FIT4FoF has developed and validated a new educational and training framework for advanced manufacturing, placing the worker at the center of the co-design process for the first time. We have created Communities of Practice to support the upskilling process and developed an education framework, which these communities piloted in real world environments. The pilots performed across a diverse range of industrial sectors, level of worker and cultures. The COVID-19 pandemic required the educational framework to be modified to support execution in an online environment which has proven to be a successful evolution of the framework.
The FIT4FoF approach yielded the following results:
Analyses trends and detailed ‘picture’ of skills gaps: 117 new job profiles were identified and characterized through an exhaustive literature review and analysis of recruitment repositories. As part of this work, a new web tool, the Upskilling Analysis Tool, was developed to support the automatic analysis of the upskilling needs, taking advantage of correlating the identified job profiles to the technological trends, skills, and training programs. This enabled an automated matching of trends, skills and job profiles thus allowing companies to identify upskilling needs based on these future trends.
Knowledge Exchange on Education & Skills: FIT4FoF compiled a catalogue of regional skills initiatives, resulting in over 50 initiatives registered in its Digital Upskilling Initiatives Catalogue. FIT4FoF partners held three comprehensive knowledge exchange workshops, as well as up joint and standalone Knowledge Transfer Events with engaged collaborators and many participants between July and November 2021
Interdisciplinary Education/Training Framework: FIT4FoF analyzed existing practices in assessing learners plus determining skills requirements of companies and learners prior to engaging in a training program. From this work a framework was developed, and a dataset of tools was compiled, which formed the basis for the approaches used during the co-design process in workshops and in the pilots.
Modular, reusable educational material: More than 50 sets of training material were compiled from the consortium partners. From this the ICoED (Industrial Collaborative Educational Design) co-design model was built, the main elements in the ICoED co-design approach were developed; a learner-oriented design approach and a definition of its relevant stakeholders. This process was used in 42 workshops with the 4 pilot partners and the 3 replication pilot partners to create the seven co-designed educational blueprints that were foundation for the pilots.
Demonstrate, Validate and Replicate FIT4FoF successfully completed a total of seven industry and replication pilots through the complete cycle from foresight to training execution and implementation, building upon the co-designed blueprint. Data collected from the partner pilots indicated the approach is very adaptable and accessible to all parties regardless of the roles they play in the process. The inclusion of the worker in the process gave them more control over their own training tasks and an influence on the larger upskilling roadmap.
Alliance of Communities of Practice: FIT4FoF formed an alliance of communities of practice across the consortium and build mechanisms to connect this to other existing networks, including the Skillman sector skills alliance. The partners undertook knowledge exchange and knowledge transfer workshops to mature these communities, using a dissemination campaign which broadened the awareness across larger Europe networks.
