Collaboratorium: how to create effective spaces for learners in the Joint European Master.
Best practices Collaboratorium: how to create effective spaces for learners in the Joint European Master Users: Training providers (public), Training providers (private)| Theme: Cross-border initiatives | Action: Education programmes/courses | Beneficiaries: Learners (STEM background), Learners (non-STEM background) Euridice Euridice Emiliano Grimaldi Pietro Nunziante Et al. In this Collaboratorium approach students tackle real-world “wicked” problems and work in small interdisciplinary, and often transdisciplinary teams, in the design of socio-technical solutions, through user-centered and community-centered approaches.Students with different educational backgrounds, from different institutions, countries and cultures, collaborate in challenge-based master-level research and educational projects for societal impact. Building a community of learners is key to successful learning.The students acquire core technical and engineering knowledge and hands-on experience regarding advanced digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, conceptual modeling, digital law, ethnography, sociology, philosophy, international development, and various other subjects. These skills are trained through co-creative projects.Mobility is naturally blended into our education design via Summer Schools where all students meet in person. Read more about EURIDICE’s Collaboratorium interdisciplinary master pilot projects. The challenge? How can we build and educate young professionals to be both skilled and reflective for the Digital Society? How should these innovative curricula look like? How can we give our students a sense of belonging to a group, in an international, digitally connected context? How can we avoid that every student is working together while being alone behind their computer screen? Our solution Our proposed solution was coined: Collaboratorium. This is both a hybrid digital/physical interconnected workspace, and an educational concept. It combines onsite in-presence classrooms and workspaces, connected via digital collaboration bridges. Outcomes The programme’s success has seen it be shortlisted in the Best Master’s degree category at the Irish Higher Education Awards. We have successfully graduated two cohorts of students who previously had found the capstone project as a barrier to progression. This might be for time poverty or company IP reasons. Particularly in the SME case, the release of IP in the form of a project can be a particular issue. The flexible nature of this masters degree programme has also proven attractive to women who are returning to the workforce. The gender breakdown thus far has been 60:40 Female:Male, which s unusual in the Science and Engineering faculties. Key takeaways Virtual education is efficient to train people remotely, however, presential collaboration is important for human well-being and enhances learning capacity and creativity. We advise to design your education such that groups are together in one space, while virtually communicating with other groups who are remote. Learn more here Master theses digital society Master theses digital society
Accreditation process in the Digital4Business project
Best practices Accredition process in the Digital4Business project Users: Training providers (public), Training providers (private), Policymakers (EU), Policymakers (Member states | Theme: Accreditation and certification | Action: Education programmes/courses | Beneficiaries: Training providers (public), Training providers (private) Digital4BusinessDigital4Business Sophie Schultz The aim of the Digital4Business project is the conception and development of a joint Master’s degree program by four (originally six) European universities from Ireland, Portugal, Italy and Sweden in collaboration with partners from industry. One of the milestones in the project is the accreditation of the Master’s program. Here, the consortium opted for an accreditation procedure under the European Approach, an accreditation methodology developed specifically for joint programs to facilitate external quality assurance through the application of common standards and guidelines. Otherwise, all four (originally six) universities would have had to carry out individual national accreditation procedures, which would have resulted in significantly more time and effort as well as higher costs. The challenge? The consortium faced two challenges during the accreditation process: First, the consortium learned in the preparation phase that the European Approach was not implemented at national level in Italy and Sweden, which means that a European Approach accreditation is not possible at HEIs from these countries. Second, the consortium had to compensate for the loss of two of the six universities in the middle of the accreditation process. One of the two had decided to withdraw from the consortium and only remain as an associated partner, while the other one could longer participate in the project as an academic partner as it was lacking official recognition as a university by the state/ministry. Our solution First, the fact that the European Approach is not available in all countries was solved by the decision that only the two universities from Ireland and Portugal (countries where the European Approach was implemented) will be degree-awarding institutions. The other two universities from Sweden and Italy are still fully and actively engaged in the design, implementation and delivery of the program but only act as providing (i.e. non-awarding) institutions. Second, the loss of the two academic partners meant that the modules that had been developed by these two had to be redistributed among the four remaining universities. However, the redistribution worked smoothly and served as an opportunity to revise and update the module content. Outcomes The master’s program was accredited with requirements by a European registered accreditation agency (applying the European Approach). The conception, development and delivery of all modules was ensured by the successful redistribution of modules among the remaining academic partners. Key takeaways HEIs should inform themselves about the national accreditation requirements at an early stage (possibly even before a proposal is submitted). The status of HEIs, i.e. whether or not they are officially recognized in their contries, should be reviewed at an early stage (possibly even before a proposal is submitted). All (academic) partners should have a certain degree of flexibility (e.g. with regard to internal resource and budget allocation) in order to be able to react to unexpected problems or changing conditions. Learn more here
