Shoes (Choose) Your Life - A New Educational Approach to STEAM Jobs

"<< Background >>The European footwear industry is eager to attract young people to rejuvenate and to be the talented recipients of the transference of skills from the actual generation almost over 50+ in average, that will be soon retired. Along with this need, Footwear industry, together with many other industrial sectors in Europe is totally engaged with the challenges of i4.0 and can offer a wide range of STEAM based (Scientific Technology Engineering Arts & Maths) occupations and opportunities to youngsters, allying talent, creativity and positive and critical attitude and open all condition toward a new generation of high-end manufacturing industry with high standards of employability and opportunities for the most ambitious and entrepreneur youngsters.Generation Z grew up with technology, it’s a higher entrepreneurial generation, therefore the perfect target-group for this project.SHOES (CHOOSE) YOUR LIFE - SYL - is a project focused on young people belonging to Generation Z, aiming at raising awareness for choosing an industry-based occupation, highlighting the nowadays modern, digital and “intelligent” industry. The project then combine needs and opportunities toward innovation and future quality employability.<< Objectives >>- To reduce the school dropout by orienting the generation Z students to potential opportunities in STEAM-based jobs in industry embracing i4.0 - To develop innovative skills for employability and entrepreneurship in this generation Z according to their potential and ambitions - To develop the motivation for the embracing of STEAM-based jobs in parallel with the rejuvenation of the traditional industries, stimulating the youngsters through immersive experiences in the i4.0, and activate the attraction for the industry in Europe - To provide international interchange between teachers and students, acceleration a joint growth with Europe in backstage. - To update teachers in the new digital education methodologies that can attract even more students to STEAM based qualifications, and afterwards to jobs in i4.0 industry. - To disseminate different ways of teaching, based on hands-on activities combined with digital tool/practices such as virtual reality, promoting unforgettable immersive learning experiences for life. - To accelerate the transference of tacit knowledge and skills in European industries from older workers to talented youngsters, perpetuating their heritage now supported by disruptive innovation.<< Implementation >>The 28 months of the project implementation work plan involved a wide range of activities to know:-Development of the 3 results, interconnected, as well as the inherent activities: R1- SYL “STEAM-based” Educational Package which involved the development of common approach to the STEAM-based education, 8 STEAM-based contents and the Virtual Reality APP in all languages of the consortium; R2- SYL Teacher’s Package – which involved the development of methodologies and guide to support teacher usaging the educational package developed in R1, and an international exchange activity with teachers (LTTA for teachers); R3- SYL Piloting and transference of ""STEAM-based"" package – which involved the implementation of 3 exchange activities for students (3 LTTA for students), the creation of a networking space group for promoting the exchange of good practices during piloting and afterwards, posted in the project website, a Road Map (piloting Plan), a set of piloting activities, a piloting report which include also a living document to support the transference of the project results to other contexts and industries. -2 kind of Learning Training Teaching Activities were hold - 1 for the teachers and other partners organization staff in Portugal of 3 days - 3 for the students from the 3 schools involved, in Portugal, Italy and Romania of 5 days each. -Transversal activities included in the Project Management, Dissemination and Exploitation (Valorisation) and Quality Assurance (QA), composed by plans and reports;- 4 transnational project meetings: Portugak, ITaly, Romania, Belgium.-Dissemination and Exploitation activities toward the communication of the project objectives, project results and work toward the exploitation and transferability of the project results for other organizations, contexts industries in Europe. -A project website and promotional material including the due use of the social media as well as the specialised press and channels. -6 multiplier events one per country (2 more than the expected), envisage to achieve all kind of target groups and work on the project sustainability.<< Results >>The main project results involves 3 packages of resources to know, in 4 languages - English, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian: - SYL “STEAM-based” Educational Package - toward generation Z students – constituted by i) educational kits and an immersive app that will offer virtual reality experience into an i4.0 shopfloor and create industrial environments for the students. - SYL Teacher’s Package - Methodology and guidance for teachers to apply the “STEAM-based” educational package – constituted by i) a methodology and correspondent guide to support teachers to use and adapt themselves to the new digital educational methods, namely virtual reality; ii) an international interchange activity (LTTA for teachers) between the teachers to fine tune the results. - SYL Piloting and transference of ""STEAM-based"" package – constituted by i) a set of activities to be place in each country / school and interchange mobilities for students (3 LTTA’s for students); ii) a virtual space for interchange and accompany the piloting; iii) a piloting report and a living document to facilitate the transference of the results to other sectors of industry.In addition, other results were reached such as:- Multiplier events in each country – in fact 5 Jump Out events (2 more than the predicted) and a final seminar in Brussels to disseminate and exploit the practices vis-à-vis EU institutions and to influence policies. - Quality Assurance startegy and reports envisaging monitoring quality and prove opportunities for continuous improvement. - A project website and promotional and advertising material provided along the project, including an active presence in social media - A permanent stakeholders’ consultation.- Newsletters and press releases, articles on the subject and good practices narratives - Agreement for the sustainability of the project and results."