Focus on digital: European Training Foundation launches Innovation and Skills Award

The European Training Foundation (ETF) is launching a competition open to all vocational schools, universities, training centres and providers, seeking examples of good practice in teaching and learning for digital competence development. 

The ETF Innovation and Skills Award is open to all vocational schools and colleges, as well as universities, training centres and public and private training providers offering initial and continuing vocational education and training in the ETF partner countries (which include all six Eastern partner countries).

Why an ETF Innovation and Skills Award?

In a world of constantly changing labour market demands, people are having to learn new skills, change jobs and take up new occupations throughout their careers. This is due to a combination of different factors, such as accelerating technological advances, digitalisation of economies, globalisation, demography, migration and climate change. While the full magnitude and ultimate effects of these changes are not yet fully known and their impact will vary from country to country, education and training systems need the capacity to develop services and tools that support teachers, providers and learners and that provide the right skills that are needed by labour markets.

What is the focus of the 2020 award?

Digital technology is transforming our societies. Digital competence, as one of the EU key competences, is becoming increasingly instrumental in almost all aspects of our lives, but in employability and career development in particular. Digital transformation is, to varying degrees, happening everywhere. The ETF is supporting its partner countries to reap the opportunities it offers by addressing digital challenges in the context of ongoing VET system reforms.

In this context, the ETF is seeking examples of good practice in teaching and learning for digital competencedevelopment. Learning design and new/innovative approaches to the development of digital competences are the key selection criteria. Examples of good practice will be chosen taking into consideration the national, regional or organisational context and the relevance of the example to this context.

The examples selected will inform future ETF work and will provide teachers, curriculum specialists, training providers and policymakers with ideas and opportunities for their own work.

What is the EU doing?

The EU supports the development of digital competence by developing reference frameworks for citizens, educators and organisations (DigComp 2.1 including DigComp Into Action, DigCompEdu, DigCompOrg), as well as a self-assessment tool for schools (SELFIE). They are inspiring sources for practitioners and policy makers, with examples of concrete learning outcomes and progression levels. A Digital Education Action Plan undertakes concrete actions and supports technology use and the development of digital competences in education. At policy level, digital competence has been one of the eight key competences for lifelong learning for EU citizens since 2006, building the basis for policy development (see ETF position paper on digital skills and competence, and digital and online learning and the European Council Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning (2018) for details).

How to participate

Please submit your good practice by filling in the application form: http://ETF.APPLY.sgizmo.com/s3/ 

Selection process

Two finalists for the ETF New Learning Award will be pre-selected by the ETF Selection Committee and will take part in an online public vote in the month running up to the EU Vocational Skills Week, which will take place in November 2020. 

Full details