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Digital Skills for Bulgarian SMEs
Digital Skills for Bulgarian SMEs
About project
Public libraries are becoming a centre for acquiring modern digital knowledge and skills from employed and owners of SMEs
"Digital Skills for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Bulgaria" project is being implemented by Global Libraries - Bulgaria Foundation(GLBF).
Partners of GLBF are the "Made in Bulgaria - Union of Small and Medium Business" Association and the Latvian Information and Communication Technology Association (LIKTA). The project is implemented in close cooperation with the regional libraries of Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora districts.
It is funded under the "Transnational and Danube Partnerships for Employment and Growth" procedure of the "Human Resources Development" 2014-2020 Operational Programme, co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund.
The total value of the project amounts to BGN 168 393,58 of which the European financing is BGN 159 973.89 and the national co-financing from the state budget amounts to BGN 8 419.69.
Its implementation period is one year and is expected to over at the end of October 2018.
By 2020, 90% of jobs will require digital skills, as predicted by the European Commission.
Bulgaria's readiness index for the digital economy puts it in the last 4th group of the "Hesitant" countries in the EU.
At the same time, in the developed information societies and economies, libraries are now the third place after home and work/school. They provide modern spaces for equal access to information and communication, lifelong learning, working together and meetings, creating new products, creativity and inspiration, appearances and events.
Therefore, through this project Global Libraries - Bulgaria Foundation, aims at developing an innovative educational model and to establish the regional libraries in Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora as a centres for acquiring modern digital skills from the owners and employees of Bulgarian SMEs.
In this regard, transnational cooperation, transfer of social innovations and good practices from Latvia will be implemented and partnerships will be developed between a variety of stakeholders in Bulgaria.
Learning modules for acquisition some of the most up-to-date digital skills tailored to the needs of SMEs will be developed:
- Digital marketing,
- Cloud services for SMEs,
- Safe online transactions and collaboration,
- Data protection and privacy.
The curriculum will present the prospects for development of production and business in the begining of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4.0), and related changes in management and information systems with the introduction of systems with artificial intelligence, blockchains technology and crypto currencies.
30 representatives of SMEs from the districts of Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora will be trained in a pilot training, thus increasing their prospects for sustainable employment.
The innovative curriculum will be based on equal access and flexible non-formal learning processes:
- a blended learning approach: face-to-face, online learning and practical application of the aquired knowledge,
- a modern online learning platform with automated processes,
- free access to appropriate resources, trainers, mentors and public library partners.
Together with our partners and stakeholders we will create valuable opportunities for:
- creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth,
- development of SMEs,
- increasing labor productivity.
This will contribute to the overall objective of the project, namely to increase the opportunities for sustainable employment and the quality of the workforce of the Bulgarian SMEs.
The results achieved will be disseminated within the GLBF network, including over 980 public libraries across the country, and among the members of the "Made in Bulgaria - Union of Small and Medium Business" Association, which brings together over 492 SME and 14 branch organizations with 1000 members.
Exchange of experience in Latvia
Innovative educational models and partnerships for development of SMEs' digital skills
LIKTA welcomes to Riga partners from Global Libraries Bulgaria Foundation.
Within “Digital Skills for Bulgarian SMEs” project BG05M9OP001-4.001-0135-C01 two experts from Global Libraries Bulgaria Foundation (GLBF), six experts from the regional libraries in Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora and two representatives of Bulgarian SMEs visited LIKTA in the period between 14th and 18th of January 2018.
The main purpose was to exchange experience and best practices with the ALL DIGITAL member LIKTA and other Latvian organisations in two directions:
- developing up-to-date and effective educational models for the acquisition of digital skills by employees and owners of SMEs;
- building and developing broad national and local partner networks for social innovation in the field of lifelong learning with a focus on the acquisition of digital skills.
The Bulgarian delegation got to know about LIKTA's digital skills development activities.
Dr. Māra Jākobsone, Vice-president of LIKTA, made a presentation of “Digital skills for SME“ project in Latvia: its goals, activities, main outputs and results.
The training methodology developed and used within the Latvian project was presented by the training expert Ms. Signe Briķe.
A practical demonstration of the online platform for the Latvian project implementation was followed by the discussion on the project and the platform. A stress was put on online administration and training tools, such as SharePoint and MOODLE.
The Bulgarian experts acquired more focused knowledge on four modules of the Latvian training programme for SMEs:
- Digital marketing,
- Cloud services for SMEs,
- Safe online transactions and collaboration,
- Data protection and privacy.
Partnerships for the development of digital knowledge and skills in Latvia
The experts from LIKTA and Baltic Computer Academy explained the process of development and maintenance of national and regional partnerships to promote and implement the project.
The Bulgarian delegation met and had discussions with 15 Latvian experts, researchers, trainers and librarians.
They gathered useful knowledge and information about the library network in Latvia and its main functions as well as the role to develop digital skills for citizens and SMEs. The Latvian Library network was presented by Sandra Ozoliņa, Deputy Director of the Latvian State Culture Information Cetre and by Inga Niedra, Traning Manager.
Experts from Kursīši Library - Information Centre and Jelgava City Library explained how and what kind of partnerships they develop in order to present a different kind of digital skills and digital services training by libraries in Latvia ( e.g. banks, VID, Latvenergo etc).
Visit to the National Library of Latvia
During the visit to the National Library of Latvia (NLL), Mrs. Marta Dziļuma from the Library Development Department familiarised the Bulgarian group with its media literacy and digital skills projects.