A Joint European Degree label in Engineering to facilitate accreditation
Best practices A Joint European Degree label in EngIneering to facilitate accreditation Users: Policymakers (EU), Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Accreditation & Certification | Action: Framework/Methodology | Beneficiaries:Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public) JEDI jedilabel Lucía Linares, Project Manager, UPMRamón Martínez, Project Coordinator, UPM The JEDI project, coordinated by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), brought together sixteen educational institutions from eleven countries to explore and develop a European label for joint degree programmes in engineering. As student mobility and such types of degrees are on the rise, there is a need to refine common assessment criteria. In collaboration with accreditation agencies, ministries, and employers, JEDI explores the feasibility and impact of this label and promotes innovative learning methodologies that highlight European values in joint programmes. The challenge? The JEDI project was tasked with developing a label under which recognised joint degrees could be delivered across Europe. This included acceptance by employers, as well as compatibility with national legislations. However, the lack of harmonised regulations for joint degrees created obstacles in their recognition across different countries. National engineering professional associations were also hesitant to recognise foreign programmes, making it difficult to integrate these degrees into the broader European engineering, technology, and science sectors. Our solution JEDI established a structured framework to guarantee consistency and quality, align curricula in terms of learning outomes, and establish quality assurance and accreditation criteria. It then developed a prototype label based on common criteria and made the label widely accepted and credible at the European level. JEDI tested the prototype label on selected joint degree programmes and gathered feedback from students, academic institutions, and employers to assess its impact and refine its applicability and effectiveness. Key takeaways Stakeholder-Driven Evaluation Process: Actively collect feedback from universities, employers, and accreditation bodies to ensure the joint degree label meets both academic and industry needs, ensuring relevance and sustainablity. Leveraging Existing Accreditation Frameworks: Incorporate insights from established accreditation systems such as EUR-ACE, aligning joint degrees with industry standards and ensuring they meet the specific requirements of European engineering and technology programmes. Learn more here
SME engagement for master curriculum co-creation and joint R&D initiatives
Best practices SME engagement for master curriculum co-creation and joint R&D initiatives Users: Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Industry Engagement | Action: Education Programmes/Courses | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Public), Industry, SMEs CyberSecPro cybersecpro-project.eu Kitty Kioskli, CEO & Cofounder, Trustilio CyberSecPro develops cutting-edge education and training materials available online across the EU. It aims to prepare new workforce generations and up-skill existing professionals to address cybersecurity challenges. To address its diverse target group, the project involves actors from academia and industry. In particular, it includes the establishment of a unique learning factory, to create an environment where innovation, research, industry, academia and SME support are linked, so that cybersecurity training remains relevant and responsive to industry needs. The challenge? Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face constraints in terms of budget, personnel, and time, which makes it challenging for them to engage in cybersecurity education and training. Designing master programmes that are tailored to their specific needs while also allowing for scalability across different countries adds complexity. Additionally, maintaining SME engagement throughout the programme is difficult due to shifting market conditions and changing business priorities. Ensuring long-term commitment requires a clear value proposition, practical and industry-relevant course content, and dedicated support mechanisms that align with their continuously changing needs. Our solution CyberSecPro implemented a co-creation approach, actively involving SMEs in the development of a Cybersecurity Master’s Curriculum. By collaborating with SMEs, the programme ensured that the curriculum integrated industry demands, practical skills, and real-world business scenarios. CyberSecPro implemented joint R&D initiatives between higher education institutions (HEIs) and SMEs. These partnerships aligned academic research with the technological and market-driven needs of SMEs, facilitating knowledge transfer and enhancing the practical application of cybersecurity solutions. By bridging academia and industry, this collaboration generated mutual benefits, ensuring that SME engagement remained strong and that cybersecurity training was relevant. Key takeaways Flexible Engagement Models: Implement adaptable participation structures that allow SMEs to engage at varying levels based on their resource availability. This will increase accessibility and encourage long-term involvement. Customisable, SME-Centric Curriculum: Design tailored training programmes that align with the specific needs of SMEs, ensuring content is relevant, practical, and directly applicable to their business contexts. Ongoing Engagement & Feedback: Establish regular check-ins and feedback loops to maintain SME involvement, allowing training programmes to respond to shifting industry demands and business priorities. Learn more here Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.
