This year’s WorldSkills competition, hosted at Eurexpo in Lyon, marked its 47th edition, bringing together 1,400 competitors from over 70 countries and drawing over 250,000 visitors.
Nearly 700 participants from various CoVE projects also gathered in Lyon for the third Forum on Vocational Excellence of the CoVE Community of Practice. Established five years ago, the Forum aims to support new CoVE projects in bringing their innovative ideas into reality. Partners from the EVECSA project, representing Denmark, the Netherlands, and Finland, participated in the forum to exchange best practices, learn from one another, and forge connections between different national initiatives. The event featured insightful seminars, empowering workshops, and a vibrant “COVE Village” where different projects showcased their results and shared best practices in a highly professional setting—an ideal space for benchmarking and establishing new partnerships.
The Forum proved to be a valuable opportunity for networking and knowledge-sharing. Special thanks go to the CoVE Community of Practice for organizing the event!
During the Forum, several valuable takeaways emerged for future EVECSA actions. First, it’s crucial to allow ample social time from the outset, fostering an environment where new ideas and productive collaborations can flourish. Building trust and personal relationships is key to effective teamwork. Second, meetings should prioritize interactive engagement rather than solely focusing on seminars or panels. While these can set the right tone, meaningful interactions often yield the most valuable results.
Additionally, clear and accessible meeting arrangements are vital, with communication streamlined through a single channel to ensure accuracy and ease. Having a common photo-sharing platform is also recommended. And, of course, the importance of coffee breaks should not be overlooked! 😀
For more information on the outcomes of the forum, visit www.copcoves.eu, where you’ll also find a network map detailing all CoVEs.
Article by Hanna-Mari Laitala – Kpedu