Implementing HealthTech into curriculum differs from country to country and the training programmes are diverse in the Care about IT countries. The main goal of Care about IT Work Package 7 (WP7 Initial Education and Continuous Learning) is to improve vocational education by integrating HealthTech topics into both initial training and lifelong learning opportunities.
Care about IT (CaIT) is a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) that intends to revolutionise the healthcare landscape through technology. The guidelines on implementing a new HealthTech curriculum was developed within the framework of the CaIT project in Finland, Estonia, Italy and the Netherlands.
Based on the findings of the CaIT ecosystem scan, which identified key stakeholders, skills gaps, and development needs in partner countries in 2024, WP7 develops practical learning solutions such as HealthTech study modules, micro-credentials, upskilling and reskilling pathways, and competence profiles that reflect labour market needs.
The WP7 curriculum development process translated the identified competence gaps into a modular pathway of targeted micro-credentials. The participating countries differ in the way healthcare, social care and IT education are organised, including differences in EQF levels, professional profiles, target groups and the role of VET in healthcare education. The micro-credential format enables the consortium to propose a common European framework without imposing a uniform curriculum model on all partners. The published guidelines reflect these differences and offer the good practices developed and piloted in each country.
The work also strengthens collaboration between VET providers, healthcare organisations, and businesses, while helping teachers develop their skills and embedding 21st-century competences into education. As a result, the curriculum innovation created in WP7 is evidence-based, relevant to local contexts, and designed to support the long-term development of vocational education and training systems.
The guidelines have been published in five languages: English, Dutch, Finnish, Italian and Estonian.
