Erasmus+ SHOEGAME: Making the Footwear Industry More Attractive Through Serious Games

Image: ShoeGAME meeting -19-20 October 2022

On 19 and 20 October 2022, the Erasmus+ SHOEGAME project partners met in Porto to assess the exploratory phase just completed, and move forward on the development of the serious game for VET footwear studies and the training material.

In the first six months of the project, the consortium, led by the Technical University of Iasi in Romania, completed the analysis of training and education needs for pre-VET and VET, as well as the opportunities of serious games in education as a means to attract students to the footwear sector. They also agreed on a benchmark regarding the serious game and the specifications for the methodology and contents.

Concerning the game itself, it will be developed for cell phones, since the objective is that students can play inside, but more importantly also outside school, so they do not associate this tool with a school obligation but as a real game. The content of the game is expected to address several topics relevant to a footwear company, such as product design and manufacturing processes, new technologies, sustainability and circularity, or health and safety at work; all of which can help the younger generation to get understand the main principles of manufacturing a shoe while they are playing. The consortium is planning to have the training contents ready by January 2023.

The Erasmus+ SHOEGAME project should involve at least 24 different schools including 12 VET centers and 12 secondary schools. That is to say at least 250 students from 4 different countries, 250 future students, and 50 teachers from VET centers dedicated to Footwear VET studies. The partners are very keen to engage in discussions with VET teachers and students in order to better target the specific needs of VET students. Therefore, they are already identifying possible candidates.

If you are interested in getting involved with the Erasmus+ SHOEGAME project, you can contact any of the partners to find out the opportunities of being an active actor. The methodology could be replicated in the VET studies of other manufacturing industries that a VET school is addressing. You can also follow the progress of the Erasmus+ SHOEGAME project on our website and social media.