<< Background >>The widespread pandemic of COVID-19 has significantly interrupted the traditional training and education, as well as VET education, throughout Europe and the whole world. The current situation is forcing European educators to adapt in a short time interval towards digitising their classroom. However, the pandemic has already placed the education system to the test. The circumstances became worse by the fact that apprenticeships and learning by working, which reflects the practical training in VET has been discontinued in almost all Member States, according to the European Centre for Vocational Training report. Digitalisation and industry 4.0 are perhaps the most important drivers behind the profound transformation of the labour market, the way people work and the new digital skills required to meet the needs of the digitalised market. VET is valued for fostering job-specific and transversal skills, facilitating the transition into employment and maintaining and updating the skills of the workforce according to sectoral, regional and local needs.Boosting digital skills at all levels helps increase growth and innovation and build a fairer, more cohesive, sustainable and inclusive society. Being digitally skilled and acquiring digital literacy can empower people of all ages to be more resilient, improve participation in democratic life and stay safe and secure online. Equipping Europe’s future workers and job seekers with digital skills and competences will be critical for economic recovery in the coming years, especially after the severe consequences of the pandemic in all fields of life.The skills to be gained will extensively affect their professional development in an ever more digital society of IoT and Industry 4.0., the hands-on teaching approach supported by the construction, coding, and gamified problem solving with drones' will help teachers reach out more effectively their audience. Students with disadvantages and learning difficulties will benefit from this project's results and potentially tackle early school leaving through students' more inclusive engagement.The benefits of making activities in an educational setting are numerous: they can play an important role in encouraging and guiding students towards the end goals, they can fosters students’ growth, the strategies and processes learned can eventually be transferred to other contexts and also be put into use in new and different situations. Moreover, making activities have a significant impact on overall skills and competence acquisition, as well as its usefulness for the purposes of personal growth, employability and social innovation.<< Objectives >>Drone technology stands out as fun and practical equipment for the contemporary classrooms, experiments, and exploration. Drone technology is a fascinating way to introduce students to STEM related professions, equip them with relevant skills and thus cover the gaps reported in the labour market to meet the new job creation arising. At the same time, it blends together all STEM fields such as maths and physics, electrical and mechanical engineering and computer science. It promotes other employability skills needed in the 21st century such as problem-solving, group work, leadership, creativity and initiative.The DRONES@STEAM project proposal addresses three main priorities of the Erasmus+ Programme as shown below:HORIZONTAL: - Addressing digital transformation through development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity- Inclusion and diversity in all fields of education, training, youth and sportSECTORAL:- Contributing to innovation in vocational education and trainingBased on the above, the DRONES@STEAM project will support VET trainers and educators in an attempt to strengthen their profiles with the acquisition of new skills, the development of targeted material, the collection of tools and resources, while at the same time it will create opportunities for linking VET schools with the labour market building on synergies and partnerships with established organizations.The key competences to be promoted as part of the project are:- high digital skills which appear to be missing from VET curricula and are currently needed to enter the labour market and be included in VET job profiles - targeted ‘wide and deep’ digital competences and the use of technologies leading to the 4.0 industry.- job-specific VET related skills for various fields and sectors which are not offered as work-based learning opportunities or include danger or hazards for the workers.<< Implementation >>The activities include:-5 TPMs-1 LTTA in the form of Blended Learning Mobility of Learners with their VET trainers-Multiplier Events: 7 events to be organised-Competition: 1 in each partner country (except GR which will organise 2 due to distance) and 1 at the EU level<< Results >>The DRONES@STEAM project promotes the capacity and readiness of VET schools to modernise their teaching, use digital technologies in training, create innovative digital content and equip trainers with digital competences. This will be achieved through the development of:-A complete READY-TO-IMPLEMENT DIGITAL PACK for the introduction of drones’ technology and STEAM skills in VET schools including a targeted competence framework based on which students’ skills acquisition will be monitored, assessed and validated through the eco-system of the Open Badges, -a set of DIGITAL CONTENT in the form of CROSS-CURRICULAR BASED SCENARIOs with real-life examples moving away from subject boundaries promoting STEAM skills and guidelines for exploiting drones’ technology.-Professional development course to be designed for VET trainers for digital up-skilling or re-skilling in order to become digitally competent and confident to introduce such skills and technologies in schooling. In that way the readiness and capacity of trainers will be increased and will be able to shift efficiently to online and flexible blended learning.-Guidelines and procedures to prepare VET trainers and teachers to familiarise themselves with the 2020 EU Drone Regulation as per the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) which has foreseen the need for regulating the fast growing drone usage across sectors in order for EU citizens to be informed about the proper use of drones and their capabilities and restrictions, and the E.U. legislation encompassing it.

