Age Technology Continuous education through Multidisciplinary Networking - AgeTechNet

The main goal of the IkäteknosNet project is to create a strategic network collaboration model for continuous learning education offerings in age technology. This model will dynamically respond to future educational needs at the national level. The networks will support the development of education and the dissemination of related information.

The project will carry out an analysis of the current state of continuous learning education offerings in age technology, as well as of the networks related to age technology expertise and educational provision. Based on this analysis, collaboration in continuous learning education offerings will be developed with stakeholders and educational institutions through workshops and interviews. As a result, a network collaboration model will be created, utilizing evidence-based and foresight information. The collaboration will be developed throughout the project process to ensure it becomes functional and effective. The model will be piloted and evaluated, after which it will be finalized and documented for broad implementation.

As a result of the project, a national network collaboration model for continuous learning in age technology education, IkäteknosNet, will be established. This will enable continuous learning that is independent of time and place and directly applicable in working life. It will improve the accessibility and quality of education, as well as promote cost-effectiveness and productivity in educational organizations and the social and health care sector. Professionals’ expertise in age technology will improve. Older adults will benefit from better digital services, which will enhance their quality of life. The development of continuous education in accordance with the IkäteknosNet model can also support sustainable development in the provision of education and services.

Age technology is a socially important field requiring multidisciplinary cooperation and coordination. However, education related to age technology in the social and health care sector is currently insufficient, fragmented, and regionally limited, failing to meet current or future competence needs (THL, Working Paper 7/2023; DigiNet 2/2023).

The current state of age technology education is poorly known. Offerings are scattered and focus on isolated topics, technologies, or devices, which do not meet the needs of service providers’ employees. Moreover, education is not widely accessible geographically.

Stakeholder networks related to age technology and services for older adults, both national and regional, are inadequately identified. This hinders planned collaboration for developing and implementing competence and continuous learning education. Critical expertise within these networks (e.g., advocacy groups for older adults and technology providers) remains underutilized in educational planning.

Professionals in home care, housing, and care services—including staff and management—lack sufficient skills to utilize age technology and may have negative attitudes toward it.

Companies developing age technology do not dynamically recognize the needs for technologies supporting older adults’ lives and care.

Key actors (wellbeing services counties, private service providers, organizations, educational institutions, companies, and networks) lack a comprehensive view and shared understanding of competence needs and a common model for developing and applying continuous learning education in age technology.

The aim of the project is to develop network cooperation in the field of age technology as follows:
a) To develop continuous learning education offerings in age technology to better meet the needs of the social and health care sector.
b) To clarify the roles of educational actors in the age technology field so that they complement each other.
c) To create a network collaboration model for continuous learning in age technology, IkäteknosNet, for professionals in the social and health care sector, and to develop strategic cooperation practices related to educational offerings. With this network model, strategic cooperation between educational institutions and stakeholder networks in age technology education will be strengthened in order to design cross-disciplinary educational modules, tailor offerings to the needs of continuous learning, and renew learning environments, course content, and teaching methods.

Concrete output of the project:
The project will produce a network collaboration model for continuous learning education offerings in age technology. This model will enable national coordination and regional implementation of educational offerings.
The network cooperation built during the project will enable the development of more holistic education, rather than focusing on a single discipline.

The project will produce an intangible service: a functional network model for the development of continuous learning in age technology. This model will be used to provide continuous learning education offerings in age technology that meet the needs of working life. The network supports the strengthening of expertise in the development of intangible services and service processes in the social and health care sector and in organizations, enabling the advancement of age technology utilization. This, in turn, increases operational effectiveness and improves the well-being of clients and patients. The training packages resulting from the network activities are intangible services, as is the growth in expertise that they promote.

The project will promote network cooperation related to age technology between educational organizations in the Pirkanmaa region, social and health care actors, and representatives of organizations. Functional network cooperation enables broader utilization of age technology and thus supports the sustainable development of the local economic structure. This supports the goal of the Pirkanmaa Regional Programme for smart specialization, which aims for the effective use of the knowledge base in creating new innovations, new business, improving employment, increasing recognition, and building cooperation. Strengthening expertise in age technology lays the foundation for new types of services and products and increases the potential for new innovations. This also enables the creation of new jobs in the public, private, and third sectors.

The project’s objectives support and promote the adoption of sustainable practices in the age technology sector. For the target group, the project promotes the use of digital methods in the context of continuous learning, thereby reducing the use of materials that consume natural resources.

ESR+ Euroopan sosiaalirahasto 2021-2027

Pohjois-Pohjanmaan ELY-keskus