test: Other

A model for industry engagement in the accreditation process

Best practices A model for industry engagement in the accreditation process Users: Policymakers, Industry, SMEs | Theme: Accreditation and certification | Action: Policy/guideline | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public), Policymakers, Industry, SMEs | Countries: Ireland. Skillnet Ireland Skillnet Ireland Donal Grimes The EU Commision report titled Pact for Skills: Analysing of Upskilling and Reskilling Policy Initiatives and Identifying Best Practices” ranked the model deployed by Skillnet Ireland in Ireland, first out of 47 in benchmarking, based on overall average key performance metrics, as well as topping the analysis for impact on businesses and impact/contribution to the economy including to the digital and climate agenda. Central to the Skillnet Ireland model are the Skillnet Business Networks: clusters of private sector businesses that collaborate based on a sector, or multiple sectors within a region, to provide upskilling and reskilling programmes to companies. With 70 Skillnet Business Networks nationwide, companies can find a network based on a particular sector, or within a region. The business networks identify the skills needs impacting their region/sector and establish the requirements for the respective industry in relation to accreditation. The challenge? In the Irish context, the challenges nationally include: Fragmentation across sectors: Different industries and sectors often follow different accreditation frameworks (e.g., QQI in education, NSAI in standards, CORU in healthcare). Populating the talent pipeline and addressing skills shortages: There can be a disconnect between what training/education providers offer and what industry actually requires in accredited qualifications. SME Engagement and awareness: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often lack awareness, resources, or understanding of accreditation processes. Funding and support structures: Accreditation processes can be costly and resource-intensive. Lack of real time labour market intelligence: Difficulty in gathering timely and localised data on evolving industry needs. Our solution The Skillnet Ireland Business Network Model is built on a national framework of business networks. These networks act as intermediaries between enterprises and training providers, fostering collaboration and ensuring that training programmes are demand-driven and aligned with both sectoral and national priorities. Rather than relying solely on traditional education systems, the model empowers businesses—particularly SMEs—to identify critical skills gaps and co-develop training solutions that often lead to recognised accreditation. Business networks facilitate engagement across diverse sectors, reduce administrative burden, and support access to micro-credentials, recognition of prior learning (RPL), and formal qualifications. They also enable real-time intelligence gathering by maintaining close contact with employers, allowing for agile and targeted responses to emerging trends. This collaborative and flexible structure helps address a range of systemic challenges: it supports alignment across fragmented accreditation systems, ensures training is relevant and recognised, simplifies SME participation, and makes accreditation more accessible and cost-effective through shared resources and financial supports. Outcomes 1. Increased Alignment Between Industry and Accreditation Bridged the gap between industry needs and education offerings, resulting in more job-ready graduates and upskilled employees.  Enabled the mainstreaming of micro-credentials and flexible learning pathways—recognised increasingly in formal systems. 2. Enhanced SME Participation in Accreditation and Upskilling Over 80% of Skillnet Ireland’s participating companies are SMEs, many of whom could struggle to access accredited training, without the Skillnet Ireland support systems and funding 3. Improved Responsiveness to Skills Shortages Real-time employer feedback through Skillnet Business Networks and rollout of new training (e.g., in AI, sustainability, cyber, medtech). Enabled the rapid scaling of talent pipelines in high-demand sectors (ICT, pharma, construction, green economy). Supported sectoral transformation by enabling existing workforces to transition into new, accredited roles (e.g. Offshore Wind Academy). 4. Reduced Regulatory and Administrative Burden Networks can act as a ‘navigator’ for regulatory complexity, streamlining access to compliance-related training and accreditation. 5. Increased Labour Market Intelligence and Policy Influence Networks support the production of sector-specific Talent and Skills Reports, influencing national policy and education programme development. Anticipated emerging skill gaps (e.g., cybersecurity, data governance, AI ethics), enabling pre-emptive programme development. Key takeaways Build governance structures that put employers in the lead of programme design. Avoid ‘top-down’ training mandates – instead, co-design solutions with end users (businesses) Create collaborative, peer-based training networks around shared industry needs or regional challenges. Use intermediaries (Chambers Ireland, industry groups) to build bridges between businesses and training/accreditation providers. Embed accreditation partners early in programme development. Use modular, stackable credentials that can build toward formal qualifications over time. Build agile programme structures that can pivot quickly. Establish ongoing labour market sensing mechanisms through direct employer feedback. Design services and communications specifically for SMEs, with practical guidance, shared services, and peer learning. Use localised/regional outreach and relationships to engage hard-to-reach businesses. Leverage real-time data from industry networks to inform policy and programme direction. Consider training networks as a two-way channel: delivering skills on the ground and gathering intelligence for policymakers. Learn more here

