DT4VET: Educating Designerly Thinkers for Vocational Education and Training: Design Thinking Tool for Educators

The transitions in the global economy, the use of digital technologies in the realm of work and the development of new types of entrepreneurship are changing the profile of jobs.

These changes pose a major challenge to the systems of initial vocational education and training (IVET).
Regarding issues in the IVET system (slowness in updating curricula; the governance models, and sector-specific characteristics), DT4VET aims to pursue a strategy apt to make the IVET system reflective and active in addressing the ever-changing skills demands of the labor market.

The field requires REFLECTIVE Educators: Open to take initiatives responsively; skilled to determine problems and produce solutions; skilled to revise/improve critically their teaching methods/contents even beyond the expectations of the market.

Project Website: http://dt4vet.etu.edu.tr/

DT4VET aims to change the PRAXIS of vocational education. It aims to shift the mindset, values, the practices of people who are educating the future qualified and the entrepreneurial workforce of Europe.

DT4VET considers DESIGN THINKING (DT) as a key method/process to trigger reflective practices in educators. The DT method addresses simultaneously most of the transversal skills, such as the ability to think creatively and critically, take initiative, and work collaboratively for common goals and entrepreneurship competences in a systemic/holistic approach.

The main GOAL of DT4VET is to enhance the transversal skills and entrepreneurship competences of educators teaching at vocational-technical high schools by devising “DT4VET Toolkit” and “DT4VET online training module” that implement “design thinking” into the training of educators.

DT4VET, as a trilateral partnership of 7 partners from 4 countries.