Project description
Promoting careers in photonics
Photonics is behind many innovations such as lasers, optical fibres and the cameras in our smartphones, as well as LED lighting in our cars, homes and computer screens and TVs. Given its potential to enhance innovation across several industries, it is included in Europe's key enabling technologies (KETs) of the 21st century. To support the growth, leadership and innovation potential in this area, Europe needs more well prepared professionals. The EU-funded CARLA project will create a rigorous and tested instrument to address this need at the source. It will develop a model for European photonics career camp, a reproducible two-day intense, multi-format event that will encourage STEM university students, PhD students and young postdocs to pursue a career in photonics. CARLA will work hand-in-hand with all the stakeholders in the design of the camps and it will assess the methodology and scalability through 11 editions across Europe, leading to a comprehensive handbook to facilitate replication as well as an empowering gender diversity guide with lessons obtained during the project.
Objective
Europe faces a situation in which the photonics industry is growing and needs more well-prepared professionals to support its growth, leadership and innovation potential. Addressing this pressing need requires engaging all photonics stakeholders to increase the visibility of the outstanding professional opportunities of photonics and provide the future workforce with tools to increase their employability.
CARLA aims to create a new, rigorous and tested instrument to address this need at the source. CARLA will develop a model for European photonics career camp –a reproducible 2-day intense, multi-format event– that 1) gets coordinated input from all stakeholders, 2) encourages STEM university students, PhD students and young postdocs to pursue a career in photonics and 3) can be replicated by other organisations. CARLA will create a robust, competitive and sustainable career camp that will serve as a ready-to-replicate tool, which will be tested through 11 editions implemented during the project. It will incorporate the dimensions of industry, academia, innovation,entrepreneurship, and better employability, putting special attention to empower gender diversity, both within the camps and in the future photonics workforce.
CARLA will realize this strong coordinated instrument by using a multidimensional strategy that integrates design, implementation, evaluation and sustainability. CARLA will work hand-in-hand through working groups with all the stakeholders in the design of the camps. It will organize 11 editions of the camp at the Pan-European level, in 10 different countries. It will assess the methodology and scalability of the camp, and evaluate its impact in the short, mid and long-term. Sustainability will be ensured through the engagement of influencers and multipliers, and develop a comprehensive handbook to facilitate replication. Furthermore, CARLA will produce an Empowering Gender Diversity guide with the lessons obtained during the project.
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
08860 Castelldefels
Spain