The project idea is based on an ICT initiative developed and piloted in Malaga and Seville (Spain), which demonstrated how small business services in the tourism sector could benefit through the use of an “App” specifically designed by Fundacion Innoves for businesses in the tourism sector to promote their services to visitors (tourists). The “App” was tested successfully through a joint collaboration between public institutions and social firms (Cooperatives) in 2011 and 2012. Innoves identified that business advisers/mentors were in the best position to train small businesses/owner managers in the use of mobile apps and persuade them to embrace this type of technologies.
The “MOBILE APPS FOR VET” project addresses the ICT skills needs, in particular, the ‘Mobile Apps” skills. The project main aim is develop an educational program for business advisers/mentors to qualify them to pilot future trainings, which focuses on maximising the economic benefits that mobile applications on smartphones bring to SMEs/small/micro businesses, in terms of speed, access to volumes of information and the commercialization of products and services, as more and more people and businesses are purchasing products and services via mobile devices (41% of 108 milllion users in Europe, according to ITU, 2011).
Thus, the project will develop under the following Strategic Partnerships’ key aims and priorities:
• Fostering the provision and the assessment of key-competences, including basic skills and transversal skills particularly entrepreneurship, languages and digital skills (Aim);
• Developing basic and transversal skills, such as entrepreneurship, digital skills and multilingualism in all fields of education and training, using innovative and student-centred pedagogical approaches and developing appropriate assessment and certification methods, based on learning outcomes (Priority).
The Partnership brings together 7 organizations with a wealth of expertise on ICT skills mobile technologies, learning and VET, enterprise development and business support. Fundacion Innoves, the lead partner and originators of the Toolkit, working together with Rinova (UK), EAES (ES), Editc (CY), Laval Mayenne Technopole (FR), MateraHub (IT), RDA (SK)