New Call: Specialised Education Programmes in Key Capacity Areas

Deadline: 21-Nov-24

European Commission (EC) is inviting applications for the Specialised Education Programmes to support the excellence of EU higher education to build up specialised education programmes and self-standing modules in the area of advanced digital skills.

This should lead to the development of dynamic digital educational ecosystems where higher education institutions as well as innovative partners from industry and research work together to attract and retain the best talents worldwide. Actions funded under this topic will contribute to the target of 20 million ICT specialists in the EU by 2030, as set in the Digital Decade Policy Programme. These actions will also contribute to closing the digital skills gap, as currently, the EU has a significant and systemic gap between market needs and what is offered in terms of skills related to advanced digital technologies.

Scope 

• The primary objective of this topic is to support the design and delivery of higher education programme(s) (hereafter programmes) at ISCED levels 6 (Bachelor’s or equivalent level), 7 (Master’s or equivalent level) or 8 (doctoral or equivalent level) leading to a degree and to develop related self-standing modules (online, hybrid or in-person) leading to a certification. These programme(s) and module(s) need to be co-designed jointly between higher education institutions and industry as well as research partners and other partners in the consortium (if applicable). The choice of the type of programme(s) and self-standing module(s), as well as the precise curricula and the modalities (e.g. bachelor, master or doctoral programme; single or joint degree; academic or professional programme, etc.) is left to the consortium to determine. The programme(s) are to be delivered and awarded by higher education institutions and can additionally be delivered and awarded by Vocational Education and Training (VET) institutions (if part of the consortium).
• Types of programmes:
  • Type 1: Programme(s) to build up advanced digital skills in one of the following key digital areas:
    • Virtual worlds
    • Edge computing
    • Quantum computing
    • Photonics
    • Robotics and automatization
  • Type 2.1: Interdisciplinary programme(s), targeting at the acquisition of advanced green digital skills related to specific technologies such as AI, data analytics, extended reality, robotics, cloud computing, internet of things and machine learning in the following specific sectors related to the green transition:
    • Agriculture
    • Transport
    • Renewable energy
    • Waste management
  • Type 2.2: Interdisciplinary programme(s), targeting at the acquisition of advanced digital skills for:
    • Government and public sector

Funding Information

• The available call budget is EUR 55 000 000.

Targeted Stakeholders 

• The participating consortium members should demonstrate complementary roles in the proposal and demonstrate an outstanding track record in their respective fields.
• The consortium is highly recommended to include at least three degree awarding higher education institutions from three different eligible countries which are part of the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE). Higher education institutions established in other eligible countries which are not part of the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education can also be included in the consortium. In this case, the consortium has to prove that the specific higher education institution is recognised by the competent national authority and offers full study programmes leading to higher education degrees and recognised diplomas at tertiary education qualifications levels.

Outcomes and Deliverables 

• Proposals selected for funding, depending on their chosen objectives’ coverage, will be required to demonstrate by the end of the action that:
• The programme(s) are offered and taught to students enrolled in all higher education institutions participating in the action. The self-standing module(s) are delivered by higher education institutions and/or other training providers participating in the action (relevant for all proposals);
• Support (financial or other) has been provided to students in order to take part in the programme(s) or in job placements/internships (relevant if objective 2 is addressed);
• Technical equipment/digital tools have been upgraded for the delivery of the programme(s) and self-standing module(s) (relevant if objective 3 is addressed);
• Structural partnerships have been established among the members of the consortium (relevant if objective 4 is addressed);
• A sustainability strategy has been developed and agreed by the consortium for enabling the continuity of the programme(s) and self-standing module(s) after the funded project’s lifetime (relevant for all proposals);
• The programme(s) and self-standing module(s) are promoted (via communication and dissemination activities) and information is available on the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform (relevant for all proposals).

Eligibility Criteria

• be legal entities (public or private bodies)
• be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
  • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
  • non-EU countries:
    • listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme

For more information, visit EC.