The EwasteR – “Designing and Testing new management skills for the development of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Recycling and Re-use System in Europe” is a three years Sector Skills Alliance project funded by ERASMUS + programme (2014-2020). The EwasteR project sector in the SSA framework is “Environmental technologies”.EwasteR was primarily concerned with the vocational education and training (VET) dimension of the WEEE reuse and recycling management systems.The EwasteR project developed an innovative European competency Framework - new high-quality interdisciplinary VET Curriculum and professional profile for “E- waste Reuse and Recycling Specialist”, working through the production and the waste phase of a product, increasing the sense of initiative and entrepreneurship as well as the quality and potential of employability and mobility and bringing to award new Qualifications to be transferred into NQF-RQF, becoming accessible to a broader audience. The three years EwasteR journey, undertaken through a series of nine closely related work packages, developed and established the partnership as a collaborative high performance team. The EwasteR alliance consists of four different countries (Italy, UK, Poland, and Cyprus) and thirteen organisations from different sectors as requested by the Sector Skills Alliance action. i) Public or private entities that provide VET, higher education; ii) Public or private entities that have sector specific expertise and represent or are active in a given sector (at regional, national and/or European level); iii) Public or private entities that have a regulatory function for education and training systems (at regional, national and/or European level). The EwasteR project addressed the increasingly relevance of the Electrical and electronic waste (E-waste) sector in Europe which is currently the largest growing waste stream.The main beneficiaries of the project are young aspiring workers/technicians and entrepreneurs (learners) wishing to work in the weee recycling and reuse management sector.The EwasteR Consortium has been collaborating for three years achieving a comprehensive series of inter-related results to address these issues, specifically:•Mapping of the current qualifications routes across Europe relevant to this field of UEEE/WEEE reuse and recycling and producing a final Research Report•Collaboratively designing and developing a joint professional training curriculum for “E- waste Reuse and Recycling Specialist” with a strong package of “VET” Units - combining: i) management skills area and ii) vocational skills area - tightly connected to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF Level 4) and experimenting the EU Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) •Designing and delivering National PILOT training activities through an integrated blended approach including: career guidance, classroom, open management schools, labs shadowing and LOs assessment, and involving young and well-motivated aspiring technicians/specialists, learners, experts and VET providers.•Designing a joint Handbook including the final transparent recognition and validation process for the assessment of learning outcomes •New EwasteR Qualifications awarded at National level (Italy) and transferred into NQF-RQF and new processes for awarding and transferring (Qualification designed or part of it) started and implemented in the other Countries in compliance with each National legal-framework, increasing the employability-occupation chances in the sector across Europe.•Providing new mobility opportunities in EU for aspiring entrepreneurs in the wee recycling and reuse sector through the EYE programme•Defining a multi-actor approach to undertake a comprehensive raising awareness programme about the SSA framework, VET dimension of the WEEE recycling and reuse across EU, through robust dissemination activities

"Research demonstrates that the sector of office administration is very important and popular and is continue to be one of the first professions in demand until 2020. EUPA_NEXT deals with this sector. EUPA_NEXT is the continuation of a very successful project EUPA (Leonardo DOI) that has developed a qualification framework for administration personnel in 4 EQF levels (levels 2,3,4 and 5) as well as the assessment tool and training materials for level 2. EupaNext aimed to develop a certification for administration personnel in 4 different levels. However, it is noted that the sector of Administrative Personnel has been used as a case study as the project aims to validate the knowledge, skills and competences of non regulated sectors.More specifically, EUPA_NEXT objectives were to:1.Facilitate the understanding of EQF & ECVET policies & explore different methodologies for the assignment of credits 2.Develop a comparative report on the situation of the countries on EQF and ECVET3.Review, curricula, materials and assessment developed under the previous project and develop curricula, materials and assessment for levels 3,4,5. Then certify curricula and materials with ISO and the assessment with ISO17024 (all levels). EupaNext provides a complete solution for the validation of knowledge, skills and competences of administration personnel.4.Provide flexible pathways to learning and validation (classroom trainings, ebooks, only assessment).5.Develop a ""how to"" practical guide for the validation of formal, non formal & informal learning for any non regulated profession.The qualification framework developed by the Eupa project had adapted a rather holistic approach. EupaNext has reviewed the qualification framework, taking into consideration the current trends and has analysed each of the learning outcomes into knowledge, skills and competences. Although that was an additional task not recorded in the original application, the consortium considered that to be an important task, as the QF would guide the consortium for the development of curricula/ training materials/ assessments, making more specific the required knowledge, skills and competences to be developed. Although EUPA project had developed materials, curricula and assessment tool for level 2, even those were reviewed during the current EupaNext. Therefore, EupaNext assigned credits to the qualification framework (levels 2-5) using ECVET. EupaNext has developed curricula and training materials for the trainer. Training materials included PowerPoint presentations and methodological tools to be used by the trainer. Ebooks for learners were also developed. EupaNext has certified all curricula and training materials with ISO. Additionally EUPA_NEXT has developed assessment tools for levels 2,3,4 and 5 and has certified those as well with a relatively new standard ISO17024 that certifies personal competences. Curricula, training materials and assessment (in