InnovatiVET Erasmus Project

Project Title

InnovatiVET

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: Research and innovation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

Despite years of massive research effort and numerous development projects, the actual practices in education continue as usual. Previous studies from the sector show that up to 50% and 70% of teachers state that they have not changed their daily practices as a result of participating in development projects (The Vocational Education Lab & Damvad 2012). Despite the need for significant transformation, the practice of teaching in Europe remains the same.

Curriculums describing learning and objectives are changed and reformed, hence improving the job relevance of vocational education and training (VET), but this does not guarantee a corresponding didactic and pedagogical development improving the processes in learning. It is therefore important to develop tools and practices to better support both students and educators alike, in order to best prepare the future workforce for the skills needed in the workplace. Moreover, it is of paramount importance to develop tools and practices which can be easily facilitated by VET teachers and staff.

This led to the creation of the InnovatiVET project, who pursued the following objectives:
1. Explore the potential of innovative and active pedagogies such as interdisciplinary teaching and collaborative methods
2. Promote the development, testing and implementation of educational tools and innovative teaching methodologies, in order to improve educators’ industrial currency, as well as students’ skills, thus improving their employability.
3. Encourage enterprises to actively participate in the developed methods
4. Provide open and digital educational resources for the VET sector
5. Increase the synergies between formal and non-formal education system

Therefore, within the InnovatiVET’s project framework an international team (from Denmark, Finland, Italy, Slovenia and the United Kingdom), produced a set of accessible educational materials, provided as online and paper publications (in 5 languages):
– Evidence-gathering report, focusing on emerging needs and identifying key problems from the VET sector regarding educational practices
– Work-Based Learning practices in Europe
– Creative Problem Solving and Design Thinking
– Co-working spaces (FabLab)

All Intellectual Outputs were supplemented with a series of good and best practice reports, as well as 10 pilot educational experiments in 5 countries to test the educational tools and methodologies.

Outputs were disseminated towards target groups – mainly the VET sector, but also other relevant stakeholders such as private and public organizations, as well as secondary and tertiary educational institutions. The most important dissemination activities were several multiplier events (seminars and workshops) hosted by each partner country, where over 300 stakeholders from over 100 institutions were directly introduced to the project outputs. Furthermore, by means of our website, app and social media site, newspaper and media articles, press releases, intra-organizational meetings and other outlets, more than 33.000 stakeholders in partner countries and beyond were reached out to. The outputs are freely available on multiple platforms, and the wide dissemination of the outputs will aid (VET) educators, teachers, students and companies interested in fostering better cooperation with schools, in order to better prepare schools for the challenges faced by a modern workforce. A far-reaching effect was thus achieved.

The project contributed to:
– Renewing educational practices by means of experimentation and providing innovative methodologies beyond traditional teaching curricula
– More VET schools providing innovative teaching methodologies, thus fostering industrial currency for both student and educator
– Promoting partnerships: Enterprises actively participated in developing, testing and collaborating with VET schools in the developed methods
– Providing open and digital educational resources for the VET sector
– Increasing the synergies between formal and non-formal education system

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 280350 Eur

Project Coordinator

Erhvervsakademi Sydvest & Country: DK

Project Partners

• EURO-NET
• MEDNARODNI CENTER ZA PRENOS ZNANJA DOO
• FAB LAB LIMITED
• TURUN YLIOPISTO