What strategies we need to ensure SMEs’ fair access to Industry 4.0 and digital maturity? How we can reduce the digital gap and promote customised e-learning in the broadest and fairest possible way? These and related issues have been tackled on iNduce 4.0’s final event organised by EVBB in Berlin.
Representatives of German VET and SMEs organisations such as the Bundesverbandes der Träger beruflicher Bildung (Bildungsverband) e. V. (BBB), the Internationale Bund (IB) and the BVMW among others gathered at the prestigious venue of Aquino convention centre, within the Berliner Catholic Academy. EVBB President Thiemo Fojkar and Mrs Fojkar also attended the event.
Together with iNduce 4.0, other two projects aimed at mainstreaming the digitalisation potential were discussed within the meeting’s framework: “DigitaliseSME” and “Gemeinsam Digital” (https://digitalisesme.eu), both presented by Marc Dönges (BVMW Project Manager). The event was also enriched with a presentation of BBB given by its Managing Director, Stefan Sondermann.
INduce 4.0 is an Erasmus+ project aimed at promoting work-based, flexible and freely accessible e-learning materials on the topic of Industry 4.0. The 21st-century digital revolution known as “Industry 4.0” is dramatically altering the whole production chain, bringing about new synergies between humans and machines, and calling for new skills and sector-specific knowledge. The iNduce 4.0 project has specifically addressed the need of little and medium enterprises to keep pace with the disruptive transformations brought about by the fourth industrial revolution. In parallel, iNduce 4.0 has been designed in support of job seekers and VET providers who also need to update their knowledge and resources and keep up with the 4.0 job market and its demand for new skills. To this purpose, iNduce 4.0 Practical Methodology – developed by EVBB within the framework of the project – provides useful and very practical tips to make the most out of the training platform within a customised, sector-specific and country-sensitive approach.
Recently completed, iNduce 4.0 has created a complete toolbox of training products covering all the main fields of Industry 4.0: Smart Production, Machine Learning, 3-D Printing, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Internet of Things, Smart Robotics, Programmable Logic Controllers and Global Value Chain Networks.
The training platform is today freely accessible online: http://training.induce-project.eu/login/signup.php
INduce 4.0’s outputs were presented in detail by EVBB’s project manager Samir Cheriaa. Strategies to enhance the added value of the freely accessible training platform were discussed. EVBB Secretary General Horst Dreimann highlighted the key role of dissemination events and of the stakeholders’ proactivity in ensuring that the added value of the projects’ outputs and achievements is effectively mainstreamed and capitalised by multiplier actors beyond the project’s completion. He also underlined the need to keep the focus on inclusiveness as the digital transition involves an increasing risk of excluding the less equipped and letting the fringes of society lag behind the few digitally proficient.
The discussion following the presentation of the three projects gave rise to more than one open question. The potential practicality of implementing automatic certification systems to enhance the value and usability of the digital projects among SMEs and job seekers was discussed. The issue of having still so much heterogeneity in the qualification approach between different European countries in spite of the European Qualification Framework was raised as a likely obstacle to the full recognition of projects- and community-based learning.
For more information regarding theiNduce 4.0 project, please click here.
