The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global crisis, affecting not only health and economic concerns, but also severely impacting education and higher education institutions globally. The unprecedented challenges posed to the educational sphere have left students, teachers, researchers, and their families to abruptly shift their whole lives online, with little to no preparation. EVM and HMU took this opportunity to survey more than 950 students from 34 countries in order to identify the most challenging obstacles they are facing related to learning in the online environment. The qualitative questionnaire revealed some of the highest obstacles related to social interaction, soft skills, learning management tools, emotional support, and instructor issues. However, students were not the only party affected. EVM, HMU and UNINETTUNO then held a series of webinars on the challenges of online teaching and how to improve. Over 1,600 participants registered to attend the webinar and 897 participants responded to a survey regarding the challenges posed by online teaching. 85% of the participants reported no previous experience or knowledge of online teaching. Some of the greatest challenges reported from the educators included assignment and assessment methodologies, pedagogy and soft skills of online teaching, technology specific for online teaching, and emotional engagement with the learners. Although each of these challenges poses great threat to the quality of education, and therefore the success of future generations, AGME views the situation as a catalyst for the innovation and change that has been needed in education for much time. AGME comes together as a partnership of four higher education institutions and one enterprise across five different European countries to deliver innovative solutions to the greatest educational challenges of the century. By basing the project on specific research carried out in these institutions and globally, AGME can directly address the needs presented by educators and learners in each of the programme countries. This will be done by using agile methodologies in virtual education and online learning to create a teaching guide specifically designed around the concept of redeveloping what we now know of as online education by bringing something new into existence, which is originally built to be virtual, rather than simply changing traditional face-to-face teaching methods to the online classroom. These methodologies will be paired with an innovative digital-skills virtual toolbox, including a virtual environment, training program, didactic center, webinars, and more. The project also involves pilot testing and a quality evaluation tool, which will be used to create national reports from each partner, allowing for continuous improvement and growth. In addition to these project results, AGME will deliver a training of trainers activity to improve digital literacy and equip educators with the tools necessary to thrive in the online classroom.As we bring these tools into existence, online education will become the new normal, as educators and learners find that traditional classroom methods are not only outdated, but also no longer necessary when all parties obtain the necessary tools and methodologies to flourish virtually. Agme aims to promote excellence in teaching and skills development and tackle skills gaps and mismatches by providing innovative practices in a digital era.

The digital transformation of enterprises has been duly noted over the past years and coordinated efforts (DigComp) to equip the workforce with digital skills to succeed in the new environment have been promoted by the EU. Such need became even more pressuring following the societal and industrial disruptions brought by COVID-19. One of the sectors that is currently lagging with regards to digital transformation across the entire EU (McKinsey, 2020) consists of the legal sector (attorneys, notaries, judges, etc). The lack of digital skills comes primarily from the inability of universities to equip the next generation of workforce in the legal system with the necessary digital competences. Additionally, EU universities delivering law programmes are also facing the general (process-gap) challenges brought by online teaching: frustrated academic staff, ineffective learning, limited engagement of students (lack of focus/attention/interest, limited connectionism and constructivism), lack of inclusiveness and personalised online teaching, and others (EACEA, 2020). This gap is due to missing competences, skills and abilities that the consortium has further confirmed in the digiLEAP countries and project partners such as: *LAW STUDENTS (undergraduate and postgraduate, LAW LECTURERS & LAW PRACTITIONERS - GAPS IN DIGITAL LAW CONTENT: cultural change competences towards adopting a digital working way in law, digital collaboration and communication competences in the legal sector, productivity & casework consolidation competences via digital tools, and entrepreneurial skills & legal-tech awareness (HBR, 2020). * LAW STUDENTS - ONLINE LEARNING GAPS: Inability to interact with lecturers in an online environment and foster connectionism and constructivism; absence of online learning skills such as being well organized, self-motivated, and possess a high degree of time management skills in order to keep up with the pace of the course (i.e. text-based interaction takes more time); lack of skills to fight the sense of isolation and psychological wellbeing; lack of active learning skills; lack of ability to understand responsible/ethical digital education utilisation. * UNIVERSITY LAW/LEGAL LECTURERS - ONLINE TEACHING GAPS: inability to deliver online education (both synchronous and asynchronous) that would foster connectionism and constructivism; unawareness of enabling a supportive virtual class environment; lack of digital skills to support the curriculum transformation process; inability to incorporate forward-looking digital solutions to support teaching; lack of skills for co-sharing resources