EU is on the brink of a new industrial revolution, Industry 4.0 (I4.0), which will boost the productivity and value added of European industries and stimulate economic growth. Through its Digital Single Market Strategy, the European Commission encourages all industrial sectors to exploit new technologies and manage a transition to a smart, I4.0 industrial system. Such a new technology that provide great benefits for I4.0 implementation is the drone technology (DT). I4.0 offers huge opportunities for entrepreneurs and, in order to seize them, the key competences related to DT must be strengthened, in both initial VET and continuing VET. As the development of these skills is not commonly supported by VET programs, there is an urgent need for new suitable teaching tools. For social vulnerable groups, new technologies can improve the prospects to start a new business and I4.0 and DT can improve social inclusion. But, for this, customized teaching materials is needed. Also, according to World Economic Forum (The Industry Gender Gap) the I4.0 presents an unprecedented opportunity to narrow the industry genders gap. The main objectives of the project are: 1. To support the implementation of I4.0 in EU through development of technological entrepreneurship, by strengthening the key competences related to DT, in both initial VET and continuing VET. 2. To help individuals to acquire and develop high quality skills and key competences, including entrepreneurial and digital skills, that allows them to take advantage of the huge I4.0 opportunities by starting up their own business. 3. To promote social inclusion and gender-balance by enhancing the access, participation and learning performance of disadvantaged learners and women. In order to achieve these objectives, the partners will produce the Intellectual Outputs (IO) described below in addition. Also, they will carry out extensive activities for dissemination and valorisation. The partners in the project are: 1. Ludor Engineering (Romania) – applicant, SME with expertise in I4.0, DT, technological entrepreneurship 2. University Politehnica of Bucharest (Romania) - Technical university; Curricula & course-ware expert 3. Danmar Computers LLC (Poland) – SME with expertise in e-learning, ITC, VET 4. Ke.Di.Vi.M2 KAINOTOMIA (Greece) – VET provider with expertise in social inclusion 5. Istituto per la Formazione, l'Occupazione e la Mobilità (Italy) – VET provider 6. Cervi Robotics (Poland) – SME, drone expert The target groups are: - VET teachers, trainers and mentors and VET providing organizations - VET students/learners, including people with fewer opportunities The IOs developed within the project are: 1. Guidelines on the use of Drones in VET – a brochure on the use of DT in VET, with guidelines and case studies, also including topics related to disabled and sensitive social groups. It will be available as Open Educational Resources (OER) in 5 languages (EN, RO, PL, GR, IT). 2. Guidelines on Industry 4.0 and Drone Entrepreneurship for VET students - a brochure on I4.0 and drone based business ideas and opportunities will be issued. It will help VET students and VET graduates to identify opportunities and to start their own business taking advantage of drone technology. It will be available as OER in 5 languages (EN, RO, PL, GR, IT). 3. Drone Technology Curricula - a new VET curricula will be generated, aimed to prepare students to take advantage of the drone industry. It will benefit from the complementary expertise of the project partners. 4. Learning Management System (LMS) – a multilingual LMS will be developed to make the course content free and easily accessible. It will also include trainer guidelines, and evaluation tools. The content will be customized for the needs of disabled and sensitive social groups. It will be available in 5 languages (EN, RO, PL, GR, IT), The expected impact on project target groups is: 1. VET teachers, trainers and mentors - the gaining of new teaching skills and their continuing professional development. 2. VET providing organizations - will be able to expand their curricular training offer and to attract more students with a topic that is both closely related to the labor market needs, appealing to the young and women participants, suitable for disabled people. 3. VET students/learners - are expected to increase their desire to step in the entrepreneurship world and to improve their chances to succeed On the longer term, we expect the following benefits: 1. Raising the awareness about the huge potential of I4.0 and DT based entrepreneurship 2. Increase the motivation and enhance the opportunities to study I4.0 and DT and to start related businesses, for students 3. Reduction of early school leaving, by providing an attractive training alternative 4. Boost the interest of female students in technology 5. Increase the number of businesses started by disabled people 6. Increase EU competitiveness on the drone global market