Use of the EDCI Issuer to issue micro-credentials

Best practices Use of the EDCI Issuer to issue micro-credentials Users: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Accreditation and certification | Action: Fremework/methodology | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public), Learners (STEM background), Learners (Non-STEM background). DIS4SME DIS4SME Lisa Bilotti  Giacomo Martirano Across Europe, there is a rapidly growing demand for digital skills and for mechanisms that formally recognise competences achieved through both formal and non‑formal education. Within this context, the DIS4SME (Data Interoperability Skills for SMEs) project contributes to the upskilling and reskilling of small and medium‑sized enterprises through targeted training on location data interoperability.As a consortium member, Epsilon Italia aimed to ensure that the learning outcomes achieved by participants in its courses were recognisable, verifiable, and aligned with EU policy frameworks for micro‑credentials. The challenge? The main challenge was to identify a cost‑effective and reliable system for issuing digital micro‑credentials compliant with the EU Recommendation on Micro‑Credentials.Most commercially available badge platforms were found to be limited in one or more of the following ways:Non‑compliance with the EU micro‑credentials frameworkRequirement for expensive licences or annual feesDependence on restrictive national accreditation or proprietary systemsThese limitations hindered training providers from adopting micro‑credentials effectively and consistently across European contexts. Our solution Secure, authentic, EU‑compliant credentials: the Digital badges issued via the EDCI Issuer are fully aligned with the EU micro‑credentials framework and guaranteed by a qualified e‑seal.Interoperability and transparency: Credentials can be embedded directly in the Europass CV, enhancing recognition of skills across Europe.Cost‑effectiveness: Epsilon Italia achieved credential issuance without paying licence fees or using proprietary systems.Scalability: The organisation plans to issue at least 100 digital credentials during the first year of implementation. Outcomes The membership to the EFMD Global Network, and the eligibility to EQUIS accreditation were the first steps achieved in the process of EQUIS accreditation. The achievement of these milestones resulted in a set of outcomes: 15% increase in recruitment of international students; 1 new international exchange program with an EQUIS internationally accredited HEI; International recognition in accreditation of educational offer in advanced digital skills, with one new co-funded project with other EQUIS accredited HEIs; Improvement in national and international ranking for master programs Integration of EQUIS methodology with European approach to micro-credentials to further increase the quality level of educational offer. Key takeaways Integrate a qualified e‑seal, as required by the EDCI Issuer, to ensure legal authenticity and integrity. Update internal processes early to guarantee smooth technical integration with the EU’s credential infrastructure. Invest in staff training for managing digital credentialing workflows and maintaining compliance with EU standards. Avoid dependence on commercial badge platforms by adopting open EU‑provided tools that foster transparency and trust. Embed credentials within the Europass CV to enhance learners’ employability and cross‑sector recognition. Build long‑term collaboration with technical partners to sustain e‑seal management and alignment with evolving EU frameworks. Learn more here

A comprehensive accreditation system of educational offering: International accreditation of awarding HEI

