DRONES@STEAM: Fostering Digital Transformation in VET Schools and Creating New Job Prospects in the Labour Market

Programme:Erasmus+

Action: Cooperation Partnerships

Field: Vocational Education (VET)

Submission No: 2021-1-EL01-KA220-VET-000034686

Acronym:DRONES@STEAM

Start Date:28/02/2022

End Date:27/06/2024

Duration:28 Months

Role:Partner

Drone technology stands out as fun and practical equipment for contemporary classrooms, experiments, and exploration. Drone technology is a fascinating way to introduce students to STEM-related professions, equip them with relevant skills and thus cover the gaps reported in the labour market to meet the new job creation arising. At the same time, it blends together all STEM fields such as maths and physics, electrical and mechanical engineering and computer science. It promotes other employability skills needed in the 21st century such as problem-solving, group work, leadership, creativity and initiative.

The DRONES@STEAM project proposal addresses three main priorities of the Erasmus+ Programme as shown below:

Addressing digital transformation through the development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity.
Inclusion and diversity in all fields of education, training, youth and sport.
Contributing to innovation in vocational education and training.

Based on the above, the DRONES@STEAM project will support VET trainers and educators in an attempt to strengthen their profiles with the acquisition of new skills, the development of targeted material, and the collection of tools and resources, while at the same time it will create opportunities for linking VET schools with the labour market building on synergies and partnerships with established organizations.

The key competencies to be promoted as part of the project are:

High digital skills which appear to be missing from VET curricula and are currently needed to enter the labour market and be included in VET job profiles.
Targeted ‘wide and deep’ digital competencies and the use of technologies leading to the 4.0 industry.
Job-specific VET-related skills for various fields and sectors, which are not offered as work-based learning opportunities or include danger or hazards for the workers.

The DRONES@STEAM project promotes the capacity and readiness of VET schools to modernise their teaching, use digital technologies in training, create innovative digital content and equip trainers with digital competencies. This will be achieved through the development of:

A complete READY-TO-IMPLEMENT DIGITAL PACK for the introduction of drones’ technology and STEAM skills in VET schools, including a targeted competence framework based on which students’ skills acquisition will be monitored, assessed and validated through the eco-system of the Open Badges.

A set of DIGITAL CONTENT in the form of CROSS-CURRICULAR BASED SCENARIOs with real-life examples moving away from subject boundaries promoting STEAM skills and guidelines for exploiting drones’ technology.

A professional development course to be designed for VET trainers for digital up-skilling or re-skilling in order to become digitally competent and confident to introduce such skills and technologies in schooling. In that way, the readiness and capacity of trainers will be increased and will be able to shift efficiently to online and flexible blended learning.

Guidelines and procedures to prepare VET trainers and teachers to familiarise themselves with the 2020 EU Drone Regulation as per the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) which has foreseen the need for regulating the fast-growing drone usage across sectors in order for EU citizens to be informed about the proper use of drones and their capabilities and restrictions, and the E.U. legislation encompassing it.

Coordinator:

P1: University of Crete (Greece)

Partners:

P2: ECAM-EPMI (France)

P3: Cyprus Computer Society (Cyprus)

P4: Politeknika Ikastegia Txorierri S.COOP (Spain)

P5: N.C.S.R. “Demokritos” (Greece)

P6: Emphasys Centre (Cyprus)

P7: Regional Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education of Attica (Greece)

Website: https://dronesteam.eu/

E-Learning Platform: https://academy.dronesteam.eu/

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