Fuel Cells and Green Hydrogen Centers of Vocational Excellence towards affordable, secure, and sustainable energy for Europe (ERASMUS-EDU-2022-PEX-COVE)

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https://h2excellence.eu/

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The demand for green hydrogen (H2) and related technologies will skyrocket in the coming years due to several reasons, including the European and global energy crises and the European Union (EU)’s REpowerEU Plan, which is pushing the markets for free energy transformation in Europe. This will simultaneously create the need for a skilled workforce in the job market, the development of more and more educational and training programs for students and engineers, and the re-skilling of existing energy sector employees.

The H2Excellence project will establish the H2Excellence Platform of Vocational Excellence in the field of fuel cells and green hydrogen technologies, by implementing lifelong learning opportunities, including an online learning platform, and developing national and international curricula and training programs. The project will create several local clusters, i.e., Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs), focused into the innovation, skills, and job ecosystem in green hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, in six Erasmus+ countries (Italy, Spain, Finland, Portugal, Poland, and France), including two associated CoVE’s with focus in mobility, in France and Poland.

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H2Excellence aims to create world-class reference points for training and lifelong learning in green hydrogen technologies for both training of young students, and engineers, as well as for up-skilling and reskilling of adults, through flexible and timely offer of training for the skills needed by companies in the green hydrogen sector.

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The main objectives:

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• Create Centre of Vocational Excellences (CoVEs) dedicated to fuel cells and green hydrogen technologies, founding a collaborative network to bridge industry skill gaps
• Design, pilot, and implement several trainings for students at different levels at vocational education training (VET) institutes.
• Offer teacher upskilling programmes and training and technical support initiatives for Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across CoVEs in green hydrogen technologies, addressing technical, training, and reskilling topics
• Establish world-class reference points for training in green hydrogen technologies for young people, engineers, and adults
• Establish a solid collaborative education-business-research network
• Develop an international collaborative online platform/Knowledge hub for knowledge sharing about green hydrogen technologies
• Promote and raise awareness of the use of hydrogen in different industrial sectors, mobility, and urban environments
• Promote internationalization of vocational training and education in the field of hydrogen

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Impact of project results:

Produce a competent workforce for the hydrogen industry, with skills and competence aligned with the market needs:

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• Develop and provide training courses, modules and e-learning tools for students, and of the company’s workers (up-skilling and reskilling)
• Spread and replicate project results in other regions, to make those available for other education providers
• Get the result of VET rolled out on a national level and part of the national and/or regional curricula.
• Strengthen further international cooperation and mobility of students and also green hydrogen experts and workers
• Foster international support to companies (SMEs) operating in green hydrogen, through technical support, training, reskilling and upskilling employees
• Foster common activities and collaboration between different green hydrogen supply chain partners, including research and innovation support institutions

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