Results

The challenges faced by European steel sector, as detailed in the sections above, make the identification and anticipation of skill needs necessary for the continued competitiveness of the European Steel Industry. The Blueprint for the industry driven long-term skills strategy, as the principal outcome, is expected to facilitate steel companies and VET institutions efforts to transition the workforce and meet future needs for, for example, the deployment and implementation of new technologies, the material and environmental optimisation of the production process, energy efficiency improvements, high-performance materials development, and so on. In meeting the emerging demands of the industry the basis for highly skilled employment is established and the foundations for attracting and retaining talented people to the steel sector laid down, thus keeping jobs in Europe and fostering smart, inclusive and sustainable growth.

A key aim is for the new skills strategy to monitor and shorten the implementation of industry relevant qualifications in national VET systems, continuously. It is expected that the strategy, in parallel with developed modules and tools (see below for details), will become a Blueprint for the immediate updating and implementation of new skills in industry and into national VET systems, involving a complete network of sector actors i.e. a Skills Alliance. We are aiming also at developing an industry driven skills agenda and strategy becoming a Blueprint for other (production) industry sectors as well. Meaning, that the developed Blueprint should be discussed and compared with the solutions/blueprints of other sectors; looking at a common overarching European Skills Agenda harnessing synergies and leaving space for sectoral (and national) specifications.

More specifically, the projects expects to deliver a sector strategy that:

  • combines a European, cross-border sectoral approach with national/regional specifications by including national and regional authorities - thereby reflecting different national conditions and VET frameworks and ensuring the interconnection with the labour markets
  • comprises the cooperation of companies and research / educational / training institutes
  • involves the social partnership (European, and for the selected pilot member states)
  • a foresight scheme to identify recent future demands and requirements in a pro-active way, driven and run by the steel industry
  • a database of steel industry occupations and job roles, with associated skill profiles, for future exploitation and future education projects, which will allow for:
    • the steel industry to browse these skills and self-assess to identify skills gaps;
    • industry stakeholders to identify skills transferability based on European standard instruments like ESCO, EQF, ECQA etc.
    • harmonization of all existing and future skills needs in the project under the common heading of the Blueprint strategy and database reference framework
    • skills elements of job roles to be configured for training programs based on tailored needs of specific steel companies (e.g. tailoring for TKSE, Arcelor-Mittal, TataSteel, Sidenor, Celsa, Salzgitter and others not involved in the project)
  • develop concrete tools and activities together with the people concerned (such as HR managers, technicians and engineers, workers, trainers and teachers)
  • new modules and curricula to meet industry skill needs and a strategy for their implementation at national and sector levels
  • an exploitation plan to roll that services out to the whole European pool of steel manufacturers and suppliers
  • an exploitation plan to roll services out to training bodies on the ECVET network (they have to run through European training body certification);
  • a Steering Committee of all the different stakeholders for future dissemination, update, discussion;
  • an ECQA based certification schema to certify training bodies, trainers, learners/attendees at both, university and industry level for relevant sector professions;
  • a collection of case studies that capture good practice in recruitment processes;
  • a series of dissemination events and associated publications that capture best practice (skill needs strategy development, education and training programmes);
  • a final summary Skills Strategy document that builds on examples of good practice identified in this strand;
  • a study that helps us to better understand the sector’s skill needs (including technological and economic foresight and the related industry and VET system requirements);
  • utilisation of current industry forums to share ideas on the impact of industry 4.0 and Work 4.0 on skill needs at all levels;
  • ensure a cross-sectoral development and exchange of industry representatives, companies, policy, science and education.
 
Co-funded by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union
Agreement Number: 2018-3059/001-001
Project Number: 600886-EPP-1-2018-1-DE-EPPKA2-SSA-B
Last updated on: 10/12/2020 7:34pm