The BCN Vocational Training Foundation has organized a conference to present its new pedagogical and innovative project based on the exchange of knowledge on innovative solutions in the field of sustainability.
This project called “EU Water Challenge VET Labs” aims to involve European VET learners and trainers to identify nature-based innovative solutions to mitigate the consequences and effects of flooding and improve water retention within an imaginary European city, called ‘Metropoli’. Both learners and trainers will participate in the first international VET awards to respond to this key social challenge in the water management sector.
The company that launches the challenge is Agbar, part of the international Veolia group, committed to ecological transformation. The city ‘Metropoli’ is invented and developed by Agbar and includes a series of combined functions from a typical city of Denmark, Belgium and Spain to emulate different environmental contexts (those from the different participating centers) in a unique city.
Therefore, participating VET students will have to be creative to solve a real-world need by applying the challenge-based learning approach (Challenge Based Learning) and other open innovation methodologies applied to VET, while acquiring deeper knowledge and skills needed to thrive in a changing world.
The event was attended by leading experts from the sector and brought together representatives of companies and entities involved in the sector.
Among the speakers were Lluc Pejó, director of the Water School and talent director of Agbar and responsible for launching the challenge of the project, Mrs. Anna Hern’ndez, head of the Social and Economic Development Area of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. In addition, Sol Bermejo, coordinator of the project for the BCN Vocational Training Foundation, presented the EU Water Challenge VET Labs, and Gemma Sepúlveda, coordinator of the Foundation’s innovation project, also presented the MetropolisFPLab, a project that has served as an inspiration to scale up a pedagogical VET project based on challenge-based learning at the European level.
During the presentation of the challenge, experts in urban drainage solutions have shared their knowledge and experiences, including the explanation of what are “natural-based solutions” by Angel Villanueva, director of resilience and climate change at Agbar. The city ‘Metròpoli’ was also presented by Montse Lloch, Head of Communication of the Agbar Water School, explaining to the participants what were the basic requirements with which the fictional city created by the participants would need to count.
The Challenge-Based Learning (ABR) methodology, an innovative pedagogical element provided by the project and the virtual platform, have also been presented by Joan Ras, from SDLI. The session closed with a group dynamic to promote teamwork among students by Júlia Zivic and Gemma Sepúlveda, from the Barcelona Vocational Training Foundation.
