<< Background >>Prior to the Covid pandemic, European countries had made significant progress in lowering the rates of early leaving from education and training. However, this tendency is not certain in the future due to the rapid changes in educational systems. Specialists argue that the number of students disengaged in the learning process might grow and cause the new wave of early school leavers, who are unhappy with the recent changes and prefer to enter the labour market earlier. This will be, however, not the thriving and receptive labour market, but the one struggling with growing unemployment rates. That’s why it is so vital to boost young people’s engagement in their education and, at the same time, equip them with the skills that will increase their employability potential in the future.There is a shortage of reliable data about the early school leaving in 2020, therefore the project consortium decided to perform their own research to observe any potential tendencies on the lower scale. The survey was performed among 263 young people in all partner countries, and some of them were also interviewed. 48% of people aged 20-25 and 32% aged 16-20, who are engaged in formal education, are currently considering terminating or pausing their education. 67% of these students pointed out the pandemic and educational transformations related to it as the main reason for such plans. At the same time, only 28 of participants felt properly prepared for the world of work, which presents very unoptimistic perspectives for young people. It’s crucial to state that the research wasn’t targeted only at youth from the groups in danger of social exclusion, but it seems reasonable to believe that youth from marginalized communities might be affected by these changes even more.Another interesting conclusion that can be drawn from the first phase of the Covid crisis, is that any professional activities and businesses that managed to shift their branding and marketing activities online in time, suffered slightly less. New media formats and social media seem to be significantly less affected by the crisis. It is visible by the statistics of giants like YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, Tik-Tok or Netflix, who observed an increase in users’ activities in I quarter of 2020 by 13-38%. This supports the statement that video has become the main and most powerful media format of recent years and this tendency was only intensified by the pandemic.These two conclusions – about risks of early school leaving and marginalization, and the potential of video creation and usage do not seem related at the first sight. However, the connection is significant – video creation skills have become a great advantage of any person entering the labour market or planning their own business. These skills can be used to support endangered youth communities in self-expression, but also professional networking, job searching, branding, life-long learning, sales etc. Online video creators seem to be more likely to recover from crisis than solely-traditional job professionals<< Objectives >>In general, the main objectives of the project are:1) To create a suite of video creation resources for young people2) To support youth educators in delivering the video creation training with the help of the bespoke in-service training and handbook3) To provide a series of virtual learning and collaborative environments for sharing project results, enabling education resources usage and gaining recognition for videos created by project participants4) To provide a series of events for both young people and youth educators: Film Festivals in each country for the total of 120 youth participants, Transnational Film-making Masterclass for 18 marginalized youth creators and the Joint-Staff Training event for 12 youth educators, to provide sustainable and practical skill acquisition and fully test the project results.The project, besides increasing the digital literacy levels among young people and youth educators, is designed to have more intangible values. It will increase the cultural awareness of young people, help their understanding and social inclusion, giving them voice, tools, and skills to express themselves, and understand each other. Project results are measured not only by created resources but primarily by a number of trained professionals and the impact of newly possessed skills on their professional lives, their students, and their environments. Therefore, the following training activities will be achieved by the consortium during the project lifecycle: 1) 12 youth educators will be trained in delivering the In-service training programme during the Short-term Joint Staff Training Event 2) 60 front-line youth and community educators will have completed the in-service training programme and upgraded their professional competences in the piloting phase of PR2 3) 120 young people, including marginalized youth, will grow their digital and media literacy levels by using the video creation resources and approaches while piloting the PR1 4) 18 young people, with special emphasis on marginalized youth will complete the Transnational Film-making Masterclass 4) 120 educators, students, parents, and policy makers will gain awareness of the project results and see the videos created by the students in PR1 piloting during the Film Festivals in all partners’ countries. 5) 40 educators, students, and policy makers will attend the final conference in Germany where all project results will be presented and discussed.