Strengthening VET entrepreneurial competencies' development for gastro-tourism in the Maghreb region

ongoing

The project Food Routes aims to strengthen the capacity of the VET sector to provide a qualified and employable population that can match the needs of the gastronomy sector and tourism ecosystem in the Maghreb region. The objective will be achieved through the development of capacities of both staff and initial VET learners. The project will implement through a three-pronged approach: the first one is the cooperation with the private sector, increasing VET’s capacity to interact with it through a sustainable cooperation (STRENGTH); the second one is the organization of capacity building activities in three steps for VET student (KNOWLEDGE); the third approach involves the development of ‘life-skills’ through hands-on activities (WBL and business simulations) to stimulate the entrepreneurship mindset of VET students (PASSION). Other activities supporting the effort of the partnership transversally will be organization of networking opportunities, mobilities actions in the form of Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer and small scale events to ‘open up’ VET to the local community. The central beneficiary of Food Routes is going to be the VET sector in all its forms: staff, for the development of their networking and consulting competencies, the learners through gastronomy and entrepreneurial capacity building, but also VET institutions as a whole. Secondary beneficiaries are going to be enterprises at the local level in Maghreb, benefitting from a more employable young population. The project is expected to reach a thorough and long-standing impact. Food Routes can count on two public Agencies involved, virtually involving 90% of all VET providers in Morocco and Tunisia, 526 schools, more than 30 involved specifically in Tourism. Food Routes will aim to implement around 90 bilateral sessions, training activities for around 100 participants and events for 200 attendees.