After two years of global disruption due to COVID-19, fifty-two members of the BILT community came together from 21 to 23 June for the ‘Mapping current trends in TVET for sustainable and digital transformation’ conference in Espoo, Finland. They were joined online by more than 200 TVET representatives from all corners of the world for in-depth discussions on current and emerging trends and opportunities in green and digital TVET.

The conference, which Omnia hosted at their state-of-the-art education and training facility, offered multiple peer learning and crowdsourcing opportunities. It challenged participants to consider which competencies and qualifications will lose or gain importance when transforming towards a sustainable and digital future and what new qualifications and competencies (NQC) will be required. Over three intensive days, participants put forward new ideas and direction for future project approaches and activities.

On the first day of the conference, the European BILT community dived deeply into Europe’s priorities, needs and innovations in TVET as experienced by practitioners on the ground. Topics included the changing demands relating to green and digital competencies and how these can be identified, integrated into curricula and training regulations, and implemented within a training environment (the Three I’s process). Cedefop’s insights into digitalization and greening megatrends demonstrated the need to adopt an integrated approach, particularly as the green and digital transitions are linked, with digitalization fueling much of the change. A critical challenge identified is that there is no single future ahead for TVET. Therefore, TVET systems must work in multiple scenarios to harness the opportunities that will continue to arise.

Participants were also introduced to the BILT Peer-Learning Wheel, an interactive tool that maps institutions to their area of expertise in the Three I’s process and helps them find potential partners for collaboration and idea-sharing. Conference participants used the tool to exchange ideas on excellence and innovation between various European TVET systems.

Digital and green trends in TVET in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe

Days two and three presented opportunities to explore digital and green trends with a particular focus on the rapidly changing construction and tourism/hospitality sectors. Discussions highlighted that the dual green and digital transition is experienced differently in each sector and region. For example, under Singapore’s Industry Transformation Programme (ITM) for the construction sector, digitalization and greening TVET are considered twin transition imperatives in reforming curricula and increasing the nation’s competitiveness in the sector. Meanwhile, the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD) highlighted their focus on fostering a responsible and sustainable hospitality/tourism industry. As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) that is particularly affected by climate change, investing in green technologies and a green policy in the value chain is critical. The contrast between the regions reflects the complexity of thinking necessary to create and work with multiple scenarios.

A migration-focused presentation by the Omnia Skills Centre for Migrants (OSKE) emphasized the need for stakeholder cooperation and demonstrated how BILT could be aligned with global and regional TVET agendas and initiatives. The session highlighted that TVET for immigrants must be learner-centered, with personalized, readily accessible study paths that respect and recognize existing skills.

Overall, the conference confirmed the challenges faced by TVET in a diverse world. However, these challenges are also opportunities for BILT and everyone from the global TVET community to positively impact education in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe by working together to create future-proof TVET systems.

BILT Agenda 2025

The BILT Agenda 2025 is called ‘Promoting modern and competitive qualifications and competencies in TVET through international bridging of innovation and learning’. Its primary objective is to build new bridges and use the existing ones more effectively. The agenda encompasses four commitments and concrete BILT project activities to be actioned over the next three years.

• Commitment 1: Strengthen active partnerships between Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific
• Commitment 2: Foster innovation and knowledge generation for new and attractive qualifications and competencies in relevant sectors
• Commitment 3: Reinforce effective learning, teaching and capacity building
• Commitment 4: Spotlight the dual green and digital transition by examining their implications on new qualifications and competencies

To take part in our upcoming events and activities, and become part of the BILT Community, please visit our Get involved page.

Presentations