<< Background >>While the latest technologies, methods, and techniques that are brought to surface by the 4th industrial revolution are streamlining the daily workflows, the major drawback that needs to be tackled in order to exploit those advantages to their maximum potential, is the lack of knowledge and practical skills to operate, maintain, and produce value out of the use of Advanced Manufacturing Techniques (AMTs). The European plastics sector provides a nourishing ground for AMTs to develop and be put to extensive use. However, despite its essential role for human life and well-being plastics sector presents many environmental issues, that also could be addressed with the use of AMTs. Thus, the rapid take over of the digital era must be supported by a constant supply of human resources and personnel that have a basic understanding of these technologies and the technical skills to promote the use of AMTs to the production needs. Having identified an existing gap between the skills required to successfully manage these technologies, and the current level of expertise on AMTs on the plastics sector, AMT2P aims to bridge this gap by providing a common framework under which the sector can train the employees on the use of AMTs. A common, well defined, and needs-oriented training methodology is currently what is missing from the sector and this is what AMT2P aims to develop. AMT2P will develop a training course and supporting digital tools that will increase the flexibility of opportunities in VET in advanced manufacturing and provide workers with access to customised skill training with adaptive learning path for the plastics sector. Integrating IT-related topics and required digital skills into the training program, the project aims to strengthen active workforce, to upskill their employability potential and to improve the ability to adapt to the post COVID changing labor market. Incorporating the environmental issues in the curricular and developing relevant green sectorial skills the project will drive the adoption of eco-friendly technologies and promote environmental topics across the manufacturing sector.The consortium comprises of six (6) partners from five (5) European countries. Their fields of expertise included in the partnership are VET education, Consultancy, ICT, Young Adult Education, Digital Learning Experts, etc. The target group of the project are VET trainers and VET students active in the area of AMTs applied on the plastics sector. Apart from the main target groups, the project will also focus on the low-skilled professionals that are already employed in the plastics sector and seek to upgrade their soft and practical skills on the use of AMTs. The AMT2P aims to address the following needs:VET trainers need:•a training methodology that is designed according to the industry needs and includes practice and understanding of future workplace tasks;•to learn how to use new technologies and motivational mechanics and workflows in their trainings;•upskilling on new competences required from the industry and apply a work-based learning approach.VET students need to: •be better prepared for their challenging future careers;•be able to adopt and apply new techniques and technologies in their workplace;•be able to manage and respond to changes in the workplace; •acquire high-quality and recognised skills and competences.The following stakeholders have needs/issues to address:•VET providers need to have updated and agile curricula that are attractive, engaging and interactive and also relevant to the evolutions of the workplace•Industries need personnel that has recognised and validated skills based also on work related paradigms (work-based training). •SMEs need personnel that can facilitate the adoption of AMTs and empower the “globally designed, locally made” attitude. •Solution providers need personnel keen on adaptive and smart systems, on new techniques and technologies.<< Objectives >>This partnership is established for a sustainable workforce development to improve its employability with advanced technologies, green and digital skills. To this end, the partnership needs to improve vocational education and raise its attractiveness in order to meet the needs of the manufacturing industry providing VET students with access for tailoring AMTs skill training and VET trainers with training methodology and tools. These will be achieved through the cross-border collaboration on matching and anticipating skills and jobs to ensure the skilling and training needs of niche sectors (e.g. plastics), the exchange of information and best practices on the modernization of STEM curricula, better engagement and link between universities, VET providers, technology providers and employers in skills development educational programs. To this end, AMT2P aims to offer a training methodology for workers in companies in the plastics sector based on the identified needs in order to adopt AMTs in the manufacturing process and to be used in a cost- and environment-effective way. The training methodology will act as a base for developing the AMT2P training program, consisting of several training modules, on the proper operation and efficient exploitation of different types of AMTs. The AMT2P training program will be supported by the development of a course specific digital Training Assistant Tool. Finally, in order to ensure that knowledge is retained after the project’s end date, partners will develop a Knowledge Retention Service, hosted in a Learning Motivational Environment as a cloud-based platform. Main project objectives are:a)Develop a training methodology and supporting tools for addressing the skill gaps (especially focused on the personnel expertise, the access to AMTs and “green” skills gaps);b)Develop the training material content, supported by the use of IT tools provided by project partners with high expertise on the field;c)Perform pilot trial workshops to validate the training methodology and get feedback from trainers and trainees;d)Assess the results of the pilot workshop and re-adjust the training methodology and content according to the current needs of the sector.Bridging sector-specific gaps and focusing on the needs of the target groups, the AMT2P project aims to provide a comprehensive training course for plastics sector, doing that in a concrete novel way, namely tailored to a specific audience. Implementing best outcomes from other projects and addressing this unique manufacturing sector in light of advanced manufacturing technologies the proposed project will contribute to development of knowledge-intensive and high-value-added manufacturing industry and support a European scale-up of innovative and environmental sustainable solutions.Taking into account size and importance of the plastics sector, this project will be performed and the main results will be validated based on the case of this sector. While the project is envisioned in a way that allows its results to be expandable and transferable also to industrial sectors other than plastics (e.g. metals, glass).