On April 10, 2024 KU Leuven, acting as coordinator, was happy to announce to have been awarded a grant under the Erasmus+ Centres of Vocational Excellence call. The proposed project, Platform for Electrification Skills and Competences(P4ELECS), addresses a critical need in the innovation landscape of the energy sector by focusing on the provision of competences and practical skills for projects crucial to the energy transition.

P4ELECS aims to streamline the transition from research to implementation and promote international exchange of knowledge and experience through an integrated system. With electrification as its cornerstone, the project involves partnerships across higher education and Vocational Education and Training (VET) sectors, industry, innovation support organisations, and public authorities responsible for education, accreditation, and employment at regional and national level in five countries (BE, NL, IT, LV, DE).

Coordinated by KU Leuven, this initiative targets both VET excellence and innovation support, and will benefit various stakeholders including VETs, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), enterprises, industry-related training providers, engineers, and technicians. P4ELECS will provide a comprehensive training curriculum that meets the highest European quality standards and will facilitate practical international experience based on skills needs intelligence.

Over a period of 48 months, this collaborative effort, involving KU Leuven as coordinator, 23 full partners, and 7 associated partners, will receive a total EU grant of 3.99 million euros. KU Leuven's role in this project includes a grant of 1 million euros. Professor Annick Dexters of the Faculty of Engineering Technology is the contact person at KU Leuven for this groundbreaking project.

This project represents an important milestone in strengthening competences, bridging the gap between research and practical implementation, and fostering robust international collaborations in the field of electrification and the broader energy transition landscape.