VETProfit: Multidisciplinary, Project-based Digital Learning Content for VET

With the VETProfit project, our aim is to bring vocational education and training closer to the needs of the labour market.

The problem

The labour market needs practical knowledge, but textbooks are mostly dominated by theory. Education often operates in isolation from the business world, widening the gap between the skills provided by schools and those required by employers.

Textbooks are not motivating enough for students born into the digital world and hardly include real-life examples from work situations.

While most workplaces expect employees to work in a project-oriented way, the project method and related forms of work are still not integrated into training, and a significant number of trainers are not yet prepared to apply the project method.

The multidisciplinary approach is difficult to integrate with traditional teaching methods, even though young graduates need to apply knowledge and skills from different subjects at the same time to solve problems in the workplace.

The solution

In this project, we try to bring vocational education closer to real labour market needs by preparing teachers to develop project tasks for their students based on real problems suggested by companies.

Activities and expected results

The project will be implemented in 6 steps with the following planned products:

1. We will review the curricula, textbooks and teaching methods used in basic training in the IT and agricultural sectors in the partner countries participating in the project and see how they match up with what the labour market expects from a prospective employee. The results of the research will be published in a paper.
2. Teachers in both sectors will be trained in the use of project methods, innovative assessment methods and the development of digital learning materials. This training will take place in an e-learning course.
3. In partnership with teachers and labour market actors, we develop real-life projects for vocational students.
4. We will create an online database application to publish reusable (micro)learning materials developed in a multidisciplinary approach, project-oriented, high quality and motivating, for free use by VET.
5. We prepare students to implement projects through mini-courses.
6. We will publish a methodological guide, based on our experience, in the form of a handbook, to be freely available to vocational teachers.

Project information

• Website: https://vetprofit.itstudy.hu/
• ID: 2021-1-HU01-KA220-VET-000025350
• Program: Erasmus+ KA2, Strategic partnership
• Target groups: heads of vocational training schools; vocational training teachers/educators; businesses in the agricultural and IT sectors
• Beneficiaries: vocational students, employers (agriculture and IT sector)
• Partner countries (and institutions): Hungary (iTStudy Hungary Számítástechnikai Oktató- és Kutatóközpont Kft. – coordinator; Magyar Kertészeti Szakképző Intézmények Szövetsége; Premontrei Szakgimnázium, Technikum és Kollégium; Discovery Center Nonprofit Kft.), Germany (DEULA-Nienburg GmbH), Italy (JAC Fondazione ITS – JobsAcademy) 
• Duration: 1 November 2021 – 31 October 2024