The VR DigiVET project held its European Final Policy Event online on 27 May 2026, bringing together 115 participants from the vocational education and training community, public institutions, education providers, research organisations and the private sector.
The one-day event exceeded the project target of 100 participants and provided a European platform for presenting the complete VR DigiVET pathway, from needs assessment and curriculum development to digital infrastructure, educator capacity building, student training and the VR-based traineeship.
Presenting the VR DigiVET journey
The event introduced participants to the different stages through which the project worked to strengthen digital competences in the Albanian VET system.
The programme presented the findings of the national needs assessment, which examined the digital-skills requirements of VET teachers, instructors and students. The research highlighted the need for practical training, improved access to technology, stronger connections with employability and greater integration of immersive learning tools.
Participants were then introduced to the two digital-skills curricula developed for VET educators and students. The curricula were designed to connect transversal digital competences with practical applications and sector-specific needs.
From research to digital infrastructure
A dedicated session focused on the development of the project’s digital ecosystem, including the learning platform and immersive environments.
The presentation explained how the infrastructure was designed to support access through standard computers, VR headsets and lower-cost immersive devices. This multi-entry approach was intended to make the project resources usable by institutions with different levels of equipment and technical capacity.
The event also addressed the beta-testing and improvement process. Feedback from users led to technical optimisation, clearer guidance and increased hosting capacity, enabling the system to support up to 100 simultaneous users.
Building the capacity of teachers and students
The capacity-building pathway represented another central part of the programme.
The project trained 78 VET teachers and instructors in Vlora and Tirana, exceeding the initial target of 50. The educators developed practical competences in 3D modelling, immersive-content creation, interaction design, virtual-reality development and video editing.
A selected group later participated in a study visit in Italy, where they explored innovative educational and technological practices and reflected on how these approaches could be transferred to their own institutions.
The training pathway then reached 210 VET students, exceeding the target of 200. Students used the curricula and digital ecosystem to create three-dimensional assets, interactive environments, audiovisual materials and collaborative digital projects.
Twenty-five students subsequently completed the advanced VR-based traineeship component, applying their skills through multidisciplinary and workplace-oriented project activities.
A space for dialogue and transfer
The Final Policy Event was not limited to presenting outputs. It also encouraged discussion on how the project’s resources and methodology could be sustained and transferred.
Participants reflected on several themes:
- the role of digital and immersive technologies in VET modernisation;
- the importance of connecting technological tools with pedagogical objectives;
- the need to train educators before introducing new platforms at scale;
- the value of practical and project-based learning;
- accessibility and different modes of digital participation;
- cooperation between public authorities, VET institutions and the private sector;
- future use and replication of the curricula and infrastructure.
The diversity of participants supported exchanges between policy, practice, research and technology communities.
Positive engagement from participants
Feedback collected after the event indicated a positive assessment of its relevance, clarity and professional usefulness. Participants particularly appreciated the opportunity to view the project as a complete pathway rather than as a collection of separate technological or educational outputs.
The event also generated interest in the future use of the platform, the transferability of the curricula and the possibility of applying the project approach in other VET contexts and countries.
Looking beyond the project
The Final Policy Event marked the conclusion of the funded implementation period, but it also highlighted the foundations established for future activity.
The curricula, digital resources and immersive infrastructure can continue to support participating VET providers. The teachers and instructors trained through the project can act as institutional multipliers, while the student-training and traineeship models can be adapted for future cohorts.
VR DigiVET has demonstrated that digital transformation in vocational education is most effective when research, pedagogy, technology, teacher development and student practice are developed as part of a single connected process. The Final Policy Event provided an opportunity to share this model with a wider European audience and to open the discussion on its long-term sustainability and replication.