Almost all European countries face challenges in educating sufficient skilled workers. Particularly in countries with a predominantly school-based vocational training practical qualification takes mostly place only with complementary internships in companies; the relevant skills and competencies must be significantly improved and a high-quality must be achieved. The dual vocational training proved itself to be of high value in this context. Within the ICC4VET project, a sector competence centre was developed in Poland with the realisation of a dual vocational training at the Tadeusz Tanski Mechanical and Logistics School Complex. In addition, further training courses for vocational school teachers were developed and implemented. Special trainings for trainers in SMEs in countries with school-based vocational training were adapted and implemented. A further training course for technicians within the framework of a dual training course of two years with entitlement to study at a university of applied sciences was developed and implemented. In preparation for the introduction of dual Bachelor's programmes, implementation plans were drawn up for the expansion of the two-tier sector competence centres into a three-tier system of vocational training and innovation promotion. This publication contains the relevant curricula and experiences as a result of the project ICC4VET with the following partner: Baltic Sea Academy (DE), Vocational Training and Technology Centre of the Schwerin Chamber of Skilled Crafts (DE), Tadeusz Tanski Mechanical and Logistics School Complex (PL), Vilnius Builders Training Center (LT), Panevezys Chamber of Commerce Industry and Crafts (LT), Latvijas Amatniecibas kamera (LV), Võru County Vocational Training Centre (EE.)

To remain competitive in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must increase their innovation capacity and close the gap between qualification requirements and demands. Human capital is the most important resource for increasing productivity and innovation. As a result, the "Knowledge Alliance for Human Resources and Organizational Development" project was launched and ran from 2017 to 2021. The project of eleven partners from four countries placed a high value on increased collaboration between universities and businesses in order to promote education and innovation. The most important findings are included in this publication. First, through R&D work at universities, SME-specific methods, instruments, and projects are developed, tested, and implemented, resulting in workplace innovations in areas such as employee recruitment, motivation, and digitization, a more innovative working environment, and more efficient use of human capital. Second, through qualifications, small and medium-sized enterprises in the Baltic Sea Region's awareness and competencies in this new area of innovation promotion was strengthened.

The ageing of society does not stop at company owners. More and more companies have to be handed over to the new generation. This process is a challenge for all parties involved. The support of business transfer assistance is just as essential for the European economy as the promotion of start-ups because both are critical to the development of the European economy. Over 450.000 firms with over two million jobs are transferred to a new owner in the EU-28 each year. Around one-third of these transfers fail, and the companies are closed. The future growth and sustainability of innovative companies in the Baltic Sea Region are severely limited by failed business transfers. Furthermore, due to a lack of available and appropriate successors, many firms are liquidated rather than transferred. This publication is part of the project INBETS (www.inbets.eu), highlights the background to the current situation of business transfers in the Baltic Sea Region, and proposes a policy program to promote business successions and open up new target groups of potential successors. Part-financed by the European Union (European Development Fund and European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument) within the INBETS project. This publication does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Commission.

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION In many EU countries there is a severe shortage of young skilled workers, especially in SMEs, which has a negative impact on their growth prospects and competitiveness. Even countries such as Germany, with its dual vocational training system, which has traditional strengths in attracting young talent, are having increasing difficulties in meeting the shortage of young skilled workers. There is a need of renewing the HR-Management in many SMEs to better attract and integrate young talent and to provide owners and employees with the necessary knowledge and skills. This project has collected best practices and developed a SME centred HR-concept including digital models, as well as various training programmes with different measures for SME managers leading to the implementation of a modern and holistic human resource management. Vocational Training Providers are equipped with the necessary materials and training programs to qualify their staff and SMEs and their employees in their sphere of influence. This publication contains the relevant curricula, application notes and experiences as a result of the project REGROW with the following partners: Hanse-Parlament (DE), Berufsakademie Hamburg (DE), Chamber of Crafts Opole (PL), Chamber of Crafts Poznan(PL), Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EE), IBC International Business College Kolding (DK) and Arbeit und Zukunft e.V. (DE).

Around 99 % of all EU companies are SMEs which provide up to 70 % of all jobs. Generally, SMEs have good future growth prospects, however they are specifically well equipped to solve environmental problems, hence grow in the green economy. Nowadays, the biggest bottleneck is the significant skills shortage in most economic sectors while job vacancies in SMEs and overall unemployment, in particular youth unemployment, is steadily growing. A a result of cooperation between educational institutions and industry entities, work-based learning has become a prominent tool to eliminate bottlenecks and create conditions for further growth in innovative market segments. To continuously coordinate education and skills requirements, and address skills shortages, higher education institutions along with education and training providers, and economic chambers from 7 countries built up and established an alliance for the following sectors: "Water, Wastewater, Waste and Circular Economy". This alliance was then extended to 13 countries with 74 education and labour market actors and continues to perform its duties as the "Eco Innovation" centre of competence in the long term. This publication contains the relevant curricula, application notes and experiences as a result of the project WWW&CE with the following partners: Hanse-Parlament (DE), Panevezys Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts (LT), Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (LT), Vilnius Builder Trainings centre (LT), Hungarian Association of Craftsmen Corporation (HU), Kontiki-Szakkepzö Zrt (HU), Chamber of Craftmanship and Enterprise in Bialystok (PL), Bialystok Foundation of Professional Training (PL), Nordic Forum of Crafts (NO), Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (FI), Wirtschafts-Förderungsinstitut der Wirtschaftskammer Steiermark (AT).

« Understanding todays' Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems requires a comprehension of the rise and development, i.e. of the foundations of topical VET. This book is one of the first publications providing a comparative view of this development in Europe. Apart from older roots, the evolution of VET systems are one trigger of the modernization of economy, society and education itself. The 28 contributions, including countries like Austria, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland of renowned authors and experts in this field are organized in three sections: Concepts which are discussing theoretical approaches towards this phenomenon. Cases which stress specific developments of VET in a certain country or region and Challenges which are contextualizing the historical perspective in a topical policy context. »--