September is an important month for the B4CVET – Biochar for Circular Economy in Vocational Education and Training project, as the partnership moves forward with the research activities under WP2 – Development of Competence Framework and Courses.
During the month, several interconnected activities are taking place: the distribution of the B4CVET teacher survey, preparation and implementation of interviews and focus groups, consolidation of national research findings, and preparations for the upcoming Transnational Partner Meeting in Nienburg, Germany.
Together, these activities follow one common objective: to ensure that the future B4CVET competence framework, courses and learning resources are based on evidence and respond to the real needs of vocational education and training.
Listening to VET Educators Through the B4CVET Survey
One of the key activities currently underway is the B4CVET online survey for VET teachers, trainers and educators.
The survey explores educators’ current knowledge and experience related to biochar, sustainable development and the Circular Carbon Economy, while also examining opportunities for integrating these topics into vocational education.
The research is particularly interested in understanding existing competence and training needs, possible barriers to introducing these topics into teaching, suitable learning approaches and the types of support educators expect from the B4CVET project.
The survey therefore represents an important first step in ensuring that the training solutions developed by B4CVET are connected to real educational contexts.
Preparing a Common Approach for Interviews and Focus Groups
Alongside the survey, the partnership has prepared a common set of guidelines and templates for interviews and focus groups.
The purpose is to ensure that all partners use a consistent research methodology and generate information that can later be compared and analysed across participating countries.
The common guideline establishes a clear research pathway:
Online Survey → Interviews → Focus Groups → WP2 Analysis → Competence Framework & Courses.
The qualitative research is primarily addressed to VET teachers, vocational school teachers, trainers and other educators. Interviews are designed as semi-structured discussions, while focus groups bring educators together to compare perspectives, identify areas of agreement and explore different experiences.
A complete package of supporting tools has also been prepared, including interview and focus group reporting forms, recruitment templates, a participant information and consent form, and the WP2 Country Report template.
The methodology covers six main areas: educators’ understanding of biochar and the Circular Carbon Economy, the role of sustainable development in education, opportunities for integration into curricula, barriers and required resources, innovative learning approaches, and the support expected from B4CVET.
This structured approach will help the partnership move beyond general perceptions and gain deeper insights into what educators actually need.
From Individual Research Activities to Country Reports
The survey, interviews and focus groups are not separate activities. Their findings will be brought together through the WP2 Country Reports.
Each Country Report will provide a consolidated national analysis rather than simply reproducing individual responses. It will summarise the main findings from the online survey, interviews and focus groups and identify the most relevant competence needs, training needs and implications for the future B4CVET competence framework and courses.
The Country Report structure also requires partners to triangulate the different sources of evidence and analyse where findings confirm each other or where different perspectives emerge.
Partners are expected to complete their national research and submit the WP2 Country Reports in September, allowing the results to be consolidated before the next transnational meeting.
From Research Findings to Competence Needs
The next major step will be transforming the collected evidence into concrete educational priorities.
Rather than developing training content based on assumptions, B4CVET will use the research findings to identify the knowledge, skills, competence gaps and training needs that should be addressed through the project.
This transition from research to educational development will be at the centre of the upcoming B4CVET Transnational Partner Meeting, taking place on 29–30 September 2026 at DEULA Nienburg, Germany.
The first day of the meeting will focus specifically on the presentation and analysis of Country Reports, moving from research findings to competence needs and then to the design of courses, modules and learning units on the Circular Carbon Economy and biomass-to-biochar value chains.
This represents an important milestone for B4CVET: research findings will begin to be transformed into the structure of the project’s future learning offer.
Preparing for Piloting, Transfer and Sustainability
The Nienburg meeting will also look beyond WP2.
On the second day, partners will discuss the preparation of WP3 piloting and transfer activities, ensuring that the courses and learning resources developed through B4CVET can later be tested and applied in practical VET environments.
The agenda also includes WP4 valorisation, dissemination and sustainability, project monitoring, quality assurance and a technical visit to the practical VET learning environments at DEULA Nienburg.
This means that September is not only about collecting research data. It is also about preparing the transition from evidence to implementation.
A Key Month for the B4CVET Journey
The activities taking place during September reflect the overall logic of B4CVET:
Listen to educators.
Understand the needs.
Analyse the evidence.
Identify the competences.
Develop the learning.
Prepare for implementation.
By combining quantitative and qualitative research with structured analysis and direct cooperation between project partners, B4CVET aims to develop learning solutions that are relevant, practical and connected to the evolving needs of vocational education and the circular bioeconomy.
September therefore marks an important transition for the project — from gathering evidence to building the competence framework and courses that will shape the next phase of B4CVET.
Disclaimer
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