Best practices A comprehensive accreditation system of educational offering: International accreditation of awarding HEI Users: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Accreditation and certification | Action: Fremework/methodology | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public). xAIM xAIM Maria Chiara Demartini In 2020 the xAIM consortium aimed at designing a high-quality master program in explainable AI applied to healthcare management. Although each beneficiary was supposed to contribute in term of the design and the teaching staff, the vocational master program had to be delivered by one HEI only. To ensure high-level standards of quality delivered at each phase of the design, organization, roll-out and monitoring of master program, the consortium looked for internationally recognised systems for accreditation to show outstanding excellence in quality assurance.Moreover, one of the sustainability strategies formulated by the consortium entailed the delivery of single modules of the xAIM master programs, beyond the entire master program. The challenge? The xAIM consortium faced multiple challenges: As an international consortium, xAIM didn’t want to rely on one single national regulation for the accreditation of the master program, in order to promote an internationally recognised high-quality master program. Since only one HEI was expected to award the master diploma, other national regulations were not necessarily fit for purpose. A broader and more international quality assurance framework was expected to be adopted for the xAIM master program. The sustainability strategy included opportunities to deliver single modules, beyond the whole master programs. Hence, a comprehensive accreditation system was needed, including both bachelor’s, master’s programs, and short courses. Our solution An internationally recognised accreditation system was selected to quality assure the entire educational offer of the awarding institution. It is worth noting that there are alternative international accreditation systems for business schools. However, the consortium decided to apply for the EFMD quality improvement system (EQUIS), managed by EFMD Global, since it has a European focus. The following explains how each of the identified challenges are addressed: High-quality standards in master’s programs accreditation Challenge: One single national regulation for the accreditation of the master program could be partial and lack some international requirements in terms of accreditation of master programsHow the EQUIS accreditation process facilitates solutions:EQUIS is a comprehensive principle-based system to improve the quality of awarding institutions;• It has strongly agreed upon principles, though flexible implementation, based on national context and local needs;• EQUIS provides learning communities, which are focused on specific principles (e.g., internationalisation) or thematic areas (e.g., the role of AI in educational offer). Difficulty in selecting another (set of) national regulatory frameworkChallenge: Since only one HEI was expected to award the master diploma, other national regulations were not necessarily fit for purpose How the EQUIS accreditation process facilitates solutions:• EQUIS is an internationally recognized standard, acknowledging national context, but promoting a standardised international process for accreditation of HEIs• EQUIS was initially developed in and for European universities, without a specific national framework in mind Need for a supranational accreditation system Challenge: Need for an international quality assurance framework to overcome the limits of national regulationsHow the EQUIS accreditation process facilitates solutions:• It is an internationally recognized standard, based on a benchmarking approach• Although it was initially intended to improve the quality of the educational offer of European universities, EFMD has now extended its scope both geographically, with a global outreach of EQUIS accredited institutions, and institutionally, covering the accreditation of non-university training institutions too; • EQUIS has a strong experience in the field of accreditation of business schools, although its principles and processes are adapting to the ever-changing international educational landscape. Comprehensive accreditation system Challenge: Need to assure short courses and longer programsHow the EQUIS accreditation process facilitates solutions:• EQUIS is an institutional accreditation system covering bachelor’s, master’s, PhD’s, executive programs, and other educational offer;• Being a comprehensive quality improvement system, EQUIS provides support to accredited HEIs in enhancing the quality of the entire educational offer, from multiple and interlinked perspectives;• EQUIS provides HEIs with a global quality recognition of their educational offer. Outcomes The membership to the EFMD Global Network, and the eligibility to EQUIS accreditation were the first steps achieved in the process of EQUIS accreditation. The achievement of these milestones resulted in a set of outcomes: 15% increase in recruitment of international students; 1 new international exchange program with an EQUIS internationally accredited HEI; International recognition in accreditation of educational offer in advanced digital skills, with one new co-funded project with other EQUIS accredited HEIs; Improvement in national and international ranking for master programs Integration of EQUIS methodology with European approach to micro-credentials to further increase the quality level of educational offer. Key takeaways Institutional accreditation (e.g., EQUIS) is key when HEIs and training institutions are looking for a comprehensive accreditation system for their educational offer. Being principle-based, the EQUIS accreditation process is a replicable, yet flexible, strategic benchmarking tool to enhance the quality of the HEI’s educational offer.  Institutional accreditation systemWhat worked: The accreditation system is not targeting a single program, or a short course, but the whole HEI or business school awarding the diplomas or certifications.This approach ensures accreditation is coherent throughout the HEI’s educational offerReplicable Lesson:Adopting comprehensive accreditation systems can lower the time to seek for accreditation of one additional program or courseThe whole institution is involved in the quality assurance process, leading to change in the mindset Standardised and widely adopted accreditation systemWhat worked: EQUIS is an internationally recognised and globally adopted accreditation system.In order to get immediate international recognition of the high-quality of its educational offer, the HEI can look for a widely adopted international standard.Replicable Lesson:An initial scope of the accreditation systems available in the market can help selecting the one best fitting the training institution’s needs.Benchmarking of leading HEIs can support the choice of an institutional accreditation system and its implementation Lessons learnt on the institutional accreditation system can be shared among partner HEIsWhat worked: More experienced HEIs in institutional accreditation systems can mentor other partner HEIs, in the same consortium, in their journey towards institutional accreditation.Replicable Lesson:Sharing achieved outcomes