From birth to adulthood – a WBL successful Practice! (WBL S.P.) was a partnership between a Polytechnic Institute, 3 VET colleges, 3 enterprises in the areas of Metallurgy, Mechanics, Mechatronics and Industrial Maintenance and 3 Public Bodies from 3 different countries (Portugal, Spain and Italy). It was a 3 year project, whereby VET staff, trainers in enterprises and students from 3 countries participated in a ‘problem based learning’ project, aimed at developing 3 new innovative and creative Competency-based Curricula, in the above mentioned areas, which simultaneously include a creative and innovative teaching practice, relating to Entrepreneurship Education. This New pedagogy was developed for VET staff enabling higher level ‘applied’ and updated skills amongst learners, increasing simultaneously innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial skills and thereby narrowing the gap between academia and the world of work. The 3 companies involved other local similar businesses and provided a real world learning environment leading to more motivated VET students willing to fill in the vacancies in the labour market, more innovative VET staff and more inclusive employers/trainers, able to share their knowledge among apprentices, being responsible actors in the educational process, from the very beginning. Our goal was to give tools to the Businesses, which would make the hosting easier and more productive, not overcoming the capacities of the business and at the same time, validate the learning results, based in the EQVETs. The process and results of this validation (a report to be annexed to the student’s diploma) can be issued by the Platform developed by IPP Partner. The hosting of VET students was an easy process and enterprises & trainers felt motivated to be part of the VET system. This platform is reusable and expandable for other VET areas. At the end, VET teachers became better prepared to give the students the technological knowledge and competences they need by being in closed contact with the labour market needs.Trainers became better prepared to lead with students demotivation and misbehaviour. They were really involved in the construction of a young professional regarding their acquisition of technical competences and entrepreneurial skills. Both teachers and enterprises (tutors) contributed for the platform in what the competences needed in a real environment and this way it was possible the joint construction of a new curricula/programme. Local authorities had as main challenge the promotion of the new curricula at local and regional level and enhancing other enterprises in the development of the project. VET students tested this approach and methodology by participating in a Problem based learning project mostly in national enterprises. Only the Portugues students were able to do it at transnational level, in Spain. Each partner was engaged with local/regional industries with experience or the desire to implement new and innovative Mechanics, Mechatronics and Industrial Maintenance curricula&integration approaches both for VET students, vet teachers and trainers. WBL. S.P! seeked to build on matching the right VET student to the right enterprise&tasks and, at the same time, give VET teachers and instructors a better preparation both for teaching technological subjects and deal better with demotivation and misbehaviour, respectively, involved in the construction of a professional both technical and entrepreneurial skilled. WBL. S.P! focused on this duality of purpose and seeked to move VET students & teachers/instructors from ‘theoretical, technical and entrepreneurial competences’ to ‘Real usage and adaptation of technical and entrepreneurial competences’ and develop the skills amongst VET students&teachers, enabling them to ‘hit the ground running’ in an industry sector that has an in-build bias towards entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. Participation within this project was an opportunity for collaboration between VET providers, students, employers/instructors and relevant stakeholders in the same VET field across southern Europe. The partners exchanged methodologies and good practices approaches, to improve the expertise of VET teachers and to embed extra-curricular activity in the sectorial fi

Around 22.2 million people work regularly in agriculture (8.7 million full-time equivalent workers), but the farming sector needs to attract a new generation of farmers with the necessary skills to live and work in a challenging context. They will have to produce more efficiently while protecting the environment; contribute to the fight against climate change; meet society's demands regarding healthy and balanced diets; and keep up with increasingly rapid scientific and technological progress. It is therefore essential that future farmers benefit from adequate agricultural education and training and acquire the various skills needed to adapt to a changing environment. The current common agricultural policy (CAP) places strong emphasis on knowledge sharing and innovation. In order to promote a more participative and equal approach to knowledge creation in the agriculture sector, the project comprehends a complementary set of organisations which represent different interests and stakeholders and bring useful background and experience in order to enable trainers to reinforce