Training and innovation actions to increase the employability and inclusion of NEETs and VET learners in the renewable energy sector.
The project was awarded as a good practice for the E+ Strategic Partnerships in VET by the Italian NA.
Context
In recent years, resource efficiency and the low-carbon society have emerged as central themes in global discussions on the transition to a green economy. The forecast is that over a million new jobs will be created in the EU due to this epochal change with a progressive redefinition of many jobs across all sectors involved & redefinition of technical and soft skills whose importance is today fully recognized also in the green sector where multidisciplinary teams bring together professionals with different backgrounds.
Skills needs are registered and efficient training programmes are needed. More recently it was highlighted that although high-level education in this field of work is largely available, the labour market still lacks medium-level and operational manpower. These are jobs that do require not academic training but solid technical skills, in areas that can potentially create jobs.
Objectives
- To contribute to increase the employability and inclusion of NEETs and VET learners developing VET business partnerships in the renewable energy field based on work-based learning.
- To promote innovative learning opportunities in VET developing an Open Online Course on renewable energy.
- To support VET trainers’ & mentors professional development offering an E-toolkit based on new training material and scheme.
Activities
- Identification of labour market skills needs in the field of renewable energy sector (technical skills, especially related to the construction & installation field, and soft skills development too) and existing VET offers (in Italy, Austria, Spain, Greece and Denmark through national comparative researches.
- Development of innovative training materials with the aim to update, reskill and/or upskills the competences VET learners/NEETs and young professionals in the field of renewable energies.
- Development of an online platform in 6 languages addressed to electricians and plumbers who wish to work in the renewable energy sector.
- Organisation of 2 weeks training (work-based experience) hosted by renewable energy companies in Spain and in Italy.
- Promote close cooperation between stakeholders from the education and business fields
- Creation of a Mini Course on Mobility Management for Mentors who wish to host trainees in their companies
- Development of NE(W)AVE- e-toolkit for VET trainers
- Collection of policy recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders
Resources
- Research on skills needed for jobs related to renewable energy: EN – EL – ES – IT – DE – DK
- Mini Course on Mobility Management for Mentors
- NE(W)AVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE for VET learners
- NE(W)AVE E-toolkit for VET Trainers
- NE(W)AVE Opportunities and Policy Recommendation
Impact
- Improved technical and soft skills (including intercultural, social, entrepreneurial, linguistic & ICT ones) of VET learners.
- Increased employability at EU level thanks to the work-based experience and online training course VET learners attended.
- Awareness of VET opportunities in the renewable energy sector among VET trainers.
- Increased interest in managing a flexible e-learning pathway together with new tools and managing mobility opportunities for VET learners.
Directly the NE(W)AVE impacted approximately 500 people (learners, trainers, stakeholders):
- VET learners: 24 learners attended the online course pilot: 23 learners enrolled in online course Plumbers trade; 26 enrolled in Electricians trade (some learners enrolled in both trades due to their interest in both topics). The online course also received registrations from other external learners for the Electrician trade, that did not take part in the piloting of the OOC.
- VET trainers: 50 reached by the questionnaire developed +287 pax in the project events + Advisory group members
- Stakeholders: 50 enterprises engaged within national research development+ 50 pax in multiplier events and advisory group + 6 companies’ mentors from 2 renewable energy companies involved in the 2-weeks trainings and learning activities.
Partners
- CESIE (Italia, coordinatore);
- DIE BERATER (Austria);
- STH srl (Italia);
- HELIOTEC (Spagna);
- EUROTRAINING (Grecia);
- EUC Syd (Danimarca).
