News
EmpowerHer
EmpowerHer Partners Unite in Vienna for 3rd Transnational Meeting
Dates: September 4–5, 2025
Location: BEST Institut, Mariahilfer Straße 8, Vienna, Austria
Event: 3rd Transnational Partner Meeting (TPM3)
Right after our successful LTTA training, the EmpowerHer consortium gathered for a two-day
Transnational Partner Meeting in Vienna to reflect on recent achievements, review project progress,
and define the next strategic steps for the project’s implementation.
Meeting Highlights
During the meeting, held at the offices of project partner BEST Institut für berufsbezogene
Weiterbildung und Personaltraining GmbH, representatives from all four partner countries—
Germany, Austria, Greece, and Spain—reviewed and discussed:
Feedback from the LTTA and how it will shape the next project phases
Piloting Plans for Toolkit for VET Professionals and Profession-Specific Language Curriculum
Peer-to-Peer Learning Guide, its final structure and responsibilities for each partner
Use of Virtual Reality tool, local integration strategies and next testing phases
The meeting served as a key coordination moment, enabling partners to align their efforts, set clear
action plans, and ensure all project milestones remain on track.
EmpowerHer
LTTA in Vienna: EmpowerHer Teams Up to Train VET Professionals Across Europe
LTTA in Vienna: EmpowerHer Teams Up to Train VET Professionals Across Europe
Dates: September 1–3, 2025
Location: Vienna, Austria
Event Type: LTTA – Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity
Hosted by: BEST Institut für berufsbezogene Weiterbildung und Personaltraining GmbH
We are proud to announce the successful completion of the EmpowerHer LTTA – a 3-day intensive
training event held in Vienna, where partners from Germany, Spain, Austria, and Greece came
together to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and strengthen capacity building for VET
professionals working with refugee women in the hospitality sector.
What made this training truly special? For the first time, we also invited refugee women to
participate directly in the LTTA workshops, allowing for a co-learning environment that embodied the
inclusive mission of the project.
Training Highlights
Day 1 – Toolkit for VET Professionals (PR1)
Partners explored practical modules such as intercultural competence, resilience, and labour market
orientation, designed to support refugee women’s integration into training systems:
“Bridging Connection” – intercultural learning for inclusive education
“Resilient Minds” – trauma-informed practices and mental wellbeing
“Stepping Stones to Success” – vocational readiness for migrant learners
Day 2 – Profession-Specific Language Training (PR2)
Language curricula tailored to hospitality roles (kitchen, housekeeping, stock management, front
desk) were presented and tested. The sessions provided practical methods for A0–B1 language
development linked directly to job-specific needs.
Day 3 – Digital Skills and Virtual Reality
The final day focused on digital empowerment and included hands-on use of VR headsets to
experience EmpowerHer’s immersive training videos in Kitchen, Housekeeping, tock management
and Font desk assistant roles
This day was especially impactful, as refugee women tested the VR simulations themselves, giving
real-time feedback on usability, relevance, and cultural sensitivity.
EmpowerHer
EmpowerHer Train-the-Trainer LTT — Coming Soon
Dates: 1–3 September
Location: Vienna, Austria (host partner: BEST)
We’re happy to announce our upcoming Learning–Teaching–Training (LTT) sessions. Two trainers per
partner will gather to refine delivery of two key project results and align facilitation across the
consortium.
Who’s participating
Gewerkstatt (Germany)
EKPA (Greece)
Egeria (Spain)
BEST (Austria — host)
What we’ll work on
Toolkit for VET Professionals — practical guidance for training delivery and learner support.
Profession-specific language curriculum for refugee women with low or no skills (hospitality
tracks).
VR in education — presentation and guided use of the VR videos developed within
EmpowerHer.
EmpowerHer
EmpowerHer Showcased During EMPL Mission Visit to Quaz, Bochum
Location: Quaz Integration and Language Center, Bochum
Date: May 27, 2025
Event: EMPL Mission to Ruhr, Germany (May 26–28, 2025)
Host: Gewerkstatt gGmbH
On May 27, 2025, the EmpowerHer project was presented to an official delegation of the European
Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) during their fact-finding mission to
the Ruhr area. The visit took place at Quaz, Gewerkstatt’s integration and training center in Bochum,
where EmpowerHer is currently being implemented.
The event highlighted how EmpowerHer is advancing the social and professional inclusion of refugee
women through profession-specific language learning, hospitality sector training, and VR-based
educational methods.
