Prague, May 4, 2023 – The Future Work 4’s project consortium, consisting of 5 organisations from Bulgaria, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Greece, convened in Prague this week for a momentous kick-off meeting. The gathering marked the initiation of the project, aiming to revolutionise the way students acquire essential skills for the future labour market.

The consortium, comprising Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, the Business Foundation for Education/Фондация на бизнеса за образованието in Bulgaria, Link Campus University in Italy, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, and Innovation Hive in Greece, is set to spearhead the development of a groundbreaking gamified platform with open online courses, known as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). These courses will focus on nurturing four vital skill sets demanded by the future labour market.

The four key skills that the platform will cater to are as follows:

• Digital Skills: Equipping students with the ability to navigate and thrive in the digital landscape.
• Entrepreneurial Skills: Fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and cultivating business acumen.
• Green Skills: Educating students on sustainable practices and environmental awareness.
• Social and Career Skills: Enhancing interpersonal abilities and career-oriented competencies.

Each course within the MOOC will offer a dynamic learning experience, featuring interactive exercises to assess learners’ knowledge and incorporating gamification elements to make the process engaging and enjoyable.

The consortium envisions the MOOC to be finalised and ready for public access by the end of this year. Moreover, it will be made available in five languages to facilitate autonomous learning for individuals worldwide. In 2024, the partner organisations will integrate these courses into their existing programs and initiate a pilot phase, inviting at least 300 students to test the effectiveness of the MOOC.

Speaking about the project’s significance, the project team emphasised that it will bridge the gap between traditional education and the evolving demands of the labour market. The gamified platform will provide learners from diverse fields of study with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in an increasingly dynamic and competitive work environment.

The Future Work 4 project represents an innovative collaboration between esteemed academic institutions and industry experts across Europe. By prioritising the development of these crucial future skills, the project seeks to shape a workforce ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow’s job market.