all levels) were pilot tested. Last but not least the project has developed a best practices guide for the validation of any non regulated profession,The main target groups are:- VET institutes and VET trainers delivering training courses in office administration- Students in VET studying office administration-Vet policy makers- Office administrators that are interested in validating their knowledge, skills and competences in different EUPA_NEXT levels- Unemployed people that through EUPANEXT may enter the labor marketEUPA_NEXT activities include:1.Development of a comparative report on the situation of the countries of the consortium in EQF and ECVET2.Identification of several methodologies for ECVET application, selection and implementation of one3.Development, pilot testing, ISO certification and evaluation of training curricula, training materials and assessment tools as well as trainer's guides4.Development of ebooks and promotion of flexible pathways to learning 5.Composition of a Best practices guide - a step by step approach for the validation of formal, non formal and informal learning6.Several dissemination events targeting VET Institutes and trainers, Vet students in the area of office administration, policy makers, employers etcAt the sector level the impact envisaged is high through the development of a European certification for administration personnel in several levels by applying the principles of EQF and ECVET and using an internationally recognized standard: the ISO standard for certification of competences. At the policy level EUPA_Next is an ECVET project that has explored different ECVET methodologies and selected one to apply. Partners and participating countries benefited from the exercise of ECVET. In the long run, project partners will continue to provide the training and certification to the administrative personnel.They will maintain the materials, curricula and assessment current and fresh and they will try to convert EUPANEXT to a EU stardard."

WBL Guarantee (Public-Private Alliance to GUARANTEE quality of Work Based Learning - 2017-1-IT01-KA202 -006161) is an Erasmus KA2 project, coordinated by the Lazio Region, which began in September 2017 and ended last August 2020. It was carried out by a multi-actor Consortium, which involved 5 countries (Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Germany, Poland) and 11 organizations including public entities (Lazio Region, Cyprus Productivity Center, Andalucia Emprende), organizations from the business world (Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Confartigianato Imprese Lazio, Femeval), vocational education and training providers and employment agencies (ERIFO, FyG, MMC). The German University of Applied Labour Studies (HdBA Mannheim) and an ICT company from Poland, Danmar, also took part in the consortiumThe ultimate aim of the project was to contribute to strengthen work-based learning, by increasing the competences of the tutors (both in-company and training agency’s tutors) involved in work-based learning paths, in order to facilitate successful management of the transition to the labour market, as well as the quality and attractiveness of these paths. The focus of the project was the WBL experiences not included in formal learning paths, identifying and testing a methodology aimed at enhancing such experiences, also for the purpose of subsequent certification of learning or for the prosecution of one’s own studies.The main products resulting from the WBL Guarantee project are the following:1) A study on the WBL schemes adopted in the partner countries of the consortium, also aimed at identifying the competences required for the profiles in charge of managing the various devices. The research was based on a quantitative analysis (questionnaires addressed to trainees, interns and apprentices – in-company tutors and training agencies) and a qualitative analysis of the devices adopted in each country. Based on the study, a map of the competences necessary to take on the role of tutor, both in the host companies and in the training agencies, was developed2) The development and testing of a curriculum programme for in-company tutors (SMEs), with handouts downloadable in all partner languages. The course was developed for distance learning, as a MOOC, with slides commented in the different partner languages, as well as tested and validated through piloting activities carried out by an adequate number of in-company tutors. The course allows to acquire knowledge, techniques and tools to monitor and quantify learning, also for the purpose of subsequent certification, as well as to develop effective mentorship relationships, both for the WBL users and for the company itself3) The development and testing of a curriculum programme for training and / or employment agencies’ tutors, who work within WBL programs, in order to strengthen their competences in planning, management, monitoring of learning. The course, designed on the basis of a training and professional standard, was accompanied by a toolkit, including the course methodology, the learning outcomes, the guidelines to deliver the course, as well as the bibliographic reference materials. Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, the Italian version of the course was also made available for use in distance learning mode (FAD), with synchronous tutoring. The course transfers methodological skills to the tutors of the proposing bodies to design, implement and monitor WBL paths based on clear and measurable learning objectives / outcomes and that can be referenced to standardized national profiles, in order to increase the guarantee that they can be - in the next step - enhanced through a competence certification process. The Course was validated through a piloting activity conducted, as a result of COVID 19 - also remotely.4) A training activity conducted in mobility, which involved n. 18 WBL and Employment Centers’ operators, and allowed to validate and refine the curriculum based on the training needs expressed by the technicians who took part in the mobility5) A Handbook with tips and recommended practices to enhance the effectiveness of the WBL in non-formal learning paths. The handbook, developed on the basis of the contributions of all partners, contains suggestions on the sustainability and transferability of the WBL Guarantee methodology in other contexts and countries, in order to maximize the exploitation of the products created and stimulate an institutional reflection on the future of work-based learningThe dissemination activity carried out by the consortium, through multiplier events, newsletters and social networks, involved approximately:- no. 400 final beneficiaries (WBL users)- no. 550 training/employment agencies- no. 550 companies- no. 150 public authorities- no. 100 other stakeholders.

