Beacon Project Erasmus

The pace of technological & digital change is having a deep impact on the job market, therefore it is no longer enough for secondary VET systems to equip learners with technical and professional skills & knowledge. The digital transformation of workplaces requires new generations to develop interdisciplinary skills related to: – new digital technologies -transversal skills, such as: research, analysis & interpretation of data; teamwork & communication; problem solving &critical thinking. A further factor of complexity emerges from the increasing urge that EU industry receives from the sustainable production policies, as described by the UN Agenda 2030 Goals and by the European Green Deal. As the VET sector is the main source for the recruitment of the future workforce, there’s an urgent need to train green skills in VET as well, so that VET providers can support & pair the transition towards a greener industrial & manufacturing process. BEACON project addresses such challenges by promoting work-based, digital & green innovation in the curricula of VET systems, which more than other education systems train professionals to be immediately integrated into the labour market. The project envisages the experimentation of new training programs that enhance: – work-based learning, exploiting learning environments that reproduce the work processes – Incidental Learning, according to the informal learning model (Marsick-Watkins,1990) as well as to the problem-based & context based learning approaches, which address the dynamic and everyday problems of the workplace – new digital technologies, using Beacon BLE technology as low-cost, low power & low maintenance HW devices integrated with a digital platform, a content management system (CMS) hosted on a server, and a smartphone/or tablet app to be downloaded for free by students & teachers, triggering Incidental Learning Paths. – simulation of green production & manufacturing processes in the learning environment, helping VET learners prepare for that sustainability mindset that’s needed for the EU economic growth & a smooth transition to the job market WBL is meant according to the EU “Council Recommendations on VET” as well as to the EU Toolkit (www.wbl-toolkit.eu): -WBL means acquisition of knowledge & skills through action in a vocational or business context -WBL can take place in a company, or within a school classroom, targeting vocational or job-related learning meeting the needs of EU industry -WBL involves a variety of actors, from schools & training centres to managers and technicians in the workplace.

TARGET GROUPS -VET learners in need to gain skills to support the twin digital & green transition of the job market, as well as transversal skills to drive innovation, while also preparing for a smooth entry in the job market -VET Teachers wishing to develop skills to design, test &validate for reuse new work-based & location-based training programs based on Incidental Learning in the workplace using Beacon technology. -VET School’s courses of study offering work-based learning paths, to be involved in the experimentation of new training programs

BEACON project’s results & outcomes will boost the capacity of the whole partnership, especially of VET and sector specific industrial sector, to attain goals set by EU Development Plan 2021-2027 with particular reference to: -WBL training approach, requiring learners to get familiar with the workplace processes, organizational logic & everyday problem solving. The development of work-based skills will benefit: Learners, being able to smoothly transition to the labour market after graduation; VET systems, which will be able to better match the job market demand offering more up to-date training programs; Business & Industrial Sectors, able to co-design high-demand WBL training paths together with VET providers – Digital Skills integrated with the work-based learning environment, benefitting: Learners, being able to gain high-demand skills relevant for the job market; Trainers & Teachers, being able to upgrade their professional skills gaining up-to-date skills & teaching/learning methodologies; VET systems, which will be able to better match the job market demand offering more up-to-date training programs; – Green Skills integrated with the work-based learning environment, benefitting: Learners, being able to gain high-demand skills relevant for the job market; Trainers & Teachers, being able to upgrade their professional skills gaining up-to-date skills & teaching/learning methodologies; VET systems, which will be able to better match the job market demand offering more up-to-date training programs; Business & Industrial Sector, who will hire well-prepared workforce able to drive the transition to a more sustainable production model.

The Project will develop:

-Result 1. Development of the full Beacon Digital Integrated System, consisting of:

a. Beacon HW (around five Beacons to be physically installed in school labs or in the training workplace

b. a digital platform for storage & transmission of sector-specific learning contents (CMS – Content Management System)

c. an application for mobile devices (smartphones/tablets/pads) able to receive push notifications from nearby Beacons, downloading multimedia information related to the work-based, context-based Incidental Learning Path

Beacon APP on Google Play Store

Beacon APP on Apple Store

PR1 will also design the Incidental Learning Cycle, meant as a training program triggered by an unpredictable event/problem (artificially caused for learning purposes) requiring learners to face different Beacon-guided phases: 1) troubleshooting 2) analysis of the possible causes and search for clues 2) problem solving & testing of possible solutions; 3) validating or looking for alternative solutions 4) discussing the outcomes

-Results 2-3-4-5

Beacon-triggered, context-based & location-based Incidental Learning Programs. Each one will focus on sector & country specific Industrial Sectors, taking place in the school labs, training facilities or company’s workplace. Training activities of each PR will start from the Beacon signals triggering the Incidental Learning Cycle, and will focus on how make more GREEN & DIGITAL any aspect related to PRODUCT / PROCESS / ORGANIZATION.

Dissemination Kit

Beacon Flyer (English)

Beacon Flyer (Italian)

Beacon Poster

Beacon Roll Up

Newsletters

Beacon Newsletter 1 – English

Beacon Newsletter 1 – Romanian

Beacon Newsletter 1 – Italian

Beacon Newsletter 1 – Portuguese

Beacon Newsletter 1 – Spanish

Beacon Newsletter 2 – English