Inter-institutional cooperation for accrediting EU joint programmes at national level – the case of ManagiDiTH Master

Best practices Inter-institutional cooperation for accrediting EU joint programmes at national level – the case of ManagiDiTH Master Users: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Accreditation and certification | Action: Education programmes/courses| Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public), Policymakers (Member State). ManagiDiTH ManagiDiTH Maria do Carmo Gomes The Managing Digital Transformation in the Health Sector (ManagiDiTH) is a four-year project, launched in January 2023 and funded by the European Union through the Digital Europe Programme – Digital Advanced Skills, with the aim of creating a new master’s degree curriculum that equips healthcare professionals with the competencies needed to develop digital services in the health sector. To achieve this objective, seven consortium partners from three European countries are involved in the project, including: ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon (Portugal), Laurea University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), Instituto de Telecomunicações (Portugal), Whymob, Lda. (Portugal), Clinipower Finland Ltd (Finland), Mundiserviços – Companhia Portuguesa de Serviços e Gestão, Lda (Portugal).The programme’s objectives include the development of training references for level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework in the digital health sector, the creation of a multidisciplinary learning ecosystem, and the introduction of a pedagogical model that prioritises problem-oriented learning strategies supported by digital tools.The innovative pedagogical and technical skills of the consortium partners will be leveraged to create an integrated Master programme that builds on projects that have already been implemented within the consortium. Furthermore, there are several associated partners in the project, including Health Cluster Portugal, Thessaloniki’s Association of Women with Breast Cancer “Alma Zois”, Finnish Diabetes Association, European Network of Living Labs Ivzw, The Union For Senior Services – Valli, Portuguese Red Cross, Adhd Hellas, and Hovi Group Oy.Overall, the ManagiDiTH curriculum is a ground-breaking initiative that aims to transform healthcare systems and services across Europe, making them more efficient and effective. By equipping healthcare professionals with specialized digital skills, the programme will ensure that graduates are well-prepared to succeed in the rapidly evolving digital healthcare sector. The challenge? Different national accreditation frameworks (procedures, forms and calendar) were found, which required a reinforced inter-institutional cooperation among the 3 Higher Education Institutions in order to get the Master programme accredited in Finland, Greece and Portugal. Our solution Having a sequential submission of the accreditation processes throughout the first 1.5 years of the project. First, the accreditation of the Master was awarded in Finland, as Laurea University of Applied Sciences does not require a submission to a national accreditation authority; secondly, Portugal beneffited from the previous accreditation of Laurea, to submit the full process of accreditation to the national authority (A3ES); and finally, AUTH has benefitted from the previous two accreditation processes as well as all the documentation and information collected and organised previously.This has required the open and transparent sharing of all information among HEI partners, and the storage of the three set of common files that were used at the best convenience of each partner, in order to complete the necessary information for each of the national processes.This approach enabled the Master Program to start even without the accreditation process being completed in Greece, and at the same time, it was important for the Greek partner to have already the Master running for showcasing in concrete how the Programme was delivered, considering also its innovative nature of fully joint design, delivery, and online learning. Outcomes The EU joint Master Programme ManagiDiTH was accredited in three EU countries (at Month 13 in Finland, Month 17 in Portugal, and Month 23 in Greece) even though the first cohort has started in Month 20 (September 2024). No delays were registered and 187 students started their studies in the first edition. Key takeaways Having an open and transparent communication among partners of the consortium since Day 1 of the Project about the accreditation requirements and challenges (top priority on the implementation of the project) Sharing all the documents and information regarding the national accreditation requirements (forms, calendar, bodies and services to be involved in each HEI) Planning the national accreditation processes in a sequential manner and benefit from previous accreditation in one or two (or more) EU countries Permanent contact with National Authorities, in particular, for explaining the specificities of these innovative models for EU joint programmes funded by EU – DEP (not an Erasmus Mundus Joint Programme) Mutual support of each partner to the national accreditation processes (i.e. Laurea’s official documentation was a key element to assure that the accreditation was granted in Portugal; AUTH beneffited from the Official Decision of the Portuguese Accreditation Authotiry (A3ES)). Learn more here

