Soft sKills dIgitaL Learning for the ICT workforce Erasmus Project

Project Title

Soft sKills dIgitaL Learning for the ICT workforce

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: Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Cooperation between educational institutions and business

Project Summary

In the context of rapid socio-economic change, exponential advances in technology, and the burgeoning ICT sector of the emerging fourth industrial revolution, business leaders identify a growing need for managers and employees who possess soft skill capacities, such as critical thinking, people management, etc. Yet, most ICT small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and micro-firms cannot afford soft skills training programs especially in these difficult times. The proposed project aims to address the soft skills gap and increase the competitiveness of ICT SMEs and micro-firms. In doing so, this project offers an ICT sector soft skills framework and an innovative, engaging ICT soft skills curriculum with teaching and learning resources that are all freely-available via a device-agnostic e-learning platform.

The project partnership includes seven teams of locally, nationally, and internationally-recognized experts representing universities, SMEs, e-training organizations, non-profit foundations, and VET providers from 6 countries: Malta, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, and Slovenia. Product testers include about 65 employees, managers, and trainees from ICT sector SMEs and micro-firms, VET organizations, and other training providers recruited through the partnership network. Multiplier events include another 150 to 240 participants from ICT sector SMEs, micro-firms, and associations, VET training programs, and policymakers, Commission, European Council, and other relevant EU representatives.

Project activities are divided into six phases. In Phase 1, project management and coordination plans are developed, agreed upon, and set into motion during the initial kick-off partners’ meeting. Once initiated, these plans guide the timing, collaboration, outcomes, and evaluation of all project activities and outputs. During Phase 2, review of relevant literature and a needs analysis of soft skills for the ICT sector yields a soft skills framework. This framework guides the design and development of an Industry 4.0 soft skills curriculum that employs open, innovative pedagogies, resources, and tools in Phase 3. This curriculum directs development of an ICT sector teacher and trainer digital soft skills resource guide, as well as digital soft skills scenarios and interactive resources for learners that are based on real-life workplace situations. This phase concludes with the assembly of a methodological handbook for teachers and learners, containing guidelines and tips for integrative implementation of the curriculum, resources, and tools. Phase 4 involves pilot testing all of these products with ICT sector employees, trainees, managers, and educators. Observations and feedback are then used to revise and fine-tune the products and delivery process. In Phase 5, the partners engage in the promotion, dissemination, and exploitation of these products with the support of their expansive local, national, and EU-wide education, company, business association, government, and media networks. Phase 6 extends across the life of the project; it involves quality control, monitoring, and evaluation of all activities, timelines, expenditures, and outputs.

Four face-to-face transnational project meetings (TPMs), as well as one training and six multiplier events are held during the course of the project. The TPMs are organizational and informational partnership meetings. The training event teaches partner members how to use the training resources. Held during the final months of the project, the six multiplier events introduce the findings and outputs of the project, disseminate information about the project products to potential stakeholders and media, and identify potential partners and collaborators who are interested in using and sharing these products.

The results of this project will have a significant impact on ICT sector SMEs and micro-firms. The needs analysis findings and resultant soft skills framework will provide critical information to education, business, industry, and government sectors. Products generated from this project will address the current soft skills gap identified in the needs analysis process. Moreover, this project offers a freely-available, easily accessible, timely, innovative curriculum, relevant and engaging learning experiences, and appropriate training guides in a number of languages for ICT sector SMEs and micro-firms that might not otherwise have access to such training resources. Finally, due to the strong local, national, and EU network of collective partnership connections with target users, such as ICT sector managers, employees, and trainees, as well as VET trainers and students, this project will have a wide impact across Europe. To enhance sustainability beyond promotion and networking measures, project products will include open educational resources (OER). All products will also be freely-available via a device-agnostic e-learning platform for at least two years after the project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 299748 Eur

Project Coordinator

Foundation for the Promotion of Entrepreneurial Initiatives & Country: MT

Project Partners

• EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY CYPRUS
• International Association for Blended Learning (IABL)
• ACADEMIA, izobrazevanje in druge storitve d.o.o.
• MATHEMAGENESIS IDIOTIKI KEFALAIOUCHIKI ETAIREIA
• STICHTING VOOR ALGEMEEN VOORTGEZET ONDERWIJS, BEROEPSONDERWIJS EN VOLWASSENENEDUCATIE
• VITALE TECNOLOGIE COMUNICAZIONE – VITECO SRL