The SCALE Project Starts on September
Tartu Vocational College is officially launching the new Erasmus+ project SCALE – Startup Challenge & AI Learning Model on September 1, 2026. The initiative brings together Elektrostrojarska Škola Varaždin (Croatia), FORAVE (Portugal), and VOCO (Estonia) to innovate the way we teach and learn.
Many students struggle with motivation simply because traditional, theoretical assignments often feel disconnected from the real problems they will face in the modern workforce. At the same time, collaboration between schools and companies has traditionally relied on standard internships and work-based learning. Add the rapid rise of artificial intelligence into the mix, and it becomes clear that students need more innovative solutions during their studies to meet the evolving needs of companies and technology.
The SCALE project directly addresses these hurdles. Instead of introducing another short-term trend, the project focuses on creating a reliable, repeatable model that vocational education and training (VET) schools can easily adopt. “We are excited to utilise and develop hackathon to create a challenge-based teaching model in VET schools,” says Project Manager Kaire Mets.
The project’s main activities focus on building a challenge-based teaching model through partnerships with companies that can provide authentic business problems for our students. Together, the partners will create a toolkit for team-based challenges that students can solve by simulating a dynamic startup environment. Furthermore, educators and industry mentors will be trained to guide students effectively throughout the process. Guidelines for responsible AI integration will also be developed to ensure students learn to use technology as a powerful support tool. Finally, the project will carry out national and international piloting of the methodology to make sure the challenge-based model is truly effective for vocational learners.
The expected results of this journey go far beyond a single classroom activity. With the support of the project, we are promoting the responsible use of AI as well as key entrepreneurial competencies such as initiative, teamwork, and problem-solving—all essential meta-skills needed in today’s labour market.
See more from the project website.