The COVID-19 virus has shown that Smart Working is essential in critical situations but can be adapted even after the pandemic to avoid pollution and work more efficiently. A lot of people trainers and end users especially with disadvantages are not able to understand and apply the technology and prepare themselves psychologically and physically for the new way of working. The recognision of the issues to combatting COVID-19 will grow and the inclusion of disadvantaged members of society will be even more crucial. It is unclear how the world will be effected by COVID-19 in the long term but a new recognition of the importance of social distancing and the environmental benefits of reducing travel are creating an upward trend to the popularity of working from home, or Smart Working. Therefor supporting the uptake of innovative approaches and digital technologies for teaching and learning becomes fundamental to society itself. The project introducing systematic approach to, and opportunities for, the initial and continuous professional development of VET teachers which work with disadvantaged (Disabled, NEETs, rural communities, economical & health issues). We will exchange good practise with a work-based setting to develop a guidelines (e-book) & pathway for digital and practical tools in SmartWorking. This will raise the attractiveness of the professions for VET teachers , trainers, mentors and leaders, especially in VET organisations working with disadvantage students. The project aims to deliver outputs appropriate for VET trainers, mentors and leaders which work with disadvantaged and disabled members of society. To combat the threat of COVID-19 and social distancing and the consequential growing trend of working from home, that is Smart Working. The group of disadvantaged students are a difficult to reach one at the best of times, and suffor of social isolation, now with the COVID-19 issues there are even more at risk of isolation. It is crucial that we have trained VET teachers, trainers and mentor which have the correct skill to firstly be able to do SmartWorking themselves, but secondly be able to provide the disadvantage students with the right skills to tackle the challenges. It needs a systematic approach . The partnership will share good practise and create a guideline book for SmartWorking considering the physiological aspects and difficulties of working with disadvantaged students. Research carried out by the European Commission “Shaping Europe’s digital future” explained how Shaping "A European approach to digital transformation means empowering and including every citizen, strengthening the potential of every business and meeting global challenges with our European core values." The Digital Innovation Hubs are putting digital technology to work on real-world problems. On 25 March 2020 the Hub exchanged ideas on how to swiftly help with the consequences of the COVICOVID-19 crisis through collaboration tools, video conferencing, delivery and payment solutions, and uptake of technology that makes a real difference to people’s daily lives. A strong and competitive economy that masters and shapes technology in a way that respects European values and includes disadvantaged and disabled members of society are an important group of society who are excluded from these solutions to combat COVID-19. This needs a development of partnerships which are able to promote the digital tools in work environment. We will train the partnership VET trainer in work-based learning through our blended Transnational Meetings and on-line on digital tools useful for SmartWorking, including e-conferencing, webinars, interviews, video curriculum, etc. The 60 VET trainers participants in the Blended transnational meetings will then train locally 5 Vet trainers (25 total) working with disadvantaged students. The project is 24 months and involved 5 organisation from Italy, the UK, Romania and Austria.
Our project’s main objective was to create a solid pathway for VET teachers, trainers, mentors, and student volunteers in Smart working to support disadvantaged learners and foster social and digital inclusion. We supported teachers/trainers/mentors in the sector to uptake innovative approaches (digital, blended and student centred) and digital technologies in teaching and learning thus creating high quality learning experiences that could overcome the skills mismatch, specifically digital skills, in a period of deep changes as the pandemic period. Our project collaborated to foster inclusion and combat isolation, especially for disadvantaged students that during the pandemic period were not easily reached and engaged.
The global pandemic showed us that Smart Working is essential in critical situations and that the changes brought were not temporary but permanent, affecting society even after the pandemic period. With the project “Smart working” we addressed the needs of trainers/teachers/mentors and end users especially students with disadvantages that were not able to understand and apply the technology and prepare themselves psychologically and physically for the new way of working and learning. We provided our target groups with the skills, knowledge, and competences they required. The trainers/teachers/mentors needed to understand how effective training could be carried out even at distance with the use of innovative methodologies. We allowed them to learn to be comfortable in the use of digital tools for training and work-based activities to improve their learning environments and reach in an improved way the students, especially the disadvantaged ones (social, geographical, economic obstacles, educational difficulties, health problems) that lived a deep change and isolation during the pandemic period.