PARADOX - “Innovative training approach in the technology- assisted environment for water management”

The impacts of climate change on water availability and water quality affect many sectors, including energy production, infrastructure, human health, agriculture, and ecosystems. Staff qualifications, the inability to attract young workers remain one of the crucial points in Europe. To boost the recruitment of highly prepared staff requires initiatives addressing learning to make the water security in related sectors attractive and to transform both the academic knowledge and high-level basic and transversal competences to be useful and applicable. One of the key priorities for HE is the reinforcement of the “Knowledge Triangle”, through the support of innovation, entrepreneurship and university-business cooperation. This specifically applies to those traditional sectors, such as the environmental-related sectors, where changes in education and training are required to equip the future workforce with the new skills for the new demands generated by the changing patterns of economic growth as a result of climate change (e.g.: water sources, tourism impact). Nevertheless, the European Security and implicit of its Water Sources is a key driver of sustainable growth with a significant contribution to Europe‘s overall economic health, competitiveness, creativity, innovation, employment, and growth. Staff qualifications along youth unemployment remain one of the crucial points in Europe. To boost the recruitment of highly prepared staff requires initiatives addressing training to make the sector attractive and capable of transforming both the academic knowledge and high-level basic and transversal competencies required to be useful and applicable. For these reasons, this Strategic Partnership proposes the creation of a flexible learning pathway in line with the needs of learners and companies in meeting environmental targets and securing sustainable conditions for EU citizens. It will provide a joint study modules program between Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training that will CAPITALISE COMPANIES WITH PREPARED YOUTH, providing enterprises innovation, expertise, and added value. PARADOX arises from a Strategic Partnership composed of seven entities from regions that are highly influenced by climate change and tourism impact: Five universities and three SMEs /technical research and training centres. With the aim to DEVELOP AN INTERNATIONAL MASTER DEGREE Modules Programme FOR THE CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER SECURITY IN EUROPE, which will offer an adapted curriculum to equip the young generation with the specific, basic and transversal competences currently required in the related industries. This international Master's Degree modules will provide students with opportunities to gain additional skills by studying and training abroad. This initiative will comprise of the following activities: -Surveys, comparative analysis, and evidence-gathering, studies of real-life cases in order to have a real idea of the needs of skills and competences in the European Environmental Studies. - Development of a joint modules curriculum with the integration of different learning modes (distance, face to face, etc) and innovative approaches.- The creation of learning and training materials together with methods, pedagogical approaches, and tools. - Capacity buildings and networking activities. As a final result of these activities, this Strategic Partnership will develop a Study Report on current skills needs on the European Environmental studies offer a Joint Modules Curriculum together with learning content and an e-Learning platform that will be freely and widely distributed. 6 Multiplier Events are planned at the end of the project. PARADOX will trigger modernisation and reinforce education aligned with the needs and opportunities offered by traditional industries. It will provide, assess, and look for the recognition of basic skills needed in the environmental-related sectors.