Blue economy digitalization skills for VET students
▶Summary
The European Community is committed to promoting 'Sustainable Blue Growth' as a key driver of human and economic development, highlighted by the UN's designation of 2021-2030 as 'The Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.' The European Commission recognizes the potential of European coasts and seas to generate sustainable growth and jobs, aligning with the European Green Deal. A critical aspect of this growth is digitalization, which involves intelligent sensor technology, artificial intelligence, and big data analysis, requiring skills in electronics, communication, and programming. The MATES Erasmus+ project emphasizes the need for training and reskilling in digitalization, as current vocational training does not adequately address the marine environment's unique demands. To bridge this gap, came the idea of develoing an online specialization course for vocational training students, focusing on adapting their skills for the blue economy. Key project objectives include conducting labor market research, designing an online curriculum, launching a mentoring program, and creating a collaborative platform to connect students and industry stakeholders.
▶Objectives
In order to accomplish the project goals several actions we have implemented : -Follow an in-depth research and analysis at a European level of the demands and needs of the labor market to detect what the requirements of these companies related with the digitalization of their companies are. - Design and develop the complete online curriculum for VET, developing a pilot training for the students as well as a training for the trainers. – Launch a professional mentoring program for those students who are interested in entrepreneurship initiatives, as well as providing guidance in order to select mentors. - Design and launch of an online collaborative platform in order to foster the networking among students following the course and the companies where these skills are required and other potential stakeholders.