and jointly developing high quality universal Open Educational Resource with other lecturers internationally; inability to reach social groups at risk and gender-balance by delivering personalized online education; unawareness of behavioural mechanisms to inspire students. In this context, digiLEAP aims to bridge university law departments, law practitioners, quality/accreditation experts, educational software developers and non-formal education providers in order to co-create OERs with innovative methodologies helping both law students and law lecturers perform in online law education while also helping legal sector workers develop digital skills.digiLEAP will deliver:IO1 - Crash-course on the digital transformation of the legal/law system (OER) based on DigComp principles and LegalTech innovations IO2 – Digital teaching toolkit for law lecturers (OER) based on DigCompEdu and a neuroscience/behavioural approach to help law lecturers develop impactful learning via Attention, Plasticity and learning creation, Emotion and Timing. IO3 - DigComp and DigCompEdu certification methodology for students, practitioners and lecturers: DigComp Certificate in Practicing Digital Law (for students and law/legal practitioners); DigCompEdu Certificate in Teaching Digital Law via Online Education (for lecturers); DigCompEdu Certification in Online Learning in Law& Legal studies (for students)*digiLEAP Alumni Network (as sustainability)*digiLEAP International digital law training association (as sustainability)digiLEAP in numbers: 250 students, 100 law lecturers and 50 law professionals involved in virtual plots; 175 external requests for certification; 35 internal staff certification requests; 85% satisfaction (quality) of the participants with the project results; gender balance and at least 135 social groups at risk included as participants; 2500 hits on the website and 100 000 targets reached on social media via paid ads; observed boost of acceptance towards online education; 250 participants to the multiplier events (face to face) and 400 online.digiLEAP's main impact: Boost the digital readiness of university law departments and of the legal sector towards the digitally transformed environment (both online education and the professional environment) by making learning and digital skill development more effective.

The field of Higher Education has been recognised as one of the key drivers within the EU2020 Strategy to overcome the socioeconomic crisis, to boost growth and jobs and to foster equity and inclusion. Moreover, one of the key priorities for HE is the reinforcement of the “Knowledge Triangle”, through the support of innovation, entrepreneurship and university-business cooperation. This specifically applies to those fields such as diversity and social inclusion sectors, where changes in education and training are required to equip the future workforce with the new skills for the new demands generated by the changing patterns of economic growth as a result of the changes in our society. Education in diversity and social inclusion is considered a key driver for sustainable growth with a significant contribution to Europe‘s overall social and economic health, competitiveness, creativity, innovation and employment. Staff qualifications along youth unemployment remain one of the crucial points in Europe. To boost the recruitment of highly prepared staff requires initiatives addressing training to make the Education sector attractive and capable of transforming both the academic knowledge and high-level basic and transversal competences required to be useful and applicable. For these reasons, this Strategic Partnership proposes the creation of a flexible learning pathway in line with the needs of learners and social organisations in meeting diversity and social inclusion issues and solutions for EU citizens . It will provide a joint study modules program between Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training that will capitalise the Education sector with prepared youth, providing Higher Education Institutions innovation, expertise and added value.MEDUSA arises from a Strategic Partnership composed of four entities from three countries (Spain, Italy and Romania) that are highly concerned about social inclusion and diversity issues: Three universities and one SME. With the aim to develop an International Master´s Degree in education in Diversity and Social Inclusion, which will offer an adapted curriculum to equip the young generation with the specific, basic and transversal competences currently required in the Education sector. This international Master Degree will provide students with opportunities to gain additional skills by studying and training on-line.The proposed specific objectives are to: SO1. Capacity Building in the educative sector: Promoting ACTIVE COOPERATION and partnership between actors from the knowledge triangle: HE institutions (ULL, ULBS, UTIU), industry (EVM), Social Partners and local/Regional Bodies (Stakeholders) to obtain an impact on social responsibility, modernisation and internationalisation of HE.SO2. Create FLEXIBLE LEARNING PATHWAYS able to provide and recognize HE students the most important competences and skills, such as leadership, internationalisation and use of digital learning. This new pathway will include validation of prior learning and will aim to improve the level of both sector specific, high level basic and transversal competences and skills, with particular regard to those relevant for the labour market in the diversity and social inclusion related sector: management, languages and leadership as well as their contribution to a cohesive society, in particular through increased opportunities for both learning and labour mobility and through strengthened cooperation between HE, VET, and work.SO3. Promoting cooperation and MOBILITY ACTIVITIES, providing more opportunities for students to gain all the specific and transversal skills required and involving them along with partners staff and stakeholders in shaping the outcomes and ensuring their relevance.

