Fit for BIM – Competences for Digital Construction in VET and Higher Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Fit for BIM – Competences for Digital Construction in VET and Higher Education

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: Recognition, transparency, certification; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The ever-increasing digitisation of the world of work and the introduction of new technologies, systems and procedures are changing work processes such as construction planning and execution and thus also the competence requirements for skilled workers. For the first time, the new EU directive on public procurement recommends the use of computer-aided methods such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and thus sets a concrete framework for action. The education systems in Europe must quickly find solutions to anchor these new digital technologies in vocational education and training (VET) and to impart job-related digital skills in a practice-oriented way. Until now, processes in digital construction, especially BIM, have not, or only partly been included in the curricula. However, companies are increasingly asking for experts with skills in 3D drawing and new generation programs (Allplan/Revit). Thus, Apprentices & students must continue their training as soon as they enter working life in order to qualify for their future jobs. The “Fit for BIM” project aimed to bring digital construction into vocational training and thus to provide the European construction industry with skilled workers with a deeper understanding of ICT and broadly based job-related digital knowledge, skills and competences that go far beyond the competences previously taught in training. “Fit for BIM” was aimed at the trainees & Bachelor students, as users of the new learning units, as well as teachers & trainers of the vocational training centres that teach digital building in class, and construction companies, associations, authorities as multipliers and users of the recommendations (6000 people). The project partners included vocational training centres and universities from Germany, Poland, Denmark and Belgium. Trade associations, chambers and construction companies support the project as associated partners. All results have been developed in close cooperation. For this purpose, the partners formed transnational working groups under changing leadership for the thematic priorities. The development and pilot application of the new learning units took place in a participatory process with learners and teachers. Actors from business and politics were involved in an ongoing dialogue – their feedback ensured the relevance and suitability of the new products. Accompanying activities were networking and dissemination measures as well as pilot actions to anchor the model. The central result of “Fit for BIM” is the competence-based approach to integrating digital construction into vocational training, with improved competences of teachers & trainers, as well as trainees & students. The results that can be transferred throughout the EU are a competence matrix and learning units on digital construction for VET & Bachelor, a procedural proposal for the permeability and crediting of competences, a further training course for teachers, a guide for VET centres and recommendations for actors in VET, industry and politics. The learning units developed in “Fit for BIM” prepare for work in middle-level construction management. The new learning units bring new content such as 3D CAD/digital twin and learning situations related to BIM processes along the vocational requirements described in the competence matrix into the VET. The “Fit for BIM” process proposal for permeability shows, exemplary for the construction sector, possible solutions and is intended to motivate vocational schools and universities to actively shape the transition from VET to HE and HE-VET. The proposals include possibilities for documenting acquired competences as learning outcomes and for crediting them in further learning. An innovative aspect is the inclusion of suggestions for the transition from university (dropouts) to vocational training. With the new further training course, BIM has also become a topic in teacher training for the first time. Today’s vocational school teachers and trainers not only have a lot of catching up to do in terms of technology, but also in the teaching of such skills in the VET. The combination of technical and didactic aspects in the course is innovative here. “Fit for BIM” makes the current and future work processes in and around digitisation/BIM visible, as well as the resulting need for modernisation in VET. This ensures sustainable effects: strengthened European co-operation in VET, training opportunities, good employment, career prospects for skilled workers with up-to-date training, increased competitiveness in the construction sector and more effectiveness and quality in the construction industry. The President of the HWK (chamber of small businesses and skilled crafts) Berlin, Ms. Zarth, emphasized that it was right “to start with the next generation […] to promote the use of the BIM model in companies by teaching the BIM model in our upper school centres, vocational schools and at universities, i.e. by providing qualifications”.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 331281,16 Eur

Project Coordinator

BGZ Berliner Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit mbH & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Robert-Schuman-Institut
• VIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
• AARHUS TECH
• Zespol Szkol Budowlanych im. Rogera Slawskiego
• Zentrum für Aus- und Weiterbildung des Mittelstandes
• Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin
• Max-Bill-Schule, OSZ Planen, Bauen, Gestalten