Evaluating micro-credential-readiness level of the provided courses

Best practices Evaluating micro-credential-readiness level of the provided courses Users: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Accreditation and certification | Action: Framework/methodology | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public). BioNT BioNT Tanja Ninkovic In 2022, the Council of Europe recommended the adoption of micro-credentials as a way of certifying small, high-quality learning units. Designing a course that qualifies for a micro-credential requires rigorous quality assurance, systematic record keeping, and clear assessment of learners’ knowledge. These features make micro-credential-bearing courses especially valuable for first-time job seekers and professionals seeking a career change.BioNT is a Digital Europe funded project which develops and delivers online training for job seekers and SME members, in order to equip them with new skills required for their career progression. For this, certificates of the taken courses, which have strong quality control mechanisms, are more beneficial than of the courses without such structured quality control. Micro-credentials regulations by the Council of Europe in 2022 provide a clear and streamlined list of requirements that when followed ensure quality of the courses and of the certificate. The impact of this regulation is twofold: It strengthens the interconnectedness of educational systems and supports greater learner mobility. It establishes micro-credentials as a trusted quality-control tool that, when widely applied, ensures lifelong learning courses are consistent in their content, preparation, promotion, and documentation. This, in turn, increases trust in the certificates issued and supports more reliable hiring processes.  BioNT courses were not initially planned with the micro-credentials in mind (as the project was written before the Recommendations for the European approach to micro-credentials was published), but the consortium worked extensively to ensure good quality of the courses. During the project lifetime, the micro-credentials approach for the existing training framework and already developed courses was assessed. Here, the BioNT project describes the assessment of the planned and delivered courses and their fulfilment of micro-credential requirements, and identifies what would need to be changed in order to formally issue them. The challenge? For many training providers who wish to implement micro-credentials for their existing courses, including BioNT, the main challenge lies in determining how well existing courses align with the formal requirements for issuing micro-credentials. While the courses may already follow strong quality standards, it is often unclear which aspects fully meet the criteria and which fall short. Therefore, a practical tool to support training developers and providers in the evaluation of the level of course readiness was needed. This tool would help to identify eventual gaps in compliance, and to understand precisely which elements of the course design, delivery, and documentation would need to be adapted. The Recommendation by the Council is a legal document which does list requirements, but does not provide guidelines on their practical meaning and is therefore difficult to implement for many training developers who are not dealing with policy or legal documents on a regular basis. Organisation providing lifelong learning directed courses as a main or side activity invest substantial effort in designing and delivering training, training materials, information, and documentation. To prove the training quality, these organisation could highly benefit from applying the micro-credentials framework and for this, they need to understand how much their offers already align with the requirements, and identify the gaps and aspects they need to improve. Our solution To solve these challenges, BIoNT created a practical evaluation form which lists mandatory and recommended elements of the micro-credential requirements, and guides the form users to evaluate their course against these elements. Specifically, the form prompts to: Check whether the courses meet all mandatory elements required for issuing a micro-credential. Identify gaps that prevent compliance. Collect structured information on course design, delivery, and quality assurance procedures. Plan the structure, dissemination, documentation and delivery of courses in alignment with the micro-credentials requirements for lifelong learning courses. The form is implemented as an Excel sheet containing a checklist of required tasks based on the Council of Europe recommendations. Each question is supported by definitions, examples, and fields where training developers and providers can add concrete information alongside checking compliance.The form is freely available for download here: https://biont-training.eu/training.html. Outcomes The BioNT consortium used the form the form to assess all the training offers. This provided a highly valuable comparative overview of the structural differences between courses and highlighted which quality elements needed strengthening to meet the micro-credential standards.Even if a course organiser chooses not to pursue full micro-credential certification—for example, in the BioNT case, where some courses cannot include learner identification or formal assessment for confidentiality reasons—the form still adds value. It helps clarify which elements prevent compliance and whether adjustments are possible or even desirable.The form has already gained recognition: it was selected through a competitive process for presentation at the European core facilities meeting organised by the CTLS association, where it attracted strong interest from peers. Key takeaways Anyone interested in evaluating their own courses can download the form from the BioNT website (https://biont-training.eu/training.html). Completing it requires approximately 15 minutes per training offer.We recommend answering all questions: Multiple-choice options are based directly on the Council of Europe’s micro-credential recommendations. When a mandatory element is missing, the corresponding field automatically turns red. Text boxes allow organisers to document additional information; when this field is mandatory, it is written in the column on the right. At the end of the form, users will also find supporting resources, including:o A learning objectives ontology based on Bloom’s taxonomy.o A description of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) levels and their meaning. Learn more here

