Addressing the challenges of COVID19 to develop Key Digital Skills for VET Staff & Trainees for Innovative Transnational Work-based Learning & Internships Erasmus Project

Project Title

Addressing the challenges of COVID19 to develop Key Digital Skills for VET Staff & Trainees for Innovative Transnational Work-based Learning & Internships

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: Open and distance learning; Cooperation between educational institutions and business; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Europe is facing its greatest threat since World War II. The COVID19 outbreak is triggering unprecedented social & economic consequences. It has brought into question established practices & highlighted the importance of developing digital skills & tools in order to find innovative solutions to meet the new challenges in continuing to offer transnational work-based learning (TWBL) opportunities in the VET sector.

Work-based learning is one of the main areas in European VET policies. Targets & priorities are underlined within core strategies & initiatives, such as the Europe 2020 Growth Strategy, the ET 2020 Strategic Framework & the Agenda for New Skills & jobs.

Before the onset of the pandemic, the difficulties encountered by trainees in securing work-based learning abroad were raised at the ‘Future of VET Conference’ in Helsinki, 11-13 Nov 2019. This was identified as a major problem that has now become even more problematic in a COVID19 world & no adequate solutions currently exist. The report ‘Digital gap during COVID-19 for VET learners at risk in Europe’ (CEDEFOP, June 2020) highlighted the digital skills gap for VET learners & the unique challenges caused by the pandemic. It also underlined the key importance of ensuring continued cooperation ‘at school-company level’ in order to ensure training continuity.

There is a therefore a gap between the requirements of trainees & employers, creating a vicious circle. Trainees need work-based learning opportunities to get a job & companies need future employees with both qualifications & work-experience. There is a clear & identifiable need to help trainees find opportunities abroad & persuade employers to provide the opportunities that trainees require as the transnational element brings added-value to an application.

TWBL traditionally involves a trainee working physically in a company in another country. COVID19 has reduced mobility & led to travel restrictions, thereby creating a need for innovative solutions to continue to provide appropriate opportunities for trainees if physical mobility is not possible.

For this to happen, VET tutors & trainees require improved digital competences & greater awareness of available digital tools to contribute effectively to a host company if working remotely.

Companies need to be made aware of the possibilities for blended & remote & TWBL & the benefits to the company of hosting a trainee from another country.

The primary objective of our project is to address these challenges to develop Key Digital Skills for Staff & Trainees for Innovative Transnational Traineeships & Work-based Learning by bringing together partners from 6 EU countries & designing 3 outputs.

Firstly, we will design of a pedagogical method for VET providers to facilitate digital upskilling of VET staff & trainees in a COVID19 context.

Secondly, we will create interactive learning modules for digital upskilling to enable VET Tutors to create & adapt their own digital learning resources to meet the digital needs of their trainees in a COVID19 context.

Thirdly, we will develop interactive learning tutorials for trainees to develop the key digital skills required by host companies during blended & remote transnational work-based learning in a COVID19 context. With many trainees currently working from home, this becomes even more important, especially for smaller VET providers, lacking resources to develop their own materials.

In this way, we aim to propose innovative solutions to meet the challenges of the COVID19 pandemic & the digital needs of VET tutors & trainees for appropriate innovative TWBL opportunities.

We will test our outputs in pilot studies in 6 countries, with over 30 host companies & trainees. The project will cater for all categories of VET learner with special attention to the needs of those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds & less likely to take part in TWBL.

The DSKILTI resources will be digitally-based, open-source, downloadable from the DSKILTI website & available in 6 languages. They will empower VET providers to offer high-quality TWBL to their trainees & can be tailored to the needs of specific target groups.

The impacts will be on 6 levels:
+ Digital upskilling of VET tutors, thereby encouraging the development of innovative & adapted digital learning solutions
+ Developing the digital competences of trainees & readiness of workplace needs
+ Encourage the uptake of blended & remote TWBL available to trainees & meet the challenges of COVID19
+ Increase the awareness of companies of the benefits of hosting trainees via blended & remote TWBL
+ Increase the number of companies prepared to host trainees & thereby the opportunities available to trainees
+ Increase the satisfaction & added-value to involved parties

As George Couros said ‘Technology will not replace great teachers but technology in the hands of great teachers can be transformational.’ This is what we aim to facilitate in the DSKILTI project.

Project Website

https://dskilti.com

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 219386 Eur

Project Coordinator

EUROPEAN PLACEMENT NETWORK Limited & Country: UK

Project Partners

• ASSOCIATION POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT DES INITIATIVES CITOYENNES ET EUROPEENNES
• APRECA
• AM TRANSNATIONAL, S.L.
• BERLINK ETN GMBH
• CEDIT- CENTRO DIFFUSIONE IMPRENDITORIALE DELLA TOSCANA SCARL
• ASSOCIACAO COMERCIAL DE BRAGA-COMERCIO, TURISMO E SERVICOS