IoToAI – From Internet of Things to Artificial Intelligence (A VET for business in the digital era) Erasmus Project

Project Title

IoToAI – From Internet of Things to Artificial Intelligence (A VET for business in the digital era)

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 2019

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

In recent years, EU policies have given greater attention to ICT skills, and in particular to the employment of ICT specialists. The recently updated Digital Single Market strategy emphasises the need for policies designed to boost stability in European labour markets and improve the EU’s competitive position. Monitoring the employment of ICT specialists has therefore become increasingly important. This applies not only to students with ICT background, but also others coming from Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) such as psychology, communication, business and fine arts or languages backgrounds that can find solutions to problems facing humanity, whether these can be solved by technology or not. The final aim is to upskill creative thinkers to lead digital strategies of the companies. These strategies will be implemented by ICT experts who will be able to develop tools and solutions using Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence or Blockchain. The IoToAI project will also promote complementary skills such as: Quality, risk and safety; Management, leadership and entrepreneurial; Communication; Innovation; Emotional intelligence and the ability to consider ethical implications. This is in alignment with the report of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) “Skills for Smart Industrial Specialisation and Digital Transformation” and with the European Vision for high-tech T-shaped skills for 2030.

IoToAI project has the following specific objectives:

• Analyse national VET curricula related to ICT to see how they can be updated with digital skills that are in demand (especially those related with AI, IoT, Cloud and blockchain) , by different business sectors
• Analyse SSH higher education curricula that could be empowered by the knowledge of non high technical skills in AI and big data analysis.
• Upskill non-technical highly qualified workers to deliver digital strategies in businesses related to their background
• Upskill technical workers (especially in the field of VET) to undertake digital strategies in a broad range of business.
• Provide the VET teachers with the right tools to identify the pedagogical model for the teacher training

IoToAI comprises of 5 partners from 3 different countries (UK, Italy and Spain). The consortium is led by the biggest VET college in Northern Ireland (Belfast Metropolitan College), one higher education technical institution (UPCT), one VET provider of digital strategies for company leaders (IONOLOGY), one VET institution that focuses on delivering training related to ICT (SKILLSDIVERS) and one NGO (CEIPES) specializing in improving methodologies and technologies in the field of education, developing innovative strategies and participatory tools in the work with youth and adult.

In order to achieve our objectives, three intellectual outputs will be developed:
– A skills needs report to be delivered to VET authorities in order to show training gaps in ICT and SSH degrees in relation to digitization in businesses.
– An academic curriculum will be designed and developed. It will include topics such as Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Blockchain, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence at technical and business levels.
– A Toolkit for teachers will also be developed for Blended Learning in VET and will incorporate IoToAI topics.

To enhance the impact of the project, 4 dissemination events (three local and one international) will be organized to reach more than 180 stakeholders, including VET teachers, researchers and education authorities.

With these results, we aim to develop a specific and innovative training for modernizing workers’ and students’ profiles. The industry will be also benefit if technicians have the opportunity to apply the knowledge acquired in the training course within their factories or sectors, as they could be working within the ICT departments that are in charge. At the same time, young employees with a completely different professional background but with high IT affinity will be attracted to be part of the relevant department. This project will contribute to a higher quality of education and training offering by developing different training paths for VET students and attracting HE graduates to an innovative VET.

As a medium/long term strategy, the digital transformation cannot be ignored as it is essential to improve the competitiveness of the EU industry. In order to do so, there is utmost need to update the skills of European workers and provide recommendations at training level.

Project Website

https://www.iotoai.infoproject.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 241178 Eur

Project Coordinator

BELFAST METROPOLITAN COLLEGE & Country: UK

Project Partners

• SKILLS DIVERS, SOCIEDAD LIMITADA
• CENTRO INTERNAZIONALE PER LA PROMOZIONE DELL’EDUCAZIONE E LO SVILUPPO ASSOCIAZIONE
• ION TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
• UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE CARTAGENA