Privacy-Preserving Training Format for Live and Self-Paced Learning

Best practices Privacy-Preserving Training Format for Live and Self-Paced Learning Users: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Programme development | Action: Education programmes/courses | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public), Learners (STEM background), Learners (non-STEM background). BioNT BioNT Isabela Paredes Cisneros  Silvia Di Giorgio BioNT (Bio Network for Training) is a consortium of nine European partners, including academic institutions and SMEs, funded by the Digital Europe Programme. The project aims to deliver high-quality training on digital skills relevant to the biotechnology and biomedical sectors, targeting both job-seekers and employees looking to enhance their skills. The primary audience includes participants who may be in vulnerable situations (job-seekers) or require heightened privacy (industry professionals handling sensitive information). The consortium needed to develop a format that would respect privacy concerns while enabling the creation of reusable content from live sessions. The challenge? Our project faced three interconnected challenges: Many participants, particularly job-seekers and industry professionals from SMEs, expressed reluctance to fully engage in training sessions if they might be recorded or identified. Job-seekers feared this could negatively impact their future job prospects, whilst industry professionals were hesitant to disclose their affiliation or display their faces, as this could reveal competitive information or interest in upskilling that they preferred to keep confidential. Creating high-quality, reusable self-paced learning materials from live training sessions typically requires capturing live discussions and interactions, which conflicts with participants’ privacy requirements. Traditional recording approaches that include participant faces, names, and verbal questions would have required extensive post-production video editing to anonymise content before publishing as self-paced learning materials. This would have significantly increased production costs and time requirements, potentially making the creation of such resources unsustainable within our project constraints. Without addressing these challenges, we risked low enrolment numbers from our target audience and would have significantly limited our ability to create valuable, cost-effective self-paced learning materials for broader impact. Our solution We developed and refined a hybrid training delivery format that prioritises participant privacy whilst enabling the creation of reusable content: Restrictive participation format: We used a delivery format that restricted trainee participation to viewing only, without the ability to speak, share video, or use chat functions. This ensured that recordings captured only the instructor’s content without any participant information. Text-based interaction system: We implemented a collaborative document platform (HedgeDoc) hosted on our own servers where participants could anonymously ask questions and provide feedback during the session. Participants were able to interact without providing any personal data. Carefully structured recording approach: Training sessions were recorded to capture only the instructor’s screen, voice, and presentation materials. The collaborative document was monitored and cleaned of any potentially identifying information before being included in recordings. Helper system: We assigned dedicated helpers who monitored the collaborative document in real-time, answering questions and providing support without disrupting the flow of the training or revealing participant identities. Outcomes The implementation of this privacy-preserving format yielded several positive outcomes: Efficient creation of self-paced learning materials: The format allowed us to produce high-quality recordings without any post-production editing to remove participant information, significantly reducing resource requirements for creating self-paced learning materials. Positive trainer adaptation: Despite initial hesitation from trainers who were accustomed to fully interactive live sessions, we received positive feedback about the format’s effectiveness. Participant comfort: Feedback indicated that participants appreciated the anonymity provided, with many noting they felt more comfortable asking questions in a text-based format without revealing their identity. This format also gives room to the participants who would usually not ask questions live, making the format more inclusive. Sustainable model for future training: The format has been successfully replicated across all our training workshops, providing a proven template for future initiatives that can be implemented with minimal resources. Key takeaways Based on our experience, organisations implementing similar training formats should consider: Balance privacy with interaction: While restricting traditional participation methods, ensure alternative channels for meaningful interaction that preserve anonymity. Prepare trainers adequately: Provide proper orientation for trainers who may be accustomed to seeing and hearing participants, helping them adapt to text-based interaction systems. Establish clear helper protocols: Define specific roles for helpers monitoring the text-based interaction system, including guidelines for anonymising questions before addressing them. Design for direct recording use: Structure training sessions assuming that recordings will be used as-is without editing, including careful planning of screen sharing and demonstration segments. Create trainer-helper communication channels: Establish private communication methods between trainers and helpers to coordinate responses and manage participant questions efficiently. Test thoroughly before implementation: Conduct pilot sessions to identify potential privacy risks or technical issues with your chosen platforms and tools. Document the process: Create clear documentation of your approach to make it easily replicable across different training topics and by different training teams. Learn more here