<< Implementation >>Each partner will conduct multiplier event. Moreover, Final Conference will be organized in Germany in order to maximize the impact of the project. Partners will organize six transnational meetings, including two face-to-face meetings. Partners will also organize two transnational Training Events. The first is Transnational In-service Induction Training for youth educators and the second is Transnational Film-making Masterclass for young creators. The partners have planned activities related to the dissemination of the project. These include: the creation and updating of a project website, the creation and maintenance of a project fanpage on Facebook, four newsletters, and the posting of project promotional material on YouTube and LinkedIn. To ensure wide availability, the website and each of the 4 newsletters will be translated into all partner languages. The project partners will organise regular meetings with the Local Working Group to enable multiplication of project activities. Furthermore, partners will carry out regular activities related to evaluation and monitoring.<< Results >>There are three main project results for the new skill acquisition for both target groups: 1) PR1 – Video-making resources for employability and development of young people 2) PR2 – In-service training programme and handbook for youth educators 3) PR3 – Bespoke e-learning portal The first result aims at providing young people with a comprehensive suite of resources to use in formal and non-formal settings (also, adapted to online or face-to-face learning). The usage of these resources will result in: - Young people increasing their digital literacy levels, with a focus on video and audio production - They will have other skills increased, like research, planning, critical thinking, cooperation, and creativity - They will be able to use these skills professionally or to develop/support and advertise their businesses - The branding and self-presentation skills will help them in the job searching process The resources for young people will be divided into four main areas, covering video creation, production, and usage in four contexts: 1) Advertisement 2) Storytelling 3) Business development 4) Personal brandingIn this approach, the students will be able to use the newly acquired skills according to their current needs – to express themselves, monetize their skills, sell products, or seek employment. This aspect will especially important for young people from the communities in danger of exclusion. The second result is aimed at front-line youth educators. They need the proper resources to provide media production and usage training to young people. The bespoke in-service training programme for youth and community educators will increase their digital literacy levels and will help them understand the social media reality that is usually more intuitive for younger consumers and creators. The educators will gain skills and competences to: - Reach the marginalized youth effectively and have the empathy to support them to the best extent with their struggles - Provide young people with high-quality training in video production and usage, using the most relevant open-source software and commonly available hardware- Feel comfortable with delivering such advanced training using blended and online environments, with full awareness of their strengths and threats connected to it. Both educators and young people will have an opportunity to support their learning process using the bespoke online environment created in the project (PR3). It will be used to: - Providing the tailor-made platform to use the learning resources developed in the project - Providing recognition for the creativity and effort of young people participating in the project piloting, by uploading and sharing the videos they will create during the Film Festivals and the Transnational Film-making Masterclass - Support project and partnership dissemination activities.The results of the project will be uploaded on project website and will be available for everyone interested. The website with results published will be maintained after end of project development.

While access to technology was one of the first key measurements of digital inclusion in today's digital environment the focus has switched from access to competence; participation in the digital domain depends increasingly more on knowledge, skills and attitudes than it does on access to and use of digital technology. Being digitally competent is nowadays both a requirement and a right (COM/2018/ 22).Digital technology enriches education and offers new learning opportunities. It facilitates problem-based and interactive learning and enables a personalisation of the learning experience (SWD(2017)264). Digital technology can improve results in education, in particular by enabling access to additional learning resources, and supporting disadvantaged students, such as those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, or with disabilities, or living in remote areas.Effective eLearning represents an innovative way to bring technology and critical thinking into the students learning environment, and the benefits are twofold: digital engagement is a crucial basic skill and promoting engagement in a learning environment even among those for whom formal education has failed; the collaborative elements help students develop social and team-working skills.The objectives of the project are to:- Build the digital competence of young adults through engagement with bespoke learning tools and resources, including a mobile Application- Support VET providers to harness the potential of elearning environments to build high-value skill sets within their target groups- Help educators assess the Prior Learning Skills and Competencies of learners in VET environments- Prepare VET learners for the new demands of the labour marketYouth unemployment is one of the most persistent negative impacts of the financial crisis in Europe. Within the ranks of young people there are a considerable proportion of NEETs for whom future prospects are bleak. Visual Paths, project, formed by five committed partners from five EU countries, will promote an innovative methodology to re-engage marginalised young people and support them to build high-value transversal skills essential for employment and employers to recognise them.

