BACKGROUND: The "digital revolution" means a change in economy and society being comparable to the transition from industrial to service society. The increasing digitalization of the world of work and the introduction of new technologies, systems and processes are changing the way in which companies work and, as a result, the competence requirements to the staff. New technologies require new skills that significantly exceed the traditional job profiles. The change of automotive companies from repair shops to quality service companies requires e.g. technicians with diagnostic and repair skills for computer-aided integrated vehicle technology as well as high methodical competence. At the same time, in view of the increasing shortage of skilled labour, VET must become more attractive to young people - above all through interesting new content, participatory forms of learning and access to innovative (digital) tools in the classroom. This is where our project "Good Practice on the Move" starts. The exemplary solutions developed in the past five years in the context of various innovation projects that dealt with digitalization and technological innovations in VET (e.g. curricula development, new learning content, materials and media, as well as redesign of professions and strengthening permeability VET-HE) are now to be assessed in terms of practical viability in the regular VET, prepared for use across the EU (in the various systems) and institutionally anchored. The PROJECT OBJECTIVE is to point out perspectives for the successful integration of digitalization and innovative technologies in VET - exemplarily for the automotive sector. The project aims to: *increase the quality, labor market relevance & sustainability of VET courses in automotive professions, *strengthen the institutional capacity of VET schools, *improve transparency & permeability between VET and higher education and *promote the cooperation of educational institutions. TARGET GROUPS comprise the management and teaching staff for automotive professions in the VET schools (but also universities), as well as public authorities as regulatory bodies that set the framework conditions. Final beneficiaries are the trainees in automotive professions and the companies in th sector. The PROJECT PARTNERSHIP brings together VET schools, universities and associations from seven EU countries (AT, DE, FR, HR, IT, LT, PL), all with long-term experience and vast expertise in the automotive sector. PROJECT ACTIVITIES: The project pools together good practice and new approaches for VET development and VET-HE cooperation from seven EU countries and assesses them in terms of usability for EU-wide transfer and institutional anchoring. In doing so, we combine the work with local & regional actors and transnational exchange. The findings feed into concepts for capacity building of institutions, as well as into conclusions and recommendations for the further development of VET systems. Accompanying PR and dissemination will make the project and its results largely visible. When working with the various stakeholder groups (politicians and public bodies, education providers and business actors), we interlock several levels of influence: teaching practice - competences of teaching staff - institutional capacities of the VET schools. RESULTS comprise: *the use of innovative content, methods, materials and tools in teaching practice and their integration in curricula; *improved teacher competences in dealing with new content, materials and tools; *closer cooperation between VET and HE institutions and improved permeability between VET and HE to open-up more opportunities for learners; *concepts for capacity building of VET schools and increased international cooperation and *improvements in competence development of apprentices. IMPACT includes: *a higher quality and attractiveness of VET (new skills for new jobs), *strengthened capacities of the VET schools (innovative curricula, forms of learning, models and media, etc.) and *increased competitiveness of automotive companies (making use of of well-trained professionals). Through addressing stakeholders with regulatory competence, the project also influences the VET systems (for example, answering the question of how future technologies should be reflected in education). In this way, VET is capable of fulfilling its function as growth engine in the long term. The LONG-TERM BENEFIT is an economic one, a social one and a societal one: It means increased competitive power in the automotive industry, attractive employment opportunities for young skilled workers, more service quality for consumers, widespread use of digital solutions to expüand functionality and value in use, but also to strengthen environmental protection. Finally, new technologies become an integral part of the society and their command an essential element of quality of life.
The increasing digitalization of the world of work and the introduction of new technologies, systems and processes are changing the way in which companies work and, as a result, the competence requirements to the staff. New technologies require new skills that significantly exceed the traditional job profiles. The change of automotive companies from repair shops to quality service companies defines the need for technicians with diagnostic and repair skills for computer-aided integrated vehicle technology, general knowledge (e.g. on safety and environmental protection) as well as high methodical competence. At the same time, in view of the increasing shortage of skilled labour, VET must become more attractive to young people - above all through interesting new content, participatory forms of learning and access to innovative (digital) tools in the classroom. This is where our project "Good Practice on the Move" starts. The PROJECT OBJECTIVE was to show perspectives for a successful integration of digitalisation and innovative technologies in vocational education – exemplarily for the automotive sector, as a contribution to strengthening the attractiveness, quality and sustainability of vocational education and training, innovation excellence and ultimately the competitiveness of the European economy - in line with the EU's "Europe 2020" strategy. TARGET GROUPS comprised the management and teaching staff in VET and higher education, as well as the regulatory bodies. FINAL BENEFICIARIES were the trainees in automotive professions and the companies in the sector. Under the lead of the BGZ Berliner Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit mbH, the PROJECT PARTNERS - VET schools, universities and associations from seven EU countries (Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania and Poland) - all with long-term experience and vast expertise, joined forces to bring together a range of innovative materials and tools on digitisation and new technologies tob e used in VET, tested them for quality, practicality and transfer potential along jointly developed indicators and documented them in a good practice catalogue. Joint learning activities in the project (virtual and face-to-face) served mutual learning and supported the competence acquisition of the partners involved. In parallel, we discussed with education stakeholders, researchers, representatives of companies and sector associations as well as public authorities on the institutional anchoring of new digital technologies and digital learning forms in regular education (in curricula and teaching practice), on capacity building and internationalisation of education providers and on the further development of the VET systems. The findings from the work with trainees, students, teachers and stakeholders from education, science, business, politics and administration were and are used for the further development of materials and tools and for the capacity building. Accompanying PR and dissemination (project website and internet presences of the partners, portals, social media, project events, information in networks, etc.) made the project and its results largely visible. The RESULT is a catalogue of materials/tools for teaching new technologies in VET, indicators of good practice, questionnaires and advice on capacity building as well as lessons learned. The participating institutions use the materials and tools in the training and intensify their international cooperation. The improved competences of teachers, the closer cooperation between VET and higher education and the strengthened international exchange provide benefit both to students and teachers. The project has reached 620 people directly & 770 potentially interested. Through dissemination activities, another 3.000 actors have already benefited. IMPACT comprises more understanding of digitisation and its effects, more interest in the training courses among young people and an increase in the quality of VET in automotive professions, further development of occupational profiles, better permeability between vocational training and higher education. And through apporaching the system level, the project also influenced the regulatory VET systems. The LONG-TERM BENEFIT is an economic one, a social one and a societal one: It means increased competitiveness in the automotive industry, attractive employment opportunities for young skilled workers, more service quality for consumers, widespread use of digital solutions to expand functionality and value in use, but also to strengthen environmental protection. Finally, new technologies become an integral part of the society and their command an essential element of quality of life.