The B2B project aimed to contribute to the digital transformation of the higher education system and to bridge the gap between higher education systems and the labor market by improving digital skills in higher education institutions (HEIs) to better prepare teachers and students or recent graduates. The partners sought to demonstrate a potential approach to create real change in higher education systems, making them more modern and aligned with labor market needs. The B2B aimed to achieve the following OBJECTIVES: - contribute to the development of a higher education learning system that better meets the demands of the current market by incorporating digital activities and tools into daily teaching/learning practices in higher education; - train higher education teachers with skills and pedagogical tools related to new digital environments and improve the efficiency of their teaching; - educate higher education students in valuable digital skills for the workplace; - create a pilot teaching-learning system more aligned with the current most needed digital skills in the labor market; - train teachers and students on crucial topics such as online security and data protection.
The pandemic highlighted that many higher education teachers, forced to adapt their daily work to online environments, lack "digital preparation," which resulted in many frustrating attempts to adapt, increased workload, and stress. If teachers are not digitally prepared, they also do not impart important digital skills to students that are necessary for the job market. Higher education students use digital tools every day, but not in a professional manner, and the majority lack digital skills that would enhance their employability profile. This is particularly important as many companies are increasingly adopting a digital work environment. The NEEDS related to the digital transformation in higher education systems were: • Modernization and updating of teaching practices in higher education, especially among less digitally prepared teachers. • Improving students' skills in valuable digital competencies for work. • Better alignment between market needs and the skills developed during higher education. • Enhanced awareness of online security. • Improved cooperation between higher education systems and the job market.