Deep-tech driven inclusive and socially-aware circular material joining & welding for a safe future

ongoing

WELDIFY addresses the emerging need of developing skilled workforce in the field of welding circular/reused metals. Particularly, as the construction and automotive sectors are rapidly relying on recycled metallic infrastructures, high-tech welding technologies need to be applied to counteract the catastrophic effects of poor quality welding which often lead to loss of human life particularly due to infrastructure failure (component breakage). At the moment, the EU market faces a labour shortage of close to one million skilled people in circular material welding (CMW) and breaking this barrier is the cornerstone of bringing manufacturing back to Europe while facilitating the deployment of circular economy in automotive and construction sectors. In this context, WELDIFY aims to: SO1: Develop an innovative cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral CMW toolkit (ECTS and ECVET compliant) uptaken by 5000 learners (VET/university/industry employees). The courses will be also uploaded on the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative Platform and will also be delivered to 500 learners with disabilities. SO2: Develop a cutting-edge human-machine interaction toolkit for trainers in welding processes by integrating robotics to enhance safety and security (higher education, vocational education, corporate) that would be uptaken by 250+ VET/SME/higher education trainers. SO3: Establish a robust quality assurance and certification framework for CMW, aligning with ISO standards. SO4: Develop a Europass-enabled micro-credential certification framework for the envisioned CMW toolkit would enable at least 2000 learners (students, VET learners, workforce) to receive certification SO5: Establish a comprehensive cross-disciplinary platform for advanced learner analytics, market skills prediction and real-time learning content update (to reflect real time market needs). SO6: Conduct work based learning apprenticeships with 100 learners.