The DEVICES project (Developing Education in Vietnam and Cambodia enhancing Employability for Students; No. 01177347) aims to advocate a shift from traditional professional development to lifelong learning & strengthen organizational and human capacity of Higher Education Institutions in Vietnam and Cambodia in terms of successful career planning services for students; policy recommendations on employability; tools and mechanism for employment; guidance in adaptation to the trends of local and international labour market. The project is a part of the Erasmus+ programme – Capacity Building in Higher Education (ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CBHE-STRAND-2) and is co-financed by the European Union. 

The project is focused on a new way of conceptualising the professional development. According to the new paradigm of lifelong career building, careers are constructed rather than chosen and this process of building is, at least in part, a process of learning and personal development. This approach better reflects the dynamic world we live in, in which new jobs are being continually created and individuals must be proactive and responsive to new opportunities. The project is going to support students to navigate themselves through unfamiliar contexts: help to self-identify development needs in key competences for lifelong learning (8 Key competences for lifelong learning) and take responsibility for assuring acquisition of them; empower students to take responsibility for their personal development needs and to make the relevant choices for obtaining them. 

The project intends to apply a cross-curricular digital workspace (a continuous learning space where formal, non-formal and informal learning opportunities are identified and their outcomes recognized), to encourage students’ reflexivity by accompanying them continuously in the different phases of lifelong learning. The student-owned dynamic digital workspaces, wherein students can capture their learning and their ideas, access their collections of work, reflect on their learning, share it, set goals, seek feedback and showcase their key competences, will be enriched by micro-credentials. 

The workspace will be available in English, Vietnamese and Cambodian, and will have a technological basis allowing to host thousands of students. As a matter of fact, the project plans to involve about 500 students during the piloting phase, but the system will be scalable to 5.000 students and even more. 

Project objectives: 

• Improve the quality of higher education and enhance its relevance for the labour market and society; 
• Increase the level of competences, skills and employability potential of students in HEIs by developing new and innovative education programmes and digital tools;
• Promote inclusive education, equality, equity, non-discrimination and the promotion of civic-competences in higher education (e.g. digital skills & digital media literacy);
• Enhance the teaching, assessment mechanisms for HEI staff and students, quality assurance, management, governance, inclusion, innovation, knowledge base, digital and entrepreneurial capacities, as well as the internationalisation of HEIs in Vietnam and Cambodia; 
• Improve the training of teachers and continuous professional development in order to impact the longer-term quality of the education system;
• Stimulate cooperation of institutions, capacity building and exchange of good practice; 
• Foster cooperation across different regions in Vietnam and Cambodia through joint initiatives.