ERASMUS- VET5.0

Project title: Transforming Vocational Education Through Advancing Learner-Centricity, Education 5.0, and Lifelong Learning for Industry 4.0/5.0 in Rural Regions

Project acronym: VET5.0

Program: Erasmus+ Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE)

Project Objectives:

VET5.0 is a European flagship project that redefines vocational education and training (VET) by combining learner-centric approaches, advanced technologies, and regional skills ecosystems. The project empowers learners of all ages, SMEs, and vulnerable groups in rural regions by developing flexible, inclusive, and future oriented training solutions aligned with the digital and green transformation. At its core,VET5.0 establishes a European Excellence Academy with six Centres of Vocational Excellence  (CoVEs) across Europe. 

Key idea: VET5.0 integrates education, innovation, and regional development into one coherent model for vocational excellence.  

Project Goals: 

• Promote learner-centric education — implement Education 5.0 and lifelong learning for Industry 4.0/5.0, targeting rural areas and diverse groups including young people, professionals, and vulnerable populations 

• Deliver high-quality, flexible training — offer adaptive learning, micro-credentials, and accessible entry points so all learners can customise their education 

• Advance pedagogy through technology — integrate AI, immersive learning, and gamification; train educators to become experts in the new learner-centred paradigm 

• Develop inclusive distance learning — build distance learning laboratories and provide inclusive education training incorporating adaptive learning and micro-credentials 

• Build a VET skills ecosystem — collaborate with stakeholders (VET providers, industry, SMEs, public authorities) centred on Industry 4.0/5.0, with a focus on AI, robotics, and additive manufacturing 

• Prepare for future manufacturing markets — focus on mass customisation, human-machine interaction, and digital and green manufacturing 

• Ensure quality and sustainability — implement a robust EQAVET quality assurance system, professional dissemination, and establish an Excellence Academy with six CoVEs to support future expansion and onboarding of new regions 

Project Partners:

• Austria: Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS) 

• Croatia: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (UNIZAG FSB) 

• Romania: Politehnica University of Timisoara (UPT) 

• Serbia: University of Novi Sad (UNS) 

• Slovakia: Technical University of Košice (TUKE) 

• Slovenia: Faculty of Polymer Technology (FTPO) 

Project Details:

• Lead Partner / Coordinator: Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS) 
• Project Leader at FTPO: doc. dr. Matija Hriberšek 
• Duration: 48 months (1. 5. 2026 – 30. 4. 2030)
• Total Budget: 3,966,660.31 €