"<< Background >>Diversity Management (DM) was born in the USA in the 1960s, when the Civil Rights Movement bursts onto the social and political scene, raising the issue of diversity as a central issue in the American public debate. Only in the Nineties did the DM spread in a decisive way in Europe and from the effort of the European Union in 2004 the Diversity Charters were born and are currently signed in 26 countries. However, there is a substantial gap in the activation of diversity policies, especially with reference to the management of diversity within the internal organization of work, with patchy situations in Europe and above all with a lack of indicators at the level of real impact. The DM implies a strong commitment on the part of those who have roles of decision and management of organizational processes and is not a simple process free from resistance and missteps. The internal work environment, starting with the managers, must in fact have the necessary skills in listening, reading needs, communicating as well as managing and negotiating conflicts which, in the first phase of enhancing diversity, will tend to increase. In addition, the interventions must be placed within the specific organizational and territorial reality. To do this, very significant skills in reading organizational contexts and of a relational and communicative nature are required. As well as the ability to manage participatory and shared processes. This gap will be partly filled with InPluServ. The InPluSERV Project also stands in a perspective of complementarity with respect to a previous experience ""Others and me - The management of relationships in the workplace"" (2016-2019), a project that involved CGIL / INCA (promoter) and ANCI (partner / promoter) and intended for workers of the Italian Public Administration. ""Others and me"" highlighted the need for training on the transversal skills of managers and management bodies as a driving force to favor the management of diversity and mediation of conflicts and improve the quality of public service organisation and delivery. From this derives the need to strengthen the skills of PA managers as a priority and to offer a space for the exchange of good practices at European level suitable for guaranteeing the implementation of targeted and effective policies for the internal workforce and for the external context, both in terms of human resource management and talent attraction and above all, as the focus of this project, to ensure that public services, a privileged place for access to citizenship rights, are capable of deciphering and managing the complexity of their users. The project therefore also contributes to the VET priority to adapt to market expectations, understood in this case as the public of users of public services, through forms of work-based education and basic skills within public organizations. The transnational character will also make it possible to collect data and assessments capable of improving the harmonization at European level of the impact indicators of DM policies, in particular for public services, which often are not a priority in enhancing the DM.<< Objectives >>The provision of inclusive public services, capable of also adapting to the needs of vulnerable categories, is a fundamental need of today's global societies. It can be better achieved by equipping the top figures of public administrations (Managers) with the necessary skills in managing diversity and inclusive leadership. Currently, at the European level, there are great differences in the standards of professional training for civil servants and soft skills oriented to the management of diversity and conflict mediation are often overlooked.The project contributes primarily to innovation in the VET sector, through the development of a specific training offer in fully digital mode in the sector of professional training aimed at managers of Public Administrations focused on Diversity Management (DM).The specific objectives include the development of transversal skills in conflict management and mediation, through the development of approaches, methodologies and tools for professional training. In this sense, the Project uses digital technologies and innovative open educational practices. InPluSERV also aims to promote the creation of networks between public administrations and VET training providers, thus encouraging their ability to work transnationally, as well as to share ideas and methodologies. In this sense, the Project explicitly refers to the European system of recognition of vocational training (ECVET, EQF, EQAVET).InPluSERV brings together 8 partners, including the coordinator, from 6 European countries.The direct beneficiaries of the InPluSERV Project are first of all the 45 managers of the Public Administration who will participate in the training pilots in Italy, Portugal, Cyprus and The Netherlands. Additional managers will be contacted to provide feedback and evaluations. Furthermore, 10 non-managerial public employees and 10 representatives of public service users of different backgrounds for each Pilot country will be involved. They will be able to access the training resources produced and will participate with the managers in a design workshop, aimed at an initial diversity management strategy for the public services involved in the Pilots.Those who will benefit directly from the project activities also include the project partners who will participate in the training activity planned to become trainers themselves and who will enahnce their ability to work on DM and related skills at a European and trasnational level.The indirect beneficiaries of the Project include: disadvantaged categories (unemployed, migrants and asylum seekers, economic / social marginalization) consulted in the co-design phase as end users of public services; the employees of the PAs to which the managers directly involved in the project belong; the Employees of the PA reached through the dissemination of the project, public administrations and related associations; Training bodies in general and bodies responsible for indicating the training standards for the PA; Specialized think tanks; Trade associations, staff recruitment agencies.The main innovativeness of InPluSERV is therefore to create interventions / training courses that can usefully integrate the mainstream training of the managerial component of the PA, in order to manage diversity and mediate conflict, making public services more inclusive and the work environment of public organizations more efficient. The relevance of the partnership in terms of skills and experiences, the open access usability of the outputs, as well as the commitment of the partners to activate large networks of stakeholders, make - among other things - the sustainability of the project particularly solid even after the end of the European funding.