OBEC is a KA2 Strategic Partnership co-funded by the Erasmus + of the European Union. Led by SwIdeas in Sweden, the project also gathers partnerships from Croatia (Regional Develpment Agency of Sisak-Moslavina County - SIMORA), Italy (LAI-MOMO Società Cooperativa Sociale & Università degli studi di Urbino Carlo Bo), Belgium (EURADA - Association Europeenne Des Agences Developpement).  

OBEC is an innovative project that aims to explore the potentials of Blockchain technology to promote competency development and recognition of skills and qualifications by creating an innovative system to issue and validate learning credentials on a trial basis. Through this effort, the project’s goal is to encourage the professional and academic integration of migrants, exchange students, and individuals with informal and non-formal learning backgrounds. By contributing to the educational and economic integration of these targeted groups, OBEC further envisions to benefit individuals with migrant background, students, teachers, education institutions, and employers. Focusing on the key issue of lack of uniformity and transparency in systems of validation of credentials, it is expected that this effort will also result in positive effects in the working context, promoting employability, empowerment, and accessibility to the labour market.

Project goals

Project progress

1. Naming the Barriers

Research of the current state of the education and working contexts, as well as the current status of knowledge regarding Blockchain technology.

Main implemented activity

Conduction of a research of knowledge gaps and the current state of economic and social integration of the target group

Main outcome

The findings of the research resulted in one national report per country which have been combined in one final comprehensive report, with summaries in Swedish, Italian, Croatian, and French.

The final report:

• Informs about national-specific and the needs in the European context.

• Includes legal and institutional barriers to implementing a standardized system of educational credentials, as well as the legal, institutional, and technological barriers, regulations, and incentives to encourage the use of blockchain technology in Europe.

Goal

The final report has the potential of being utilized by decision and policy makers in Europe to identify issues around different educational systems and within the European context which hinder the employability and professional integration of migrants, mobility students, and individuals with alternative learning backgrounds and, as a consequence, hinder their adequate social inclusion and economic prosperity.

Identifying these obstacles will be key to setting the ground for the creation of a unified system of educational credentials beyond the higher institutions.

Access our report here!

2. Inspiring Revolutionary Credentials

Development of an upskilling training program, which has its certifications issued on a blockchain platform as an innovative badge system.

Main implemented activities

Development of 13 upskilling training modules

Assessment and selection of a platform to issue credentials based on Blockchain technology

Testing of modules & blockchain-based platform in each partner country

Main outcome

Development of four chapters according to different topics with accompanying material for trainers to keep on using the developed material

Goal

To assess the possibilities of blockchain technology for the educational context in a simplified manner, and hopefully, inspire other initiatives in a wider context.

To promote its adoption as the main global standard (in terms of social adoption) for issuing records on the blockchain.

Access our material here!

Access our training material here:

Access our training material here:

Access our training material here:

Access our training material here:

Check out our chapters in the partner languages

Swedish

Croatian

Italian

Dutch

French

3. Real-life applications

The consortium prepared a set of case studies, good practices and mentor’s advice for practitioners in the form of 6/7 multimedia material and a guiding material in text format. This constitutes the final and main expected contribution from the project to the future of the education context, as well as for encouraging crucial changes within the educational field.

Main implemented activities

Collection of multimedia material throughout the project’s duration and different activities

Edition of material in the form of videos which illustrate the experiences of the project in each partner country, as well as advices from experts

Collection of main lessons from project, two case studies per partner, and mentor’s advice. This has been compiled in one guiding material

Main outcome

6/7 multimedia material

One guiding material in text format

Goal

To contribute to the future of the education context and encourage crucial changes.

Access our Guiding Material here!

Access our videos here!

Publications

Newsletters & Press-release (English)

Newsletters & Press-releases (Swedish)

Articles on EPALE - Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe

Partners