EU project Compleap promotes the development of lifelong skills and competence
Working life is in constant flux; digitalisation, automation and robotisation bring with them new ways of operating and working. Changing labor markets and constantly updated job descriptions puts an even greater emphasis on the lifelong development of individual skills and competence. Each individual's understanding of their own competence and their ability to acquire new skills and knowledge, not to mention supplement them, are becoming increasingly important. In order for competence to satisfy demand, the education and training offering must be developed to more effectively meet the requirements and needs of working life.
Compleap is a two-year, EU-funded project that develops learner-centred services to more effectively match individual competence and working life needs. The goal is to model a service framework that promotes the development of skills and competence and can be applied throughout Europe at the national level. In addition to this, the service offering described in the framework will be developed by implementing three prototypes for digital services, which will be tested during the second year of the project in co-operation with stakeholders. The prototypes being developed in the project will be integrated with existing national infrastructures, and make use of learning analytics to support the choices made by individuals.
"Meeting competence and learning needs and ensuring future competence require the lifelong development of individual competence in relation to working life needs. In the Compleap project, each individual's path is comprehensively examined through the prism of lifelong learning. An ecosystem of digital services for supporting individuals will be built in international co-operation," explains Compleap Project Manager Antti Laitinen of CSC.
Individuals acquire skills and competence in a wide variety of ways and the identification and recognition of prior learning will be even further emphasised in future learning and jobseeking. The acquisition of skills and competence independent of time and place also requires flexibility from educational and training services. The Compleap project works with all levels of education, keeping a focus on the individual learner, who is provided with support in following their learning path.
"CSC's goal is to promote co-operation between education providers and harmonise solutions at both the national and international level. The international network being built in the Compleap project is a powerful tool for realising this goal. The project also promotes our other key principles, the sharing and transparency of expertise, in a way that benefits Finland and Europe," says CSC Managing Director Kimmo Koski.
Launched in December of 2017, the project is coordinated by CSC in co-operation with the Finnish National Agency for Education, University of Oulu, Jyväskylä Educational Consortium Gradia and Dienst Uitvoering Onderwjis (DUO) of the Netherlands. In addition to these, the project also has partners from, among others, Germany, Portugal and Finland. Funding for the Compleap project is part of the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect) of the European Commission.
The project kick-off for Compleap was held in January. Photo: CSC
Participate in developing Compleap
This spring and summer will start the co-operation and network building of the Compleap project. The project will be hosting two stakeholder seminars for partners interested in competence development. The first will be held on 9 April in Helsinki and the second will be held in central Europe at the beginning of June. The goal of the seminars is to talk about the Compleap project and get interested people involved in the project's network activities and their development. Go to the Compleap website to register for the seminars.
It will also be possible to contribute to the project by participating in stakeholder work. Stakeholders meet and maintain contact with developers during the prototype development phase and exchange valuable knowledge on the needs of stakeholders. Compleap is also interested in forming new partnerships. Organisations interested in the project may contact Compleap Project Manager Antti Laitinen.
More information: compleap.eu, email: compleap(at)csc.fi