By implementing this project, we aimed to improve the quality and relevance of welding education in vocational and technical upper secondary schools. Our main objective was to modernise teaching and learning processes by introducing more practice-based, innovative and up-to-date methods aligned with current labour market needs. We sought to strengthen teachers’ professional competences in modern welding techniques and enable them to integrate new methods and technologies into their lessons. Another key objective was to support students in developing practical skills that would increase their employability after graduation. Through the development of training videos, practical modules and guidance materials, we aimed to promote learning by doing and seeing. In addition, by cooperating with vocational schools from different European countries, we intended to exchange good practices, enhance intercultural cooperation and contribute to a shared understanding of quality in vocational education and training.
We applied for this project in order to find solutions to the main challenges we face in the welding education process in the vocational and technical upper secondary schools where we work. As school staff, our evaluations showed that the curricula and teaching methods used in the field of welding do not sufficiently meet current industry needs, and that practice-oriented content and visually supportive educational materials are limited. The fact that rapidly developing welding techniques used in the metal, machinery and steel construction sectors are not adequately reflected in course content negatively affects our students’ employability after graduation. Through this project, our aim is to make the teaching and learning processes in welding more practice-based, innovative and up to date. The lack of training videos and practical materials that support learning by doing and seeing formed the main starting point of this project. In addition, cooperation with vocational education schools across Europe was targeted in order to share good practices and improve the overall quality of education.