How can vocational education help small businesses make practical and responsible use of artificial intelligence? This question is at the heart of VELOCITY, a new Erasmus+ project launched in October 2026.

Officially titled Increasing SMEs’ Competitiveness through VET-Facilitated AI, VELOCITY will run for 24 months, until September 2028. The project brings together seven organisations from Germany, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Greece and Lithuania, coordinated by Technische Universität Berlin.

Connecting vocational learning with business needs

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need relevant skills and practical support to adopt AI effectively. VELOCITY will strengthen the capacity of vocational education and training (VET) providers to respond to these needs, combining artificial intelligence and service design to help businesses rethink services, improve working practices and build digital competencies.

Responsible and ethical AI adoption will be central to this work, alongside the wider goals of strengthening business competitiveness, resilience and sustainability.

From research to practical learning tools

Drawing on research into the needs of businesses and training providers, VELOCITY will develop:

• An AI and service design curriculum and manual for VET providers and trainers.

• A digital toolkit, AI readiness assessment and accompanying guide to help SMEs identify their needs and plan their next steps.

• An interactive learning platform offering open educational resources, micro-credentials and a chatbot for personalised learning support.

• Trainer development, mentoring and study visits in Italy to support practical application and exchange.

• Policy recommendations supporting digital transformation in vocational education and the ethical use of AI.

Skillman’s contribution

Skillman leads the development of the curriculum and manual, working with VILNIUS TECH as co-lead. Its contribution includes coordinating the research framework and training programme structure, as well as organising the study visit in Italy.

Through this work, Skillman will help connect vocational training with the challenges SMEs face as they introduce AI into their everyday activities.

Stay tuned for project updates, resources and opportunities to get involved.

Programme: Erasmus+ — Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training
Duration: October 2026 – September 2028
Project reference: 2026-1-DE02-KA220-VET-000451632