The necessity to equip the “potentially lost generation” with the adequate skills in order to ensure smart, sustainable and inclusive growth (EU 2020 Strategy) has been reaffirmed by the various strategies, initiatives and recommendations at the EU level. Research has shown that “teachers are the most important in-school factor affecting students’ outcomes” (TALIS'13). This has been emphasised in the EC 2012 Com. titled “Rethinking Education in which trainers and teachers are set as one of its priorities, since they have an important influence on ensuring that students develop the skills and competences demanded by a rapidly changing labour market. Trainers and teachers’ urge for the provision of CPD focusing on 'developing ICT skills for teaching' (18%) and the use 'new technologies in the workplace' (16%) (TALIS,OECD 2013) as teachers do not feel ‘digital competent’ to meet the needs and demands the opening up of education and digital learning has been a motive for this project. The need to keep their teaching under constant, critical review and adjust it according to needs of the labour market thus achieving a better skills match for their students and bridging the gap between the education and the world of work is evident. The V-UPGRATeS project aims to strengthen the digital competences of VET trainers and teachers, increase their capacity and professional development thus achieveing a systemic impact on the quality of teaching and students’ learning outcomes. The V-UPGRATeS projects aims to remove the greatest barriers of engaging in CPD that refer to conflicts with trainers' and teachers' work schedule, lack of incentives and the costs involved (OECD, 2013) and comply with the current budgetary conditions in utilising all opportunities provided by the opening up of education. The project proposes to introduce a transparent, multi-regulated, multi-assessed but self-directed process, based on an OER platform to be developed, for teachers in order to individually upgrade their digital skills to meet the needs of the current trends. The V-UPGRATeS project is based on the principles of a research cycle project and is panned to be completed in 30 months. The project supports highly the openness and accessibility of resources and promotes the PAPERLESS idea. During the time life of the project 6 main Intellectual Outputs will be developed: 1. An BENCHMARK SURVEY on the digital needs of the labour market , the training opportunities and the e-tools for teaching and learning will be collected. 2. The TRAINERS' AND TEACHERS' DIGITAL COMPETENCE REFERENCE FRAMEWORK (TEDICOREF) will be designed which will identify the essential digital skills teachers require to improve teaching and learning and raise the quality of education and raise learning outcomes. 3. The ICT-SKILLS-AUDIT will be designed for teachers’ digital competences assessment and design of their DIGITAL PROFESSIONAL PLAN. 4. An INNOVATIVE, INTERACTIVE and DYNAMIC TOOL/PLATFORM will be designed that will (a) manage and administer the comprehensive program designed for upgrading teachers ICT skills, (b) will record teachers profiles and skills, (c) analyse teachers’ current level of skills and generate data to support the development of teachers DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN to acquire the necessary e-skills and (d) collect and present various e-tools to support teaching and learning. 5. A e-LEARNING opportunities (asynchronous or synchronous) for each participant to design his DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN and validate at a later stage his skills. 6. The BLUE PRINT STRATEGY TOOL KIT for implementation and exploitation. In addition a dynamic dissemination strategy is planned with on-line debates, petition, info days, creation of ambassadors groups, open consultation with stakeholders etc. The setting up a DIGITAL ADVISORY GROUP from the initial stages of the project is regarded essential, as well as the PEER REVIEW and the OPEN CONSULATION between stakeholders. CPD is the key to success! The challenge for all is to create the challenging, motivational and approachable learning opportunities and to encourage VET trainers and teachers to keep up to date will all technological and educational advancements. Well-equipped, trained and supported educators will support the efforts of all MS to improve the quality of education, increase learning outcomes in an attempt to fight early school leaving, youth unemployment, reduce disparities, achieve better career guidance and skills match with the labour market. It is expected that the results of the project will not only influence the profiles of the teaching profession, but will introduce a new ideology in the upgrade of TTs with evidence based data generated from the dynamic tool. In this way CPD is oriented to the needs of each individual teacher while creating synergies with stakeholders to offer validation, recognition and incentives for further training.
V-UPGRATES is a comprehensive programme with which professionals in Vocational Education and Training (VET) can assess and improve their digital skills. Thus they are able to teach more effectively and are better equipped to prepare their students for the labour market. The V-UPGRATES interactive platform (IO4) provides the opportunity for participants to first take a skills audit in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)(IO3). Upon that they receive detailed test results and suggestions for specific V-UPGRATES online courses. Topics of the quiz and online courses are: - Internet security - Virtual learning platforms - Online communication tools - Media editing - Web publishing - Interactive technologies in the classroom. These topics are the results of a V-UPGRATES survey (IO1) among VET teachers. Moreover these empirical findings strongly correspond with Digital Competence Framework of the EU. Both reference systems have a focus on the management of one’s digital identity and reputation. Only if VET trainers and teachers are familiar with safeguarding of personal data, they are able to discuss with their pupils and e.g. to contribute to protect them from delicate online situations. Overview of the autonomous learning process of V-UPGRATES: Step 1: Test skills and knowledge with a multiple choice quiz Step 2: Improve with V-UPGRATES online courses Step 3: Evaluate with hands-on online tasks Upon successful completion of all steps, each user receives a V-UPGRATES certificate. It validates the non-formal learning results. On top the user can get in touch with other VET teachers and trainers, moreover he/she gets information about face-to-face IT courses in their area, to even deepen the competences acquired in the online procedure. All mentioned features are included in the V-UPGRATES interactive platform, which is to be found here: https://upgrates.vupgrates.eu . By the development and implementation of a self-regulated training process, the project consortium refers to findings of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) of the OECD (2013). According to this survey professionals in Vocational Education and Training have a significant need for more fully developed ICT skills (18%) and more effective incorporation of new technologies in the workplace (16%). Moreover TALIS shows that most VET teachers and trainers do not consider themselves digitally confident or able to teach digital skills effectively, with as many as 70% of respondents stating that they need more training. Project aims in a nutshell: • Improving the digital competences of VET professionals • Furthering the professional development of VET trainers and teachers, thus achieving a systemic impact on teaching quality and learning outcomes • Removing the most significant barriers to continuous professional development – namely schedule conflicts, a lack of incentives and prohibitive costs V-UPRATES was developed within 30 months by an international consortium consisting of seven partners (IT enterprises, schools, further training institutions, universities) from Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Romania and Germany. Coordinator is the Institute of Civic Education, Leibniz University Hannover in Germany. 14 multiplier events took place for VET professionals, decision makers on regional and national policy level and coordinators for continuous professional development. The website shows all events and it comprises more details to the above mentioned intellectual outcomes (IOs): https://vupgrates.eu/