Smart School in restoration and construction industry Erasmus Project

Project Title

Smart School in restoration and construction industry

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 : Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Access for disadvantaged; Cooperation between educational institutions and business

Project Summary

In cooperation of Zalenieki Commercial and Craft school from Latvia, Panevezys vocational education and training center from Lithuania, Secondary Vocational School of Civil Engineering from Slovakia and Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies from Latvia has been created cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices partnerships for Digital Education Readiness “Smart School in restoration and construction industry”.
All partners – VET providers face a common problem – no unit platforms, digital tools, digital materials in vocational education in construction and restoration; the pedagogical team is aging (as in the hope Europe), they are confused and restrained to acquire IT skills and virtual environment; Students drop out of VET (or do not start gaining a qualification) because they cannot combine full-time study with work.
Also Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027), agreed by European Commission, requires following terms to provide high quality digital education:
1) infrastructure, connectivity and digital equipment
2) effective digital capacity planning and development, including up-to-date organizational capabilities
3) digitally competent and confident teachers and education and training staff
4) high-quality learning content, user-friendly tools and secure platforms which respect privacy and ethical standards.
According OECD researches 62% teachers in Slovak Republic, 64% in Latvia agreed the need to improve their digital skills.
The goal of project is to prepare digital strategy for VET providers and initiate virtual training in vocational education in construction and restoration sector to build capacity of involved institutions in distance or blended training.
Project target groups are partner schools administrative staff, pedagogical staff and work environment – apprentice providers, also local policy makers. In total will involve 9 persons from schools administrative staff, 25 VET program teachers, 8 representatives from construction companies, associations and chambers, 2 representatives/experts (already have great experience of remote studies and use of digital platform and digital tools and will guideline all partners during creation of digital strategy and virtual training materials) from University and 8 representatives from local authorities. During testing and evaluation of virtual learning materials, there will be involved 80 VET students of construction or restoration VET programs.
Activities and achievements will be done to achieve project goal:
1) Establishment of Local Working Group for Digital Strategy development;
2) Online teachers training on digital competences. Total will be prepared and implemented 4 online professional development programs;
3) Study visit for partner administrative staff to introduce with best practice of VET institution and program digitalization;
4) Teachers non-formal training to promote the implementation of innovative solutions;
5) Set up Moodle platform for each partner according digital strategy: 3 environments of Moodle platform (for each VET provider) with access at least for 15 teachers and 30 students for each partner;
6) Dissemination of project results in local, regional and international level: photos, presentations and hangouts. During the project implementation there will be organized at least 21 project dissemination activities with total 180 participants.
Within project 2 intellectual outputs will be created:
1) Digital strategies – examples for VET institutions way to digitalization, that include each partner school long-term plan how institution will be developing in digital world,
2) Virtual training materials (consist of theoretical part, virtual examples and assessment). Developed materials in 9 modules or content sections in 6 VET programs will be tested and evaluated by all partner institutions.
Both intellectual outputs will be translated to English and published in institutions webpages and Erasmus+ Project Results Platform.
Implemented activities will give significant long-term impact on partner institutions. Because within the project a digital strategy will be developed and its implementation will begin to promote school development, improve curriculum content, increase knowledge and skills of school administrative staff and teachers on the development planning, IT tools, types and methods of remote and online training. Improved school collaboration with shareholders and associative partners.
The project will also have contributed to the participants – advanced professional competencies and digital skills, preconditions have been created for the introduction of innovative solutions.
The impact on students will be long-term – reduced drop out of VET programs and increases the competitiveness of young people in the labor market in the future by acquiring additional skills.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 99377 Eur

Project Coordinator

Zalenieku komerciala un amatniecibas vidusskola & Country: LV

Project Partners

• Stredna odborna skola stavebna,Tulipanova2, Zilina
• Viesoji istaiga Panevezio profesinio rengimo centras
• LATVIJAS LAUKSAIMNIECIBAS UNIVERSITATE