Our consortium has reached a major milestone with the completion of its Learning Experiences Catalogue, featuring more than 60 Open Educational Resources (OERs) designed to strengthen digital competences in the Accommodation and Food (A&F) sector.

Developed in response to the growing digital transformation of the hospitality and food service industries, the Catalogue provides practical, accessible, and reusable learning materials tailored to the needs of workers, learners, trainers, vocational education and training (VET) providers, and SME managers operating in contexts of low digital intensity.

The Catalogue includes 62 OERs organised as modular micro-learning units covering key digital topics relevant to the sector, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, e-commerce, cloud-based tools, management software, social media and digital marketing, online reputation management, and data management.

The development process combined collaboration, innovation, and openness across Europe:

• 35 OERs were developed directly by the project consortium partners in English and national partner languages;

• 15 OERs were identified through European project results and educational initiatives;

• 12 OERs were collected through an Open Call involving VET stakeholders and external contributors.

The Learning Experiences Catalogue has been designed following the ADDIE instructional design model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) ensuring a learner-centred and practice-oriented educational approach. Resources include interactive modules, videos, case studies, simulations, practical exercises, branching scenarios, and gamified learning activities to promote engagement and applicability in real workplace contexts.

Alongside the Catalogue, the consortium is currently developing six Tailored Learning Pathways divided into Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced proficiency levels. Each pathway combines at least 10 OERs to support targeted and progressive digital upskilling according to learners’ profiles, needs, and competence levels identified through the project’s Digital Skills Assessment Tool (DSAT).

The DSAT itself represents one of the project’s core innovations. Built upon the European DigComp 2.2 framework and adapted specifically for the Accommodation and Food sector, the tool enables managers, frontline workers, trainers, and learners to assess digital competences through practical and workplace-oriented scenarios.

As the project enters its next phase, the consortium has started the development of the USMED Digital Infrastructure, which will include three interconnected tools:

1. An eLearning Platform hosting the OER Catalogue and Learning Pathways;

2. An OER Registration Tool allowing IVET and CVET providers to contribute new educational resources;

3. A Europass Digital Credentials Support Tool supporting the issuance of digital credentials linked to completed learning experiences.

Once the digital infrastructure reaches the pilot stage, the project plans to involve at least 175 early adopters, including vocational teachers, trainers, and learners from across Europe.

The USMED consortium continues working toward its mission of fostering digital transformation, employability, and resilience within one of Europe’s most important but digitally underdeveloped sectors.

For further information about the project and upcoming pilot activities: https://www.projectusmed.eu/en/contact