1.  Share creative, interactive, immersive and laboratory solutions, methodologies and technologies for teaching/learning developed in the “START” project:

• the Study Programme that aims to raise the awareness of attendees to review both the tourism sector and their own activity in the sector from a critical point of view in terms of sustainability.
  Emphasis is placed on a contextual approach to the training content. Participants are called to understand the interaction between tourism and the tourism destination and to reflect on the impact of the specific industry on the environment (both tangible and intangible (e.g., cultural, social)). Attendees will become familiar with the current EU policies on reducing the environmental footprint and are called to apply them in the professional activities of the tourism industry. Moreover, they are confronted with the future of tourism in terms of its digitization and they are acquainted with the various techniques expected to flood the tourism industry in the years to come. With regard to the age group of the targeted participants, and following the fact that the age group of 15 – 24 presents a particular dynamism in tourism employment, the programme addresses the specific group of potential apprentices across professional specialisations.
  Considering that the programme is aimed at all types of employees –or potential employees- in the tourism industry, it should be viewed as a transversal course dealing with all levels of employees in the sector. The programme also intends to adapt the technical and methodological skills of trainers to prevent the obsolescence of workers’ skills by using digital technologies as a driver of learning that becomes operational, not disorienting them in the face of the green and digital transition but accompanying them from the bottom up to become agents of change, infusing them with incremental know-how
• Educational programme consisting of episodes, as a learning environment that adopts and integrates streaming and interactivity models to convey Open Educational Resources
• Green-Tech Infusion Toolkit, a methodological handbook on transformational team coaching and green-tech infusion, accompanied by didactic and operational tools (Circular Tourism Tool), to allow trainers to evolve towards the role of green-tech infusion Coach, in order to guide tourism workers in the realisation of as-is-to be organisational analyses for the circular transformation of the business model; in the design and “in vitro” implementation of digital solutions to innovate, in one’s organisational contexts, the range of tourism products/services offered in a sustainable key (START Lab)
• A multilingual app, structured by country, region, city and different types of tourist and cultural organisations, such as hotels and travel agencies that allows the user to interactively and virtually discover places, production activities and exhibition spaces.

2.  Contribute to defining education and training contents, models and tools in line with the characteristics of the European economic and social system, in a globalized perspective, contributing to increasing quality and competitiveness

3.  Promote opportunities for meeting and collaboration among its members

4.  Promote internationalization processes of its members, also promoting the exchange of information and experiences with schools and other European institutions and bodies operating in the sector

5.  Favour the development of digital skills by supporting permanent access to diverse educational resources

6.  Stimulate structured dialogue and collaboration between VET providers, academic institutions, and tourism-related businesses to drive green and digital transitions

7. Promote the sustainability and competitiveness of European small and medium-sized enterprises through ongoing cooperation and innovation

1.  acquire the digital and methodological skills to favour your evolution towards the role of green-tech infusion Coach and obtain access to the didactic and operational tools (Circular Tourism Tool) and the START toolkit

2. govern 4.0 didactic tools, develop your instructional skills, and access training and tools on green technology and coaching which will help you to guide your client companies and learners

Joining the network is free of charge and does not bind the participating Vocational Education Institutions/Educators/Consultants in any way. It is merely an opportunity for innovation of existing and emerging educational models in the field of tourism. Institutions or even individual trainers, consultants can participate.

The network runs a group on the EPALE platform containing useful materials and resources on the main results of the START project. Anyone can be part of it and share their skills and research with the network. The network uses open source and free tools for 90% of its activities.