DiSTT - Digital Skills for the labour market of the 21st century

The DiSTT project prepares students and employees for the labour market of the 21st century. With knowledge of 3D printing and digital manufacturing, it can be easier for them to succeed. Happylab is one of the project partners!

The new DiSTT project, which has just started, targets educational programmes in FabLabs in five European countries. FabLabs are open workshops focused on the development and production of products with the help of computer-controlled manufacturing machines such as 3D printers, laser cutters or CNC milling machines. The project will offer six training and upskilling programmes to high school and university students, but also to employees or freelance creators with the aim of increasing their employment on the labour market. The project in its pilot version targets interested parties in the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Italy and Croatia.

"Enthusiasm for the cause is typical for the community of makers, i.e. digital do-it-yourselfers of the 21st century. With it, together with other partners, we enter the DiSTT project, in which we want to expand and deepen the knowledge of various groups of residents in the field of skills in digital prototyping. FabLabs offer an exceptional background for everyone who is fascinated by creativity and technology and sees the future in it. It doesn't necessarily have to be just creatives, tech geeks or those who have an idea for a business and are looking for a development background. For companies of all sizes, FabLabs are a place of concentration of human resources with enormous innovation potential," explained the main researcher of the DiSTT project David Škaroupka from the Brno University of Technology (Czech Republic). The first university FabLab in the Czech Republic was created under the name strojLAB at this university.

By supporting educational programmes in open workshops, the project managers want to strengthen the innovation ecosystem and the labour market in Central Europe. "The labour market is changing rapidly with the advent of new technologies and thus brings new challenges. One of them is the need to improve skills and qualifications in the field of digital production technologies. FabLabs with their technologies, openness, adaptability and know-how in this area are the ideal tool to face this challenge not only in Central Europe," explained Jan Dvořáček from FabLab Brno, who is the main author of the concept of the DiSTT project.

The international team of makers wants to jointly create, test and then offer training programmes to individuals, entrepreneurs and companies, with the help of which anyone can become a digital creator. Each of the FabLabs targets a different age or socio-economic group. However, the main intention is common – to help the labour market respond to the digital transformation that is taking place especially in industrial fields. 

"Within the DiSTT project, Happylab will target apprentices of different industries to prepare them for the rapidly changing labour market and improve their job prospects. Digital skills, including 3D printing and laser technologies, will be built up and an awareness of the opportunities presented by these technologies will be created in the pilot program. We’re looking forward to present our pilot results at FAB2025.CZ in the Czech Republic and work together with the other project partners on a Toolkit for Fab Labs all over Europe”, describes Happylab project manager Joanna Kowolik.

What does the DiSTT project acronym stand for?

Digital Skills Transformation Toolkit for a Resilient Labour Market

Makers from all over the world will come to the Czech Republic in just one year

The FAB2025.CZ international conference will be a significant opportunity to address those interested in training programmes of the DiSTT project. It will be held in the Czech Republic for the first time in history, specifically in Prague and Brno. Czech open workshops and makers will have the opportunity to show visitors from abroad what they can do, and at the same time share current experiences with the global community of makers. Learning programmes of the DiSTT project affects individuals and companies and can stand at the beginning of their journey of digital transformation of the industry.