GT-VET

About GT-VET

Critical to the global competitiveness of European industries is a timely response to demands for new mandatory skills. The European Steel Technology Platform (ESTEP) has focused its agenda around education and training to ensure skills needs are met and the long term competitiveness of the EU steel industry is secured. In parallel, since 2006, special attention has been given to the anticipation of skills needs in the steel industry in the framework of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee on steel by both European social partners (IndustriALL and EUROFER).

The Greening Technical-Vocational Education and Training  (GT VET) project aims to explore how vocational education and training (VET) pathways meet environment and health and safety skill needs, which are key for the global competitiveness and sustainability of all European industries. As a model, the project developed an industry driven European sustainable training module  in  correspondence with  national  VET systems. A partnership of steel companies and research institutes, from each participating member state, identiied and anticipated the impacts of environmental legislation on the everyday work of mechanical/industrial technicians and electrical technicians (for today and the future). Independent of the different VET systems of the member states, VET practices and learning outcomes need to be evaluated with respect to environmental skills, expertise and awareness. Based on these insights a European training module was developed to obtain identical European learning outcomes in the field of green skills and sustainable awareness (for example, focusing on preventing pollution and securing occupational health and safety) complementing current technical VET programmes in this area. The module was tested within four steel companies and member states (United Kingdom, Poland, Italy and Germany). Adjustments for each national system of VET were suggested and learning outcomes with transferable credit points (ECVET) were elaborated.

Using the example of the steel industry and the VET of industrial, mechanical, electrical and electronic technicians, the modules and process of implementation might possibly be developed for adaptation and transfer to other technical VET professions and production industries. The aim is for the module and the tested implementation processes to become a blueprint for the updating and implementation of training for new skills into the VET system, which are focused on meeting industry driven requirements for environmental sustainability in an immediate and responsive way. A first transfer was done to the automotive supplier industry within the project GREEN STAR, transferring and adjusting the GT-VET module for large companies to small and medium sized companies and to a heterogeneous field of professional occupations along the value chain.

Objectives

• The timely and responsive implementation of new mandatory skills within VET systems (national and industry related);

• To investigate the scope for the  development  of  ongoing and responsive training pathways by focusing on skills for environmental sustainability;

• To develop a model of an industry driven and run European sustainable training module and to match the demands of industry with the VET system;

• To identify and to anticipate impacts of environmental legislation in everyday work of skilled workers, both for today and future;

• To develop a European training module to obtain identical European learning outcomes in the field of green skills and sustainable awareness within technical VET (focusing on preventing pollution and securing occupational health and safety);

• To adapt and to test the module within four steel companies and member states (United Kingdom, Poland, Italy and Germany);

• To use the example of the steel industry and the VET of industrial mechanics, electrical and electronic technicians for adaptation and transfer to other technical VET professions and production industries;

• To produce a blueprint for the implementation (process) of new skills for the industry sector and the appropriate VET systems.

Work packages

Steel companies and research institutes

• SFS – TU Dortmund (Coordinator), Germany

Project Coordinator contact: Antonius Schröder
Email : schroeder@sfs-dortmund.de  Tel.: +49.231.8596.283 
Sozialforschungsstelle – Technische Universität Dortmund, Evinger Platz 17, 44339 Dortmund, Germany
Website: Sozialforschungsstelle – Technische Universität Dortmund  

• ThyssenKruppSteel Europe AG, Duisburg, Germany
• Instytut Metalurgii Żelaza IMZ, Gliwice, Poland
• ArcelorMittal Poland S.A., Dabrowa Górnicza, Poland
• Istituto per la Cultura e la Storia d’Impresa ICSIM, Terni, Italy
• ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali Terni S.p.A. AST, Terni, Italy
• Cardiff School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, UK
• Tata Steel UK, Port Talbot, UK
• The European Steel Association - EUROFER, Brussels (Dissemination and valorisation)
• European Metalworkers’ Federation - EMF, Brussels (Dissemination and valorisation)
• VFA – Development and Innovation Consultants, Athens, Greece (External evaluation)

Main deliverables