We are delighted to share the highlights of our successful SSPICE IT! Final Conference that took place on February 20-21, 2025 in Bucharest, Romania. The event marked the successful conclusion of our project aimed at enhancing sustainability in the food and catering sector through vocational education and training.
Conference Highlights
The first day of the SSPICE IT! final conference brought together all project partners for a comprehensive review of our achievements. Partners presented the project’s key outputs, including the innovative assessment app, training programme, communities of practice, curriculum integration guidelines, and communication materials. VET centers shared inspiring implementation stories from their institutions, supported by student testimonials and visual documentation that demonstrated real-world impact. The monitoring and evaluation session revealed that we reached our targets for student and teacher engagement, validating the project’s success. Our collaborative reflection and brainstorming activities generated valuable insights on lessons learned, with partners highlighting how SSPICE IT! has transformed sustainability education in their institutions and created lasting change in their approach to teaching.
The second day welcomed external stakeholders to an engaging conference that highlighted the full spectrum of SSPICE IT! achievements. The program featured an introduction to sustainability challenges in the food and catering sector, an overview of the project journey, and demonstrations of the training programme and assessment app—both receiving enthusiastic feedback. Participants gained valuable insights from the Spanish implementation experience, complete with student video testimonials, and showed significant interest in the practical guidelines for VET curriculum integration.
A guest speaker from a local school enriched the event with a presentation on soft skills in the labor market, while the conference concluded with a summary of key learnings and future collaboration opportunities, leaving stakeholders inspired to implement similar initiatives in their own institutions.
The conference’s social program fostered valuable networking and cultural exchange while celebrating our shared achievements. Partners were treated to a guided exploration of Bucharest’s historic center, discovering the architectural treasures and rich heritage of the city. The celebratory dinner at the iconic “Caru cu Bere” restaurant offered an immersion into traditional Romanian cuisine and a relaxed setting for strengthening professional relationships. The following day, participants who visited the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Bucharest gained insights into Romania’s VET system and culinary education approaches. These social interactions sparked discussions about potential follow-up initiatives and future collaborations, with partners eager to build on SSPICE IT!’s foundation.
The success of the SSPICE IT! final conference would not have been possible without the exceptional hospitality and efforts of Work’s Quality, who created a welcoming and productive environment in Bucharest. We express our gratitude to all project partners for their dedication, to the external stakeholders whose participation and feedback enriched our discussions, and to the Erasmus+ Programme for their financial support in making this initiative possible.
We look forward to seeing how the seeds planted by SSPICE IT! continue to grow in the years to come!
