The industry is crucial to Europe's economy. It contributes to Europeans' prosperity through business in global and local value chains and also provides jobs. The development of science and technology in recent times is hosting major changes with the emergence of new key concepts, i.g. micro/nano-electronics. In view of the above, there is a global race for talent and the European workforce needs to acquire high-level skills needed to continuously improve and boost employability and competitiveness. [1] The EU industrial policy has defined Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) as a relevant area for scientific innovation. KETs are a basic source for innovation that provides indispensable technological elements for the development of a wide range of new materials, products, and services with great added value. In particular, six KETs were identified in 2009: Advanced manufacturing technologies, advanced materials, nanotechnology, micro and nano-electronics, industrial biotechnology and photonics. [2] KETs should have substantial impact in terms of creating high quality jobs, improving people's lives and creating future prosperity, since they could be applied to all sectors and industries: chemicals, textiles, healthcare, etc. However, one of the major weaknesses of Europe lies in its inability to translate the knowledge base into specific goods and services. Stakeholders report a gap between the skills that are supplied by educational institutions and the skills that are actually required by the industry. The current educational programmes focus mainly on technical skills, while the professionals involved in KETs need to prove their ability to hold a mixture of both technical and non-technical skills. Consequently, the main objective of this project is to transfer KETs to Vocational Education and Training through the development of innovative and open learning content. High capacities cannot be developed and implemented in the markets if students and workers do not have the necessary competences and/or skills, both technical related to chemistry, computer sciences, etc., and non-technical skills as entrepreneurship, communication, innovation, etc. The BRACKET project will bring together an innovative partnership in 6 European Countries (Croatia, Latvia, Poland, Spain, Greece and Slovenia) composed by 7 partners: VET providers, research centres, universities, companies and associations with wide experience in the subject of KETs and Education. Further in detail, the BRACKET Consortium will be focused on 3 KETs: nanotechnology, biotechnology and advanced materials, according to their expertise. To this end, the BRACKET Consortium has defined the following specific objectives (SO): SO1. To study and analyse the incoming trends regarding KETs and competences necessaries to foster its implementation and work in VET. SO2. To design and develop a Joint Curriculum (JCV) for developing and fostering new skills on VET students (initial or continued VET) with the participation of stakeholders, experts and Universities with experience in these enabling technologies as well as in non-technical skills. SO3. To deliver JCV on e-learning OER platform and protect it under open licenses. SO4. To break boundaries among VET students, workers and experts in KETs, creating common procedures and defining skills. SO5. To equip VET users and other target users with the right skills and knowledge about KETs from today and tomorrow and to foster a sustainable and innovative development. SO6. To create new job opportunities for people with the necessary skills in the field of KETs. To achieve these objectives, the partnership will carry out the following activities: -A Key Study on technical and transversalls skills and competences needed in VET in terms of KETs. -The Development of a Joint Curriculum with the integration of different learning modules and innovative approaches. -The creation of learning and training materials together with methods, pedagogical approaches and tools. -The implementation of a training and collaborative e-learning platform to ensure that all materials developed are certainly deployed by creating an open online course. The project will carry out its own assessment, and a wide D&E Plan to spread its results among as many interested parties as possible. BRACKET will also address transversal skills such as entrepreneurship, innovation and digital competences. In terms of long term benefits of BRACKET: -BRACKET will increase the labour market relevance of VET position and will reduce skills mismatches and shortages among the identified target groups (VET students, industry experts, trade associations, Research Centres, etc.) -Results will strengthen the duration and training path of workers, equipping them with all necessary competences and skills to develop a high quality job in the target sectors. [1]http://ec.europa.eu/research/industrial_technologies/pdf/re_finding_industry_022018.pdf [2]COM(2009)512
Key Enabling Technologies (hereafter “KETs”) are the technologies that enable process, goods and service innovation throughout the economy. KETs currently include Micro-/Nanoelectronics, Nanotechnology, Photonics, Advanced Materials, Industrial Biotechnology and Advanced Materials. All these technologies are knowledge-intensive and associated with high R&D intensity, rapid innovation cycles, high capital expenditure and highly skilled employment. KETs have the potential for application in all sectors and industries, including aeronautics, automotive, engineering, chemicals, textiles, space, construction, healthcare and agriculture. KETs are the “technology building blocks” behind a wide range of innovations, such as 3D printers, LED lighting, advanced robotics, bio-based products, smart phones, nanodrugs, smart textiles, etc. KETs have become a priority in European industry policies in order to accelerate the exploitation processes of these technologies within the European Union (EU) and foster growth in the industrial and working fields. Thus, the Commission is working towards several initiatives as part of the strategy to increase the KETs deployment activities. However, one of the major weakness of Europe lies in ability to transfer the knowledge base into specific goods and services. Stakeholders report a gap between the skills that are supplied by educational institutions and the skills that are actually required by industry. The current educational programmes focus mainly on technical skills, while professionals involved in KETs need to demonstrate an adaptive blend of both technical and non-technical skills, such as entrepreneurial skills, financing, team work, etc. Consequently, the main objective of this project was to transfer KETs to Vocational Education and Training (VET) through the development of innovative and open learning content in terms of KETs. High capacities cannot be developed and implemented in the markets if students and workers do not have the necessary competences and/or skills, both technical related to chemistry, computer sciences, etc., and non-technical skills, such as entrepreneurship, innovation, team work etc. For that purpose, BRACKET brought together a Consortium with different organizations and associations that include KETs experts, companies, universities and research centres with experience in the subject of KETs and Education. Consortium decided to focus the effort in three KETs - are nanotechnology, biotechnology and advanced materials - in order to guarantee a more detailed content. Key results implemented through the project partners are: - Developed study and analyse of the incoming trends regarding KETs and competences necessary to foster its implementation and work in VET. - Developed Joint Curriculum (JCV) for developing and fostering new skills for VET students (initial or continued VET) with the participation of stakeholders, experts and universities with experience in these enabling technologies as well as in non-technical skills. - Developed training content divided to five key areas: 1. Introduction on Key Enabling Technologies; 2. Nanotechnology; 3. Biotechnology; 4. Advanced Materials; 5. Innovation Regarding Key Enabling Technologies, as well as the training modules: lecturing materials, presentations, videos, etc. - The partners developed the training content in English and translated it into all the Consortium languages. - Parallelly to the development of the training material, the e-learning platform was designed and implemented according to the training path and the learner's necessities and then, all content was successfully integrated. - Developed functional collaborative platform - OER platform which is protected under open license Creative Commons with the "Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license". - All the training contents were discussed and agreed through 6 translational meetings which were held every six months organised by different partners. Three meetings were held live and three online due to COVID restrictions. - 7 multiplier events were organized and conducted - some were held in small groups, some online, where e-learning contents and collaborative platforms were presented to potential interested users from industry, educational institutions, etc. All these activities have aroused considerable interest from various target users, and in the long run will have a positive impact to break boundaries among VET students, workers and experts in KETs, to create new job opportunities for people with the necessary skills in the field of KETs and to foster a sustainable and innovative development.