What is OBEC?
OBEC is an innovative project that aims to explore the potential of Blockchain technology to prove competency development and recognition of skills and qualifications by creating an innovative system to issue and validate learning credentials on a trial basis. This is to combat the difficulties and hurdles that individuals moving to another country or around countries face in the validation of their qualifications. OBEC’s ultimate goal is to encourage the professional and academic integration of migrants, exchange students, and individuals with alternative learning backgrounds.
Training sessions completed
Over the winter of 2022, the OBEC consortium has implemented different forms of upskilling training developed by each partner according to their areas of expertise. The topics included the circular economy, business planning, tailoring, gaming, and logic and critical thinking skills.
In total, the training courses had a duration of 335 hours and gathered 180 participants, exceeding the previously set target of 120 hours and 50 participants.
After attending the training course, each learner was invited to create a profile on ECTA, the platform for registering competencies based on Blockchain technology. ECTA allows skills and qualifications to be issued to learners in a transparent, credible and immutable way. The main benefits of the innovative platform include total authenticity, decentralisation, trust, immutability, less bureaucracy, and direct interaction between learners and academia with recognition of acquired competencies.
Conclusions from the experimental phase
Each partner collected the insights from at least three participants and trainers to learn about their experiences through the experimental training courses. The collected observations are currently being developed into videos that will illustrate the participants’ impact and impressions of the training courses.
Recommendations for the use of Blockchain Technology
Currently, the partners are organising the impressions and information gathered throughout the project into guiding material that will also include case studies, recommendations and EU incentives for the use of Blockchain in the educational field. Precisely this material will be presented during the upcoming multiplier events that will be organised in all partner countries.
Staff Training in Italy
The consortium recently got together in Italy for a week of joint activities. During the first two days, transnational meetings were held in Urbino organised by the University of Carlo Bo (Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo). During these meetings, the partners agreed upon the fulfilment of the final phase of the project.
The second half of the week was dedicated to a Joint Staff Training organised by Lai-momo Cooperativa Sociale at their premises in Bologna. During those days trainers exchanged experiences from the training courses, impressions of the goals of the project, and recommendations for future uses of Blockchain in the educational sector. The attendees were then trained by Alessandro Aldini, a Blockchain expert and Associate Professor in Computer Science at the University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”.
The Joint Staff Training included a study visit to Cartiera which is a social ethical fashion enterprise that produces leather and fabric products with the aim to offer concrete answers to the challenges of today: the creation of new employment opportunities, the economic integration of migrants and asylum seekers, the rediscovery of qualified artisanship, the repopulation of former industrial areas, the recovery of primary materials otherwise destined for disposal, and a production which has a minimal environmental impact.
Multiplier events
Each partner country is organising a final event to share the results of the OBEC project as well as the findings and reflections on the use of Blockchain technologies in the educational sector. Please follow our social media channels and website for more information about the events. For more information feel free to contact Erasmus+ Junior Project Officer Jip Lenssen.
