Digi-CVET

Developing transversal digital competences for digital

Continuous Vocational Education and Training in construction

Digi-CVET[1] is a direct response to the changing needs in work life, where in the near future approximately 9 out of 10 jobs will require at least simple but up to advanced digital skills and competences according the factsheet/infographic "The Digital Skills Gap in Europe" of the European Commission. The work life requirements are frequently followed by a change in VET, be it a change to a more digital orientation in VET-offers in general or where the European Skills Agenda calls upon "building resilience to react to crisis based on lessons learnt from COVID". This project intends moreover to establish a CVET culture in the lifelong learning process which will be oriented to digital aspects more and more. This will lead to a VET, which is more resilient, more innovative and more flexible. All this copes with the Osnabrück Declaration in which is declared to change VET to (digital) labour market needs as well as to offer modern digital VET. Digi-CVET will establish a sustainble European meeting point for VET as it will develop concrete CVET on short distance and will integrate more existing digital CVET on the middle and long distance due to a low threshold technical solution (ILIAS) which allows target groups to access, operate and study based on their individual language. The Digital Education Action Plan (DEAP) underlines this in its 1. priority "Fostering the development of a high-performing digital education ecosystem" when "...support digital transformation plans at all levels of VET through cooperation project". The Digi-CVET focus on emerging technologies in VET is coping with DEAP 2. priority "...to include AI (also AR) and data related skills and support development of AI/AR learning resources for [...] VET organisations..." and it particularly calls upon "...target advanced digital skills development through steps such as extending the digital opportunity trainingship to VET learners and offer professional development opportunities for teachers, trainers and other VET-staff". Not least this project follows the recommendations of the Swiss University Institut ("Eidgenössisches Hochschulinstitut - EHB"), which states in its paper "Transversal competences for an insecure digital future" that digital transversal competences will support VET because they will have an effect in the interaction with professional skills. Moreover it says that competences are transversal, when learners can adapt them in different settings and hence, when there is a horizontal building up of (digital) knowledge. This is exactly what Digi-CVET pursues.

Italy is lagging behind in EU when it comes to digital skills: fifth last in the ranking of digital skills within EU, with over 50% of the active population lacking it, says a report presented in February 2021 by the EU Court of Auditors. According to Unioncamere (the Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture), to work in companies in Italy, digital skills are required for 7 out of 10 hires, equal to 3.2 million workers. Yet 28.9% of these profiles, or about 940 thousand job positions, are difficult to find due to inadequacy or a small number of candidates. The result is often a lack of digital skills for SMEs.

A report (March 2021) from the Walloon employment agency indicates that the COVID crisis accelerates the digital transition and generates an increase in the need for digital skills in Belgium (https://www.leforem.be/MungoBlobs/1391531427687/20210325_Analyse_Un_an_apres_le_debut_de_la_crise_de_la_Covid_19.pdf). The Walloon Digital Agency also mentions in its 2020 Barometer that the digital maturity of Walloon companies has progressed between 2018 and 2020. However, while many indicators are positive, there is still significant progress to be made by companies, particularly in terms of online business strategy (https://www.digitalwallonia.be/fr/publications/entreprises2020). The IT and BE situation represents similar ratios in project partners countries.

This project aims at achieving 6 main targets:

1) Digital CVET course offer how target groups (EQF 4 and up) can appreciate initial training in construction (IVET) with digital optional elements. This should lead to a higher attractivity targeting youngsters for job in construction being modern, innovative and future leading. This will open up means to cope with the tighter competition for talents on the labour market or in the transition period between school and work.

2) Development of a digital course to build up horizontal knowledge digital communication with focus on construction needs in CVET. This includes branch specific learning platforms, data security requirements among construction stakeholders, netiquette among branch staff, proper use of social media. This will be linked to "DigComp 2.1: The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens with eight proficiency levels and examples of use". There will be also a basic introduction to the commucation aspects among involved actors to adapt BIM.

3) Digi-CVET will develop a CVET learning module related to digital collaboration with respects to clouds. What roles do clouds have in the joint use of internet, intranet, extranet and / or BIM. There will be a focus on the Common Data Environment (CDE) as the main collaboration tool in BIM to exchange data among BIM project staff; teaching roles and responsibilities as well as modes and data format of BIM collaboration like data access, data management, data documentation.

4) Main "emerging technologies" like Augmented Reality and Building Information Modelling will be subject to a new CVET learning offer in terms of defining the significance of them in the (near) future, a basic and practicle support for learners what these are and why they will become important in this branch, use cases to outline what is really meant with these and estimations about necessary investment in devices, software and staff.

5) This project will not least support target groups, who mostly stem from the middle management in SMEs or are entrepreneurs themselves, in making use of digital aspects for improving their Employer Brand (EB). EB is or can become a driver to attract and retain appropriate staff in SMEs, which face severe problems to compete for qualified staff with a) big construction companies and b) other branches. Target groups can be offered a CVET with the upcoming results of the ERASMUS+ project "Employer Branding", which is a exchange of experience project, which does not develop concret result, but could be used as the base to develop the very result here.

6) No. 6 will aggregate the targets 1-5 on a tailor-made technical platform - ILIAS. This technical application will be developed as a responsive tool with specific dedication to the construction branch, predominantly. From the beginning of the project this development will be oriented to what will be developed in terms of CVET contents and hence, it will be edited and customized accordingly. This ILIAS platfrom will be developed to continue using it after the project duration in order to further enrich it with more "life".

A more global description of envisaged achievements shows that some main deficits in construction, at least a cut-set in the project partner countries, will be addressed with Digi-CVET. Improving sector based digital communication/collaboration, the improvement of the sector image by appreciating VET and supporting SMEs to be more attractive for staff in reach as well as demonstrating two future requirements when emerging technologies will get a more significant importance will cope with the need for upskilling target groups with modern transversal digital competences.

[1] CVET: Continuous Vocational Education and Training