In December 2024, the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic launched a call for modernising the infrastructure and improving the equipment of pilot centres of excellence in secondary vocational schools (CSEs). This is the next phase of the national project of Centres of Vocational Excellence. The result will also be a link between secondary vocational education and higher education, career guidance and inclusion, and a new space for experimentation in the introduction of new teaching methods, for the training of educators and professional staff, as well as for lifelong learning in line with European quality standards. The call is a step towards secondary vocational schools being not only educational but also innovation hubs for entire regions. Support for pilot centres is crucial to increase the competitiveness of the workforce, reduce unemployment and adapt to a rapidly changing labour market. This initiative aims to increase the quality, flexibility and adaptability of vocational education and training. Modernised centres will serve not only students but also adults in lifelong learning, strengthening the competitiveness of the workforce and reducing unemployment. The next step will be the implementation of the methodology for the professional development of teaching staff, the provision of education for teachers of vocational subjects and masters of vocational education, as well as staff of related schools, and the linking of their education with the education of instructors and main instructors, career advisors in relation to the activities of the newly established CEOVP. The project submitted is fully in line with the defined type of eligible project acts defined by the call. Project objectives The project objectives are set in accordance with the focus, objectives and conditions of the call. In the document Quality Strategy of CEOVP in Agriculture - Focusing on Mountain and Submountain Agriculture, Rural Development and Food, prepared by SOŠ Pod Bánoší for the needs of its preparation to build a Centre of Excellence, the vision of the Centre of Excellence is elaborated and the goals set for its fulfilment. The selected objectives of the Quality Strategy form the basis of the present project: • Modernisation of the material and technical equipment of vocational training workplaces The aim of the project is to modernise the existing infrastructure of the Secondary Vocational School Pod Bánoš in Banská Bystrica by procuring new material and technical equipment that will enable the quality of the provided vocational training to be increased by new areas of work and production in agriculture and food. • Support for improving the quality of provided education Modernization of the material and technical equipment of the school will allow - to increase the quality of provided education through the introduction of innovative methods of teaching, - the introduction of new methods of working with the most modern machinery and instrumentation into the ŠkVP, - the extension of knowledge and skills within the provided lifelong learning in accordance with the needs of the labour market and with European standards. • Development of professional development of educators and professional staff Educators will teach pupils on the most modern equipment currently used by employers on the labour market, while familiarizing themselves with the latest trends in production and processing processes and the practical use of the most modern technologies in the given areas, which they are engaged in. The new material and technical equipment will enable the school to develop skills ecosystems that contribute to innovation, regional economic and social development. • Incentivising staff to increase digital skills and use DT in the teaching process The introduction of IoT and modern IT technologies into teaching, the collection of detailed data that would only be very complex without these technologies, the creation of big data, the analysis and processing of acquired data, the creation of outputs, the creation of virtual content will not only make studying at school more attractive for pupils, but will open up new horizons in the acquisition and development of digital skills for educators. • Incentivising staff to digitise teaching materials The data sets generated at the school through the IT technologies acquired by the project will enable educators to digitise teaching materials, making the teaching process significantly more attractive, transforming traditional teaching materials into digital form, enabling the creation of new attractive multimedia formats (videos, audio recordings, interactive presentations, animations), interactive elements (quizzes, online tests, discussion forums) that support active learning. • Expanding cooperation with employers within SDVs and schools of similar focus Pupils will have practical knowledge and skills working with the latest technologies and within th