Mrs. Vita Juraga from the Competence Development Department at the NLL presented the training and lifelong learning programmes, projects and the system for informal learning recognition.
Media literacy activities of the National Library of Latvia for children were also presented to the Bulgarian delegation.
Upon their return to Bulgaria, the experts from the GLBF, the three libraries and SMEs from the districts of Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora will adapt the innovative practices identified in Latvia.
They will develop a curriculum and educational content for the acquisition of digital competencies tailored to the needs of the Bulgarian SMEs.
The final day of GLBF's visit concluded with an official ceremony of issuing certificates for the acquired knowledge. It took place at the National Library in Latvia.
Affiliate Network for digital skills
Public Library in the 21st Century -The Centre of Local Communities for Lifelong Learning
In order to successfully transfer the innovative educational model from Latvia to Bulgaria, the project will establish broad local partnerships in the three districts of Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora.
A wide range of stakeholders - district governments, municipalities, public libraries, NGOs, business entities, digital service providers, employers, educational and training institutions - will be invited to participate in the partnership for the development of public libraries as major centres for providing accessible and flexible forms of non-formal learning for an acquisition of digital competencies of SMEs employees and owners.
Once the partnerships are established, one-day training will be held in each of the three districts of Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora in order to increase stakeholders' capacity to initiate, develop and implement social innovation aimed at acquiring digital skills from those employed in SMEs.
Innovative educational model
Equal access to flexible non-formal learning processes + broad partnerships
Following the establishment of partnerships with stakeholders in the three districts of Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora, the transfer of good practices and innovative models, acquired from the experience of the Latvian partner LIKTA, will be realized.
It will create a completely innovative for Bulgaria educational model for acquiring digital skills from those employed in SMEs. It will be based on several key elements:
1) introduction of modern forms of non-formal learning and flexible learning processes;
2) participation of a maximum possible range of stakeholders and the target group in the adaptation of the new educational model;
3) using a maximum capacity and potential of regional libraries as digital inclusion centres.
The very creation of the innovative educational model in the regions of Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora will go through the following steps:
There will be an adaptation of one digital competency training programme for SMEs, with four modules, with 3 levels of digital competencies to be acquired:
- Digital marketing,
- Cloud services for SMEs,
- Safe online transactions and collaboration,
- Data protection and privacy.
Learning content for each level of each module in the curriculum will be adapted.
An interactive training model will be developed, based on:
- online learning, through the developed up-to-date training platform, with automated administration, communication and evaluation processes.
- face to face training at the regional libraries.
- practical application of the acquired knowledge by working on real cases of the SMEs themselves.
For the future implementation of the curriculum, the capacity of a broad network of trainers from public libraries, educational and training organizations, business and NGOs in the three districts will be developed.
A handbook for the training of trainers will be developed.
Three two-day training of 10 digital competence trainers will be held in each of the three districts of Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora.
Pilot testing
The Library - An Entry Point to the Digital World for SMEs
Pilot testing of the new education programme will be implemented to verify the real impact it can achieve regarding the development of digital competencies by employees and owners of SMEs.
For this purpose, pilot training will be carried out for a total of 30 employees and owners of SMEs in the three districts of Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora.
Within one month, the four modules of the new educational program will be tested.
A group of 10 SME representatives will be formed in each of the three districts.
A blended learning approach will be applied:
- online learning, through the developed up-to-date training platform, with automated administration communication and evaluation processes.
- face to face training in the regional libraries.
- practical application of the acquired knowledge by working on real cases of the SMEs themselves.
At the regional libraries, with the support of partners and stakeholders, SME representatives will be provided with access to appropriate learning and meetings spaces, resources, trainers and mentors.
Thus, libraries will become centres where SME owners and employees can, through non-formal education, develop their digital skills at a convenient for them time and pace.
Evaluation and dissemination of the results
The Library - The Third Place for Digital Inclusion After Home and Work
Upon completion of the pilot training, an evaluation of the results achieved will be madein terms of feasibility of the innovative elements of the new educational model for acquiring digital skills by owners and employees of SMEs from the districts of Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora.
It will assess the logical link between the planned activities for transferring the identified innovative practices and their actual implementation.
The objectives and results of the project, as well as their connection with meeting the needs of the target group, will be evaluated.
On the basis of the evaluation, a report will be prepared, which will provide useful guidance for the further development of the innovative educational model in Bulgaria..
In the final phase of the project, measures will be taken to disseminate the results of the adaptation and pilot testing of the innovative educational model.
The aim is the maximum number of stakeholders to be reached out and to benefit from the results. Not only in the three districts of Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora but also throughout the country.
Activities will be undertaken to reach all of the 980 public libraries of the GLBF network as well as all 1,400 members of the "Made in Bulgaria - Union of Small and Medium Business" Association network.
The results will also be presented to all organizations from the districts of Plovdiv, Smolyan and Stara Zagora, previously identified in the stakeholders' analysis.
In addition, the results will also be presented to stakeholders at the national level, interested in the introduction of social innovations and programmes for the acquisition of digital knowledge and skills by owners and employees of SMEs.
Two manuals for developing social innovation and for training of digital skills trainers will be disseminated. Several roundtables will be organized. Several video clips for the adapted innovations will be produced and a campaign to promote the innovative education model in the media and social networks will be implemented.
