<< Background >>This project arose from the need to adapt vocational training (VET) to the demands of Industry 4.0. We identified a critical digital skills gap, especially among unemployed people over the age of 45 in southern Europe, a vulnerable group with high unemployment rates and at risk of exclusion. The rapid digital transformation of the labour market requires an urgent update of their skills to improve their employability and facilitate their reintegration. Therefore, the project addressed two interconnected needs. First, that of unemployed adults, equipping them with the digital and virtualisation skills demanded by industry. Second, that of vocational training instructors and teachers, who need to improve their own digital skills and learn new, more experiential and immersive teaching methodologies in order to effectively train this group of adults. The aim was therefore to innovate the vocational training system with educational resources and tools that contribute to social and labour inclusion, responding to European priorities on digital transformation and skills development.<< Objectives >>The overall objective of the project is to improve vocational training (VET) to enable the reintegration into the labour market of unemployed people over the age of 45 who lack digital skills, facilitating their adaptation to Industry 4.0. To this end, we set ourselves specific interconnected objectives. First, to significantly improve the digital and virtualisation skills of VET trainers and teachers, enabling them to use teaching tools and methods in line with the digital transformation. Second, to develop and implement new immersive and experiential teaching methodologies, tailored to the learning needs of unemployed adults. Finally, as a direct objective for the target group, we set out to equip them with the up-to-date and relevant digital skills and competences demanded by the labour market. By achieving these objectives, we hope not only to increase the employability of a vulnerable group, but also to innovate and modernise the vocational training system itself, making it more inclusive and effective in meeting current challenges.<< Implementation >>The implementation has been divided into five work packages, with ongoing management (WP1) through meetings between partners and digital tools. We have completed the “Manual for vocational training teachers on digitalisation” (WP2), translated into all the languages of the consortium and validated in a course for 18 trainers in Porto and with meetings in Xirivella and Thessaloniki. We developed the contents of the “MOOC Training Course” (WP3). A “Virtual Tutor APP” aimed at unemployed people over 45 years of age (WP4) has been programmed. At the same time, dissemination (WP5) has been ongoing through the project website, social networks and newsletters, as well as organising dissemination events in each partner country to maximise the reach of the results. Collaborative work between the six partners has been key to the implementation of these activities.<< Results >>The results of the project are a set of tangible, freely accessible tools. The ‘Manual for vocational training teachers on digitisation and virtualisation’ is a practical and comprehensive guide, translated into five languages (Spanish, Greek, Italian, Portuguese and English) and publicly available on the project website. In addition, there is the ‘MOOC training course on digital and virtualisation skills for employability’, with 40 hours of training content based on the DigComp framework. In the field of technology, we have created the ‘Virtual Tutor APP’, an innovative mobile application designed to tutor and support students in their process of entering the labour market. As a direct result of the training activities, 18 VET trainers/teachers from the six partners have been trained in the new digital methodologies and tools during an intensive course in Porto. Finally, to ensure outreach, a multilingual web platform (digitalinclusionvet.eu) and active social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram and YouTube) have been created, and regular newsletters have been distributed. These products offer real and sustainable solutions to the target groups addressed by the project.
