The project aimed to strengthen the capacity of vocational education and training (VET) systems to respond to digital transformation by integrating artificial intelligence competences in an accessible, ethical and practice-oriented way. The primary objective was to equip VET learners and teachers with the knowledge, skills and confidence to understand, apply and critically reflect on AI technologies relevant to real working environments. A key objective was to design and pilot a modular AI curriculum tailored to the needs of the VET sector, combining technical understanding, pedagogical application and ethical awareness. In parallel, the project sought to upskill VET teachers and trainers by providing innovative training formats and digital tools that could be directly transferred into everyday teaching practice. Another important objective was to strengthen cooperation between VET providers, businesses and other stakeholders through experiential learning methods, particularly the Virtual Living Lab approach. This enabled learners to engage with authentic challenges and practical AI use cases.
The project was initiated in response to clearly identified gaps in how artificial intelligence is understood, taught and applied within vocational education and training (VET). While AI-driven solutions are increasingly present in business, industry and public services, VET learners and teachers often lack structured opportunities to develop practical, ethical and pedagogically grounded AI competences. This mismatch risks widening the skills gap between labour market needs and VET provision. The consortium applied for this project to address several interrelated needs: the absence of coherent AI-related curricula in VET, limited digital and pedagogical readiness of VET teachers, and insufficient collaboration between education providers and real-world business contexts where AI is already in use. Additionally, many existing AI trainings focus on theory or advanced programming, making them inaccessible to a large part of the VET sector.