<< Objectives >>This project aims to advance digitalization in the field of vocational training. The project is specifically about responding to the changes brought about by the pandemic in the three following areas: technology, soft skills and administrative organization with concrete solutions. Digital competences are one of the key factors, which are particularly important for a successful integration into the labour market. Thus, we intend to support citizens in their personal and professional development.<< Implementation >>A total of four WP were created, three of which include specific activities: Among them: Activities for surveys among VET actors, analysis of results and processing of data, writing of reports as a guideline and assistance in the technical and administrative field, development of training in the field of soft skills, as well as activities for the development of an open source tool.<< Results >>1.Report on which technology has been the most useful in the past years 2.Report as a resource and guide for using technology tools to better digitize learning content 3.Designed preparatory courses for VET Actors to prepare and train them for digitalization in the Vet field regarding soft skills 4.Developed solutions and green practices for the administrative field of digitalization and establish an open source tool to deposit the results and to discuss further digitalization in the VET field.

"1. CONTEXT/BACKGROUNDTraditional crafts in the construction sector, such as stonecutter, mason or carpenter, tend to disappear because of, among others, the transition from one generation to the next one caused by the ageing of the crafts workers and the current unattractiveness of the construction sector, which resulting in a lack of qualified workforce to do restoration works. However, restoration activity is increasing in Europe, being in fact the most important activity. The development of learning resources about traditional techniques as a complement of vocational training would improve the response of VET system to market needs, increasing at the same time job expectations of youngsters and make the construction industry more appealing and sustainable.2. OBJECTIVES The project has two main objectives:* Gathering knowledge and techniques about traditional processes in the construction industry related to the renovation of buildings, in order to avoid the loss of know-how.* Training young workers in these techniques, to ensure a proper restoration of the traditional elements in old buildings in Europe.3. PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTSAs for the partnership, 6 entities experts in VET in the construction industry have participated in the project:- FLC (Leader, Spain)- BZB (Germany)- IFAPME (Belgium)- CCCA-BTP (France) - CENFIC (Portugal)- FORMEDIL-PUGLIA (Italy)All partners belong to the “Network for the Vocational Education and Training in the construction sector in Europe”, RE.FORM.E (www.reforme.org).4. METHODOLOGY AND ACTIVITIESThe project methodology is structured along 24 months, planned in different activities which included specific activities led by one project partner. The working methodology to gather and exploit information has combined several qualitative techniques: observations, case of studies and semi-structured interviews.Three phases have been set into motion to develop the project and its results:A1. PROJECT MANAGEMENT. Quality plan.A2. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION. Development of deliverables and endorsement by core key agents. - Handy guide. European experiences in rehabilitation of buildings: Six case studies- Map of skills. Skills needs identification for restoration of traditional architecture in Europe- Training program. Rehabilitation of traditional architecture in Europe- Open educational resource: App ""Construction Inheritance"".- Experimentation and external validation: pilot courses.- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).A3. PROJECT DISSEMINATION. Valorisation and sustainability 5. RESULTSThe main result of the project has been to gather and transmit traditional knowledge and building techniques, with the aim of training new workers concerning the restoration of old buildings in Europe. This collection of know-how has been transformed into learning outcomes that have been materialized in a training program and its corresponding open and digital learning resource – App -, which can be used by the VET system and/or in-company training. Also, the training program has been carried out under the European Qualification Framework (EQF) and the ECVET system to facilitate the accreditation of acquired skills, in order to enhance the acknowledgement of learning, also attained via non-formal and informal contexts.6. IMPACT- Trainees and apprentices, who may be able to acquire these skills by means of new technologies and increase their job opportunities in the sector.- Building workers, who may increase their skills on traditional restoration and therefore their job opportunities in the sector. - Trainers and VET providers in the construction industry, since they will have available an innovative training program with contents adapted to market needs.- Strengthening and promotion of quality, transparency and mutual trust in VET in Europe.- Higher coherency between labour market and the provision of VET, in order to get a better performance of youth employment and sectorial skills.7. LONG TERM BENEFITS- Fostering of VET European tools (EQF, ECVET), which will ensure a lasting and shared accreditation of acquired skills, encouraging the mobility of apprentices and workers in Europe.- Improvement of the construction sector image through its modernization and attention to the architectural heritage in Europe."

"PURPOSEVocational education and training systems in origin countries of refugees are often not comparable to those systems that are spread all over Europe. Thus a recognition of the profession refugees might have is often not possible. Additionally, this target group can often not provide any evidence supporting the existing professional skills and abilities. Therefore entering the labour market as well as an approach to vocational education and training systems in the hosting countries are very difficult for refugees. Finally this leads to the consequence that the integration process is nearly impossible.Therefore, the purpose of the project is to enable refugees improved basic approaches to enter the educational system in participating project countries. With regards to the Paris-declaration refugees should get the chance to work in their hosting countries faster and way more easily. OBJECTIVEThe project objective is to develop the following innovative intellectual outputs branded ""RefuTools"", which are to be regarded as a holistic approach of mutually complementaring outputs.O1) Integration.Guide: Web-based app for smartphones with information about the daily life in participating project countries for refugeesO2) Educational Theater: Workup of relevant behaviors for refugees in the project partner countries.O3) Board Game: Playful learning about soft skills, which are important for the social integration in the project partner countries.O4) Curriculum: Mediation of lower vocational skills and knowledge in the construction sector.PRIMARY TARGET GROUPThe intellectual outputs to develop are available for refugees who either arrived on their escape in one of the participating project partner's countries or for refugees who keep on travelling from partner countries to other target countries to seek asylum. SECONDARY TARGET GROUP The intellectual outputs are also available for workers in refugee relief. Cross-COUNTRY REFERENCEIn all partner countries there is an enoumerous need for action in supporting the refugee work. On the one hand there are countries in the mainstream of refugee movements such as Bulgaria, Slowenia and Austria, where refugees arrive and only stay for a couple of weeks intending to keep on travelling. On the other hand countries like Italia, Spain and Germany belong to those countries, where refugees finally seek for asylum when having passed their way through Southern or Eastern Europe. For this reason, the project partners have agreed on pooling their expertise to develop the four project results as mentioned above internationally. Different project teams (composed of minimum two partner countries) work on the cross-border design, development and on the set of the four ""RefuTools""; moreover, a project website, evaluation concept and newsletters are to be developed in common."

On the one hand EmBrand is located in the context of attracting youngsters for apprenticeship and training to build up a professional career. On the other hand it is located in the context of Small and Medium sized companies (SMEs) facing diverse obstacles to find, hire and retain apprentices and regular professional staff due to a structural disadvantage because of financial resources in comparison to big companies. Also the retain of qualified working staff within the branch is important, because statistics (SOKA-Bau: https://www.baulinks.de/webplugin/2018/1521.php4) show a big leave from construction to other branches based on several severe reasons. To balance this structural disadvantage by developing instruments is the core of EmBrand; a VET-offer for leading staff in SMEs, who deals with human resource development, should be exchange/development goal of EmBrand. EmBrand is about matching interests between the supply side and the demand side of the labour market by presenting career options in SMEs for youngsters and upskilling options for human resource staff in SMEs to improve the image at the labour market (unique sales position). The objective of EmBrand is a definition of ways for upskilling of human resource staff in SMEs when coping with innovative ways to attract school leavers for apprenticeship and/or to attract skilled workers for qualified work. The particular focus lies on considering in exchange conveying methods and instruments for SMEs how to better compete with large companies on the labour market and the like with competitors for staff from other branches. SME staff should be supported (higher VET) why and how to develop a USP-strategy (USP: unique sales position) for themselves for attracting people as working staff. There will also be an exchange about how the image of the (construction) sector could be improved or at least instrumentalized for SMEs purposes to attract workforce on the VET-level (contrary to academics). Furthermore there will be a project phase, how companies and apprentices/workers can better match; which is or could be a task for VET-centres, since SMEs are often clients of VET-centres. An additional phase in EmBrand will focus on retaining skilled workers in SMEs; this will imply the exchange about current and needed VET-skills for in-company trainers and middle management (foremen, site managers) how to keep qualified staff in the organiation. Not least an exchange should be realised how to attract new groups for construction like girls and women.EmBrand reflects the need to support SMEs in upskilling their human resource staff (VET) in order to be more successful on the labour market or in the phase of attracting (qualified) school leavers for work in their very company. The objective demographic decrease of the number of school leavers, the competition among branches (e.g. white collar and blue collar branches) and not least the competition among big