Promoting VET in computer, electrical/electronic and mechanical engineering to reduce skills mismatch

<< Background >>Based on European skills and job surveys, skills shortage and skills mismatch were identified as significant areas of concern. Analyses on a European level show a skills shortage in computer, electrical/ electronic and mechanical engineering (CEME) as top occupational areas. Additionally, even though student and NEET career counselling is an integral element in the Austrian, and significantly less in Croatian (education) system, initiatives for student counselling and individual orientation tools addressing the promotion of VET and jobs in CEME are lacking. As majority of senior students of primary education and the secondary level and especially NEETs do not have the necessary experience and knowledge to gain more direct insight into VET and job options related to CEME, counselling and orientation support is required. As a consequence of inadequate career counselling an alarming number of young people are registered as NEETs. Along with that, many career counsellors lack in appropriate tools and skills to provide information and motivation for a career path in CEME. This project has directly addressed those needs, providing new digital solutions and tools to foster student and NEET career orientation.<< Objectives >>With the aim of improving the promotion of VET occupations and the introduction of career counselling in technical occupations as a very important component of the education system, project has focused on the exchange and application of good practices in three main areas: promotion of VET in electrical engineering, computer science and mechanical engineering; estimation of primary school pupils' capacities and abilities and orientation through individualized digital tools; and assistance in introducing the individualized career counselling concept for VET students and NEETs. The project has introduced a modernized approach to student career couselling taking into account the interests and the way young people communicate in present days - through digital channels and using multimedia platforms for gathering information and receiving feedback on their prospective career paths. << Implementation >>The main activities that this Project has implemented are as follows: 1. Analysis of good practice examples: field visits to ÖSB Consulting in Vienna and to Technical School and Croatian Employment Bureau in Karlovac: job shadowing activities;2. Design, development and maintenance of a multimedia platform for the promotion of technical VET including short video films introducing and promoting CEME occupations;3. Creation of competence check tool and digital self-assessment tool for senior primary school students;4. Development of the concept of the individualized career counselling for VET students and NEETs.<< Results >>1.Analysis of good practice examples of ÖSB Consulting and of Technical School Karlovac and its partners in CEME which resulted in understanding similarities and adapting and adopting good Austrian practices in Croatian education system in the field of career counselling; 2.Design, development and maintenance of an online multimedia tool for promotion of technical VET which resulted in creation of a three-lingual mulitimedia platform that serves as basis for all information sharing and free usage of project tools including 6 videos thet represent different occupations; 3.Created concepts and free online tools of digital competence check and self-assessment tools that help students to explore their level of preferences and interest in CEME; 4.Created concept of the individualized career counselling tool for teachers and counsellors of VET students and NEETs which introduces a new concept and document that will serve as basis for development of further individual student counselling - documents describing the process and requirements for student counselling; 5.Dissemination of project results - results were presented online, in person, through media, round table.