The Next Blue Generation

ongoing

The Blue Economy has an ageing workforce and employers are having difficulties to fill vacancies. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the attractiveness of Blue Careers and to make a young workforce, which is having an incorrect and outdated picture of the Blue Economy, aware of the opportunities that the various sectors in the Blue Economy can offer. To secure a successful implementation and long-lasting legacy, the Next BlueGeneration Project will bring together the Blue Economy industry and the Education sector and target young people by transferring information in form of tools directly from the experts to teachers. For this aim it will deliver educational content, training, and tools of five sectors of the Blue Economy (Nautical Tourism, Maritime Transport, Marine Biotechnology, Aquaculture, Marine Conservation) in form of a) an interactive Blue Career Pathway Tool, b) a BlueGeneration Game, and c) a MOOC for teachers to enhance the skills of teachers and students. The interactive Blue Career Pathway Tool will provide individualised career guidance and self-assessment to students. The BlueGeneration Game will deliver information about the sectors in an attractive gaming format that is tailored to the preferences of young people. The MOOC will “train the Trainer” and deliver easy-to-use background information to teachers and trainers, enabling them to support young people in their career choices in the Blue Economy. The project puts a strong emphasis on implementing the tools into the environment of the target group (teachers) and uses for that its already established networks with schools and the education sector. Major projects and organisations come together for this aim and will ensure the long-term success.