"Although the education of adults is in many cases conceived as a basic education, mainly focused on social and personal fulfillment, adult people have a great potential for employability if they receive an adequate training, engaged with the needs of companies. This is especially true for adults between 18 and 30 years old that neither study nor work (NEET).These young adults have a basic literacy because they only completed basic studies (or almost did so), and have not been able to access the labor market, in some occasions because they lack the motivation for it. Being aware of this reality, the European Union has tried to guide the objectives of adult and lifelong education towards the acquisition of key qualifications for the labor market for adults of this age spectrum as a useful mechanism when looking for new productive models.Among these new productive models, the innovation and technology sector stands out in a striking way, since it has become one of the sectors with the greatest growth and hiring capabilities in 2018.This sector has a wide job variability of very diverse profiles (ranging from researchers to staff without qualifications) and it can be a great opportunity for our beneficiaries, not only because they have real employability possibilities, but also because it offers an appealing and motivating objective for them. But in order for these jobs to be accessible to them, it is essential that they develop some specific abilities.""FROM LITERACY TO DIGITAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRAINING: INNOVATIVE AND CUSTOMIZABLE TRAINING ITINERARY TO FACILITATE EMPLOYABILITY AND INCLUSION OF ADULT PERSONS"" is a project that seeks to structure the adult learning process through a complete itinerary adapted to employability in the technology sector, going from the most basic stages of adult education to the basic knowledge required by technology companies, through the development of digital and technological competences such as scientific thinking, critical analysis, and digital skills.To this end, 6 European entities of renown prestige in each of the work fields of this project have joined to create an intersectorial partnership, ranging from entities expert in the creation of educational materials for groups with barriers (REDTREE- Spain), in the field of adult education (GRETA DU VELAY-France, UNIVERSIDADE DO MINHO-Portugal, and NTUA-Greece), and technology-based companies that know firsthand the needs of the sector (IKASIA-Spain and NANOPAINT-Portugal).All of them will work during 24 months (through 4 transnational meetings, virtual meetings, exchange of experiences, dissemination activities and events…) to generate a high quality intellectual output consisting of a three-level virtual training course structured and homologated by European lifelong learning centers, and certified by the digital badge “DIPLOMA FOR DIGITAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRAINING”, which is compatible with the curriculum of adult education “LITERACY TO DIGITAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRAINING”.This course proposes a learning process adapted to adults, building the contents through specific itineraries of improvement, identification, and monitoring of capabilities, with a learning offer adapted to the individual needs of the student, and based on a flexible and digital learning methodology.With an initial evaluation, the student’s personal itinerary will be established, including all necessary contents and materials. The course will be structured in three levels:• INITIAL LEVEL: Basic literacy from a technological perspective.• ADVANCED LEVEL: Digital training through scientific thinking.• EXPERT LEVEL: Basic technological training for employability.With this Intellectual Output we will be able to improve and expand the offer of high quality learning opportunities adapted to the individual needs of adult students with low qualifications or lack of degrees, to improve their reading, writing, and math skills (Initial course), their digital skills (Advanced course), and that involve key skills or progress to achieve higher qualifications and employability capabilities (Expert Course).We plan this project to have a great impact on the beneficiaries, but also on adult education and lifelong learning centers throughout Europe, so they can implement this innovative methodology to improve the employment opportunities of their students, and in research centers and technology companies too, that will find future employees with specific training adapted to their needs."

<< Objectives >>With this project, we want to facilitate the modernization and adaptation to the new European reality of Vocational Educational Training-VET (in accordance with the new Organic Law for VET Organization and Integration in Spain, the European Skills Agenda of the EU, and OECD's objectives), facilitating the work of teachers and companies to face the great challenges of this change, and contribute to it being fully inclusive and not leaving aside students with barriers.<< Implementation >>In 24 months, a large number of activities will be carried out:- Project management activities where quality monitoring and evaluation will be carried out, virtual meetings for coordination, selection and training, documentary check...- Execution activities through virtual work sessions, national activities, pilot tests...- Activities to share and promote, with dissemination activities, multiplier events, participation in conferences and official publications...<< Results >>The joint work between vocational training centers and technology companies from various European countries will generate a set of tools, resources, and services aimed both at VET teachers of technology cycles and their centers, as well as at companies, the main protagonists in the new VET model. These include training courses, help guides, support manuals to look for companies, new certifications, and an online platform to promote the new VET.