The project was focused on support of transfer of innovative tools used by individual partners to solve problems concerning disadvantaged groups of youths in the labour market.The goal of the project was to help young people from children’s homes to succeed in their transition from an institutional facility to an ordinary private and work life. The aim of the project was not to substitute already existing activities of children’s homes but to provide young people with further help in their social and work integration and their entry into ordinary life. Partial goals of the project were to teach, help and show youths from children’s homes how:- to plan, realize and evaluate various life steps and goals (preparation for future) towards full-blown experiences in their further private and work life- to react in various life situations (every person has different personality, preconditions, possibilities)- to make decision in various life situations (find employment, accommodation, money handling, …)The partial goals of the project were:- to evaluate the employment of foreign partner’s know-how in the legislative framework of custody concerning endangered children and youths- to increase the quality of services that are provided to endangered young children in the labour market and employment area- to inspire key participants in custodial care of endangered young people growing up without families with work methods with endangered youthsThe significant contribution of the project was the transfer of practical experiences from working with the endangered group of young people from all three partner countries. Each country has its own specific approaches to education and preparation of young people for their independent life and thus the goal of the project was to draw inspiration and experience among the partners and put them into practice in their countries, according to their legislative possibilities. Among the innovative elements of the project belonged: ‘help to self-help’ – this global goal of the project represented the help for disadvantaged young people growing up without families to be able to help themselves in their future life:– complexity as well individual approach to every participant and interconnection of particular activities that lead to better employment of the target group in the labour market,- continuity to the detailed Entry Analysis of the Target Group – the project solved insufficient preparation of young people for their life in society as well as for labour market requirements,-development of cooperation among the foreign partners, individual children’s homes and ‘half-path homes’, the transfer of best practices among the foreign partners, children’s homes and ‘half-path homes’ mutually.During the realization of the project two educational materials were created:The Didactic Material for Education of Endangered Young PeopleThe Didactic Material for People Working with Endangered YouthsThe both educational materials are fully available in printed as well as electronic form; furthermore these materials are available on CD and on the Internet.The materials were created and verified during the realization of the activities O1 and O2,Moreover a DVD containing the information from all three international conferences is available where a possibility of employment of innovative tools and modern work methods are presented.The total number of supported people:Educational activities: - the pilot project – 24 young people (12 in the Czech Republic and 12 in Slovakia) - 24 people working with endangered youth (12 in the Czech Republic and 12 in Slovakia)The International Conference: - 150 people (50 in the Czech Republic, 50 in Slovakia, 50 in Germany)We suppose that the foreign partner’s know-how, individual care and complex approach towards the target group will lead to permanent sustainability of knowledge, skills and abilities which the participants gained during the project. From a long term point of view the project should have helped young people to be able to help themselves in their future life. From the similar projects realized by the foreign partner from Germany obviously emerged that at least 60% of people who had participated in such projects, have gained permanent employment. The project sustainability and its activities were influenced primarily by motivation and effort of key participants in care of endangered children in the Czech Republic and Slovakia who were the representatives of target group of organizations in this project and by the application of innovative elements used abroad among established ways of work oriented on professional carrier and employment of endangered young people.

