Abstract:

This paper summarizes one of the main results about the work in progress in the framework of the European project IoToAI - "From the Internet of Things to Artificial Intelligence - A Vocational Education Training (VET) for business in the digital era)”. This project aims to develop specific and innovative training for modernising workers and students’ profiles thanks to the introduction of the Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) in the digital era. It will contribute to a higher quality of education and training offering by developing different training paths for VET students and attracting HE (Higher Education) graduates to an innovative VET. The results of this project will also benefit the industry, since the technicians will have the chance to apply the knowledge acquired in the training course within their factories or sectors, as they would be part of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) departments in charge. At the same time, young employees with a completely different professional background and high ICT affinity will be coming forward.

The work in this paper is the result of the first goal in the IoToAI project: to analyse the current official Vocational Educational Training (VET) curricula related with ICT, in order to identify the gaps regarding new technologies that potentially can support the digitalisation of the enterprises at a technical level and to provide useful recommendations to VET authorities. This analysis has been performed in three steps. Firstly, the identification of the KETs for driving the digital transformation.Secondly the analysis of ICT VET curricula in the partners’ countries (North Ireland, Italy and Spain). Finally, the analysis of training programs for VET students and workers specialized in Social Science and Humanities (SSH) occupations, from VET and HE profile. The conclusions of the work performed have been used as the input for elaborating a report about training recommendations of KETs in the digital era to VET authorities, summarized in this contribution.

Keywords:

VET, KET, HE, digital transformation, innovation training, European project, IoT, AI.