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Project summary

  • Considering the challenges for future young professionals in the EU job market and in line with the core objectives of the ET 2020 framework, this strategic partnership project named FTC, “Future Trends in Clothing: Trendy, Smart and Healthy?” was developed among four European partners: three vocational schools, one from Vienna (Austria), Rincón de la Victoria (Spain) and Alsfeld (Germany), as well as a high school from Karditsa (Greece).

     

    Teachers & pupils of subjects such as ICT, media, marketing/customer service, entrepreneurship, bespoke tailoring as well as English were the project’s target group and involved in this cooperation.

     

     

    Based on the individual expertise of the participants in combination with the idea to use the potential of the future- and market-oriented topic of intelligent wearables & textiles as a point of reference for all involved partners, the overall objectives of the project were to:

     

    • promote the provision and assessment of key competences for lifelong learning such as entrepreneurial, soft, language, cultural and digital skills.
    • increase labor market relevance in each institution’s teaching and learning practice
    • increase students’ knowledge of the European job market and career perspectives
    • broaden and improve the European networking of each institution
    • enable the participants to experience international cooperation and develop their personality in settings of work-based learning

     

    Central activities:

    The project was initially planned around four short-term learning, teaching, training events, each preceded by phases of blended learning and virtual cooperation. Due to Covid-19, the last LTTA was held virtually to conclude the project. Moreover, five transnational project meetings were organized. The last of them virtually.

     

     

    Methodology

    The FTC project had a clear focus on cooperative approaches & creating a learner-centered, project-oriented teaching environment.

    Virtual platforms (e.g. Moodle) and digital means of cooperation (e.g. Padlet, google apps) were used by the participants to develop and share expertise & results. Likewise, the usage of these ICT tools was successfully implemented to benefit the outcomes of the project.

    Considering entrepreneurship as a life skill, focus was also laid on enabling the participants to use their sense of initiative and entrepreneurial competencies. Thus, in the course of the project SMART project planning, elements of business & marketing planning processes as well as methods to promote an idea / product in a so-called elevator pitch were applied.

    Other vital parts of learning involved the application of CLIL methodology in (virtual) learning & feedback situations, as well as research, analysis and assessment methods, panel discussions and videos. Visits to an international fair and businesses were also conducted.

     

     

    Tangible outcomes:

    • Elevator pitches and pupil’s materials to apply SMART project planning
    • Programmed & functioning technical devices (e.g. Ardafruit Gemma M0 & LED Neopixel Ring) for a blinking bicycle jacket
    • Descriptions of the technical devices & summary of production costs calculation
    • Patterns for three different jacket realization, two jacket models in pre-production stage (Nesselmodelle) and one finished possible pre-version of the bicycle jacket
    • Professional sketch of the finalized product based on participant’s choice during LTTA 3
    • Survey /questionnaire results (analysis and visualizations)
    • Completed Competition Analysis
    • Documentations of participant’s work in all project stages (videos, photos, work materials, handouts, Padlets, powerpoint presentations, google docs) 

     

    Intangible outcomes

    • a higher proficiency in English
    • increase of cultural awareness and understanding
    • a better knowledge of the European job market and (vocational) education systems
    • a higher sense of initiative and development / improvement of entrepreneurial competencies applicable in future educational / professional settings
    • development and fostering of personal and social skills such as selfconfidence, resilience, responsibility, empathy, ability to offer and receive criticism, working in a team, etc.)

     

    The long-term use of the project:

    • aiding in the participants transition to work / tertiary education and success in future working life
    • enhancing the quality of labor market relevance in teaching at the involved partner schools.
    • establishment of new valuable partnerships across Europe, including a new Erasmus+ project
    • strengthening the partner schools’ profile & internationalization strategy