Drones360

Co-funded by the European Union -  

Erasmus+ KA2- Cooperation Partnership in Vocational Education and Training

 01.10.2024 to 31.03.2027 

• Instytut Ochrony Środowiska – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy (IOS-PIB), Poland
• Politeknika Txorierri, Spain
• Urban Research and Education UG (haftungsbeschränkt), Germany
• Atlantis Engineering, Greece
• Emphasys Digital Innovation Centre (EDIC), Cyprus
• Istituto D'istruzione Superiore Ciuffelli – Einaudi, Italy
• European Digital Learning Network ETS (DLEARN), Italy
• DIMITRA EDUCATION & CONSULTING SA, Greece
• DRONE EXPRESS Małgorzata Dobrzyńska, Poland

The DRONES360 initiative aims to enhance the resilience and adaptability of vocational education and training (VET) in response to the evolving demands of the digital and green job sectors, particularly through the integration of drone technology and extended reality (XR). The project focuses on upgrading courses according to ECVET principles and equipping trainers with the skills needed to prepare the workforce for new opportunities in industries like agriculture, public safety, and environmental protection. By promoting the acquisition of advanced digital and green skills, DRONES360 supports the EU’s goals for sustainable development and job creation, while also utilizing VR and AR simulations to create immersive learning environments that mirror real-life drone applications. The initiative fosters transnational collaboration to produce sustainable educational tools, ensuring that VET remains relevant, attractive, and aligned with future labor market needs. 

The innovative nature of the project is underpinned by several key strategies. It adopts a co-design methodology that engages digital experts, labour market representatives, and green professionals early in the development phase. This collaborative approach, which includes synergies, study visits with podcasts, and a mapping tool to record best practices across the EU, actively involves VET trainers and students in designing targeted upskilling programs. The project integrates first-hand experiences from the labour market into the development of VR/AR simulations for professional development training, creating immersive, real-life job-related scenarios to acquire drone-related skills. A holistic approach is taken to promote the twin transition—digital and green—thereby fostering a more competent and skilled labour market with a positive and sustainable impact on both local communities and the global context. The project also delivers a validated approach by combining the benefits of new micro-credentials and established ECVET methodologies for upskilling training, ensuring recognition, transparency, transferability, and validation of newly acquired skills. Furthermore, an inclusive, interactive, and accessible portal is being developed, featuring e-learning resources, a validation procedure, podcasts, and a mapping tool to empower VET trainers and connect them with the labour market. Accredited guidelines and training are provided to VET trainers and students across six EU countries to become certified drone pilots, opening new employment opportunities in emerging fields. Finally, the project ensures the full sustainability and exploitation of all its products beyond the funding period, not only among the partners who will integrate these results into their daily practices but also through transferability to other sectors, such as higher education and adult learning, via the extensive network of the consortium.