The InCube4CoVEs – Incubation System for the Acceleration & Transformation of Centres of Vocational Excellence in Europe project was created to support vocational education and training providers and regional ecosystems in their journey towards excellence.
Across Europe, many organisations aim to establish or strengthen a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE). A CoVE is a regional ecosystem that brings together education and training providers, businesses and public institutions to develop skills, innovation and employment in response to local needs. However, these organisations do not always have access to the appropriate tools, expertise, networks and organisational models. InCube4CoVEs addresses this need by creating a genuine European incubation system capable of supporting both emerging CoVEs and established centres seeking to strengthen their impact.
The model will initially be tested in the tourism sector and subsequently adapted and transferred to other areas of vocational education and training.
Main objectives
- Create a European CoVE Incubation Hub dedicated to the development and consolidation of Centres of Vocational Excellence.
- Support vocational education and training providers throughout the different stages of their journey, from building partnerships to achieving full operation and long-term sustainability.
- Strengthen cooperation among vocational education and training providers, businesses, public authorities, associations and regional stakeholders.
- Promote the exchange of experiences and peer learning among mature CoVEs, emerging initiatives and providers located in rural or transitioning regions.
- Connect regional skills ecosystems with strategies for regional development, smart specialisation and innovation.
- Make vocational excellence models more accessible, inclusive, sustainable and transferable.
The project will develop a structured incubation pathway, providing participating organisations with:
- self-assessment tools and maturity-level analysis;
- tailored improvement and transformation plans;
- mentoring, facilitation and strategic advisory activities;
- capacity-building programmes for teachers, trainers, coordinators and managers of vocational education and training providers;
- peer-learning activities and cooperation among Centres of Vocational Excellence;
- digital resources, toolkits and support services;
- acceleration activities for existing CoVEs;
- a European Incubation Camp, where organisations will be able to exchange experiences, establish new partnerships and work on their development pathways.
The CoVE Incubation Hub will be hosted at the EVBB VET House in Brussels and will continue to operate after the end of the project.
InCube4CoVEs has a duration of 36 months and involves 11 partners and one associated partner from Germany, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria and Slovenia. The partnership brings together vocational education and training providers, Centres of Vocational Excellence, European associations, tourism-sector representatives, chambers of commerce, regional development agencies and organisations specialising in the innovation of education and training systems.
InCube4CoVEs will strengthen the capacity of vocational education and training providers to undertake pathways towards excellence, supporting at least 30 CoVEs through the services offered by the Incubation Hub. The project will also enhance the skills of teachers, trainers, coordinators and VET managers while fostering regional ecosystems that are more closely connected to businesses, public policies and labour-market needs.
The models tested in the tourism sector will be designed for transfer to other sectors, promoting greater coordination among CoVE initiatives, European networks and instruments such as the Pact for Skills. The Incubation Hub will ultimately become a permanent structure capable of continuing to support new Centres of Vocational Excellence after the project has ended.
The project is co-funded by the Erasmus + Program of the European Union. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
