Digital skills for workplace mentors in construction sector apprenticeships Erasmus Project

Project Title

Digital skills for workplace mentors in construction sector apprenticeships

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Open and distance learning; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

BACKGROUND & CHALLENGES
The construction sector has been reporting lack of skills while at the same time the young generations did not appear very much attracted to it, despite the increased use of apprenticeships as a training path. One of the key challenges that was also identified and associated with these challenges, during CONDAP project, is that apprenticeship mentors in the construction sector frequently lack themselves modern digital skills required to match the sector’s and young workers’ expectations and requirements. Consequently, construction apprenticeship mentors have been reluctant to introduce new digital methods during their teaching practices. It has thus been essential to develop professional development opportunities of high quality, and to train workplace mentors on how to introduce new digital methods and innovative content during their teaching practices, to make training effective, address misalignments between VET offerings, skills demand & learners’ realities.

OBJECTIVES
CONDAP achievements:
-Upskilled in-company mentors in construction apprenticeships with digital, sector-specific professional skills and competences and upgraded their training through the development of OERs
– Enriched their teaching ability through the development of innovative pedagogical approaches
– Formed a strategic partnership to continuously support the professional development of mentors in construction apprenticeships

THE CONDAP PARTNERSHIP
The partnership comprised of five organisations from five EU counties with high capacity, qualifications, and complementary skills from the world of WBL, VET and the construction sector, to align mentors’ training with specific labour market needs and apprenticeship particularities. INSTRUCTUS contributed as a leader in the development of apprenticeship programmes. VSRC is a specialised VET provider in the construction sector. UPV carries specialised R&D related to digital opportunities in the construction industry and has expertise in OERs. EBC is the European umbrella professional organisation representing 18 national associations of construction crafts and SMEs EXELIA brought extensive experience in R&D and delivery of innovative ICT-based methodologies.

ACTIVITIES & METHODOLOGY
The CONDAP partnership successfully analyzed the training requirements of workplace mentors in construction apprenticeships, developing learning outcomes for their professional development and their upskilling with digital skills and innovative teaching practices.
Developed VET learning units for workplace mentors, focusing on sustainability & digitalization of construction, and innovative pedagogical orientations for teaching digital construction methods. Created pedagogical materials being offered as Open Education Resources. Developed, tested, and delivered learning materials and Vocational Open Online Course infrastructures on the digital skills & competences of in-company mentors involved in construction apprenticeships.
Developed a systematic approach to support the enhancement of the digital skills of mentors in construction apprenticeships, and the integration of CONDAP learning outcomes into VET and finally shared and validated the outputs with multiplier events, inviting target groups to uptake CONDAP results and to act as further disseminators.

RESULTS & IMPACT
-The CONDAP consortium validated learning outcomes for training of workplace mentors in digital construction and created learning units & teaching methodology for in-company mentors in construction apprenticeships reaching almost 200 mentors
-Developed pedagogical resources to support in-company mentors’ digital skills, offered as OERs and the CONDAP VOOC on digital construction methods addressed to more than 400 mentors and VET providers. Delivered 2 pilot sessions to validate CONDAP learning outcomes and additional pilot testing organized remotely reaching close to 200 mentors, VET providers & employers
-Developed a roadmap for the systematic integration of CONDAP learning outcomes into VET and a MoC to support the enhancement of the digital skills of mentors in construction apprenticeships and to establish a relevant EU strategic partnership with 32 relevant stakeholders signing the MoC from all across Europe.
-Organized 3 information days to promote project results and validate educational resources gathering 219 participants

POST-PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY
The partners managed to promote the use of CONDAP learning materials, OERs and VOOC, and the methodology for teaching digital construction methods by an increased number of in-company mentors involved in construction apprenticeships Discussed the uptake of project materials and OERs from relevant VET providers and construction companies across the EU and finally managed to expand the EU strategic partnership supporting digital skills of mentors in construction apprenticeships and increased the initiatives targeting quality of in-company mentors VET

Project Website

http://www.condap.eu

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 354155 Eur

Project Coordinator

Instructus & Country: UK

Project Partners

• EUROPEAN BUILDERS CONFEDERATION
• EXELIA E.E.
• VIESOJI ISTAIGA VILNIAUS STATYBININKU RENGIMO CENTRAS
• UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA