PROJECT SUMMARY In contemporary engineering VET, there is a seemingly irreconcilable tension between two growing needs. On one hand, there is the ever increasing body of technical knowledge that students must command. On the other hand, there is a growing recognition that young engineers must possess a wider array of cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills that will allow them to function in real engineering teams and to produce real products and systems, meeting enterprise and societal needs. A knowledge of the tools, techniques and practices associated with the discipline of creativity and innovation is considered as a critical element for engineering education moving forward. To support continuous innovation, future engineers must master more than the mathematical and scientific knowledge associated with their discipline, but also the ability to understand the role of innovation and creativity in order to fully comprehend the new product development process from idea generation through to commercialisation stage. Therefore, educational initiatives that invest in curriculum modernisation and the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes for promoting creativity and innovation are urgently required, particularly for engineering students who will be required to solve complex open-ended problems in today’s rapidly changing environment. Given this context, there is a need to develop new pedagogical and teacher training material focused on the integration of creativity and innovation curriculum into engineering VET. The Creative Engine project forms a strategic partnership between 5 EU partners with expertise in Engineering, Innovation and Creativity practices and Teacher Training. Collectively the partners aim to develop an openly accessible modular training course focused on the subject of creativity and innovation that will encourage future engineers to understand the value and relevance of these skills and competencies within their studies and careers. Creative Engine will also develop a teacher training programme to ensure VET trainers have the disciplinary knowledge, technical expertise and pedagogical techniques to effectively deliver engineering VET using “learning-by-doing” and “flipped classroom” approaches. To enhance both student and trainer’s creativity & innovation knowledge and practical skills, Creative Engine will utilise a blended leaning approach combining both formal and non-formal learning techniques. Project-based learning activities and game-based learning exercises will form an integral part of the modular training course (IO2) and the teacher training programme (IO3). These informal-learning techniques will be designed on modern engineering technologies such as Rapid Prototyping, 3D laser scanning and Automation, in order to provide dual-impact learning experiences which will simultaneously develop necessary technical skills in conjunction with creativity and innovation. This will ensure learners are equipped with the necessary knowledge required to boost their employability opportunities, entrepreneurial capability and ability to become leading engineers.

Digital transformation could be defined as “anything from IT modernization (for example, cloud computing), to digital optimization and the invention of new digital business models. The Global Edtech Landscape 3.0 report states that “schools, colleges, universities and institutions are now enterprises with increasingly complex and sophisticated needs”.Furthermore, “this area of transformation supports the management of the three dimensions of education as an operational business: the institution itself, students and staff”.EU VET institutions face challenges in developing approaches to deliver quality and inclusive education through virtual means, whilst ensuring support for learners, teachers and trainers is in place to help them adapt to online/distance learning.The ADMiC project aims to support colleges, across the EU, adapt to new ways of digital working. This may require adaptations and/or enhancements to; digital strategy, digital culture and the digital resources and infrastructure required to enhance their digital maturity, accelerate digital transformation and increase the quality of online/distance learning.The objectives of the project are to:1.Enhance the digitally maturity of 50 VET institutes within partner countries by March 2023; 2.Increase the knowledge & skills of 300 VET staff on how digital transformation can improve education delivery and support for learners, teachers and trainers by March 2023; 3.Develop and disseminate a suite of open online educational resources that support VET institutes in adopting systematic and robust actions that enable and accelerate digital transformation and enhance their digital maturity by March 2023.6 partners from 4 EU states will work together to produce a self-assessment tool for assessing approaches to creating or optimising digital strategy, digital culture and the resources and infrastructure required to accelerate the pace of digital transformation. The project team will develop joint curricula to upskill VET staff in the skills and competences required to accelerate digital transformation and also develop admic.eu, an open educational resource (OER) that will increase the accessibility to digital resources in the key areas of development required for this transformation. These include; Digital Strategy & Leadership, Developing a Digital First Culture, Optimising Digital Skills and Capabilities, Data and Decision Making and Developing Collaborative Ecosystems. These resources will include a Best Practice Guide and case studies.Participants in the project will mainly be VET staff across the EU. These will include VET Practitioners, VET Managers, VET Senior Managers/Executives and VET Support Staff. The project team will also engage with VET policy makers, digital professionals working in the fields of the technologies applied in the project, Government agencies (with a focus on Digital Transformation, VET and/or skills), Skills Agencies and Industry to realise our project objectives.The project will have a range of quantitative and qualitative measures to assess impact. We hope that these impacts will be felt at local, regional, national and EU/international levels. These include; an upskilled, more knowledgeable and competent workforce, an enhanced capacity to accelerate digital transformation to improve education delivery and a more inclusive culture in embracing digital technologies as part of learning.The project will have a strong project management governance structure to implement the project activities using a proper budget control and time management process.The outcomes/outputs of this project will support the creation of an environment encouraging digital transformation in VET institutes across the EU and bring digital transformation to all levels of VET education and training. The project will enhance the learning experience of students by “fostering the development of a high-performing digital education ecosystem” and will have a positive impact on Europe’s digital ambitions, as well as its productivity, competitiveness and position in global education.