Vocational Education & Training
Who We Are
InnoPolis Centre for Innovation and Culture is a Greek non-profit organisation (NGO) with over 20 years of experience in EU-funded projects. Based in Egion, Western Greece, InnoPolis operates at the intersection of education, innovation, environmental sustainability, and cultural development. The organisation is an active and recognised participant in the European VET community, with a growing portfolio of Erasmus+ VET projects, adult learning initiatives, and transnational skills development programmes.
PIC: 914971804 | OID: E10141265 | Country: Greece (GR)
VET Mission
To design, deliver, and scale innovative, inclusive, and market-oriented Vocational Education and Training (VET) solutions that equip young people and adults with the practical, digital, and transversal skills required for employability, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning, while fostering social inclusion and resilience.
VET Vision
To become a leading European hub of excellence in innovative VET, advancing future-ready skills, digital transformation, and green competences, and contributing to resilient labour markets, inclusive growth, and social cohesion through cross-border cooperation, applied innovation, and human-centred learning ecosystems.
Our VET Identity
InnoPolis is formally active in the field of Vocational Education and Training as defined by the Erasmus+ Programme Regulation. Our VET engagement operates at three complementary levels:
- Project-based VET delivery: We design, implement, and evaluate VET training programmes and curricula through Erasmus+ KA220-VET and KA210-VET partnerships, targeting learners and professionals across multiple EU countries.
- Adult and continuing VET: Through Erasmus+ KA220-ADU and KA210-ADU projects, InnoPolis develops upskilling and reskilling pathways for working adults, unemployed individuals, migrants, and women returning to the labour market.
- VET from the inside — institutional knowledge: InnoPolis’s VET programme is led by its President, Aikaterini Sotiropoulou, who holds an active teaching post as Physics teacher (PE04.01) at the 9th Vocational High School of Patras (9ο ΕΠΑΛ Πατρών), a state EPAL secondary VET institution at EQF level 4. This provides InnoPolis with direct, first-hand knowledge of VET classroom reality, STEM pedagogy in vocational contexts, learner needs at EQF levels 3–5, and the specific challenges facing VET institutions in the Greek national system.
VET Track Record
PowerWORMS — Erasmus+ KA220-VET | 🏆 Awarded Best Practice
Grant Agreement No: 2021-1-TR01-KA220-VET-000030021
Full title: Vermicomposting: The Future of Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Waste Management in Europe. A transnational VET partnership across six countries (Greece, Türkiye, Spain, Netherlands, North Macedonia, and others) focused on developing vocational competences in sustainable agri-food practices — specifically vermicomposting as a green circular economy skill.
InnoPolis contribution: Co-author of the full Teacher & Trainer Guide (17 structured lessons covering learning outcomes, competence-based assessment, trainer methodology, green agriculture skills, ICT integration, market knowledge, policy frameworks and investment planning); design of learner-centred training activities; delivery of professional training to 20 VET professionals across partner countries.
VET relevance: EQF levels 3–5 | Green skills | Competence-based learning | Work-based learning methodology | Trainer professional development | Transnational curriculum co-design | 
Recognised as Erasmus+ Best Practice.
WINOVATE — Erasmus+ KA210-VET | 🏆 Awarded Best Practice
WINOVATE is an Erasmus+ best-practice initiative that leverages non-alcoholic wine production as an innovative learning pathway for Vocational Education and Training (VET) in the agri-food and culinary sectors, aiming to modernise curricula, enhance teaching methodologies, and strengthen labour-market relevance. The project equips VET agrarian and culinary teachers and students with practical, job-oriented, and innovation-driven skills related to the production, processing, and promotion of non-alcoholic beverages, while fostering awareness of sustainable consumption trends and emerging market opportunities. Through transnational exchange, applied training modules, and hands-on experimentation, WINOVATE promotes knowledge transfer, upskilling of educators, and work-based learning approaches, ultimately enhancing the employability, entrepreneurial capacity, and professional readiness of VET learners and supporting the development of a competitive, innovative, and sustainable agri-food workforce.
VET relevance: EQF levels 3–5 | Entrepreneurial competences in VET | Agri-food vocational skills | 🏆 Recognised as Erasmus+ Best Practice.
FUTURE-ART — Erasmus+ KA220-YOU
The FUTURE-ART project is an Erasmus+ initiative (2025–2028) that applies innovative educational methodologies, creative learning, and digital tools to strengthen skills development, vocational training, and transversal competencies related to social awareness, active citizenship, and human rights education. Implemented across six European countries (France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Belgium, and Türkiye), the project integrates arts-based learning, digital education platforms, and experiential training approaches to enhance learners’ critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and civic competencies.
Through structured workshops, interactive digital modules, and competence-based training activities, FUTURE-ART supports non-formal and informal learning pathways aligned with modern VET principles. Participants engage in creative production, collaborative learning, and applied project work, gaining transferable skills relevant to education, employability, and lifelong learning. Learning outcomes are formally validated through FUTURE-ART Certificates, strengthening participants’ educational and professional profiles while fostering innovation in education and training systems.
Project Impact:
- Development of innovative education and training methodologies combining arts, digital tools, and experiential learning
- Strengthening transversal and vocational competencies, including critical thinking, communication, creativity, and civic responsibility
- Enhancement of digital learning environments and educational resources
- Reinforcement of cross-sector cooperation between education providers, cultural institutions, and civil society organisations
VET relevance: Non-formal VET methodologies | Innovative pedagogy | Social inclusion | Learner motivation.
