AEI Tèxtils, the Catalan technical textiles’ cluster, participated at the kick-off meeting of FACTIVE project, as member of the consortium. The meeting was held virtually on Friday 13^th November 2020.

FACTIVE project aims to enhance the quality and relevance of the learning offer in Textile and Clothing VET training by developing an innovative learning approach to improve the level and the assessment of learners’ competences and equalize the VET training quality to the modern, creative and innovative needs of the current Textile and Clothing industry in Europe.

FACTIVE is co-financed by the ERASMUS+ program of the European Commission under the call Strategic Partnerships for vocational and educational training, with the Grant Agreement number KA202-91AAA2C6. The project started on October 1^st, has a duration of 24 months and a total budget of 247.409 €.

The consortium is led by CITEVE, Textile and Clothing Technological Center as project coordinator from Portugal, and it counts with the participation, also from Portugal, of MODATEX, Centro de Fomaçao Professional da Industria Textil Vestuario Confeccçao e Lanificios; STEP Institut, Institute for Occupational Psychology and Entrepreneurship, from Slovenia; Link Campus University and CIAPE, Centro Italiano per l’Aprendimento Permanente, from Italy; IVOC&IREC, Insituut voor Vorming en Onderzoek in de Confectie – Institut pour la Recherche et l’Enseignement dans la Confection, from Belgium; CRE.THI.DEV, Creative thinking development, from Greece and  AEI Tèxtils.

The meeting started with CITEVE presentation of the project guidelines and the partners’ introductions. Afterwards, the consortium reviewed and debated each task planned for the next 6 months, particularly about the project definition and its first steps regarding the intellectual outputs (IOs).

Firstly, IVOC&IREC presented an analysis of the most needed skills by future textiles and clothing professionals that will be used to develop IO1 (this initial study will provide results to address the rest of the IOs). Several stakeholders will be consulted to conclude the definition of this IO and focus the project in a useful direction.

STEP Institute team presented IO2 (learning methodology), and their expectations about designing and implementing the academic training.

Then, Link Campus University shared their experience on virtual networks and virtual trainings’ participations, and their plans for IO3, the Training Toolkit.

IO4, the handbook for VET teachers and trainers, was introduced by CIAPE, who proposed some contents and materials to be included.

AEI Tèxtils presented IO5, a Compendium of Pilot Testing Reports. Then, it presented the communication and dissemination plan, with all the different activities and materials that will be developed and implemented for the project to be disseminated widely.

Lastly, CRE.THI.DEV. went over the different tools that will be used to monitor the quality of the project.

Next meeting is scheduled for April 2021 in Slovenia.