Aligning master’s curricula to national and institutional cultures across EU countries
Best practices Aligning master’s curricula to national and institutional cultures across EU countries Users: Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Cross-Border Initiatives | Action: Education Programmes/Courses | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Public) HCAIM humancentered-ai.eu Barry Feeney, Technical University Dublin HCAIM is dedicated to developing a unique Human-Centred AI Master’s programme that combines ethical, technical, and practical education in AI. By creating specialised educational materials, the consortium ensures a consistent learning experience across partner institutions in Hungary, Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands. While the programmes vary slightly depending on the resources and cultural contexts of participating universities, the diverse elective courses offer students the flexibility to build a personalised HCAIM portfolio aligned with their specific interests in AI. The challenge? The HCAIM consortium faced challenges in ensuring programme requirements across different countries and institutions were aligned, which complicated the standardisation of curricula and learning outcomes. Additionally, aligning the programme with the academic cultures of each university proved difficult, particularly when balancing an applied versus technological approach to AI education. Some partner universities prioritised practical, hands-on learning, while others focused on a theoretical, research-driven approach. This required a flexible yet consistent framework that ensured all students, regardless of location, received an industry-relevant AI education. Our solution HCAIM organised panels, learning events, and expert-led workshops, leveraging the collective expertise of all partners involved. These events contributed to the development of standardised study materials and provided students with valuable interdisciplinary insights. It created a shared knowledge framework in collaboration with industry experts and research centres, which ensured that the programme remained aligned with current AI trends, industry practices, and ethical considerations while maintaining academic flexibility. To ensure core consistency in the Masters degrees an agreed Body of Knowledge of 60 credits was adopted by University partners. This was then customised into each local Masters by the partner universities. Key takeaways When delivering programmes across institutions, it is important to standardise processes and contents. A BoK is the complete set of concepts, terms and activities that make up a professional domain. Tailor the BoK to meet national accreditation standards, ensuring that it aligns with the educational and regulatory frameworks of each participating country. Learn more here Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.
Success and challenges in designing industry-oriented master’s programmes
Best practices Success and challenges in designing industry-oriented master’s programmes Users: Industry, SMEs | Theme: Programme Development | Action: Education Programmes/Courses | Beneficiaries: SMEs, Industry, Labour Force (Employed) Digital4Business digital4business.eu Michael Bradford, Assistant Professor in Computing, National College of Ireland Digital4Business (D4B) is an enterprise-led master’s programme, co-created by companies and universities. It aims to minimise the skills gap in SMEs by upskilling business leaders, professionals, and graduates with advanced digital knowledge. The companies involved in the development of this master’s identify where their biggest skill gaps are, and design it with advancement in these areas as the ultimate goal. Due to the industry involvement and focus, felxibility and agility are essential in all aspects of programme development. This includes content creation, accreditation/certification, and logistics (recruitment and enrolment management, course delivery, mobility coordination). The challenge? Securing joint accreditation across multiple countries created a significant challenge, as it required coordination and diverted resources from programme design. Additionally, the development of a centralised digital platform for enrolment, fee management, and course delivery introduced technical complexities, necessitating interoperability, data security, and GDPR compliance. Lastly, ensuring smooth student mobility proved complex due to differences in credit transfers, ECTS allocation, and varying academic calendars, all of which required coordination among institutions. Our solution Formalised Collaborative Agreements: D4B establised a Cooperation Agreement between project partners, along with standardised joint academic quality assurance (QA) processes and procedures to ensure consistency across institutions. Centralised Digital Platform: D4B created an integrated online system for programme delivery and administration, including applications, enrolment, registration, and fee management. Facilitated Student Mobility and Credit Recognition: D4B managed ECTS allocation, credit transfers, and academic schedules to accommodate both part-time and full-time students. Key takeaways Ensure Team Cohesion: Open communication and structured collaboration are maintained through regular meetings and workshops at both consortium and work-package levels, this alignment promotes transparency. Create Targeted Workgroups: Dedicated workgroups address specific challenges by bringing together experts from different areas, ensuring focused problem-solving. Build Transnational Networks: Strong professional connections are fostered by engaging alumni, faculty, and industry organisations, facilitating knowledge exchange, enhancing employability, and supporting long-term collaboration. Learn more here Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.
