e-Carpet-School: Online training school for machine carpet weaving Erasmus Project

Project Title

e-Carpet-School: Online training school for machine carpet weaving

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 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Recognition (non-formal and informal learning/credits); New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Background of the project is: Carpet manufacturing is an important field in Europe in terms of economical and employment figures. Turkey is capable of manufacturing %20 of whole world’s carpet need while whole Europe’s manufacturing share is approximately over %45. It is estimated that the number of employment in the carpet manufacturing sector is over half a million people across European countries such as Turkey, Belgium, United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. Although being a great sector, it suffers from several issues such as the lack of qualified technical staff. Furthermore, although carpet manufacturing is very widespread in Europe, there is not an existent definition of some carpet related vocations such as carpet operators. Accordingly, ISCED, the main catalogue of vocation definitions and curriculum, do not have required competency definitions for such mentioned vocations. Therefore, graduates of relevant institutions do not have the required practical experience until they are employed in a sectoral enterprise. They have the required competencies informally through practical experience and few number of in-service training facilities in the company. This causes several negative results such as increase in overhead costs, reduction in the effectiveness of the operations, economic losses and diminish of the competitiveness of the companies.

Objective of the project was to address the above mentioned problems, the consortium that is created in the project duration developed a novel curriculum that adopts a new pedagogical aspect. And secondly, ICT-based learning tools such an e-learning platform and interactive DVD based software were constructed during the project processa and also youtube videos in there languages (Turkish, ENglish and Romanian) are published as lessons for intermediate members in the sector.

The partners of the project (as consortium) was a multi-character team constituted of different types of foundations including VET institutions (university, vocational school), a SME in the relevant sector, a chamber of sectoral companies and a commercial company with expertise on e-learning and its applications on VET systems. As there is mentioned that the partners structure is constituted by different types including private sector, public body and NGO.

During the implementation of the project, the consortium focused on seven main tasks through the project activities:
1) Analysis of the sector and related vocations by inclusion of the target groups into the project via a two-phase survey system
2) Development of an innovative curriculum that utilizes the ICT-based learning tools which were developed in the project
3) Development of the learning content and video production.
4) Transfer, adaptation and development of e-learning infrastructure (online learning tools)
5) Development of the offline derivative of the e-learning software which was a DVD-based software (offline learning tools)
6) Testing, feedback, data collection, evaluation and improvement step
7) Dissemination and exploitation of the project outcomes.

After the project is implemented as planned, there were six IOs of the project:
1- A web platform that provides a meeting point for relevant stakeholders and project partners
2- A survey report that analyzes vocational status of carpet manufacturing related jobs in partner countries.
3- A novel curriculum for machinery carpet manufacturing related vocations that adopts innovative approaches
4- An e-learning platform that implements the novel curriculum
5- An offline solution specifically built for easily distributing and working in DVD format.
6- Relevant documentation for project products.

Expected impact on target group(s) are as follows:
a) Trainers / Educators of the relevant VET institutions including project partners and institutions that were reached within the project lifetime had a proper curriculum for carpet production process. This results are supported by the project dissemination activities especially done by the project partners in fairs as private and academical mentioned in the report.
b) Difficulties in training related to the expensive and continuously advancing hardware/equipment were tolerated.
c) Companies that use the e-learning environment had a good in-service training material. This is also contribute to the effectiveness of the sector companies.
d) New graduates and unemployed individuals that are planning to enter into the carpet manufacturing sector had the opportunity to get a free service that enables them to perform self-paced, We got this results from face to face meetings especially in the dissemination activities.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 214764 Eur

Project Coordinator

GAZIANTEP UNIVERSITESI & Country: TR

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA GHEORGHE ASACHI DIN IASI
• Medianovations Limited
• GAZIANTEP HALICILAR ODASI
• ROYAL HALI
• Haci Muzaffer Bakbak Mesleki Ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi