TRAIN#ER – TRAIniNg needs in Ecological Restoration

TRAIN#ER was a 12-month Erasmus+ project focused on identifying vocational training needs in ecological restoration across Europe. This page presents the final results TRAIN#ER Project, published February 2023.

Final Results & Resources

TRAIN#ER Guidelines (PDF)

TRAIN#ER Community of Practice (PDF)

TRAIN#ER Demo Sites Report (PDF)

Training Opportunities Note (PDF)

Survey Template (PDF)

Survey Template (editable)

Other Resources:

ePostcards download (pdf)

Project Overview

TRAIN#ER aimed to develop a shared model for identifying vocational training needs in ecological restoration across Europe. Implemented by a consortium of 8 organizations, the TRAIN#ER project:

Identified knowledge gaps across countries
Engaged educators and practitioners
Supported improved training design
Addressed language, cultural, and inclusion barriers

Methodology

The Survey

A Europe-wide survey was conducted to assess training needs across the ecological restoration sector. It engaged a broad range of organisations, ensuring diverse and representative input from academia, students and early-career professionals, as well as public and private sector practitioners.

The results provide a strong evidence base to inform future training approaches and support capacity building across the ecological restoration community.

Focus Groups

A series of focus groups brought together stakeholders from across the ecological restoration field to examine the current training landscape. Discussions explored strengths, gaps, and emerging challenges, as well as opportunities for improvement.

These sessions generated targeted insights and practical recommendations, contributing directly to project outputs and strengthening the shared understanding of training needs within the community.

Community of Practice

Building on the focus groups and the Knowledge Exchange Workshop in the Czech Republic, the project assessed the availability of ecological restoration training across different scales.

As a result, a Community of Practice (CoP) has been proposed to support ongoing collaboration. The CoP will bring together practitioners, educators, and institutions to exchange knowledge, identify training opportunities, and strengthen partnerships across the sector, supporting continuous learning and improved practice in ecological restoration.

Project Timeline & News (2022 – 2023)

2023

January: A follow-up meeting was held to review and refine the TRAIN#ER Guidelines for Practitioners in Ecological Restoration. A new project video was also released, summarising the project’s aims, activities, and progress.

2022

December: An online partner meeting, led by Anhalt University (Germany), brought together partners from Spain, Czechia, and Norway to review project outputs. Discussions focused on the draft recommendations report for ecological restoration training and an accompanying scientific publication.

November: A project article titled “TRAIN#ER Project to improve training in the growing field of ecological restoration” was published. The article draws on insights from practitioners engaged in the field, including participants from the 13th European Conference on Ecological Restoration (SERE2022) and project partners.
Read the article here.

September: A Knowledge Exchange Workshop was held at the University of South Bohemia (Czech Republic), bringing together project partners to analyse results from national and European surveys and focus groups. The workshop also advanced the synthesis of findings and development of recommendations. Preliminary results were presented at SERE2022, highlighting the growing and continuous need for knowledge development among restoration practitioners.

June: A series of focus groups were conducted across Europe to explore knowledge transfer needs in ecological restoration. These included a European-level online session, as well as national focus groups in Germany, Spain, and Czechia, supporting the identification of training priorities across regions.