<< Objectives >>Adult education is not adapted to the current needs of many adults in a situation of social exclusion, who require a more active training that reinforces their self-esteem, poses short-term challenges, and a medium-term employability path.The third sector is an ideal way towards this, which is why we propose an intersectorial network that generates an innovative educational system for adults based on 2nd chance schools: E2.0C virtual centers.<< Implementation >>For 24 months, 7 entities from various sectors, formats, and countries will collaborate closely to carry out national activities to develop results, coordination meetings, pilot tests, build a dynamic digital environment for learning, hold 4 Transnational Meetings, meetings with policy makers, learning activities, selection of participants, dissemination activities, and several highly impactful Multiplier Events.<< Results >>This project will generate all the necessary materials and tools so that any entity can develop its own E2.0C virtual educational center; second chance schools based on active volunteering learning, capable of generating a mixed dynamic formal education that enables adults to enhance their knowledge while promoting their active social participation, initiative, employability, and entrepreneurship in it through their own social projects.

The severe COVID-19 pandemic has caused dire health, economic, social, and political consequences in the short and medium term. However, coronavirus has also generated a cultural paradigm shift that will be reflected in the medium and long term; things are not going to be the same and neither will the way we work, study, live...After coronavirus, changes to the workplace and education are going to be significant. The lines of work established by the different European governments advocate decisively on teleworking, but this requires completely new skills from the worker, for which they have not been trained: initiative, responsibility, self-management... especially in the technology sector where responsibility and demand is much greater.In the educational field, measures are being structured to promote virtual learning, especially in the field of Vocational Training, facilitating combined and virtual mobility as an alternative to on-site learning, as response mechanisms to new waves of COVID-19, but also as learning mechanism for the new work environment that is expected to be established in the future.These measures, however, are not easy to implement and require creating new tools, or adapting existing ones to totally new methodologies to which neither companies nor students and teachers are used to. This is especially important in a sector as dynamic and complex as technology, and more so when it directly impacts young persons in a situation of exclusion.These VET students find even more barriers in situations like the one we are living, which make it difficult for them to participate in innovative practices that require specific equipment and training. However, denying these students with obstacles the possibility of internships in leading companies is depriving them of a magnificent opportunity to achieve their inclusion, build competitive resumes, and access the labor market.This is why we propose to create an effective mechanism to carry out virtual internships in high-tech centers, specifically focused on students at risk of exclusion, and with the objective of training their critical and scientific thinking and the job culture and responsibility necessary for teleworking. Our methodology does not require purchasing expensive digital equipment or investing productive time in specific training for the student.For this we propose to create:- METHODOLOGICAL GUIDE: THE VIRTUAL INTERNSHIPS IN TECH CENTERS, specifically aimed at teachers in VET centers and tutors in technology companies, to offer them the guidelines to carry out virtual internships (virtual communication methods, work methodologies, virtual job protocols, etc.).- DIGITAL COURSE: E-LEARNING STIMULATION ENVIRONMENT IN TECH CENTERS. Virtual internships require the tutors of the company and the center to invest a lot of time, not only in adapting their jobs and methods, but also in training and empowering VET students. To alleviate this effort, a completely new digital course will be created, aimed directly at VET students, so they can learn the skills they require to successfully carry out these virtual internships.Along with these two high quality results, a tangible result will also be created, consisting of a digital environment where students can find the free resources and protocols necessary to implement their virtual internships via a digital toolbox.All of this will be achieved through an intersectoral strategic partnership between Spain (IKASIA, REDTREE, IES POLITÉCNICO DE CARTAGENA), Greece (EKATI), France (GRETA DU VELAY), Portugal (SOMATICA), and Italy (SMALLCODES), them being 3 VET centers, 3 high technology companies, and 1 expert in digitization and educational methodologies, who during 24 months will hold 4 transnational meetings, periodic virtual meetings, national activities for the creation of results, visibility activities, training activities for participants, 3 highly impactful multiplier events (in Valencia, Cartagena, and Kato Achaia), dissemination activities, etc.In short, we propose a project with the real capability of having a very positive impact, not only on the process of digitization of education, but also on students at risk of exclusion themselves, who are especially weak when faced with critical situations like the ones we find ourselves in. They will in turn have a positive impact on the technology companies themselves, which will improve their pathways to teleworking and will find in VET students at risk of exclusion the opportunity to improve their workforce with well-trained students to face this new challenge.

