Conflict-affected regions in Eastern Ukraine are facing high unemployment rates, especially among young people. There are very few employment opportunities and, at the same time, young people are less prepared for today’s work and business environment.
The goal of the Digital fabrication for vocational education project is to reduce youth unemployment by improving the educational capacity of students in vocational schools by enabling technically savvy young people to learn and use modern digital technology, IT equipment and learn 3D modeling technologies and new educational programs. entrepreneurial skills.
An enabling environment for learning and exploring
A Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab) is a place where anyone can turn their idea into a real object with the help of digital fabrication technology and modern equipment such as 3D printer, 3D scanner, plotter, cutter, embroidery machine, modern computers with 3D modelling programmes.
To amplify the impact of the project, we trained teachers from ten vocational schools to use the innovative equipment and to further deliver basic digital fabrication and manufacturing classes to students.
The knowledge of digital modelling allows students to implement their ideas and thus show their creativity, which is an integral part of such professions as fashion designer and tailor, chef, web designer and graphic designer, hairdresser, manicurist, as well as carpenter, electrician, welder, and even tractor driver.
Empowering youth to start their own business
Complimentarily to digital fabrication skills, we build the entrepreneurial attitude and capacity of young people. We provide entrepreneurship training to teachers and encourage them to include elements of entrepreneurship education in their lessons with students.
The project serves as a business idea incubator. Students can design their business idea and create a product prototype in the FabLab. This approach gives them the opportunity to test the idea, learn from mistakes, collect and consider the opinions and feedback from potential consumers, create several copies and try to sell them.
The creation of digital workshops is part of the "Digital fabrication for vocational education" project, implemented by Terre des hommes - Ukraine with the assistance of the USAID Project "Ukraine Economic Resilience Activity".