EmpowerHer
EmpowerHer at the Heart of Conference on “New European Impulses in Integration Work” – A Decade of Commitment
Date: May 27, 2025
Location: QUAZ Ruhr, Bochum, Germany
Event: “New European Impulses in Integration Work”
Hosted by: QUAZ/ QBS Gewerkstatt
On May 27, 2025, Gewerkstatt gGmbH hosted a major conference marking 10 years of dedicated work with refugees and migrants. Held at the Quaz Integration and Language Center in Bochum, the event brought together practitioners, educators, policymakers, and European project partners for a forward-looking exchange under the title “New European Impulses in Integration Work.”
Highlights of the Day
Opening & Retrospective:
The event opened with a warm Get Together, guided tours of the Quaz facilities, and a reflection by Werner Fuhrmann, Managing Director of Gewerkstatt, who provided a retrospective on integration work since 2015—covering key programs such as Fast Lane, the Förderzentrum, and the establishment of Quaz itself.
EmpowerHer
EmpowerHer to Be Showcased at Conference on Integration and Innovation
Date: May 27, 2025
Location: QUAZ Ruhr, Bochum, Germany
Event: “New European Impulses in Integration Work”
Hosted by: QUAZ/ QBS Gewerkstatt
We are excited to announce that EmpowerHer will be featured at the upcoming conference “New European Impulses in Integration Work”, held on May 27, 2025, at QUAZ Ruhr in Bochum, Germany. The event marks 10 years of dedicated work with refugees and migrants by QBS Gewerkstatt/Quaz and will bring together professionals from across Europe to exchange ideas, share experiences, and explore innovative approaches to integration.
EmpowerHer Workshop: Innovation in Action
As part of the conference program, EmpowerHer will be presented in a hands-on workshop. Titled
“Qualification through Virtual Reality – The EmpowerHer Example”,
the session will introduce participants to our innovative use of Virtual Reality (VR) in vocational education and training.
The workshop will showcase how EmpowerHer uses immersive learning to support refugee women as they prepare for employment in the hospitality sector. Attendees will learn about our approach, tools, and early outcomes, including the development of VR training videos, profession-specific language modules, and interactive learning materials designed for both learners and VET professionals.
About the Conference
This one-day event includes keynote presentations, international insights, parallel workshops, and a panel discussion with experts from public institutions, employment services, and the private sector. It offers a platform to reflect on progress made in the field of refugee integration and to explore new ideas shaping the future of inclusive education and labour market access.
Practical Information
Venue: QUAZ Ruhr, Somborner Str. 84, 44894 Bochum, Germany
Time: From 13:00 (main program runs 14:00–16:30)
Registration: Email fuhrmann@gewerkstatt.de
EmpowerHer
2nd Transnational Partner Meeting,Thessaloniki, Greece
Date: March 10–11, 2025
Location: Thessaloniki, Greece
Hosted by: Ekpedeftiki Paremvasi KDVM S.A.
Format: Hybrid (in-person and online)
The second transnational partner meeting of the EmpowerHer project was successfully held in Thessaloniki, Greece. The meeting was hosted by Ekpedeftiki Paremvasi KDVM S.A., with partners from Germany, Greece, and Spain attending in person, and partners from Austria joining online. This hybrid format enabled full participation and ensured inclusive collaboration across all partner organizations.
Meeting Overview
Training Toolkit for VET Professionals
The partnership reviewed the content and structure of the training toolkit, which is being developed to support vocational education and training professionals working with refugee women in the hospitality sector. A key feature of the toolkit will be virtual reality (VR) videos, offering immersive, profession-specific scenarios to enhance practical training.
Profession-Specific Language Curriculum
Partners shared updates on the language training component, which is designed to provide targeted linguistic support for refugee women entering roles such as kitchen assistant, housekeeping staff, front desk operator, and logistics assistant. The curriculum integrates workplace language and communication practices, tailored to each profession.
Peer-to-Peer Learning and Mentorship
Discussions also covered the initial structure for the peer-to-peer learning and mentorship model, which will encourage mutual support, cultural orientation, and leadership development among participants.
Planning Ahead
The consortium finalized plans for a combined Learning, Teaching and Training Activity (LTTA) in Austria in September 2025. This event will bring together trainers from all partner countries for hands-on training and collaborative development. The third transnational partner meeting will follow immediately after the LTTA.
Below are photos from the Thessaloniki meeting, highlighting the collaborative spirit and commitment of the EmpowerHer team—both on site and online.
EmpowerHer
Kick-Off Meeting Held in Bochum, Germany
On October 3–4, 2024, the EmpowerHer project officially launched with its kick-off meeting in Bochum, Germany, hosted by QBS Gewerkstatt. Representatives from all four partner organizations came together to discuss the project’s goals, assign roles, and plan upcoming tasks.
Key topics included finalizing templates for PR1 and PR2 deliverables, planning dissemination strategies, and setting timelines for reports and activities. The meeting marked the beginning of a collaborative effort to empower refugee women through language training, vocational education, and peer-to-peer mentorship.
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.