and small companies within the (construction) branch puts a lot of pressure on (construction) SMEs to find appropriate staff for their daily operations.Hence the target groups of EmBrand are entrepreneurs, human resource staff in SMEs, managing/leading staff in companies (foremen, site managers) and in-company trainers and in VET-centres the like.A fraction of the current project consortium has previously taken part in the project Talents4Construction (ERASMUS+ Exchange of Experience 2018-20). There, it turned out that Employer Branding was detected as the most vibrant facette to attract or retain working staff for SMEs; what actually is less necessary for big players, as they are mostly well known from their name. EmBrand has a transnational dimension, because the basic input from several countries leaves the opportunity to address a multi-cultural workforce throughout Europe on the one hand and to make international partners benefit from experiences of other countries. The mobility of labour in construction is quite high compared to other branches.EmBrand is placed in ERASMUS+ (i.e. vocational education and training) because the essence of the project should eventually path the way to VET offers being defined in EmBrand and developed possibly in follow up initiatives. A practical training for company staff will be designed basically by the consortium to enable SMEs to attract youngsters and adult people for sustainable careers in non-academic jobs in companies and also set SMEs in motion to promote the various VET-opportunities in their company as well as in the sector.

The aim of Step into BIM (Si!BIM) project is demonstrable innovation and added value in vocational education training specifically focusing on improving digital skills and awareness with the focus on use and relevance of BIM within the construction sector. Good digital skills are paramount within a modern industry and an area which most workforces are critically lacking. The UK has already passed into the mandatory adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) for Government funding construction projects. Likewise Europe is progressing forward with BIM adoption continuing on from the European Union Public Procurement Directive (EUPPD) which outlined that all 28 European Member States should encourage, specify or mandate the use of BIM and other suitable digital tools for publicly funded construction and building projects in the European Union by 2016 (OJEU, 2014) however despite Government mandates the provisions on how to up-skill the industry has not yet been fully realised, hence why research such as this is critical. This project would help employers and employees tackle the challenges in BIM digital skills training by creating an accessible learning portal which enhances the knowledge and awareness of digital skills for existing and new entrants into the industry. Innovative and modern technologies will be utilised to support digital training providing participants with greater career opportunities and improved career mobility in VET areas within the construction industry. The project will explore and evaluate key areas of innovation and best practice in digital skills in Building Information Modelling (BIM), cloud based data handling, innovations in Virtual reality (VR) and Augmented reality (AR) technologies and its use within VET training and utilising the 3D model and 'virtual build' in construction. Additionally efficiency improving digital tools such as 4D (time) and 5D (cost) simulation tools will be integrated into the training materials. Digital skills are currently lacking within the construction sector and action is required in the short and long term to try and prepare the current and future workforce for the evaluations the industry is facing. By creating an easily accessible web platform to reach output training materials project not only aims to support potential and new entrants to the industry but also provide existing workforce with the opportunity to improve their lifelong learning potential enabling them greater work mobility and improving career progression.Learning objectives of the project will evaluate key areas of innovation and best practice in digital skills and in response create training materials to help build skills and awareness in BIM. The materials will be quality tested as part of the project and disseminated through the project website and partners organizations. The participants of the project is made up from a consortium of 6 partners from 6 differing European countries, UK (higher education institute) Germany(VET),Slovenia(Chamber of Commerce) , Belgium (VET), Spain (VET) and Lithuania(VET). The project methodology is structured within 24 months and has 6 IO .One of the IO is the pilot workshop held in Coventry with participation of all partners' key target groups representatives. Each IO is led by one of the partners.Each IO leader will be responsible for the implementation of the activities and the achievement of the planned outcomes, whilst adhering to deadlines and budget, providing information about the activities (structure, methods, time schedule, results to be reached) to all partners involved and assuring the quality of work and products.The results from the testing will evaluate the learning taking place through the training material and where it can be used by the apprentice in their current or future employment. The initial impact will concentrate on the apprentices who take part in the testing process to ensure that the final material are reiteratively improved. Post testing impact and sustainability will be achieved through the final straining material being made available through the project web-site for all construction apprentices in the partner countries to use.