The Drones4VET project aimed to provide VET students, as the final beneficiaries, with the necessary skills and competences to successfully integrate into the labour market. By designing and implementing a training programme aligned with the current and future needs of companies, the project sought to improve the technical capacity of students while addressing the specific demands of the construction sector. The training programme was also tailored to incorporate the new requirements of European legislation, ensuring that students would enter the workforce with up-to-date knowledge in compliance with existing regulations. In this sense, the project also aimed to improve the competitiveness of companies in the construction sector by creating new high-skilled job opportunities in a traditionally low-skilled sector and training workers ready for immediate employment. Moreover, Drones4VET aimed to address the declining popularity of construction-related studies by presenting the use of drones as a modern and attractive career option. The project sought to inspire young people to pursue vocational studies in construction, revitalising interest in a sector critical to economic and societal growth.
The Drones4VET project was conceived to address a critical gap in vocational education and training related to construction activities. Traditionally, VET training in this sector focuses on manual and on-site techniques for tasks such as surveillance, inspection, and assessment of civil works and construction sites. This conventional approach has remained largely unchanged for decades, failing to integrate the transformative potential of emerging technologies. With the rapid advancement of digital tools and hardware, drones have become a game-changer in the construction industry. Their applications range from aerial supervision and topography to cartography, preparatory works, and the early detection of structural anomalies. These innovations are increasingly adopted by companies, reshaping workflows and creating demand for professionals with drone-specific skills. However, existing training opportunities in this domain are scarce, fragmented, and often misaligned with industry needs. Besides, the introduction of new European regulations (2019/945 and 2019/947) at the beginning of 2021 has further highlighted the urgency of equipping VET students with updated knowledge and competencies. There were no Erasmus+ projects in the field