Fostering Financial Literacy and Career Readiness through Gamification in Vocational Education

The GAMI.FI.RE. project was initiated to address the urgent need for improved financial literacy and career readiness among vocational education and training (VET) students, particularly those from vulnerable and marginalized backgrounds. Studies across Europe have shown that young people often lack basic financial knowledge, which negatively impacts their ability to manage personal finances, make informed decisions, and succeed in the labor market. Additionally, VET systems in many countries are not sufficiently aligned with current labor market demands or digital transformation trends. Our partnership identified a gap in engaging, inclusive, and innovative educational tools that could empower both students and educators. By applying gamification and digital learning methods, we aimed to create a motivating and accessible learning environment. To meet these needs, we developed the GAMI.FI.RE. e-learning platform with elements of gamification, including an interactive serious game, teacher toolkits with lesson plans and real-life examples, and training programs for VET educators to enhance financial literacy and employability skills.

By implementing the project we wanted to empower VET students with key financial competences that strengthen their employability, personal wellbeing, and digital skills. Our main goal was to make financial education more engaging and accessible through innovative, gamified learning tools, in particular the GAMI.FI.RE e-learning platform and serious game, which enable students to explore the consequences of everyday financial decisions in a safe environment. To achieve this, we designed learning scenarios around four real-life roles – student, entrepreneur, employee, and agriculturalist – so that learners could practice financial decision-making in contexts relevant to their present and future lives. We also aimed to equip teachers with practical resources – including a toolkit, lesson plans, real-life examples, and training programs – to help them integrate gamification into their teaching and career guidance. Thus the project contributes to the modernization of VET systems, promotes digital transformation, and ensures that financial education is embedded in both formal and non-formal learning. We wanted also to raise awareness among stakeholders and the wider community about the importance of financial literacy for everyday life.

The project was implemented through structured and collaborative activities across five work packages. We conducted in-depth needs analysis and developed a framework for financial competences tailored to VET students. We organized a hackathon and an EU workshop involving VET students and VET professional to co-design the GAMI.FI.RE. gamified learning platform. We developed a toolkit for VET providers and conducted transnational training sessions for educators from partner countries to introduce the toolkit and support its use. Trained »GAMI.FI.RE. ambassadors« implemented pilot testing with VET students and other VET professionals to gather feedback for improvements for the serious game and the toolkit. Based on their proposals, and proposals of external experts (Advisory board members) we improved project results. We organized awareness-raising activities, including national and EU-level multiplier events, stakeholder workshops, and the publication of a white paper, video and proccedings of the final EU event. All activities were well coordinated and supported by quality assurance processes. At the end of the project, we also focused on a follow-up plan to ensure its sustainability, part of which has already been implemented.

Project GAMI.FI.RE. delivered several impactful and sustainable results. Results are published at project web page gamifire.eu and include an EU research report and framework of financial competences for VET, a gamified learning platform (serious game - https//gamifire.eu/), and a comprehensive TOOLKIT for educators with pedagogical guidelines, explanation of validation system (open badges), specific examples of action plans for integrating project result into schools, lessons plans and videos (https://gamifire.eu/pr2-developing-toolkit-for-vet-providers). As an additional result, we created a digital printable board game with instructions and supporting pedagogical material (https://gamifire.eu/project-library/). The project also trained educators to become GAMI.FI.RE. ambassadors, ensuring long-term knowledge transfer. A strategic action plan, white paper and follow-up activities were developed to support the integration of financial literacy into VET. The project raised awareness among stakeholders and the general public through targeted campaigns and multiplier events. The project’s open-access resources will continue to benefit learners and institutions across EU beyond its formal duration.