Trainers’ professional development continues to be high on the EU policy agenda. In 2010 the Bruges communiqué invited Member States to invest in VET trainers by offering flexible training provision. Riga conclusions (2015) have put renewed emphasis on this, calling for more systematic approaches and better cooperation. According the EU policies, Countries should work together in identifying best practices and guiding principles with respect to changing competences and profiles of VET trainers, strengthening the anticipation of skills and competences development. According to the CEDEFOP briefing note “Professional development for VET teachers and trainers” (2016) it is essential that trainers have opportunities to develop and keep up to highest standards their technical competences, pedagogical skills and transversal competences e.g. digital, intercultural communication, co-shaping quick and flexible responses to emerging needs (e.g. the migrant crisis). These aspects that are relevant generally speaking are once more relevant for VET TRAINERS DEALING WITH MIGRANTS that, indeed, belong to a complex network of trainers coming from diverse sectors with heterogeneous Initial&Continuous Training, facing diverse types of learners: newly arrived migrants,2nd-generation migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, migrants with residency permit, with different duration of permanence, cultural background, learning behaviour, learning styles and training needs. In addition, they are involved in a deeply differentiate training delivery organization: diverse curricula, teaching tools, programs and hours, etc. employed as well in a very heterogeneous System of Training providers addressing migrants. The joint EC-OECD confirms that education&training are essential to the inclusion process. The central role of personal development, social inclusion, active citizenship represents the underpinning frame of EU strategy, with special reference to the set of key competences for lifelong learning. By 01.01.2016, the # of people living in the EU-28 who were citizens of non-member countries was 20.7 million, while the number of people living in the EU-28 who had been born outside of the EU was 35.1 million. Especially in Turkey due to irregular migration (official migrant population is 3,5 million by 02.2017 most of them; Syrian people), not only homeland VET trainers have been working for migrants but also migrated trainers are increasing; there is a clear need to increase their competencies and to support their Vocational&Educational learning, too. And there is no training of VET trainers system except language courses provided for migrant trainers. Online platforms are quite weak to interact&support their learning in EU. That is why VIEWS AIMS AT SUPPORTING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATORS AND TRAINING PROFESSIONALS DEALING WITH MIGRANTS FACING EQUITY AND INCLUSION CHALLENGES IN LEARNING ENVIRONMENT to enable and promote participation of learners with disadvantaged background; strengthen learner centered approaches and learning personalization; support improved practices to cater for the needs of disadvantaged groups and to deal with differences in learning outcomes; experience new approaches to address social, ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity. This is done by matching in a matrix (IO1) the trainers' profiles and the related map of competences with the learners' profiles and training needs, providing a (IO4) tool for self assessment of competences highlighting which ones need to be empowered in order to deal with the different typologies of migrant learners linked to (IO5) resources and indications supporting the empowerment of these competences and of the training profile, together with a (IO3) Open Educational Resources repertory to be used with migrants within a (IO2) Web open space allowing a wider social net working in a European perspective. In a TRANSNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE the Project, contributing to the European priorities and policies, doesn’t aim to structurally solve the highlighted fragmentations yet it can define a common reference framework, based on the European experiences and not only on national practices, allowing stakeholders to manage these fragmentations recomposing them at the level of collaboration, sharing, networking, integrating the available resources, practices and solutions in a EU perspective. The EU added value also relies on the opportunity to increase in turn common basis for exchanges and mobility of Trainers (at least) among the (participating) VET Organizations potentially offering common approaches to migrants who moves from a Country to another. Furthermore, being focused on the professional development of educators and training professionals dealing with learners with disadvantaged background, the expected results and intellectual outputs may be relevant for other fields of education.

