The Skills in Metal and Electro Industry – skillME project was a three-year international Erasmus+ project involving vocational education and training (VET) providers, national regulatory bodies and sectoral organisations from the four EU member states Slovenia, Croatia, Latvia, and Slovakia, which aimed at filling skill gaps and advancing VET in the metal and electro industries (ME) as two important sectors driving the European manufacturing industry, both in terms of employment as well as value added. Both sectors are facing great challenges due to shortage of skilled labour, which is a result of several factors, the most prominent among which are the out-of-date and/or inflexible VET systems, rapid development of technology and production processes, lack of resources for continuous training of employees by companies, and a decline of interest among young people for metal and electro job profiles. The skillME project aimed to address all of these issues. Its main objectives were to identify the most pressing skill gaps among students and workers of the electro and metal industry’s advanced manufacturing sector that are common to all project participating countries and are perceived as acute also in other EU member states, to develop curricula in accordance with EQAVET, EQF and ECVET principles to fill the identified skill gaps, to test the developed trainings on pilot groups of students and workers, and to create a platform for sharing good practices and information among VET stakeholders.On the basis of a wide desk research, interviews with stakeholders, focus groups with industry representatives and discussions with experts, the four most pressing skill gaps in the metal and electro industry were identified in the fields of CAD/CAM, Machine vision, Composite materials, and Reading technical documentation. Training materials in English were developed for these fields, consisting of curricula (learning units and outcomes), assessment papers and learning materials, with separate materials for the field of Reading technical documentation for the metal and electro industries. They were localized into four national participating languages and pilot tested on students and workers in all four participating countries. The curricula were created in line with the ECVET principles and assessed with the EQAVET indicators to assure quality and adoptability across Europe, focusing on learning outcomes.The pilot trainings showed that the created materials are highly useful and practical and contain the most up-to-date knowledge lacking in both industries. The developed trainings will make an impact on VET providers of initial and continuous training who will enhance their trainings/classes portfolio, on school trainees and workers who will receive updated knowledge for skills which are missing in electro and metal industry, on companies who will have more skilled workforce, especially those who are lacking training resources, and on the rest of industry and public who will recognize the added value of such cooperation in curricula design and delivery. All materials are free to use, provided a reference is made to the skillME project and Erasmus+ Programme financing.The activities set out in the project will continue within the Alliance for the Advancement of VET in the Metal and Electro Industry, which is an international platform intended for all stakeholders of the metal and electro industries as well as other industries that wish to enhance the VET for improving the employability of students and workers using the innovative approach of developing trainings based on industry needs, strengthening the collaboration of VET providers, regulatory bodies and industry representative, increasing the competitiveness of EU member state manufacturing industries and improving the cooperation among EU member states through international collaboration and sharing of good practices. Join us! www.gzs.si/skill-me/vsebina/Alliance

<< Background >>The school subjects were influenced in different scale by the switches between online and in-person education. Compared to the lessons mainly based on reception of information and development of understanding such as natural sciences or requiring presenting a written solution such as mathematics, the humanitarian lessons were deeply affected by the limitations in the interactions among students and the teachers. In this way, many taught subjects such as native language, literature, history, ethics, etc. were prevented from exercising necessary expression and communication skills of students within interactive discussions. Such forced students` position of passive listeners caused decline in their motivation for study and decreasing the commitment during the lessons. Furthermore, the ongoing process of alternating online and in-person education continue to devaluate students‘ engagement because of changes in periods of low activity in home sessions and periods of active presence in classrooms. In this regard, it is necessary to implement an approach to increase commitment of students by acknowledging them with the importance of their expression skills on humanitarian topics for their future career, and by observing and reflecting on their behaviour in class.Active discussions and class interactivity develop students’ social skills, positive behaviours, and capabilities— all those crucial for future citizens. Students need a supportive surrounding and a safe learning environment in which they can socialize and build communication and expression skills. In a virtual classroom, it is extremely difficult, or even impossible to monitor, nor to give the tutor an adequate assessment of the level of motivation to the student. Therefore, there is the need of development of new indicators, accustomed both to real and virtual classrooms, which could help the tutor monitor and raise the level of motivation of the students.The project is oriented to the following needs:- To address the negative impact of the simplified conversation through online platforms very often leading to monologue lecture and preventing multidirectional share of views thus making the students passive listeners for long time.