CRAFTWISE – A Collaborative Apprenticeship Program for Youth and Crafts Professionals
Erasmus+ – KA220-YOU – Cooperation Partnerships in the Field of Youth
Project duration: 27 months
Timeline:November 10, 2025 – February 9, 2028
Fields covered: traditional crafts , intergenerational learning, entrepreneurship;
CRAFTWISE
In November 2025, we launched CRAFTWISE – A Collaborative Apprenticeship Program for Youth and Crafts Professionals, an Erasmus+ project coordinated by Innovation Education Lab.
This project brings together organizations from Romania, Turkey, Greece, Spain, and Belgium to connect young designers with professional craftspeople through an innovative collaborative apprenticeship model that combines tradition, technology, and entrepreneurship.
🚀 What is CRAFTWISE?
CRAFTWISE addresses two critical challenges: the progressive disappearance of traditional craft professions and the difficulty young people face in finding sustainable, meaningful employment in the creative economy.
The project proposes a collaborative learning model that brings together young design students and craft professionals. The goal: to create and validate a European intergenerational apprenticeship model – the Collaborative Apprenticeship Program (CAP) – that makes crafts more attractive, viable and sustainable for new generations.
In each partner country, the project works within a specific craft ecosystem:
- Turkey – Ebru, the traditional art of paper marbling
- Romania – traditional lime mortars and masonry repair
- Greece – Traditional Shoemaking
- Spain – Ceramics
- Belgium – Bookbinding and the Paper Arts
Five crafts. Five communities. A shared learning environment.
🎯 Why This Project Is Important
Traditional trades are disappearing with the generation that practises them, and knowledge transfer to young people is increasingly rare.
Young people in the creative sector face difficult transitions towards sustainable careers.
Classical apprenticeship models no longer match today’s economic and digital realities.
Intangible cultural heritage needs new tools to stay alive.
CRAFTWISE responds with a model that unites the experience of craft professionals with the creativity and digital skills of young designers.
🛠 What We’ll Do
Over the course of 27 months, the partners will implement:
Studiul C-Skills
Research in all 5 countries (surveys, interviews, focus groups) on the state of the craft sector and its skills needs; the final report will be distributed to at least 50 relevant organisations.
Collaborative Apprenticeship Program (CAP)
Designing the European collaborative apprenticeship model based on research findings.
Pilotarea CAP
Pilot apprenticeship programs in each country, where young people and artisans work together.
CAP ca Resursă Educațională Deschisă (OER)
Freely accessible to educators, youth organisations and craft training centres.
Întâlniri naționale
Events engaging 50 young people and 25 craft professionals across the 5 countries.
Webinar internațional de lansare a CAP
For 100 stakeholders.
Expoziție online de idei de afaceri
At least 5 business ideas developed by participants (one per country), presented to an audience of 250–500 participants.
Kick-off Meeting in Brașov
The CRAFTWISE partners met in Brașov, Romania, on 21–22 January 2026 to officially launch the project. Over two productive days, the consortium aligned on objectives, defined key actions and coordinated next steps – from strategic discussions to cultural visits and a hands-on craft workshop.
🌍 Partner Organizations
- Innovation Education Lab – Romania (coordinator)
- Puhu Research and Consulting – Turkey
- Athens Network of Collaborating Experts (ANCE) – Greece
- DEFOIN – Training for Development and Integration – Spain
- Mad’in Europe – Belgium
📊 Project Details
Program: Erasmus+ KA220-YOU – Cooperation Partnerships in the Field of Youth
Project Title: CRAFTWISE : A Collaborative Apprenticeship Program for Youth and Crafts Professionals
Acronym: CRAFTWISE
Project Number: 2025-1-RO01-KA220-YOU-000351677
Duration: 27 months
Implementation period: November 2025 – February 2028
Coordinator: Innovation Education Lab (Romania)
Consortium: 5 organizations from Romania, Turkey, Greece, Spain, and Belgium
🔗 Stay connected
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#CRAFTWISE #craftwiseproject #ErasmusPlus
PROJECT COORDINATED BY:
Innovation Education Lab – Romania
Funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.