EU is on the brink of a new industrial revolution, Industry 4.0 (I4.0), which will boost the productivity and value added of European industries and stimulate economic growth. Through its Digital Single Market Strategy, the European Commission encourages all industrial sectors to exploit new technologies and manage a transition to a smart, I4.0 industrial system. Such a new technology that provide great benefits for I4.0 implementation is the drone technology (DT). I4.0 offers huge opportunities for entrepreneurs and, in order to seize these, the key competences related to DT must be strengthened in both initial VET and continuing VET. As the development of these skills is not commonly supported by VET programs, there is an urgent need for new suitable teaching tools. The new technologies are allowing the access of social vulnerable groups to a wider range of business opportunities, I4.0 and DT having the potential to improve significantly the social inclusion. However, customized teaching materials is needed in order to untap this potential. Also, according to World Economic Forum (The Industry Gender Gap) the I4.0 presents an unprecedented opportunity to narrow the industry genders gap. The main objectives of the project were: 1. To support the implementation of I4.0 in EU through development of technological entrepreneurship, by strengthening the key competences related to DT, in both initial VET and continuing VET. 2. To help individuals to acquire and develop high quality skills and key competences, including entrepreneurial and digital skills, that allows them to take advantage of the huge I4.0 opportunities by starting up their own business. 3. To promote social inclusion and gender-balance by enhancing the access, participation and learning performance of disadvantaged learners and women. To achieve these goals, the partners conducted the following activities: - development of “Guidelines on the use of Drones in VET”, - a brochure including guidelines, case studies and topics related to disabled and sensitive social groups. It was released as Open Educational Resource (OER), with ISBN number. - development of “Guidelines on Industry 4.0 and Drone Entrepreneurship for VET students” - a brochure on I4.0 and drone based business ideas and opportunities aimed at helping VET students and VET graduates to identify opportunities and to start their own business taking advantage of drone technology. It was released as OER, with ISBN number. - preparation of “Drone Technology Curricula” - a new VET curricula designed to prepare VET students to take advantage of the opportunities created by the drone revolution - creation of Drone Technology course content according to “Drone Technology Curricula” - preparation of “DT Trainer Guideline“, a training manual designed to equip VET Trainers, teachers and educators with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitude in order to use the eduDrone Learning Management System (LMS) and its modules. It’s designed to actively involve the participants in the learning process and includes information on creating conditions for learning on a group that is socially excluded such as people with disabilities and how the trainer can include them in the learning process. - building of Learning Management System (LMS) – a multilingual LMS that makes course content easily and freely accessible to the public. It also includes trainer guidelines and evaluation and certification tools. - evaluation and piloting activities to ensure the quality of the intellectual outputs - translation of all intellectual outputs - release of intellectual outputs in 5 languages (EN, RO, PL, GR, IT) as Open Educational Resources (OER) - extensive dissemination and valorisation activities. The project has directly impacted on the target groups. VET teachers, trainers and mentors gained new teaching skills and have received new tools for their continuing professional development. With the new developed materials, VET providing organizations are able to expand their curricular training offer and to attract more students with a topic that is both closely related to the labour market needs, appealing to the young and women participants and suitable for disabled people. VET students/learners increased their desire to step in the entrepreneurship world and their chances to succeed are bigger now thanks to the useful information provided by the project. The project long terms benefit are as follows: - raising the awareness about the huge potential of I4.0 and DT based entrepreneurship - increasing the students' motivation and enhancing their opportunities to study I4.0 and DT and to start related businesses - reducing the early school leaving, by providing an attractive training alternative - boosting the interest of female students in technology - increasing the number of businesses started by disabled people, by providing relevant ideas and case studies - increasing EU competitiveness