This is the last newsletter of the SEnDIng project as the project ended on 31st January 2021. The University of Patras as the coordinating organization, along with all project partners have signed an MoU stating their intention to continue their cooperation towards the sustainability of SEnDIng outputs by (a) keep running the main outputs produced (e.g., the project website and the MOOC), (b) incorporate the VET programs into their training offers where applicable, (c) disseminate the project through their networks and (d) designing a follow-up project.

The main project objectives achieved are following:

• Design 2 VET programs for Data Science and IoT that are based on multi-disciplinary and learning-outcomes oriented curricula and combine technical knowledge and skills with transversal skills and competences.
• Design 2 reference models of knowledge, skills and competences for Data Scientists and IoT professionals in accordance with well-known European frameworks, such as the e-Competence Framework and the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations.
• Pilot the VET programs in three phases (online Data Science/IoT training, online transversal skills training and work-based learning) and certify the learning outcomes obtained.
• Disseminate the project results to target groups and engage them with the project to maximize its potential impact.
• Take actions towards the sustainability of project outputs and their exploitation by relevant stakeholders.

For more information, please read the project final report.

250+ OERs available for downloading

• Data Science: https://bit.ly/3bxUOy4
• IoT: https://bit.ly/2ZEapGX
• Transversal skill: https://bit.ly/3ulLFBf

13 Online courses at http://mooc.sending-project.eu/ with +200 users

• 6 on Data Science
• 6 on Internet of Things
• 1 on Transversal Skills

+440 hours of training

• 103 Data Science or 103 hours IoT online courses
• 20 online training on transversal skills
• 320 hours on work-based learning

Success rates in the Data Science and IoT pilot trainings

• 39% of the trainees have successfully completed the online training on Data Science and gained a Certificate of Achievement
• 37% of the trainees have successfully completed the online training on IoT and gained a Certificate of Achievement
• 31% of the trainees have successfully completed the online training on transversal skills
• 100% of the trainees have successfully completed the work-based learning and gained the SEnDIng certification

What trainees said about SEnDIng MOOC

• 77% declared that enjoyed the courses
• 71% declared that the courses met their expectations
• 68% declared that the quality of the courses was high
• 80% declared that the courses will be useful in their work
• 78% declared that the objectives of the courses were clearly defined
• 77% declared that the time allocated for the courses was reasonable
• 82% declared that the courses enhanced their knowledge of the subject matter
• 73% declared that they have been challenged to learn more than they expected

The SEnDIng Final Conference co-organized the special session “Education and training on Data Science and IoT” in conjunction with the 24th Pan-Hellenic Conference on Informatics (PCI 2020).

PCI 2020 Proceedings are published in the ACM ICPS Series, are available through the ACM Digital Library and are indexed through high-quality citation databases. The ISBN assigned to PCI 2020 proceedings volume is 978-1-4503-8897-9.

Special session presentations can be found here.

The participants in the pilot Data Science and IoT training have been awarded two different certificates. The certificate of achievement was awarded to those participants that successfully completed (i.e., achieved a score of 70% or more at all self-assessment quizzes of the programme modules) the Data Science and/or IoT online courses at the SEnDIng MOOC.

Τhe formal SEnDIng certificate was awarded to those that succeed at the certification exams which took place at the end of the training for the trainees who successfully completed:

• the 103 hours Data Science or 103 hours IoT online courses at MOOC
• the 20 hours of online transversal skills training
• the 320 hours of work-based learning in their typical work environment, working on Data Science and IoT projects.

The consortium organized a competition for all those that enrolled in the MOOC after 21/12/2020 and completed the online courses of the Data Science or IoT training program before January 31st, 2021. A prize of 200€ was set for the two trainees to achieve the highest average score at the self-evaluation quizzes of the Data Science and IoT online courses respectively; the prize was offered by the Greek Computer Society.

We would like to congratulate the winners and thank them for being a part of the SEnDIng project!

Atanas Yanev, Software Engineer at Code Runners

"Living in an age of IoT and computing, it is important to get the fundamentals in order to be able to manage and develop next generation of connected factories, industries and domains. The training was definitely useful for me, since my keen interests are in IoT domain."

Dimitropoulou Panagiota, Partner at Mixanografiki Ltd

"The knowledge offered from the SEnDIng project, has a particular importance in our company, as it gave us the opportunity and reinforce us to learn more and plan Data Science and IoT projects, on which we work on."

Teresa Papagiannopoulou, Coordinator of EU projects at Olympic Training and Consulting Ltd

"The SEnDIng project experience contributed to our better understanding and the development of a certain familiarity with the new digital environment that COVID-19 pandemic brought forward earlier than anticipated in the everyday practice of the provision of VET services."

Nikos Kostis, VP Engineering, Yodiwo

"SEnDIng helps us by providing a robust framework and guidance for training, and for doing so in a highly effective and non-disruptive manner. We plan to embrace its teachings in all our on-the-job training efforts"

The last milestone of the SEnDIng project has been the certification process for all the trainees who met the project requirements and had the opportunity to participate in the official certification procedures. UNICERT S.A. is the expert partner from Greece accredited by E.O.P.P.E.P. (National Organization for the Certification of Qualifications & Vocational Guidance), and was responsible to design, develop and perform all the necessary actions to create a high-quality certification cycle process according to European Standards. During the period of the development of the certification procedure, UNICERT S.A. cooperated closely with all the project partners in order to achieve a high quality certification scheme.

The certification exams in SEnDIng were reorganized and implemented online through a TELEPROCTORING system due to the pandemic outbreak. The system was designed following the principals of ISO/IEC 17024:2012 in Certification of Persons by E.SY.D. (Hellenic Accreditation System), which bears testament to the fact that the certification process is conducted with impartiality based on substantiated competency, while at the same time, it renders certificates recognized and valid as being equivalent to those awarded by the National Accreditation Bodies of the Countries-States of E.A. (European Cooperation for Accreditation).

Finally, the most promising and added value to the sustainability of the project is that UNICERT S.A. decided to accreditate the SEnDing certification process by E.SY.D in order to be officially valid among European countries. The official European Accreditation from the National Accreditxation Bodies of the Countries-States of E.A. by E.SY.D., is giving high value in academic level and a tool for the personal and professional development in the job market of the trainees that will obtain this certification. This achievement will raise and maintain the interest of potential trainees to attend the SEnDing MOOC, even after the completion of the project, and to participate in such certification exams.