The project aimed to: 1) Identify SMEs’ workforce needs in digital marketing to define precise learning requirements; 2) Based on the previous, develop a transversal curriculum aligning with labour market demands and critical student learning areas; 3) Initiate digitalization for less experienced teachers and enhance pioneering teachers through tailored material and collaborative training; 4) Based on curriculum outlines developed in 2), design five essential digital marketing training modules (á 5ects) 5) Implement these courses broadly among business students. The project primarily targeted teachers and students in Poland, Finland, the Netherlands, and Portugal, to engage a significant proportion of European HEI and VET educators and learners. It extended its appeal beyond business faculties, reaching disciplines such as engineering and ICT, which also contribute skilled graduates to the business sector.
We applied for this project to address the critical gap in digital marketing skills among business graduates, which is particularly critical to SMEs striving for digital transformation. Digitalization, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has underscored the need for competent human resources capable of operating in digital customer platforms. However, HEIs often fail to equip students with these skills due to insufficient collaboration with companies and outdated curricula, or lack of digital skills by teachers. The DEMS project aimed to tackle this issue by fostering a market-oriented approach that integrates input from SMEs, business teachers, and students. By focusing on the digitalization of business teachers, it aims to create innovative curricula and methodologies to enhance students' e-competences, preparing them to meet the growing demand for digital marketing expertise in both local and international contexts. This aligns with our goal to bridge the skills gap and second, support sustainable business practices through digitalization.