- To address the impossibility for asking embarrassing questions and to remove the false sense of mastery of the situation with the students when everyone responds in a one-by-one mode and has sufficient time to consider the answer.- To address the scarcity of suitable digital devices or stable Internet connection faced by disadvantaged students by adapted appropriate exercises and off-line sections.- To raise the students’ level of motivation and responsiveness by minimizing cases where they stay anonymous behind their switched off cameras and microphones thus making them more socially sensitive and responsible.- To express the continuity of the online classes with traditional ones in terms of active participation and commitment.<< Objectives >>The project envisages two areas of interventions. The first one concerns development of communication and expression skills done within humanitarian lessons. Education process is not limited to only transfer of knowledge, but it is also a comprehensive social process that allows students to learn through interactions with their teachers and peers. The second intervention is oriented towards improvement of monitoring students’ level of engagement and raising commitment. In classrooms, tutors often can closely monitor a student’s level of motivation by their participation, attention to the subject, and extent of distraction. On contrary, during online teaching this was hampered.The general project objective is to address deficiencies during online education in terms of developing communication and expression skills within humanitarian school disciplines focusing on disadvantaged students falling behind and getting them closer to their peers.The specific objectives are:- Provision of guiding materials for students adapted to those with poor skills.- Equipping teachers with applicable pedagogical approaches and supporting thematic sets.- Raising attractiveness and efficiency of the training on humanitarian subjects by production of interactive and visualized elements.<< Implementation >>The planned activities are according to the Work Breakdown Structure of the project and will encompass:= Project management- General management of the project - Organization and hosting of transnational partner meetings- Internal information flow= Development of the Project ResultsPR1 Student`s Booklet about communication and expression skills on social topics and the linkage with future professional realisationPR2 Teacher` Handbook on observation and reflection techniquesPR3 Toolbox for observation and reflection in online and present education= Sharing and promotion activities, external communication and publicity measures= Quality assurance and evaluation- Quality of the elaborated training materials in methodological and content related aspects- Internal quality assurance in project administration aspect= Involvement of associated partners= Multiplier events = Activities towards exploitation and sustainability<< Results >>Besides the development of training materials as results, the project will:- Outline areas of intervention in concrete taught subjects and lessons in compliance with the existing formal curricula.- Address the lack of multi-directional interaction within the class and the teacher in online environment.- Introduce and pilot techniques for monitoring engagement and stimulating commitment.- Strengthen the aspect of educational inclusion among the targeted students with main focus on the disadvantaged ones in order to prevent falling behind.- Ameliorate the specific preparation of the students in need on humanitarian subjects and making it equal as much as possible of those not facing social or technical challenges compared to their peers.- Enhance the preparation for keeping commitment in switching in-person and online environment by teachers and students through introducing adapted measuring applications.- Provide tailor-made learning materials to improve social interaction aspects and specific skills and knowledge for future society oriented professionals.- Stimulate the school teachers and students to enter into contacts with people from abroad.- Establish multilingual online platform for exchange of knowledge, advice and feedback.- Strengthen the understanding and skills of students in areas such as multiculturalism, diversity, successful employment, active citizenship, social inclusion, equal opportunities and managing of personal change.- Support the diffusion of the offline lessons and self-study approach into mainstream educational programs concerning subjects related to public speaking and audience proficiency.- Provide support by business world and experts in social field towards raising motivation and outlining the perspectives for joining such fields by future graduates.- Stimulate exchange of views on obstacles in proper qualification on social and humanity subjects.

