Traditional craft
Learners build practical skills through tangible shoemaking results.
Erasmus+ KA210-VET · Call 2026
CraftStep Digital
Learning Shoemaking Through Real Practice.
From craft-based design in Bulgaria, through industrial production in North Macedonia, to market-oriented digital presentation in Greece.
CraftStep Studio Motion
Outline0%
Why this project matters
Helping young people see a future in their craft.
CraftStep Digital shows students that shoemaking is not an outdated occupation, but a real European profession built on skill, technology and market value.
Through the development of 15 prototypes, industrial finalisation and digital traceability, the project connects school-based learning with real production and market environments. Students follow how an idea becomes a product, how a product gains identity, and how professional skills can open a path to employment and personal confidence.
Digital identity
Each product receives an NFC-based profile and documented production pathway.
Sustainable thinking
The model promotes durable products, resource awareness and solar-powered visibility.
From classroom to market
Students see how their work can be presented, valued and connected to real opportunities.
CraftStep Digital is not only about making shoes. It is about helping students discover pride in their profession, confidence in their skills and motivation to build their future.
Core model
Craft → Industry → Market
The project follows the full professional trajectory of a product, from the first student concept to industrial prototype and digital market profile.
Craft
Bulgaria
Concept design, sketches, materials and technical production files.Industry
North Macedonia
Industrial production, components pathway, assembly and quality control.Market
Greece
Brand identity, product positioning, digital storytelling and online presentation.
Project objectives
Three objectives. One learning pathway.
Social inclusion
Increase school engagement, self-confidence and professional motivation of 15 VET students aged 14–16.
Professional skills
Strengthen technical competences, transversal skills and labour-market readiness through real production environments.
Modern VET
Connect shoemaking heritage with NFC-based product identity, digital visibility and a solar-powered digital showcase.
Work packages
Four phases that turn a student idea into a visible product.
Each work package follows the Craft → Industry → Market logic and gives students a clear step in the product journey: from concept and materials, through industrial production, to market presentation and public review.
WP1
CRAFT Phase: Concept Design and Technical Preparation
This phase starts the vertically integrated Craft–Industry–Market model. Students work on footwear categories, individual concepts, technical sketches, materials and sustainable production logic. The goal is to turn their first idea into a structured technical production brief that can continue into the industrial phase.
Main activities
- Concept development and initial sketches
- Guided work with a master craftsman and designer
- Material selection, quality criteria and zero-waste cutting principles
- Introduction to NFC and digital product identity
Expected result
15 Technical Production Files with specifications, materials, last selection and digital traceability entry point.
Students learn that a shoe begins with an idea, but becomes real through structure, materials and professional preparation.
WP2
INDUSTRY Phase: Industrial Footwear Production and Components Pathway
This phase moves the student models into a real manufacturing environment. Learners observe and analyse component preparation, cutting, stitching, assembly and quality control. The technical files from WP1 become industrially finalised prototypes, while NFC components connect production with digital traceability.
Main activities
- Industrial production of the 15 student models
- Visit to a footwear components factory
- Physical NFC integration into the production pathway
- Updating digital product profiles and mid-phase assessment
Expected result
15 industrially finalised prototypes with activated digital profiles documenting the full production pathway.
Students see how design decisions, technical documentation and factory workflow become a finished product.
WP3
MARKET Phase: Design and Digital Market Integration
This phase completes the product as a market-oriented object. Students refine finishing, functionality and presentation, then connect each prototype with product identity, positioning logic, visual consistency and digital product profiles. The focus is not commercial sales, but understanding how a handcrafted product can be communicated and valued.
Main activities
- Branding guidance and visual identity development
- Pricing logic and product positioning exercises
- Market-oriented product presentation
- Completion of full digital product profiles
Expected result
15 refined prototypes with consolidated product identity and market-ready digital presentation.
Students understand that professional value also depends on presentation, identity and the ability to explain a product.
WP4
Digital Showcase and EQAVET Stakeholder Review
The final phase presents the completed Craft–Industry–Market journey to the school community, local sector and external stakeholders. A permanent Solar-powered Digital Showcase is installed at the school. Each product connects to its NFC and QR-accessible profile, while students present the logic behind their design, production choices and market relevance.
Main activities
- Installation and testing of the solar-powered digital display
- Presentation of the 15 completed products
- Verification of all QR and NFC digital profiles
- Stakeholder feedback, final assessment and EQAVET Review Meeting
Expected result
A public presentation event, structured external review, stakeholder feedback and documented improvement measures.
The project ends with visibility, evidence and review, not with a closed classroom activity.
Student journey
The journey of every shoe starts with a student idea.
CraftStep Digital gives 15 VET learners the opportunity to experience the complete product development cycle: from the first sketch, through technical preparation and industrial production, to digital identity and public presentation.
Sketch
Pattern
DigitalPrototype01
Creative design
Students begin by transforming their own ideas into original footwear concepts. Through sketches and guided design work, creativity becomes the starting point of every product.
02
Technical preparation
The creative concepts are turned into structured technical production files with specifications, material choices, construction logic and a digital traceability entry point.
03
Prototype manufacturing
The student models move into a real industrial environment. Learners follow component preparation, cutting, stitching, assembly and final quality control while their ideas become finished prototypes.
04
Digital product identity
Each prototype receives an NFC-linked digital profile with structured information about the student, materials, components and production pathway, making skills visible and traceable.
05
Market presentation
Students refine the identity of their products, explore branding, positioning and basic pricing logic, and present their work in a supervised market-oriented setting.
06
Public showcase
The completed products are arranged in a Solar-powered Digital Showcase at the school. Students present the logic behind their design, production choices and market relevance to the school community and external stakeholders.
15
Every finished prototype is more than a shoe. It is a student’s first professional achievement.
Real manufacturing skills
Digital competences
Teamwork and confidence
Creativity and product thinking
European professional experience
Career readiness
Partnership
Five organisations across the full footwear value chain.
The partnership links youth inclusion, VET, craft-based shoemaking, industrial production and digital market presentation across Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Greece.
Implementation
October 2026 → October 2027
Project start
Kick-off, operational planning and activation of the monitoring matrix.
WP1 · Craft
15 technical production files.
WP2 · Industry
15 industrial footwear prototypes.
WP3 · Market
15 completed product identities and market-ready digital profiles.
WP4 · Showcase
Public presentation and EQAVET stakeholder review.
Quality assurance
EQAVET as an operational management tool.
The project connects learner self-assessment, teacher reflection, objective digital traceability evidence and external stakeholder validation.
technical production files
industrial prototypes
NFC-based digital product profiles
minimum average competence progression benchmark