<< Implementation >>The activities are structured through 4 Project Results. First of all, it starts with the development of the Curriculum for training in Diversity Management for Inclusive Public Services (PR1): through a co-planning action with relevant stakeholders and involving vulnerable social categories, the training package is created, translated into all project languages ​​and made available in open access. Particularly important is the test phase to which both the training curriculum and the E-learning platform are subjected in 4 participating countries: Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands and Cyprus, out of a total of 45 managers and which will allow to refine and perfect what realized from the previous phases of the project.PR2 provides for the creation of the Open Educational Resource and E-learning platform, the main training tool. The open educational resource will include a digital platform for e-learning, data collection and evaluation of methodologies and tools. The structure of the platform and the entire e-learning approach is designed to enhance interactivity for and between participants, which is necessary compared to more traditional methods to stimulate and encourage the learning of transversal and relational skills, which compared to acquisition of technical skills, require the use of various and integrated techniques and methodologies. Each module will consist of various preparatory steps and each training step by a content, written or visual, and subsequent open questions to stimulate the minds of users towards their own critical and personal thinking. The web platform will feature interactive content, thematic modules with video material, images, interactive boxes, to generate in-depth content processing.PR3 provides for the European validation of training, through the European system of recognition of vocational training (ECVET, EQF, EQAVET).With the PR4, with the implementation of the Report and Policy Guidance, tools are created to support a generalized use of the training resource for the management of diversity and the prevention of conflicts intended for managers of public administrations, in order to put stakeholders (local , national and European) in the conditions of effectively using the training package created by this project, but also of sensitizing policy levels to the new training needs for inclusive public services, in particular transversal skills for the management of diversity.In addition to the Project Reults the project plans 2 transnational project meetings in presence and 6 Multiplier Events, including an International final conference, as well as a Learning Activity aimed at training the trainers, internal to the participating organizations, who will use the resources developed and who will guide the 4 Pilots.<< Results >>The expected results concern:1. The development of a curriculum, starting from the previous experiences of the project partners, dedicated to the training of Public Administration (PA) Managers (executives of public services, human resources managers and other decision-making roles related to public services), as a condition basis for the creation of inclusive public services. The development of a training path able to combine the dual result of promoting the management of diversity and the mediation of conflicts in the provision of public services and within the workplace, where in general only the second area. Adequately training the top figures of the PA in terms of diversity management and conflict mediation produces, in cascade, a virtuous effect in the way in which the public organization is able to manage dialogue with end users. The InPluSERV project therefore contributes to remedy the lack of training options with the aim of promoting the diversity and inclusiveness of public services, thus promoting a strong impact in partner countries.2. The development of open educational resources (OER) for the effective training of managers of PA. The open educational resource will include a digital platform for e-learning, data collection and evaluation of methodologies and tools;3. The advancement of research on methodologies and tools, especially ""work based"", for effective training of PA managers and administrations as well as the development of impact indicators of DM strategies, in particular with a view to greater inclusiveness and proper diversity management to support active citizenship, as well as conflict and stress management skills and the creation of a healthy work environment.4. The improvement of the Soft Skills of PA Managers, especially linked to DM and promotion of their introduction in the mainstream training of top management figures in the PA. On the basis of the results previously achieved, in fact, specific training is considered essential for managers in the public sector, key figures able to act as multipliers within their work environment.5. The production of a ""Report and Policy Guidance"" (PR4) for the integration of professional training and awareness in the sectors of public administration and professional training on the importance of the curriculum for public services and public administration managers, aim to create inclusive public services, that is a package of tools useful for the substantial modification of the current and prevailing training standard for the Public Administration in the partner countries, which at the moment are most often lacking adequate training courses in terms of mediation of conflict, diversity management and promotion of inclusion. Or, where present, they take into consideration only the gender variable, which is one of the many (such as age, disability, nationality or even cognitive diversity), which need to be taken into consideration.6. The creation of a network of subjects interested in the integration of this type of training in the mainstream training of PA managers (referred to in point 4 above)."