"The population of the EU-28 on 1 January 2018 was estimated at 512.4 million. The elderly, persons aged 65 or over, had a 19.7 % share (an increase of 0.3 percentage points compared with the previous year and an increase of 2.6 percentage points compared with 10 years earlier). Italy registers the record share of persons aged 65 or older in the total population, (22.6 %); the percentage is similarly high, and in constant increase, in France (19.7% of the population is 65 or older), and Slovenia (19.4). Life expectancy has risen systematically in all of the EU Member States in recent decades: in 2017 EU-28 life expectancy was 80.9 years. While it is broadly positive that life expectancy continues to rise and each person has a good chance of living longer, it is not so clear that additional years of life are welcome if characterised by a range of medical problems, disability, or mental illness. Older people fight against the inevitability of ageing by trying to remain active and fit — keeping their bodies flexible and strong, and stimulating their intellect to keep their minds sharp. New opportunities provided by the digital society, and informal education can help the elderly to pursue this objective. Through the development of their skills and knowledge, the older population can continue to have active and fulfilling lives. Older people are gradually becoming more digital: between 2008 and 2017, the share of the EU-28 population aged 65-74 years never having used a computer was reduced from 68 % to 40 %. Over 4 out of 10 over 65s declare they ""love technology"", also thanks to the new simpler and more intuitive devices. 66.2% use Internet, social networks and smartphones independently and 57.1% declare that social networks make them feel less isolated.The ambition of ActivAge project is to change the usual paradigm from the conservative, ""crisis management"" one to a more pro-active support for spreading and supporting healthy behaviour in EU aging population, with 5 main objectives:O1 - ""Best Practives for Active Ageing"" will analyse and promote best practices at international level for the ""ageing well"";O2 - ""ActivAge Self-Assessment and Recommendation Tool"" will support in an accessible way a self-assessment of the users and recommend a path for healthier lifestyle; O3 - ""ActivAge Digital Knowledge Centre"" will offer open online training modules for the elderly that will promote active ageing; collect and publish digital maps of existing initiatives addressing active ageing at local level in EU ; involve users and stakeholders in the design and the promotion of ActivAge online tools.The project consortium is composed by 6 partners, each with a specific profile and able to address a different aspect of the needs of the population over 65: - International Telematic University UNINETTUNO (coordinator), providing its expertise in online training and digital tools, and in international project coordination; FIN Plus and Lunga Vita Attiva are associations involved in the promotion of ""active ageing lifestyles"" through sports and healthy behaviours. They are part of an European network of Associations that cater for the same target group; - ZRS KopZnanstveno- Rasiskovalno Sredisce Koperer is a research institution with strong focus on health preservation through their Institute of Kinesiological Research. It has carried out interdisciplinary research aimed at defining measures to maintain healthy individuals within a healthy environment, focusing on quality and sustainable development strategies; - Université Catholique de Lille started its social innovation activities with the Live Tree program, impacting on local communities with interdisciplinary activities involving social scientists, ICT engineering scientists and human scientists- University of Maribor is involved in the eServices Provision for the Seniors 55+ initiative, and it will contribute its networking expertise and collaboration with various public and non-governmental institutions that deal with the senior population (research centres, universities, nursing homes, institutes, etc.).The project will involve end users and relevant stakeholders, leveraging on the consortium partners' already existing networks, for co-designing and (at a later stage) validating the main outputs of the project: the online recommendation systems (IO2), able to analyse user profiles and to suggest to each user a personalised path with resources, training contents (IO3) and best practices (IO1) available on the project website.Expected results are wider involvement of silver age population in open education, lifelong learning, healthy and active behaviours, raised awareness of the opportunities provided by apro-active approach to ageing, as opposite to a ""conservative approach"", focused on damage limitations and ""crisis management"" when diseases and issues have already taken place."