Technology, data use, and digitisation are based on mathematical structures, and this permeates many aspects of our daily lives: apps, online activities, and all kinds of communication. Equipping people to deal with this mathematisation of society is a big challenge. Which competences are needed, which skills must be mastered? Which dispositions are helpful? These are the questions that matter in the development of adult education. The concept of numeracy is mentioned already for many years as a possible useful approach to equip adults with the necessary skills. In this paper we will argue that is only true when numeracy is defined as a multifaceted concept which combines knowledges, skills, higher order skills, context and dispositions.
This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the AI-related skills and roles needed to bridge the AI skills gap in Europe. Using a mixed-method research approach, this study investigated the most in-demand AI expertise areas and roles by surveying 409 organizations in Europe, analyzing 2,563 AI-related job advertisements, and conducting 24 focus group sessions with 145 industry and policy experts. The findings underscore the importance of both general technical skills in AI related to big data, machine learning and deep learning, cyber and data security, large language models as well as AI soft skills such as problemsolving and effective communication. This study sets the foundation for future research directions, emphasizing the importance of upskilling initiatives and the evolving nature of AI skills demand, contributing to an EU-wide strategy for future AI skills development.
MULTIFILE
We assess the incidence of numeracy skills mismatch in five countries: Belgium, Chile, Italy, Netherlands, and the United States of America. To do this, we make use of a new approach (Brun-Schamme & Rey, 2021), namely by identifying someone as being mismatched if the score for numeracy skills is outside the interval [median – SD , median + SD]. We make use of the PIAAC dataset, collected by the OECD, a survey that measures adults’ proficiency in numeracy among other type of skills. We find that 14% of the workers are over-skilled, whereas 16% are under-skilled. Being over-skilled is more likely for men, younger age-groups, having a high level of education, using numeracy skills often at work, and having studied science, mathematics, and engineering.
Students in Higher Music Education (HME) are not facilitated to develop both their artistic and academic musical competences. Conservatoires (professional education, or ‘HBO’) traditionally foster the development of musical craftsmanship, while university musicology departments (academic education, or ‘WO’) promote broader perspectives on music’s place in society. All the while, music professionals are increasingly required to combine musical and scholarly knowledge. Indeed, musicianship is more than performance, and musicology more than reflection—a robust musical practice requires people who are versed in both domains. It’s time our education mirrors this blended profession. This proposal entails collaborative projects between a conservatory and a university in two cities where musical performance and musicology equally thrive: Amsterdam (Conservatory and University of Amsterdam) and Utrecht (HKU Utrechts Conservatorium and Utrecht University). Each project will pilot a joint program of study, combining existing modules with newly developed ones. The feasibility of joint degrees will be explored: a combined bachelor’s degree in Amsterdam; and a combined master’s degree in Utrecht. The full innovation process will be translated to a transferable infrastructural model. For 125 students it will fuse praxis-based musical knowledge and skills, practice-led research and academic training. Beyond this, the partners will also use the Comenius funds as a springboard for collaboration between the two cities to enrich their respective BA and MA programs. In the end, the programme will diversify the educational possibilities for students of music in the Netherlands, and thereby increase their professional opportunities in today’s job market.
Nederland staat voor enorme (ver)bouwopgaven. Er moet een miljoen nieuwe woningen worden bijgebouwd en een veelvoud aan gebouwen moet worden verduurzaamd. Daarvoor zijn goed getrainde én gemotiveerde vakmensen nodig. Ook het mkb in de bouw en infra staat hiervoor aan de lat. Juist dat mkb kampt echter met groeiende personeelstekorten en een snel vergrijzend personeelsbestand. Steeds meer mkb bedrijven in de bouw en infra geven aan niet alleen te worstelen met de vraag hoe zij aan voldoende vakmensen komen, maar ook met de vraag hoe zij vakmensen langer, beter en meer duurzaam kunnen inzetten. Daarvoor zeggen mkb bedrijven vooral behoefte te hebben aan slimme manieren om een actueel, volledig en betrouwbaar (‘valide’) inzicht te krijgen van het in hun bedrijf beschikbare vakmanschap. Daarnaast is er behoefte aan professionele hulp bij het inzetten en (langer) inzetbaar houden van vakmensen en aan passende en effectieve begeleiding daarbij. In dit project gaan we met 10 mkb bedrijven in de bouw en infra deze problemen aanpakken. Dat doen we door samen te experimenteren met het 'digitaal skills paspoort voor vakmensen (DSP)'. Het DSP geeft medewerkers en bedrijven een actueel en volledig inzicht in de eigen 'skills voorraad' en de ontwikkeling daarin. Dat inzicht gebruiken we om mkb bedrijven te helpen hun (aankomende) werknemers concrete handvatten te bieden voor verduurzaming van de inzetbaarheid. In vragenlijstonderzoek, in case studies en een cross cases study volgens de methode van realistische evaluatie stellen we vast of én hoe de DSP aanpak mkb bedrijven écht helpt meer vakmensen te vinden, ze langer inzetbaar te houden en daarbij de juiste begeleiding te bieden. We werken intensief samen met een breed consortium van roc’s, hogescholen, sociale partners, mkb bedrijven en kennisinstellingen om onderzoeksresultaten gedurende het project bruikbaar te maken voor (bouw)bedrijven zelf én het middelbaar en hoger beroepsonderwijs.
The HAS professorship Future Food Systems is performing applied research with students and external partners to transform our food system towards a more sustainable state. In this research it is not only a question of what is needed to achieve this, but also how and with whom. The governance of our food system needs rethinking to get the transformative momentum going in a democratic and constructive manner. Building on the professorship’s research agenda and involvement in the transdisciplinary NWA research project, the postdoc will explore collective ownership and inclusive participation as two key governance concepts for food system transformation. This will be done in a participatory manner, by learning from and with innovative bottom-up initiatives and practitioners from the field. By doing so, the postdoc will gain valuable practical insights that can aid to new approaches and (policy) interventions which foster a sustainable and just food system in the Netherlands and beyond. A strong connection between research and education is created via the active research involvement of students from different study programs, supervised by the postdoc (Dr. B. van Helvoirt). The acquired knowledge is embedded in education by the postdoc by incorporating it into HAS study program curricula and courses. In addition, it will contribute to the further professional development of qualitative research skills among HAS students and staff. Through scientific, policy and popular publications, participation in (inter)national conferences and meetings with experts and practitioners, the exposure and network of the postdoc and HAS in the field of food systems and governance will be expanded. This will allow for the setting up of a continuous research effort on this topic within the professorship via follow-up research with knowledge institutes, civic society groups and partners from the professional field.