Background and context:The analysis documents for the European educational policies have at their center the preoccupations of educational systems to develop STEM skills in students and organize learning activities in schools which are practical, interdisciplinary and innovative to exercise them. A development of active and innovative, interdisciplinary and collaborative methodology is a must, to promote the development of Maths, Sciences and technologies. Developing devices based on microcontrollers and future technologies promotes practical study experiences, interdisciplinary professional development and development of digital VET skills.EU Commission is constantly recommending the increase in the level of educational digitalization and integrating the new technologies in the educational process. Raising student motivation through usage of modern teaching methods that encourage the application of new technologies in practical work environments is required.It is through the joined effort of engineers- IT specialists - STEM teachers that we will create the basis for the developmnet of basic skills and transversal skills reuired on the European Labor market for future jobs.The objectives of the project:1. Identifying means to project, program and use embedded systems for educational purposes 2. Elaborating curricular resources centered on the use of STEM skills to accomplish devices based on microcontrollers3. Implementing learning activities in STEM school subjects with the view of familiarizing students with the new technologies based on microcontrollers 4. Creating a study platform for the free access to curricular resources created on the theme of developing applications with microcontrollers. 5. Developing new EU partnerships, with transfer of good practices and innovative curricular resources between the institutions that target the development of STEM skills.The target group is formed of VET trainers and students and professionals from the profile companies. - members of the project teams of all partner organizations;- STEM teachers from partner schools- 200 students who will pilot the platform in the 3 schools- 150 users enrolled on the platform- 60 STEM teachers in project countries, who will join the platform during the dissemination stage- At least 500 people will receive through MailChimp the 4 newsletters - 120 participants at the Multiplication EventsThe project will reach a greater target group through the implementation of the OER uploaded on the platform.Activities:- 5 transnational meetings (Romania, Portugal, Croatia, Poland, Greece)- 1 Short Term joint staff training event- Documentation and creation, testing and piloting of IOs- Dissemination and valorization of results activities- 3 Multiplier Events in partner school countries- Project Management activities- Monitoring, Evaluation activities typical for a Quality ManagementResults of the project:- members of the project teams of all partner organizations with competences developed in European project management and implementation of applications with microcontrollers;- STEM teachers from the two partner schools with developed competences of implementing practical activities with students on microcontrollers- 200 pupils who will pilot the platform from the 3 schools with developed STEM skills- 150 users enrolled on the platform, except for students with knowledge of microcontroller applications- 5 intellectual outputs (curriculum modules, collection of educational models, guide, e-learning platform)- 4 Newsletters that will present information about the evolution of the project - one Multiplier Event performed in each partner country (09.2021)- the website and the Facebook page of the project in all partner languages in the first 2 months of the project, accessed and appreciated by at least 100 users.Impact and durability:Integrating microcontrollers in the modern class and boosting interest in the STEM subjects allows for a more practical viewpoint onto the teaching- learning process in training institutes. It also encompasses and is applicable to the modern day technology of flipped classroom which allows students to start the learning process from the result/ the output and go backwards in search of its process. Such a methodology of learning combined with the potential of outsourcing it will create employees with a greater degree of employability in the most competitive fields of activity nowadays.In the long term the project will have a great impact and durability due to the creation of Open Digital (OER) resources that will be made public and promoted by uploading them to specialized databases to distribute resources for teachers/trainers.

The 3D-Help project was being developed between 2017 and 2019 mainly to help adult trainers and learners to catch up with rapidly growing EU market with digital technologies and 3D printing especially, which is connected to the fact that Europe is currently at the early stages of the 4th Industrial Revolution. For this Industry 4.0 to be effectively implemented, there is a need that current adult employees and thus also current trainers are upgraded with skills on relevant technology. One such technology on which Industry 4.0 greatly depends is 3D-Printing and hence why this project for adult training in this technology.The project target groups were EU adult trainers as these will be able to exploit the 3D-HELP training toolbox to help adult learners acquireSkills on 3D-P technology, adult learners that need a second chance of catching up 3D-P technology and stakeholders related to the Adult Education sector including policy makers and managers that can influence the direction of adult training. All these groups were involved in the activities during the project implementation such as Multiplier events in each partner country, pilot testing, they received newsletters and leaflets about the projects or were reached through the social media of the project.There were 5 partners in the project: Evropska rozvojova agentura, s.r.o. (lead partner, Czech Republic), Ludor Engineering (Romania), Social Innovation Fund (Lithuania), Macdac Engineering Consultancy Bureau Ltd (Malta) and Strojarska tehnička škola Fausta Vrančića (Croatia).Altogether, more than 260 people participated directly in project activities, such as Multiplier events, pilot testing or third party activities, where the project was also disseminated and more than 2 500 people received information about the project in the form of newsletters, leaflets, websites, Facebook posts, etc.6 Intellectual Outputs were developed during the project implementation: 1. Guidelines on the use of 3DP In Adult Education 2. 3DP Case Studies for Adult Education 3. Curriculum of a 3DP Course for Adult Training 4. 3DP Course Content for Adult Training 5. 3DP trainer guidelines 6. 3DP e-Learning System for Adult Training Both course content and e-learning system is available in 5 languages: English, Czech, Romanian, Lithuanian and Croatian.All the project Intellectual Outputs are available online and for free at the project website: http://3dhelp.euda.eu, the e-learning system is available at http://www.mecb.com.mt/moodle/course/index.php?categoryid=23. All the tools are still available even after the completion of the project and the lead partner stays in touch mainly with the partner organization from Malta and Lithuania, who developed the e-learning system mostly in order to help new participants with their questions about the project or the e-learning system itself.The project helped the participants to catch up with 3D printing skills, increased their motivation in this field and provided new innovative tools that can be helping adult trainers and learners also in future.

