WHAT IS HECTOR ?
The http://hector-training.eu/ aims to improve the employability of young Europeans (18-30 years) with a qualification in the tourism sector by providing them with core competences and specialisation in tourism for industrial heritage.
Industrial heritage offers interesting case studies and is relevant from a cultural point of view as it reflects the socio-economic and socio-cultural development of communities. The valorisation of industrial heritage offers an opportunity for sustainable development. These characteristics make industrial heritage a valuable asset to be developed from a tourism perspective into an experience package that creates links with people and places and promotes accessible and sustainable tourism.
To this end, the HECTOR curriculum is being developed: it aims to provide skills, competences and knowledge to people already trained, in line with market trends, by proposing a course and a job-related experience that focuses on industrial heritage.
Nine institutions from Italy, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Spain, Austria, Germany and EFAITH will therefore work together to train young tourism professionals in this specific field of tourism and the valorisation of industrial heritage. The program will take 36 months.
A first meeting took place in Ljubljana (Slovenia), but a second meeting due to be held in April in Sayn (Germany) had to be cancelled because of the Corona virus. Next meeting will take place in Belgium, in Hasselt and Beringen
The qualification will be done by an online course and a summer school. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the participants will be supported in the creation of an „Industrial Heritage Experience Toolbox“, i.e. an offer that enables tourists to connect with people and places whose history, habits and traditions are marked by local industrial development. From a training perspective, this is an innovative approach that defines a new profile, with a strong focus on sustainable and accessible tourism and transversal skills such as problem solving, entrepreneurship and communication.
Industrial heritage offers interesting case studies and is relevant from a cultural point of view as it reflects the socio-economic and socio-cultural development of communities. The valorisation of industrial heritage offers an opportunity for sustainable development. These characteristics make industrial heritage a valuable asset to be developed from a tourism perspective into an experience package that creates links with people and places and promotes accessible and sustainable tourism.
To this end, the HECTOR curriculum is being developed: it aims to provide skills, competences and knowledge to people already trained, in line with market trends, by proposing a course and a job-related experience that focuses on industrial heritage.
Nine institutions from Italy, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Spain, Austria, Germany and EFAITH will therefore work together to train young tourism professionals in this specific field of tourism and the valorisation of industrial heritage. The program will take 36 months.
A first meeting took place in Ljubljana (Slovenia), but a second meeting due to be held in April in Sayn (Germany) had to be cancelled because of the Corona virus. Next meeting will take place in Belgium, in Hasselt and Beringen
The qualification will be done by an online course and a summer school. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the participants will be supported in the creation of an „Industrial Heritage Experience Toolbox“, i.e. an offer that enables tourists to connect with people and places whose history, habits and traditions are marked by local industrial development. From a training perspective, this is an innovative approach that defines a new profile, with a strong focus on sustainable and accessible tourism and transversal skills such as problem solving, entrepreneurship and communication.
PROGRESS:
- On July 7th, 2020, we had an excellent virtual meeting and were able to take an important first step. We have finalised our first project result - the compilation of skills and knowledge that people should have who want to offer e.g. tours and guided tours in the European industrial heritage.
Good heritage interpretetation, risk assessment and risk management will play an important role in industrial heritage tourism.
And, of course because of COVID-19, we have to continue meeting in a virtual way. What a shame not being able to shake hands and to have a drink together....
But we continue to develop the project and the course programme