While the right to work is a fundamental right enshrined in Article 27 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, it is far from being a reality for many people living with a disability or a long-term medical condition. The Europe 2020 strategy objective aims at reaching 75% employment rate in the EU. However, at EU level, about 47% of persons with disabilities are employed, compared to 72% of persons without disabilities. Women with disabilities, young disabled persons and people in need of high-level support are more likely to be discriminated against and excluded from the labour market. At the EU level, 19% of young people living with a disability are early school leavers compared to 11% of non-disabled young persons. The high rates of early school leavers among young people living with a disability can in most cases be related to accessibility issues and the absence of adapted programmes.Social entrepreneurship can act as an important bridge to inclusion for people on the margins of mainstream society. Online social entrepreneurship is an especially relevant area of endeavour for young people living with a disability or a long-term health condition. Sharing life experiences and demonstrating that living with a disability or a long-term health condition is possible; explaining how obstacles have been overcome; directing others to appropriate support services or networks; opening a forum for discussion and debate; connecting other young people in similar circumstances; are all potential social entrepreneurship opportunities that the INFLUENCER project consortium will explore.Technology provides opportunities to level the playing field for youth living with a disability or a long-term health condition like never before. It can support more equitable societies; more inclusive communities. It can help to build support networks for people of all ages who live with a disability or care for someone with a disability. It can help to demystify certain medical, physical or cognitive disabilities and create a more understanding and empathetic society. Partners believe that the areas where they work will be significantly impacted by the outcomes achieved by the INFLUENCER project.The key actions to achieve the aims of the project are:1. Developing an in-service training programme to introduce Best Practice Guidelines for youth providers on supporting the inclusion of young persons with disabilities through online social entrepreneurship while also guaranteeing their safety online2. Developing an EASY READ TOOLKIT for youth living with a disability on how to develop their social entrepreneurship idea into a sustainable entity. 3. Developing an EASY READ TOOLKIT for youth living with a disability on how to stay safe in online environments and a suite of media-rich resources to build digital and social media literacy.4. Developing an accessible, bespoke online environment to support the new young social entrepreneurs to launch their online careers where networks of youth living with a disability who are interested in developing their new social enterprise can congregate; build key skills; support each other; and exchange ideas and knowledge

"The Inclusion from NEETs combined with to fight youth unemployment is one of the key cornerstones of EU policy. The fact that these youths and young adults are outside of education, employment and training for long times can have major economic consequences in the future. In addition to economic risks, however, there are also individual risks for these young people, such as feelings of estrangement, insecurity and poor employment perspectives, youth crime, and mental and physical health problems. Therefore, the project ""NEET-SYSTEM Online Educational Escape Rooms to Re-engage ESLs and NEETs"" had mainly focus on the participants who fall under 2 key target group categories: (1) NEETs to build the key competences necessary to enable and supporting them to assist their reintegration to education or employment. (2) Adult education professionals trying to attract NEETs back to education and training. However, other stakeholders, such as NGOs, researchers, policy makers, adult education institutions, etc. can directly or indirectly benefits from the project’s deliverables. During the project period were reached direct (attending the discussions, workshops, presentations, conferences) between 100-200 NEETs and Adult education professionals per country. Indirect there were over 11 000 people following the news and results thorough social media or by publishing articles and Newsletters.From the national and transnational perspective, the NEET-SYSTEM-Consortium of 8 European countries and Switzerland has developed, piloted and implemented a multi-faceted and robust pedagogical model. Therefore, providing a suite of education materials to educator’s professionals and youth workers across Europe, there is significant potential for our approach - to re-engaging NEETs in education or employment - to be transferred to a range of contexts across the EU. Learning resources have been created, based on online escape rooms addressing the following 4 key competences: Digital competence; Social and civic competence; Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship; Cultural awareness and expression. As a result, a series of 32 Escape Rooms are available on the online learning platform https://www.neet-system.eu/en/learning-portal/the-game/:language/en. For the adult education professionals who are charged with delivering and sustaining this new intervention NEET-SYSTEM-Consortium has developed a comprehensive in-service training program to support them in using these new resources but also developing key skills to enable them create new challenges in the future. The proposed pedagogical model can also have a significant impact on future policy development in education. Therefore, all results were summarized in a policy paper specifically for policy makers. All developed resources are available online in 7 partner languages on website https://www.neet-system.eu/. The materials are available to share freely online, to access without issues with copyright or fees, and to re-use or re-purpose as it required by Adult education professionals."