DESTINE - Inspire, develop and influence a career of young trainees as European Metal AM Design Technicians

DESTINE project aims to create a new Professional Profile in Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM), the European Metal AM Design TEchnician, aligned with level 4 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), offering the trainees the opportunity to attend a brand-new Qualification and to participate on National and European Skills Competitions to be designed and organised in teh scope of DESTINE.

Additive Manufacturing is one the Key Enabler Technologies that secure a strong industrial base in te EU. This technology is expected to reach 50% of the market potential by 2038 and 100% by 2065 and in order to achieve these results it is crucial to qualify personnel in this growing sector.

Another reason  for qualifying professionals in AM is that it is evolving at a much faster  pace than the development of workers' skills that enable them to tackle the challenges of that evolution. There is a "capability challenge" characterised by the difficulty to find a skilled workface able to apply AM to the real world production.

Companies have showed their need fot Metal AM Profiles adressing Design, but there is currently a shortage of talent that is requiring new education and training initiatives that provide quilified professionals in this specific area.

In addition to the constant evolution of AM sector compnaies' needs for qualified personnel in Metal AM Design, it is also important to promote the excellence of Vocational Education and Training (VET), attracting youngsters to prevent shortage of trainees' in VET in the future and foster trainees' smooth transition from schools to the labour market, replying to the industrial need for a skilled workforce in AM.

EuroSkills Competitions are regarded as key drivers of VET promotion and skills' excellence in Europe and an opportunity for VET trainees to combine learning experiences acquired in different contexts. Hundreds of talented youngsters are selected periodically to participate on national skills competitions and those who prove to be the best in their area of expertise are then selected to compete on EuroSkills.

The European  DESing TechnicLaNs lEague (DESTINE) project addresses these matters by creating a new professional Profile in Metal AM - the European Metal AM Design Technician - in the line with EQF level 4, thus providing youngsters the opportunity of attending initial training in Metal Am Design and obtain a European Qualification recognised by Industry, promotin their career in this paticular area/sector.

In addition, DESTINE aims to promote sectoral skills competitions in the field of AM. Thus, partners will prepare a European Metal Additive Manufacturin Design Technicians League, structured in qualifying rounds starting from National Skills League into European Skills Leagues (on which trainees enrolled in the European Metal AM Design Technician training course will be able to participate), ultimately aiming for the integration of the League into the WorldSkills Competition.

DESTINE is an Erasmus+ funded project with a duration of 24 months (November 2020 to October 2022) and is expected to involve roughly 200 participants in its activities at European level, which contribute for the inmplementation of the European Metal AM Desgin Technician Qualification on Partners' countries' VET Systems and beyond, while enhacing trainees' motivation and engagement to learn about Metal AM Design, preventing school leaving.

Project partners

DESTINE consortium comprises entities with a broad experience in Erasmus+ funded projects, education and training. The project coordinator is IDONIAL Technology Center, a Spanish Technology Center that contributes to the promotion and development of Additive Manufacturing technologies. Part of the consortium are also: ISQ Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade a provider of scientific and technological support in Industry and Services;  CESOL Asociación Española de Soldadura y Tecnologias de Unión a Spanish entity with experience in training and certification of peoplein welding and other joining technologies; Istituto Italiano della Saldatura - Ente Morale, the italian Institute of Welding consisting of a non-profit distribution organisation that delivers technical engineering support, education and training activities in the field of joining and allied technologies;  IEPF, IP - Employment and Vocational Training Institute the Portuguese national public employment Service responsible for implementing active employment policies defined and approved by teh Government, including those related to vocational training; LAK Laser Akademie GmbH a German VET provider of training in the field of laser material processing with experience in developing guidelines on professional qualifications and EWF European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting

 

DESTINE website will soon be available on www.destineproject.eu 


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