Boosting Knowledge of Adhesive Bonding Personnel

Vocational Education and Training (VET) is crucial for personnel qualification, providing continuous development opportunities for company employees. An internationally recognized qualification sy...

KNOWBOND aimed to bridge the existing gap between the educational offer and industrial demand concerning specific Adhesive Bonding activities at the EAB level, thus covering the need to qualify personnel working in this technological field. At the same time, it addressed the specific VET priorities of fostering the innovation of training programs in alignment with the market specific needs, thus fostering its implementation in other VET systems across Europe. During KNOWBOND a new training course (Specific European Adhesive Bonding Training – SEABT) was designed based on a modular approach (PR1), and in accordance with the current comprehensive EAB qualification, to ensure that new skills are more easily available to those who have acquired them as and when required, thus introducing a cumulative system for EAB curricula. By reviewing a European industry-lead profile and testing specific digital-based tools for learning widely recognized as International Qualifications in alignment with the industry requirements, the project will directly contribute for the promotion of new upskilling pathways and simultaneously the creation and development of flexible learning offers adapted to the learning needs of individuals and companies.

To address the industry's need for qualified operational staff in adhesive bonding applications, the EAB curricula was thoroughly update and implemented. This initiative enabled empower executive-level target groups to acquire tailored knowledge and skills relevant to their specific adhesive bonding activities. Within the KNOWBOND project, four Project Results (PRs) were developed: PR1: The updated EAB qualification. PR2: Digital learning and assessment tools. PR3: Operational steps for integrating PR1 and PRs onto online platforms. PR4: Policy recommendations for implementing the updated EAB curricula globally. These outcomes enable adhesive bonding operational staff to objectively certify their acquired technological skills. Simultaneously, the qualifications were integrate into the EWF system, providing participants with access to a more flexible and cumulative qualification framework for the European Adhesive Bonder Profile. Throughout the project, various education and dissemination activities were conducted, including: • Learning activities for trainers and teacher staff within the KNOWBOND partnership to impart knowledge on implementing the updated EAB curricula and flexible tools. • Rolling out of Specific Adhesive Bonding Training in each country to assess the usability and adequacy of the updated EAB curricula and tools- This sessions occurred from July to October 2023, engaging a total of 107 participants across Europe (Germany, Slovenia Austria, Spain and Portugal) and earning high praise for their innovative approach. Dissemination and engagement among stakeholders - through a series of initiatives, KNOWBOND project undertook 118 dissemination actions, reaching an extensive audience of over 20,700 stakeholders. The project's strategic outreach encompassed various events, showcasing its achievements. To be highlighted the implementation of fourNational Conferences to promote KNOWBOND results and engage with key stakeholders at the national level; as well as One European Conference to promote project results and foster engagement with key stakeholders at the European level.

The KNOWBOND project's anticipated outcomes align seamlessly with the New Skills Agenda, focusing on sustainability, competitiveness, social fairness, and resilience actions. Key aspects include: • Restructure the EAB training guidelines into a modular and learning outcomes approach, facilitating the certification of individual skills for specific professional activities within the qualification. • Develop a toolkit for flexible learning and assessment, comprising blended learning exercises, case studies, videos, and other tools. • Create a user guide to aid trainers and teachers in integrating updated European Adhesive Bonder competence units and flexible learning tools into online platforms. • Issue recommendations to promote the recognition and benchmarking of the SEABT profile in other countries and qualification systems, grounded in EQAVET and quality assurance principles.