digitalizatiOn and entrepreneurship For handcraFting Sector vET

OFFSET project applied in Erasmus+ KA2 VET 2021 Call starting from the need that digital literacy, together with literacy and numeracy, is nowadays seen as a fundamental asset whose lack is considered to be almost invalidating. Almost every day new digital technologies are developed or evolve from existing ones, changing human behavior in social, educational, working and many other fields. The pace at which innovation moves is so fast that it leaves behind some portions of the population, especially older population groups or the people that for some reason left their studies at an early age. Nevertheless, even in highly educated population groups digital knowledge is often at a very low or inexistent level. One of the fields that has undergone an exceptional amount of changes caused by this phenomenon called DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, is labor field, in which the ever-growing use of digital technologies is creating the risk for some sectors to be left behind and to become obsolete and outdated.

OFFSET intended to foster the acquisition of digital and entrepreneurial skills for handcrafting entrepreneurs and handicraftsmen, affecting both the educational and digital society themes of the “Europe 2020 Strategy” COM(2010) 2020 final, and following the indications given by the “Digital Education Action Plan” COM(2018) 22 final. To achieve what stated above, OFFSET responded to the following general and specific objectives: GENERAL OBJECTIVE: - Facilitate the passage through the digital transformation for handcrafting entrepreneurs (present and potential), making them able to use digital skills and transforming them into digital artisans, through their participation to VET trainings. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: 1 - Train the trainers: Producing a collection of best practices and educational materials to fill digital and entrepreneurial knowledge gaps for handcrafting VET trainers and business coaches 2 - Create/enhance handcrafting entrepreneurs’ digital and entrepreneurial skills and competencies 3 - Improve the awareness of present handcrafting entrepreneurs and investors on the possibilities offered by digital technologies and instruments implementation in handcrafting sector