SME engagement for master programme design – ManagiDiTH
Best practices SME engagement for master programme design – ManagiDiTH Users: Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Skills Data | Action: Education Programmes/Courses | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Public), Industry, SMEs ManagiDiTH managidith.eu Rosália Rodrigues, Whymob ManagiDiTH has brought together a multi-stakeholder consortium to develop a 1,5 year master’s programme for digital transformation in healthcare. The industry and academic expertise gathered from the respective partners allows the programme to equip professionals from healthcare, digital technologies, and management with the skills needed to plan and implement digital health services.Well-defining these skills is high-priority for the project. That said ManagiDiTH’s consortium offers a unique mix and thus a solid understanding of the needs and particularities of industry, and particularly SMEs. The challenge? ManagiDiTH has had to conduct a comprehensive ecosystem mapping and digital skills needs assessment to ensure the curriculum aligns with industry demands. This involves identifying key stakeholders across local and European healthcare and digital ecosystems, including healthcare institutions, technology providers, policymakers, and academic organisations. Additionally, an in-depth analysis of upcoming technological trends was necessary to understand the evolving landscape of digital health solutions. A key aspect of this challenge has been evaluating the current and future digital competencies required by healthcare professionals, ensuring that the programme equips graduates with the skills needed to lead digital transformation in the sector. Our solution ManagiDiTH integrated social skills training with specialised modules in data science and interoperability, ensuring graduates were equipped with both technical and interpersonal skills for digital healthcare transformation. It established a coherent curriculum with well-defined modules, clear learning outcomes and assessment methods. A dedicated digital learning platform was also implemented to enhance accessibility and engagement for students. Secured accreditation across multiple countries and institutions: The programme’s recognition and credibility within the European healthcare sector was ensured, which facilitated widespread adoption and long-term impact. Key takeaways Industry-Led Guest Lectures & Workshops: SMEs deliver guest lectures and workshops, providing students with real-world insights, case studies, and practical applications of digital healthcare solutions. Project-Based Learning with SME Collaboration: SMEs actively participate in designing and executing project-based learning modules, ensuring students gain hands-on experience in solving industry-specific challenges. Internships & Work Placements: Students have access to internships and work placements with SMEs, allowing them to apply their skills in professional environments Advisory Board Participation: SMEs contribute to advisory boards, ensuring continuous alignment of the curriculum with evolving industry needs, trends, and technological advancements. Collaborative Research & Innovation: SMEs engage in research initiatives, both locally and through multi-partner hybrid projects, allowing cross-sector knowledge exchange. Learn more here Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.
Developing the ITC Upskilling Initiative for the European Space Association
Best practices Developing the ITC Upskilling Initiative for the European Space Association Users: Industry | Theme: Reskilling and Upskilling | Action: Professional Training | Beneficiaries: Labour Force (Employed) PORINI porini.it Luca Malinverno, Data Scientist, PORINI Porini is a DGS Group company specialising in innovative digital solutions. It was contracted to develop a course for teaching employees of the European Space Association (ESA) the fundamentals of Microsoft Power BI Desktop, a self-reporting tool available for free. The challenge? Porini faced the challenge of training employees with varying levels of technological proficiency. The programme needed to cater to both beginners and advanced professionals, ensuring that all employees, regardless of their technical background, could effectively use Microsoft Power BI Desktop. This required the creation of tailored learning opportunities, providing foundational training for non-technical employees while also offering specialised content for experienced data analysts. The ultimate goal was to ensure that ESA employees across different roles could effectively contribute to data-driven projects using Power BI. Our solution Designed a 14-Month Power BI Training Programme: Designed and delivered a customised training course on Power BI to 500 ESA employees, ensuring a structured and progressive learning experience. Developed a shorter onboarding course based on the Kolb Cycle: Allowed new employees to self-evaluate their grasp of the topics and integrate smoothly into the main programme. Incorporated dynamic course adjustments: Allowed for exercises and content to be tailored based on class performance and individual learning progress. Key takeaways Adapting Course Content to Class Performance is Effective: Starting with fundamentals and adjusting exercises based on participant performance ensures that all learners are engaged and progressing at an appropriate pace. Peer Learning Enhances Understanding: Dividing participants into small groups and encouraging the most skilled individuals to mentor others creates an interactive learning environment, reinforcing knowledge and boosting collaboration Learn more here Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.
Porini’s Post-Grad Intensive Academy for upskilling employees
Best practices Porini’s Post-Grad Intensive Academy for upskilling employees Users: Industry | Theme: Reskilling and Upskilling | Action: Professional Training | Beneficiaries: Labour force Employed PORINI porini.it Luca Malinverno, Data Scientist, PORINI Porini is a DGS Group company specialising in innovative digital solutions. It was asked to design a custom course for its client’s 12 new entry-level employees. The objective was to familiarise them with company-specific methodologies and software, and facilitate their transition from university to work. The challenge? Porini faced the challenge of designing an effective onboarding programme for a group of 12 new employees with varying levels of academic qualifications (bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD) and different professional backgrounds in ICT. The training needed to ensure that all employees, regardless of their prior experience, could adapt to the company’s specific methodologies and software while seamlessly transitioning from academia to industry. Our solution Created a structured onboarding programme based on the Kolb Cycle: Allowed all employees to self-evaluate their grasp of key topics and progress at their own pace. Designed course content that catered to varying levels of expertise: Ensured that employees with different academic and professional backgrounds could engage meaningfully with company-specific methodologies and tools. Key takeaways Hands-On Labs Enhance Learning: Incorporating real-life scenarios and practical use cases throughout the course provided employees with a better understanding of how to apply company methodologies in real-world projects. Structured Learning is Essential: Clearly defining a step-by-step learning path from the outset helped prevent fragmented learning experiences, ensuring that technologies and data analysis stages were presented as interconnected processes rather than independent components. Learn more here Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.