their digital competences and farmers, agricultural and rural workers to upskill or learn new skills and diversify their activities and initiatives. In compliance with the European Parliament that considers to be necessary to promote continuing vocational training for farmers and agricultural workers in future, and to promote the dissemination of scientific knowledge and innovation, to ensure adaptability to a changing economic environment, and in compliance with the challenges presented by the Covid-19 for the education sector, the project is aimed at equipping trainers with a digital environment where students and farmers can develop climate smart agriculture skills, generate awareness about challenges of climate change, enable free access to practical knowledge in order to invest and modify agricultural practices.The project foresees, in fact, the development of two main results:-a MOOC about climate smart agriculture to provide key information about CSA and to present learners some useful practices in order to improve land management in view of biodiversity principles and climate change adaptation needs-an online Simulator that will allow learners, small farmers and farmholders to simulate in a virtual environment the benefits on a given area of the implementation of CSA measures presented in the MOOC.The MOOC and the Simulator are addressing mainly future farmers, students, expert farmers, farmers’ associations and organisations that are interested to acquire CSA-related skills or to upskill their farming competences and to test them into a virtual environment. Accessing to the MOOC and the Simulator, in fact, we expect to enhance trainers’ capacity to transmit and create innovative farming knowledge, approaches and practices, through the use of critical climate scenarios (scenario-based approach) and increase in this way students and farmers’ competences on climate change adaption practices (soil and water management, climate resilient crops etc.). Therefore, the use of open digital practices will improve trainers and users’ confidence and usability of digital tools, especially in agriculture and in agricultural education, and will facilitate the spread of open information on the topic, by creating a transnational knowledge community.

Soft skills are recognized to be the success factor enabling individuals’ well-being, self-confidence, autonomy and responsibility, the fulfilment of education/social and professional lives, career development and higher income. However, the set of soft skills is often referred to be as non-measurable skills by conventional tests or exams, as they include a wide range of skills related to the individual mindset, such as: capacity building, learning to learn, persistence, resilience, creativity, self-discipline, self-reflectiveness, acting autonomously.Considering this, the VET_GPS was launch aiming at developing and presenting a wide set of tools, guides and materials addressed to trainees, VET managers, VET counsellors and VET trainers/teachers, fostering the holistic development of trainees. The project was focused on the trainees' soft skills acquisition, development and assessment, essential for their personal development, social participation and workplace success (holistic development).Involving 8 partners from 5 Portugal, Spain, Austria, Italy and Belgium, during the 26 months of the project, the consortium had the opportunity of structuring, testing and validating the following main results:• “Guide for the integration of the Soft Skills in VET offer” (EN, PT, ES, DE and IT) addressed to VET managers to support them in the definition of a strategy for the assessment and development of trainees’ soft skills.• “Soft skills self-assessment too”l (EN, PT, ES, DE and IT) – Online questionnaire to support young trainees in the assessment of the level of development of their soft skills.• “Success@work manual” (EN, PT, ES, DE and IT) – Addressed to trainees, providing 25 activities that can be easily implemented by them in different places, that can support them in the acquisition and/or strengthening of their soft skills; • “Soft Skills Profile” (EN, PT, ES, DE and IT) - A structured interview scheme for counsellors to support them in the communication and explore of the trainees’ results from the questionnaire mentioned above.• “Training course for VET Professionals” (EN, PT, ES, DE and IT) – Allowing them to develop knowledge and competences to integrate strategies and activities in their sessions/schools, fostering the assessment and development of trainees’ soft skills, according to the project’s methodology.• “Youth Empowerment Handbook” (EN, PT, ES, DE and IT) - Designed to inspire and support VET trainers in the identification and definition of practices and activities to be implemented in their daily classes, fostering the assessment and development of trainees’ soft skills.• Quality Framework for the Cooperation in VET System (EN, PT, ES, DE and IT) - Document with quality standards and examples of good practices for the establishment, reinforcement and maintenance of VET-Business Cooperation in the VET system.All these materials were prepared, tested and validated by VET managers, counsellors, trainers and trainees at the national level and are available for download in the project’s website - https://www.vetgps.eu/ - in English, Portuguese, Spanish, German and Italian.

