Blockchain skills for ICT professionals Erasmus Project

Project Title

Blockchain skills for ICT professionals

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); Open and distance learning; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Blockchain is a technological innovation that has recently gained substantial prominence in most EU sectors. Consequently the provision of relevant VET offerings is insufficient in quality and quantity, fragmented and infrequent, not adequately addressing the emerging training needs for ICT professionals. There is a scarcity of training programmes and courses on distributed ledger technology, especially if looking at European dimensions and a need to address existing skills mismatches, resulting from the dynamic penetration of blockchain technology across all sectors of the EU economy (incl. banking, accounting, auditing and government services).
BLISS aimed to tackle this challenge by delivering a modular VET course and OERs on the technologies and practical applications of blockchain to empower ICT professionals across the EU with updated digital knowledge, skills and competences required to understand, work with and manage blockchain projects.
In particular, project objectives involved: 1) Enhancing the labour market relevance of VET for ICT professional to address blockchain skills needs, 2) Introducing modern training delivery methods and innovative open access pedagogical resources, enabling learners to acquire blockchain skills related to blockchain technology and applications, and 3) Facilitating mutual recognition of the developed learning outcomes across the EU.
The partnership comprised 6 organisations from 6 EU countries, from the world of VET, the ICT sector, technological research, as well as learning innovation experts. UCBL and UT lead research activities in innovative technologies, being also experts in the design/delivery of ICT courses. Business Training and TELESIG bring the expertise in the design/delivery of VET programs covering the entire spectrum of Information and Communication Systems. AICA represents occupational needs and workplace realities at national and EU-level, working with the wider ICT sector to develop standards and qualifications (e.g. e-Competence Framework). EXELIA is an expert in R&D and delivery of innovative ICT-based methodologies (e.g. MOOCs).
Main project activities involved: analysis of current and future workforce training needs to develop updated and tailored to occupational needs, on the technologies and practical applications of blockchain and, development of modular learning units for a comprehensive VET programme in blockchain skills and applications, development of pedagogical resources and assessment tools to be offered as Open Education Resources, development, testing, and delivery of a Vocational Open Online Course on blockchain skills and applications, promoting the adoption of innovative practices in VET, involvement of key policy makers & stakeholders for the endorsement and mutual recognition of BLISS units of learning outcomes, sharing and validation of outputs with multiplier events, inviting target groups to uptake BLISS results and to act as further disseminators.
The BLISS project led to the following results and impact:
VET world and occupation validated learning outcomes for training provision in blockchain skills and applications for ICT professionals.
Formal VET learning units and VET integration guidelines.
Pedagogical resources and assessment tools for blockchain skills and applications, offered as OERs.
BLISS Vocational Open Online Course on blockchain skills and applications for ICT professionals.
A Blockchain skills certificate supplement to lay the ground for the establishment of a certification scheme for blockchain related skills.
A position paper to support decision making on VER & skill development policies & promote the integration of blockchain skills into the e-Competence framework.
Three demonstration workshops and three national info days to promote project results and validate all developed materials.
Finally, long term benefits of the project involve: the uptake of project materials and open educational resources from relevant VET providers across the EU, participation of a growing number of initial and continuous VET learners in courses based on project outputs, expansion of the strategic partnership towards a network of collaborating VET and sector stakeholders, further maturing & development of national and EU VET policies targeted to the occupation influenced by BLISS recommendations, and cross border certification of skills acquired.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 360625 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITE LYON 1 CLAUDE BERNARD & Country: FR

Project Partners

• BUSINESS TRAINING SA
• AICA ASSOCIAZIONE ITALIANA PER L’INFORMATICA E IL CALCOLO AUTOMATICO
• EXELIA E.E.
• TARTU ULIKOOL
• TELESIG LTD