<< Implementation >>The AMT2P project will develop, evaluate, validate, improve, and disseminate a training framework, that includes an innovative methodology, training content, and digital tools to support the training. Besides of the training program and tools, the AMT2P project will deliver a Knowledge Retention Service to provide continuous motivation for developing skills, new trainer guidelines, and a recognition plan that will allow for a persistent knowledge acquisition.The project proposes a novel AMT training methodology that is currently missing from the plastics sector. The methodology allows VET provides and industries to organize training courses and acquire knowledge shared among all target groups, from a common repository and use it to educate and upskill VET student and employees in a structured and needs-specific manner. The methodology will be developed according to the ECVET system, allowing trainees and professionals to claim ownership of the knowledge gained through the program. All knowledge gained will be accessible through the Learning Motivation Environment, a platform that will be accessible from different mobile devices and will always monitor the trainee’s progress, even after the completion of a training course.The main project activities that will ensure the successful and timely goals achievement are:TRAINING METHODOLOGY DEVELOPMENT:The training methodology for the AMT2P training course will be developed using the expertise of all AMT2P partners. The described methodology will clearly define a) the main characteristics and purpose of the training course, b) the educational model followed, c) the taxonomy and organisation of the training modules, d) the expected outcome of the training course, e) the evaluation process of the training progress.ECVET Profile: Taking advantage of the methodology developed, an ECVET Profile will be composed to describe the expected skills and learning outcomes. This will be put in use and translated into tangible results in terms of course preparation and content development. CONTENT DEVELPOMENT AND COURSE PREPARATION:Based on the analysis of the skills needs of the plastics sector concerning the use of industrial AMTs and best practices used in the plastics domain in other EU countries a draft of the training content and the different modules that will form the AMT2P training course will be created. Together with the early conceptualization of the ECVET profile, this will allow for an early demonstration of a complete training course with clear roles and expected outcomes, maximizing the dissemination capabilities of the project.TRAINING ASSISTANT TOOL AND DIGITAL LEARNING MOTIVATION ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT:The ICT expert partners of the consortium will lead the development of the Digital Assistant Tool and the Learning Motivation Environment (LME). The first one will be developed as a supportive tool that identifies the needs of each VET student and creates and individual learning path. The later will be developed as an online cloud-based platform that allows for a continuous support of, both VET teachers, and VET students. The LME’s main objective will be to ensure knowledge retainment after the project’s expected end date. The tools as well as the training content will be demonstrated, tested and adapted based on feedback received through the project’s multiplier and dissemination events.<< Results >>The project will develop a new methodology, training content, and supportive digital tools that will be used to educate and upskill VET students on the use of AMTs on the plastics manufacturing sector. The AMT2P will create the ECVET profile of the AMT expert that will act as the required level of knowledge trainees should gain by the end of the training course. VET students that choose to complete the AMT2P training course will have the opportunity to increase their employability potential in the sector and also increase their mobility, given the fact that the methodology and the ECVET profile is envisaged as one common strategy for the plastics sector across the EU. As a result, the project will provide:•practice oriented/case study oriented approach for training/knowledge transfer;•active participation of the VET students and trainers/stakeholders to the learning process;•creation of an inventory of the skills and competencies.Project tangible results foreseen during the project implementation comprise:- Elaboration of a training approach for the field of initial and early VET suitable for the target groups;- Design of an ECVET profile of the VET trainers;- Development of a skills and achievements framework;- Preparation of VET trainer guidelines;- Creation of a training course for students and young adults;- Development of a Learning Motivation Tool (virtual learning environment);- Preparation of one pilot workshop to validate the training methodology;- Preparation of a feedback and recognition plan.The project’s impact goes beyond a simple training course on AMTs use, as the project aims also to create a reference point at which the plastics industry will refer to when a new training concept will be encountered. The AMT2P will have a significant impact on different target groups as well as the project partners who will gain experience and expertise relevant to the plastics sector and AMTs, improve their skills and partnerships through project collaboration. Results at the end of the project:1.VET trainers and VET schools will have a new training methodology and the opportunity to use ICT tools designed based on the specific needs of the plastics sector, validated against the skills gap the sector is facing.2.VET students will be given the opportunity to meet new tools that help them gain both theoretical and practical knowledge on the use of Advanced Manufacturing Techniques in the PS. They can up-scale their and/or gain new, including digital and “green”, skills, thus increasing their employability potential.3.Other stakeholders like on-the-job trainers or staff responsible for training new employees directly on the field will obtain the AMT2P training methodology and tools which can potentially help them to decrease training time, raise quality and improve training impact.4.Stakeholders, and VET schools in extension will have access to a training material that is easily adaptable to the needs of any other industrial sector, designed with the same base methodology but tailored to the individual aspect of each cluster.Industry (plastics sector) will gain an updated curriculum, with needs-specific knowledge and supportive tools that will allow for an in-house training of personnel.National and European communities will benefit from access to an open educational framework that can be adapted to the needs of any other sector other than the plastics sector.Policy and decision makers, EU officials will benefit from the availability of methodologies and practices that makes it easier for companies to recruit highly skilled and well-trained personnel for the use of AMTs and secure their competitive advantages.AMT2P will promote the organization and retention of knowledge, in a sustainable way that can be easily altered to match the needs of the training demands of any industrial or other sector, thus supporting the lifelong learning in a competitive and drastically changing time.