"Context and objectives: This project is designed to improve students' critical thinking and their awareness of being an active European citizen. By taking actively part in the project the students will heighten their self-competence and improve their natural science, technical and digital competences. These goals will be achieved when students deal with different topics around the field ""Cultural Heritage"". It became clear during the planning of this project that there is a lack of awareness among young people about Cultural Heritage in our countries. Instead, there are a lot of prejudices. By studying those and becoming aware of the similarities between our countries, a basis for European citizenship will be created. From that point on, students can research our Cultural Heritage and explore some similarities in intangible, tangible and natural heritage. Furthermore, our project, Cultural Heritage, from prejudice to awareness, aims at creating and expanding awareness of our European identity by creating a digital platform on which citizens of our countries can learn more about our Cultural Heritage. We also hope to achieve an integral educational approach by including practical work rather than an emphasis on theory. Students will get the chance to experience the efficiency of ""do-it-yourself"" and ""learning by doing"". The project consists of 4 sub-topics to be worked on by all students together for 6 months each: 1.Conceptualizing Cultural Heritage- Researching prejudices of the partner countries and creating a common framework for our project - Exploring the features of our common European similarities - Constructing a common framework of Cultural Heritage- Creating schedules by using the digital tool GOOGLE SKETCHUP - Transnational meeting in Croatia2.Exploring Cultural Heritage - Studying the concept of cultural heritage- Learning about digital tools through workshops- Teaching fellow students about cultural heritage in different countries - Excursion to national heritage sites / the national organization for cultural heritage- Transnational meeting in Poland 3.Discovering Cultural Heritage - Analyzing the selection processes of cultural heritage - Exploring different cultural aspects for nomination as cultural heritage- Developing suggestions for improvements by using GOOGLE SKETCHUP - Meeting with the municipalities / NGOs- Transnational meeting in Finland4. Creating awareness for Cultural Heritage - Planning and conducting activities to improve awareness of cultural heritage - Creating virtual heritage - Transnational meeting in the Netherlands Participants: - OMO Scholengroep Bergen op Zoom e.o. (the Netherlands)- Siilinjärvi Upper Secondary School (Finland)- Strojarska tehnička škola Fausta Vrančića (Croatia)- Zespół Szkół Ogólnokształcących i Technicznych im. Marii Konopnickiej w Milówce (Poland)Project leaders: Arnold van der Werff (Netherlands), Marina Kevric (Croatia), Merja Mikkonen (Finland) & Anna Witos (Poland)16 teachers (4 from each school) 108 students from the participating schools, 30 per school in total8 students from every school on transnational learning activities Methodology: All of our activities will be implemented by a wide range of innovative teaching methods both in and outside of school, incorporating: critical thinking, digital competence, collaboration and team work, communication skills and personal and social responsibility. Constant evaluation and improvement are self-evident. Intended results: - increased feeling of European Citizenship among young people in society. - Greater awareness for the target groups - use and spread of innovative teaching methods - increased personal technological and digital competences and skills"