management, and managing diversity and the new needs of Generation Z. We hope the learning experience was enriching for all involved!
PRESENTING HIGHER VET TO STUDENTS IN UPPER SECONDARY
Improving student guidance is one of the premises that HETEL is working on, both at a regional and international level through the ERASMUS+ QUAHVET project. As part of the actions of this project, yesterday Julen Elgeta, President of HETEL, offered an informative day to high school students at the HETEL Jesuitak Politeknikoa centre on what higher vocational training is, what opportunities and job prospects it offers, how to learn in these cycles and, ultimately, why vocational training is a great option to take into account. The event is part of the actions to improve guidance towards higher vocational training that Jesuitak Politeknikoa, as a school participating in the QUAHVET project with HETEL, is putting into practice. Other materials and resources developed by the QUAHVET team can be consulted on the project website, https://quahvet.eu/
PROMOTE. Kick-off, now in person!
Last week we met in Ireland for the launch of the PROMOTE project. After a first online session the week before, these days we are finetuning several aspects of the project and are working on the methodology to carry out the first actions: the study of the labor market and the barriers that immigrant women with high qualifications encounter (recognition or equivalence of qualifications and skills, existing prejudices on both the supply and demand sides, language or cultural barriers…). Our colleague, María Pando, teacher and international coordinator at Jesuitak Politeknikoa VET school is in Ireland, representing HETEL, with the rest of the organizations involved in the project. Abantean!