Creating Blockchain Training for the Food Supply Chain utilising End-user Engagement

Best practices Creating blockchain training for the food supply chain utilising end-user engagement Users: Policymakers (EU), Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Programme development | Action: Education programmes/courses | Beneficiaries:Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public) TRUSTFOOD TRUSTFOOD Anastasia Vlachou The TRUST-FOOD project aims to upskill SMEs and job seekers in the food supply chain (FSC) with advanced digital competencies in blockchain technology. Recognising the diverse needs across this sector, the consortium prioritised tailoring training programmes to ensure practical impact and uptake. 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? A key challenge was designing training content that is both technically advanced and practically applicable to professionals with varied digital literacy. Without early engagement, content risked being misaligned with learners’ needs and industry contexts. Our solution A key success factor in the TRUST-FOOD project was the early and structured engagement of trainees before developing educational content. Under Task 3.1 (“Probing Trainees”), potential learners were consulted to assess their familiarity, needs, and interest in blockchain technologies through surveys. This feedback directly informed the design of the educational ecosystem, ensuring relevance, practicality, and learner-centered outcomes. This proactive involvement of end-users is a replicable best practice that enhances training relevance and effectiveness. Outcomes Strategic Value The proactive involvement of trainees helped uncover unexpected learning gaps, allowing the team to tailor content with greater precision. The approach fostered stronger alignment between learner needs and training objectives, enhancing the perceived value of the programme. Process and Efficiency Gains Course development was faster and more focused, as insights from trainees eliminated guesswork. The initiative benefited from fewer mismatches between expectations and delivery, improving resource efficiency. Key takeaways Engaging learners early in the design process builds trust and ensures training is tailored to their real needs. In the TRUST-FOOD project, conducting surveys was only the first step; the real value came from thoroughly analysing the data and being flexible enough to adapt course plans based on the findings—even when they challenged initial assumptions. We also learned that simple, well-designed feedback tools are key to maximising participation and collecting actionable insights. For similar initiatives, it’s essential to allocate enough time and resources not just for consultation, but for interpreting and applying the feedback effectively. Learn more here

The Master of Professional Practice

The Master of Professional Practice is the Ireland’s first interdisciplinary stackable Master’s degree. It addresses the SDG of quality
further education.