<< Background >>Rapid digitalisation over the past decade has transformed many aspects of work and daily life. Driven by innovation and technological evolution, the digital transformation is reshaping society, the labour market and the future of work, and inevitably E & T. Employers face difficulties in recruiting highly skilled workers across a number of economic sectors, including in the digital sector.Boosting digital skills at all levels helps increase growth and innovation and build a fairer, more cohesive, sustainable and inclusive society. Being digitally skilled and acquiring digital literacy can empower people of all ages to be more resilient, improve participation in democratic life and stay safe and secure online. Equipping Europe’s future workers and job seekers with digital skills will be critical for economic recovery in the coming years, especially after the severe consequences of the pandemic in all fields of life.To thrive in a technology-driven economy, VET trainers, educators, job seekers, workers, but perhaps above all ‘the lockdown generation’ whose education and employment prospects have been affected due to the pandemic, will need to be digitally skilled and confident to succeed in a rapidly changing environment and adapt to new and emerging technologies. Evidence in the participating countries show that levels of digital skills are still low, albeit gradually improving, while the digital transformation is accelerating. While acknowledging that 90% of jobs in all sectors in the future will require some form of digital skills, yet 35% of Europe’s workers lack these skills, the partnership is committed to contribute to the upskilling and re-skilling as digital skills in demand will range from basic to advanced, including AI, data literacy, supercomputing and cybersecurity.<< Objectives >>Main aim:The proposal aims (1) to promote the introduction and acquisition of high digital skills including AI and Unity Game Development in VET schools thus responding to the needs of the labour market and (2) to empower young people with digital literacy to enhance their resistance to excessive online use such as addictive gambling habits through the demonstration of how an AI model can predict lucky games.Other aims:•To upgrade the attractiveness of VET with targeted to the needs of the labour market curricula thus responding to the demands of the digital transformation•To promote social innovation and change for a sustainable future through the digital upskilling of the younger generation•To empower YP with targeted digital competences, skills and knowledge in order to acquire an overall understanding of gambling and harden their resistance to gambling addiction.•To introduce the fundamental knowledge of Artificial Intelligence both for VET trainers and young people•To develop a new set of AI learning and teaching resources as well as Unity Game Development, that will enhance the schools’ collection•To provide young people with high quality opportunities to acquire digital skills using the Unity Engine for educational purposes and to boost their creativity, innovative, problem solving, teamwork, leadership and empathy skills•To develop a professional development training for trainers in order to upgrade their profiles•To empower young people to prevent and/or deal with gambling addiction and excessive online screen usage.•To promote awareness raising for the dangers of gambling addiction through the acquisition of digital literacy skills<< Implementation >>Activities:The consortium plans the following activities:-Five transnational project meetings-One Blended Mobility for VET learners accompanied with their VET trainers-Four Project Results -Six Multiplier Events<< Results >>The results include the following:-National State of the Art Report for the AI-driven digital transformation -Peer review among partners-Educational Pack with a new AI Curriculum for secondary schools, set of new digital material, collection of case studies for exploration, collection of resources, -An interactive platform in the form of an academy-Pilot-testing of the SmartAInnovators programme-Dissemination Plan-Quality and Evaluation Plan