Digital VET for all - co-existing in the digital era

<< Background >>The ongoing changes in VET demand different kinds of support mechanisms for teaching staff globally. This primarily concerns the implementation of new pedagogies, curricula, and the use of new technologies. Unfortunately, not all institutions are able to adapt swiftly due to the scale and speed of labour market changes, leaving VET providers struggling with future-oriented transformations. Teachers also require digital competences to integrate digital technologies into education and support the acquisition of students’ digital competence.The impact of COVID-19 some years ago affected all levels of the education system, including VET, prompting VET colleges to expedite their digitalization efforts. This extreme acceleration posed new challenges for digital resilience and capacity, catching some teachers, study fields, and teams unprepared for these changes. Our project aimed to enhance resilience and capacity through the digital readiness of teachers, recognizing the significant challenges technology posed to VET systems. We emphasized the comparison of measures taken in digital learning innovations among partners to learn from each other's experiences.We aimed to develop online tools to complement physical mobilities.<< Objectives >>The project provides teachers with a virtual space for sharing information on inclusive teaching methods. The overall objective of the project was to bring European VET teachers together online to experiment, create, and share virtual and digital experiences and practices. The primary aim of the project was to offer VET teachers from across Europe a chance to co-create and co-experiment innovative practices when developing digital learning and teaching material that developed the students’ vocational skills and key competences for lifelong learning and to foster and increase their confidence and wellbeing of VET teachers and to help them share their doubts and concerns. The project also aimed at helping teachers to use technology in new and innovative ways to support all students’ learning.We wanted to explore possibilities to find new pedagogical ways to tackle 21st-century challenges, promote peer learning across education systems transnationally, and catalyse the development of indispensable transversal competencies (i.e. problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity).Together with the development of VET teachers’ digital competences, the aim was to develop and pilot a new approach to blended mobilities in VET.<< Implementation >>We implemented several activities during the project period. We had two face-to-face transnational partner meetings: the kick-off meeting in Espoo, Finland at the beginning of the project and at the very end , the final meeting in Celje, Slovenia. To maintain the collective teamspirit we had online partner meetings and workshops regularly once a month excluding the summer holiday months.To support the project work, we organised three teacher training sessions (Learning, Teaching, Training activities): near Lisbon in Portugal, in Kiel, Germany and in Kuressaare, Estonia. During the LTT in Estonia, we also organised an online piloting event for the teachers and students of partner schools.At the end of the project period, we organised several Multiplier Events: physical events in Portugal, Slovenia and Poland and one online event in Finland.<< Results >>Project results, the Model for innovative blended mobilities and Virtual teachers' lounge, are available at the output called the DigitalVET4All Platform: https://digitalvetforall.net/project-results/.