Adult Learning & Upskilling Projects
InnoPolis has led and participated in multiple Erasmus+ adult learning projects that are directly complementary to VET activity:
Digizenship (KA210-ADU): A short-cycle programme building digital citizenship competences for adults with low digital literacy, delivered through peer-learning and blended workshop formats.
Civic Green (KA220-ADU): A collaborative transnational project developing green competences for adult learners, embedding sustainability awareness into community-based non-formal education.
Digital Leadership (KA210-ADU): A targeted upskilling initiative for working professionals, focusing on strategic digital skills, data-informed decision-making, and digital transformation in organisational contexts.
CulTour Design (KA220-ADU): An innovative project at the intersection of cultural heritage and the creative economy, equipping adult learners with entrepreneurial and design-thinking skills for the cultural tourism sector.
ISRICM-EU — European Social Fund+
Through the ISRICM-EU project, we’ve developed an interactive digital learning platform that uses food and cultural heritage as bridges for integration. The platform connects Greek and Ukrainian traditions through shared maritime practices and Mediterranean and Black Sea culinary knowledge, creating meaningful cultural connections while teaching sustainable cooking and fishing practices.
Targeting young refugees and migrants (ages 15-30), the platform offers immersive, mobile-first learning experiences with interactive recipe guides, sustainability education, and cultural storytelling. By highlighting similarities between host and home cultures, we foster understanding, preserve traditional knowledge, and build confidence in new environments.
Visit the learning platform: https://isricm-learning.eu/
Key Features:
- Interactive, hands-on cooking experiences with step-by-step video guidance
- Cultural heritage preservation and cross-cultural dialogue
- Sustainability and environmental awareness education
- Mobile-optimized design for accessibility and offline use
VET From the Inside — Our People
What distinguishes InnoPolis from many NGO partners in VET projects is that our leadership does not manage VET from the outside. Aikaterini Sotiropoulou, President of InnoPolis, is an active Physics teacher (PE04.01 — Φυσικός) at the 9th Vocational High School of Patras (9ο ΕΠΑΛ Πατρών), one of the state secondary vocational schools in the Greek EPAL network.
In the Greek national VET system, EPAL schools (Epaggelmatika Lykeia) deliver vocational qualifications at EQF level 4 across a wide range of occupational fields, including STEM, engineering, health sciences, and digital technologies. Physics and mathematics in this context are taught not as abstract academic disciplines but as the scientific foundation for vocational specializations — directly aligned with CoVE’s emphasis on STEM skills as enablers of the green and digital transitions.
This active classroom presence means InnoPolis brings to every partnership a genuine, practitioner-level understanding of: how VET learners learn; what motivates and challenges young people and adults in vocational pathways; how curriculum changes translate (or fail to translate) into actual classroom practice; and what teachers and trainers need in terms of professional development and support.
Institutional Links with the Greek VET System
InnoPolis maintains active institutional connections with the Greek VET ecosystem, including:
- 9th Vocational High School of Patras (9ο ΕΠΑΛ Πατρών): Associated supporting institution for current CoVE project applications. Has provided formal Letters of Support for the HARVEST LAB and FLYHIGHER projects (2026 CoVE call).
- Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) accredited host organisation: InnoPolis is an accredited IVY host organisation, having welcomed over 35 young European volunteers in its premises over four years, supporting youth mobility and skills development in a structured transnational framework.
- Regional VET and employer networks: Active connections with local employers, agricultural cooperatives, and public employment services in Western Greece, supporting work-based learning and adult upskilling initiatives.
PIF-Ready Organizational Profile
InnoPolis — PIF Organizational Profile (VET)
InnoPolis Centre for Innovation and Culture (PIC: 914971804 | OID: E10141265) is a Greek NGO with over 20 years of experience in EU-funded projects, formally active in the field of Vocational Education and Training (VET). The organization has delivered two Erasmus+ KA220-VET and KA210-VET projects, both recognized as Erasmus+ Best Practice, developing competence-based vocational curricula and professional training programmes in green and agri-food skills at EQF levels 3–5, reaching 20 trained VET professionals across six European countries. InnoPolis also delivers adult upskilling and reskilling programmes through multiple Erasmus+ KA220-ADU and KA210-ADU partnerships, targeting low-qualified adults, migrants, women, and unemployed individuals. The organisation’s VET work is grounded in direct practitioner knowledge: its President holds an active teaching post (PE04.01, Physics) at the 9th Vocational High School of Patras (9ο ΕΠΑΛ Πατρών), a state secondary VET institution at EQF level 4, providing first-hand expertise in STEM pedagogy, learner-centred methodologies, and the Greek EPAL vocational system. InnoPolis is an accredited Interreg Volunteer Youth host organisation and maintains active institutional links with the 9th EPAL Patras as an associated partner in current CoVE applications.
Key Figures at a Glance
20+ years EU project experience | 2× 🏆 Best Practice Erasmus+ VET awards |
20 professionals trained VET trainers across 6 countries | 35+ volunteers hosted Accredited IVY host organisation |
EQF levels 3–5 Core VET delivery focus | 17 structured lessons PowerWORMS VET curriculum authored |
Building the Future of Learning
We are actively expanding our educational portfolio and seeking new partnerships to develop programs in digital citizenship, vocational training, cultural education, and civic engagement. Our approach prioritizes gender-responsive design, accessibility, and community-led development—ensuring that our educational initiatives create lasting impact and open pathways to opportunity.
If you’re interested in collaborating on innovative educational projects or learning more about our work, we’d love to hear from you.
