When we started the CreO Project we were seeking to boost open innovation between creative industry Vocational Education and Training cycles and businesses in the industrial and technology sector.
We at Ikaslan have managed and coordinated the CreO Project partnership. In each country, students, teaching staff, and various business managers or HR staff from different companies have come together to bring it to life. Special mention goes to the launch of CreO with the international pilot that took place, and was very well-received, in Bilbao in November 2019.
The project ended on 31 January 2021, and in spite of the exceptional circumstances of 2020 around the world, the response to the CreO Project has been positive, and it has been well-received in all 4 countries where it has been implemented: Slovenia, Portugal, Austria, and Spain. Internationally, with the restrictions put in place due to the public health alert created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to restructure part of the project and seek out new ways to interact to adapt to the prevailing circumstances.
The student experience
Students responded positively to the course and to the modules created. The majority of content is quite new for both students and businesses. However, as the content was designed with strong pedagogical foundations, participants quickly grasped the subject matter and understood all module content quickly, easily, and independently, particularly the potential of their training and its transferability to other sectors, in this case, the industrial sector.
Business’ view of CreO
Testing with businesses carried out under the CreO Project has been positive: business and HR staff see being able to implement the modules posted on the platform within their companies as an advantage, and they also understand the potential of this going forward.
In the medium-term, the business sector is optimistic and is considering integrating people with creative backgrounds in the near future. Who knows whether this may lead to solutions being developed for the problems businesses are facing due to the pandemic?
The CreO Project has managed to bring together businesses and students, across national borders and in spite of restrictions. Together, we have all shown that collaborative working is now a reality. In terms of implementation, the path to be followed by students from creative backgrounds in traditional industry, it is a question of time. Their potential and the direct transferability of their skills to industrial environments have already been made clear.
You can download all materials developed and created as part of the CreO Project here. We have created a platform that is intuitive and user-friendly for both teaching staff and businesses. We are delighted to share the CreO Project with you, and we are grateful for its warm reception.
