How can artificial intelligence become a genuinely accessible resource for those starting or managing a startup, as well as for those designing vocational education and training pathways?
It is from this question that CRE-AI was born—a project co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme under small-scale partnerships in vocational education and training, Action KA210-VET.
The project, identified by code 2025-1-IT01-KA210-VET-000360488, aims to create a concrete link between technological innovation, continuous learning, and entrepreneurial development. Its main target groups are entrepreneurs, startup employees, VET trainers, consultants, and organizations involved in supporting digital transformation.
Indeed, the adoption of artificial intelligence does not depend solely on the availability of new tools. It requires knowledge, analytical skills, risk awareness, and useful competencies to identify the most suitable applications for different organizational contexts. At the same time, training professionals must be enabled to guide adult workers and entrepreneurs through this process of change.
Objectives of CRE-AI
The project pursues three main objectives.
The first is to strengthen the knowledge and skills of entrepreneurs and workers, so that they can make effective use of artificial intelligence tools in their day-to-day activities. The aim is not to turn every professional into an IT specialist, but to provide criteria, methods and tools to understand where and how AI can generate tangible value.
The second is to enhance the technical and methodological skills of VET trainers, giving them a central role as facilitators of innovation. Trainers will thus be better equipped to design AI training programmes that meet the real needs of start-ups and small businesses.
The third is to raise awareness amongst start-ups of the opportunities offered by AI, demonstrating how the judicious use of technology can help improve processes, optimise workflows, make better use of data and bolster a company’s competitive edge.
From Needs Analysis to Testing
The activities of CRE-AI include an initial analysis phase through focus groups and surveys aimed at the target groups, followed by the design and production of training materials.
The developed tools will subsequently be subjected to testing and experimentation involving trainers, entrepreneurs, and workers. The pathway will be accompanied by monitoring, communication, and dissemination activities, as well as national events dedicated to presenting and sharing the results.
The intention is to build resources that can be used not only during the project, but also afterward by training providers, consultants, business support organizations, Chambers of Commerce, Digital Innovation Hubs, and other actors in entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Three Results for Training and Business
CRE-AI foresees the realization of three main results:
CRE-AI MOOC: An open and flexible online course designed to accompany entrepreneurs and workers in integrating artificial intelligence into business operations. The course will address practical applications relating to, among others, communication, HR management, workflow optimization, data security, and risk management.
CRE-AI Facilitator Kit: A kit that will provide trainers and consultants with operational tools, methodologies, structured content, examples, and business case studies. It is designed to help training professionals assist companies with different levels of digital maturity, working on areas such as data analysis, process management, and activity optimization.
CRE-AI TrainingProgramme: Targeted specifically at VET trainers, this program will develop the technical and methodological skills needed to design and deliver training initiatives on artificial intelligence, tailoring them to the concrete needs of startups, entrepreneurs, and workers.
A Partnership Between Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany
The project is coordinated by The Qube Consulting SRL – TQC, an Italian organization responsible for overall coordination, project management, monitoring, and communication/dissemination activities.
The partnership also includes European Research Training Consultancy – ERTC, based in the Netherlands, which coordinates the work dedicated to AI tools and the development of the MOOC.
Completing the consortium is Smart LEAP Education Research Consultancy GmbH, a German organization responsible for testing activities, the development of the Facilitator Kit, and the training program for VET professionals.
The collaboration among the three partners brings together expertise in entrepreneurial innovation, research, training, and educational design, aiming to produce tools that are transferable across different European contexts.
The Kick-off Meeting in Brindisi
The first key moment of the journey was the Kick-off Meeting in Brindisi, hosted at the Molo 12 coworking space.
The meeting brought together representatives from The Qube Consulting, ERTC, and Smart LEAP, marking the official launch of the collaboration. The day offered partners the opportunity to share the vision behind CRE-AI, discuss project objectives, and focus on the activities and results to be developed.
At the center of the discussion was the desire to make artificial intelligence an understandable and practical tool. A conscious use of AI can contribute to reducing waste, improving organizational processes, and fostering smarter, more balanced economic models. To achieve this result, however, it is necessary to intervene simultaneously on entrepreneurs’ skills and trainers’ ability to guide change.
The meeting in Brindisi also consolidated a shared vision regarding the role of VET bodies: not simple content providers, but true innovation facilitators capable of guiding startups and workers in exploring the opportunities offered by new technologies.
The event thus laid the foundation for the joint work of the following months and for building accessible, practical training resources adaptableto organizations with varying levels of digital experience.
Project Steps
Following the kick-off, the partnership will focus on gathering target group feedback, defining training content, producing the MOOC, developing the Facilitator Kit, and preparing the Training Programme.
The resources will be tested with trainers, startups, and professionals to gather feedback and refine the materials before their final version. Results will then be shared through events, European networks, and digital channels to promote their use outside the partner organizations.
The EPALE community will be kept updated on project progress, testing activities, and opportunities for involvement.
Project Code: 2025-1-IT01-KA210-VET-000360488
Programme: Erasmus+
Action: KA210-VET – Small-scale partnerships in vocational education and training
Partner Channels:
- www.theqube.it
- www.smartleap.eu
- www.eurtc.nl
