EUVECA: Innovative training for the healthcare and support of the future

The EUVECA project, which stands for European Platform for Vocational Excellence in Healthcare, aims to future-proof the healthcare and welfare sector by training professionals in essential 21st century skills. Hubs are being set up in seven European regions to work on this objective. Marloes Bults, Marloes Postel, and Marjolein den Ouden of the Technology, Health & Care research group at Saxion tell us more about this innovative project.

Why was the EUVECA project set up?

The healthcare sector is facing many challenges that call for structural solutions. The EUVECA project was set up to equip current and future professionals with the skills they will need in the future. For example, digital and communication skills, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaboration and innovation. We want to provide training to ensure that the sector is futureproofed.

In the Erasmus+ project, we are focusing on a number of current and urgent trends. These include the ageing population, personalised medicine, digitalisation and ensuring the sustainability of the healthcare sector. The societal challenges and trends we face are in some respects the same across Europe. By sharing knowledge and experience on the EUVECA platform, we can learn a lot from each other and address challenges together.

Who are you working with?

In the EUVECA project, we work with regional parties from Denmark, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Norway, Netherlands and Germany. ‘Hubs’ of practice organisations and training institutes are being established in these European regions. In these hubs, we are collaborating to develop a platform of learning and training activities for future-proof healthcare and welfare professionals. Saxion is a member of the Twente Hub in collaboration with the University of Twente, the Twente Hospital Group (ZGT) and the East Netherlands Development Agency (Oost NL).

All European partners were present at the partner meeting in Enschede in June 2024. The Technology, Health & Care research group organised a pre-conference meeting at Saxion. This meeting focused on research and educational activities related to the adoption and implementation of technology in practice and training future-proof professionals. We also visited the Saxion XR Lab for Healthcare and Wellbeing. The pre-launch of the EUVECA platform was also a milestone. The platform will go live in September 2024 and learning and training activities will be tested by students and professionals.

EUVECA 2.jpeg — Partner meeting in Enschede, June 2024

What is the greater added value of EUVECA for Saxion?

Saxion is coordinating the ‘Testing and implementation’ work package. Our main focus is the field of Living Technology. This is all about the significance of technological innovations and how they benefit humanity, society and our planet. For this reason, we are paying increasing attention to students' technological skills in our healthcare and welfare degree programmes. Through the EUVECA project, we can further encourage educational development related to Living Technology and technology competences.

Another benefit is that we can continue to advance the V model for technology competences, which we have developed together with partners from education, the professional field and science. This model describes the technology qualifications of MBO and HBO professionals in healthcare and welfare. It supports their desire and ability to work with technology and integrate it into their everyday work. Competences listed in the V model are being used to develop learning and training activities at European level.

How are learning and training activities developed?

We work with a network of relevant parties, such as educational and knowledge institutions, healthcare and welfare organisations and the business sector. Our focus is on developing learning and training activities for competences such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, innovation, leadership, and digital skills. We recently conducted a needs assessment among students and professionals. We have also organised focus groups with stakeholders. This will help us to understand the opportunities and possibilities for regional hubs to provide education and training.

Students have also actively taken part in the EUVECA project during their Smart Solutions Semester They carried out a sub-assignment on implementing the megatrends in the curriculum of the undergraduate nursing and social work programmes and the master's programmes in Health Care & Social Work and Advanced Nurse Practitioner. A University of Twente student also carried out a sub-assignment on learning strategies used by nurses working in hospitals. They presented their results to the partner meeting in June 2024.

EUVECA 3.jpg — Smart Solutions Semester and University of Twente students present their findings

What do you hope the EUVECA project will deliver?

We are very satisfied with the results achieved so far. Participation in a European project is a source of new insights and contacts, as well as educational developments. It has generated new ideas for joint follow-up projects on educational innovation and applied research.

We are looking forward to the next steps of the project and to working with our partners to strengthen the Twente Hub. Our ambition is to work with the EUVECA project to develop innovative training and thus contribute to the health care and support of the future.