In 2017 more than two million young people in Spain were in poverty, almost two million in relative poverty (29.6%) and another 600,000 in severe poverty (9.5%), according to the Report on Youth Poverty in Spain of the Council of the Youth of Spain (Consejo de la Juventud de España). Likewise, the data shows that 37.6% of young people were in that same year at risk of social exclusion and that their geographic distribution is not homogeneous, but rather they are concentrated in certain rural or precarious areas.For these young people from disadvantaged areas at high risk of exclusion, the VET studies can be an effective and accessible way to improve their employability possibilities and build a better future becoming key agents for the development of new productive models in the EU.However, even getting a prestigious VET degree, aimed at professional training, does not ensure that these young people overcome their barriers, access to the market or provide them with real possibilities of emancipation.In spite of the obstacles that they have had to live, these young people can have a great motivation to overcome their barriers, contributing dynamism, enthusiasm and very important skills ... if they develop certain digital and scientific competences. However, to achieve inclusion these young people need support, which is why the VET STUDENTS İNTO TECHNOLOGY COMPANİES project is proposed with the aim of promoting the access of these VET students to the technological innovation sector.This project will include the realization of two intellectual results of great quality and great capacity for replication:- O1. ON YOUR SIDE: VIRTUAL ASSISTANT FOR EUROPEAN MOBILITIES IN TECHNOLOGICAL CENTERS. A digital educational software that will accompany the VET student at risk of exclusion, throughout the mobility process. This result will allow the students to feel protected during their mobility, find resources to help them when they have problems and feel that their teacher and tutor are with them, as well as maps of mobility destinations, the opportunities offered, as well as the culture of the region and linguistic tools. This assistant will also allow them to implement the collaborative work. - O2. CUSTOMIZED DIGITAL COURSE FOR LABOR TRAINING AT A TECHNOLOGICAL CENTER.The second intellectual result will consist of an innovative virtual structured course specifically oriented to the students to develop specifically the competences of the VET training curriculum related to the digital and technological field. In the event that the student participates in the proposed mobility, a personalized itinerary will be generated, adapted to the needs of the workplace where he / she will carry out the mobility, taking into account the characteristics of the student.The culmination of this project will be the creation of the PROGRAM OF TRAINING IN HIGH-TECH COMPANIES, a network of mobilities for students at risk of exclusion to carry out internships in technology companies. An opportunity for these young people not only to have a real job experience and put into practice everything they learned during their VET training and following the materials proposed by this network, but to promote a new emancipatory experience for them (living autonomously, managing their salary, knowing other cultures and generating healthy friendship networks with other European students) that helps them achieve their inclusion and motivates them to fight for a better future. The project will last 24 months, and in addition to 4 transnational meetings, various national activities for the creation of results, virtual activities, and a large multiplier event, 7 student mobilities to test the results created will be performed.High impact results, not only for students from disadvantaged areas, but also for VET centers (which will improve their internationalization and the opportunities of their students) and technology-based companies (which will access students trained specifically for the technology sector who have developed scientific thinking). But they also have a great capacity for transferability, generating tools that can help all students who participate in mobilities of the E + Program even if they are not part of the network of the technology sector.