The project aims to fill the skills gap of Smart Cities technicians and engineers by planning and testing a vocational education and training program based on an innovative, multidisciplinary curriculum that combines digital skills on Smart Cities enabling technologies with soft, entrepreneurial and green skills.

The expected outcomes of the project are:

• a Smart Cities skills map and ESCO-compliant Smart Cities professional profiles;
• a Smart Cities curriculum that combines technical and non-technical skills and competencies and promotes personalized learning pathways;
• learning resources for Smart Cities enabling technologies and for the development of soft, entrepreneurial and green skills of Smart Cities technicians and engineers;
• a diagnostic tool to identify personalized learning paths;
• a MOOC module for Smart Cities enabling technologies;
• virtual realities for developing the soft, green and entrepreneurial skills of Smart Cities technicians and engineers.

The main beneficiaries of the project are Smart Cities technicians and engineers from the public sector (e.g., municipalities) or companies providing Smart Cities solutions. The curriculum will be tested through 4 national pilot projects in Greece, Bulgaria, Spain and Italy with at least 160 participants. The certification of skills will follow a two-pronged approach: (a) using micro-credentials to recognize knowledge and skills acquired through successful completion of each MOOC and virtual reality online training module and (b) the design of the "Smart Cities Specialization Certification" that will be awarded to those who pass the online certification exams after completion of the training modules.

The project will create an ecosystem for the co-design and co-development of innovative curriculum and technology-enhanced learning tools for upgrading/re-skilling Smart Cities technicians and engineers.

Visit the project website: https://smacite.eu/

The project is co-funded by the Erasmus + Program of the European Union. The author is responsible for this communication and the European Commission is not responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained herein.