Whether the change is towards more distance learning, a return to more face-to-face learning or a consolidation of a hybrid mode, it is essential to do so in an innovative way. It is therefore crucial for SMEs and VET providers to have tools and policies that help to mediate the process of change in order to ensure digital transformation by enabling them to be prepared, resilient and digitally capable from all personal and professional perspectives. To achieve this, the project Work4Future aimed to share a set of techniques and advice on how to behave in a virtual environment, how to overcome the difficulties posed by remote working and the effect on personal life, including techniques to maintain team spirit between colleagues, to be more digitally literate, more resilient, motivated to lead and to develop one's capabilities. This new approach will raise awareness of the new form of team management and enhance the knowledge and skills of training professionals and senior managers (coaches), all from the project W4F interactive platform.
Given the rapid digitisation of businesses during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an urgent need to train employers and employees in digital skills and to teach them how to work, live and do business in a digital environment, in order to keep up with production and consumption trends and boost their competitiveness. This work could not be carried out without the help and support of VET providers, who are the key players in training and retaining skilled employees, in order to accelerate best practice in SMEs in terms of collaboration, flexibility, inclusion and empowerment in the 'new normal'. However, there was a lack of information and training for the workforce, in particular to keep them motivated and operational in increasingly virtual environments, within teams working remotely, but for which a framework appeared necessary to prevent any drift.