"Within a few weeks, the Corona crisis has led to developments in the field of volunteer work which for years seemed unthinkable and which have turned current developments that gave cause for concern into the opposite. Even though data cannot be available at the time of writing this application, it is already possible to say with certainty:-Voluntary work and the associated assumption of responsibility in civil society have gained a completely new appreciation.-The tools developed for this purpose (such as platforms for placing volunteers) were developed, activated and used virtually ""overnight"" thanks to digital technologies.People not only volunteer for the well-being of their neighbours, offer interactions with people who cannot leave the house or take on shopping services. They also take on activities that have nothing to do with their actual job: Those affected by short-time work or lack of orders are also involved as volunteers in areas outside their profession where support is urgently needed: in care, in agriculture, or in the mobility economy. Regardless how different in terms of professional background the volunteers are, they have one thing in common: Volunteering in times of the pandemic is an opportunity to proactively combat limited employment and loss of income, to be socially active and to feel being part of civil society. Equally important, it is also a way to gain new soft skills like team spirit, critical faculties, communication skills, intercultural competence, stress management, discipline, and self-confidence. Volunteering is an effective learning environment, especially for those people who had to realize that their professional activity is by no means systemically relevant in terms of crisis management. Strictly speaking, volunteering is a great opportunity, namely that of acquiring and validating soft skills and then being able to use it in any professional environment as an additional qualification. However, how can a volunteer recognize and validate those new skills? How can an employer be made aware of these skills as an added value for the creation of teams, stress situations or intercultural tasks? Consequentially, it is absolutely fundamental to properly validate those “soft skills”, i.e. new personal competences. Although the wording suggests otherwise, it is ""soft skills"" that can make the difference in working life.Therefore, the overall aim of the CRISISS project is to provide organisations which employ volunteers with support and guidance to implement internal systems of recognition of soft skills, in order to empower volunteers to recognize and appreciate their growth in soft skills. In order to reach this objective, the specific objectives are-to create Soft Skills Identification (IO1) and Assessment Tools (IO2), in order to support volunteers to recognize and validate their own soft skills, increase the awareness of the importance of soft skills in professional life, and to recognize informal and non-formal competences through evidence gathering;-to elaborate Self-Promotion Tools (IO3) which will assist volunteers in promoting their soft skills they have acquired in volunteering, and provide the instruments they need to use for presenting and taking advantage of their soft skills in an effective way; -These materials will be made available at a multilingual and interactive e-platform (IO4) and as mobile apps for smart phones (IO4). Parts will also be available as podcast or can be activated by smart-home voice assistants such as Alexa or Siri. All products will remain accessible at least five years after the end of the project, i.e. until 2027.The transnational collaboration will benefit from the various experiences and competences of the partnership which consists of 7 institutions working with volunteers, organisations working with people with disabilities, youth and family counselling organisations, social partners, adult education institutes, social research centres and ICT experts for the development of open educational resources (OERs).The primary target groups for our project are organisations which employ volunteers in their daily work. The secondary target group are the volunteers who will be able to use the assessment and promotion tools and for whom the visualisation, documentation and recognition of formally, non-formally and informally acquired soft skills in the field of volunteering during the pandemic will increase their career opportunities as well as their personal development."

Many start-up companies have more assets at their fingertips and are better able to embark on social responsibility strategies than they may initially realize. As a start-up, a company is still relatively small and nimble. As companies grow and cultures and operations become more rigid, it becomes more difficult to take initiatives that do not directly contribute to the bottom line. During their first steps, start-ups have the unique opportunity to “bake in” social responsibility and reap the long-term dividends that social responsibility practices can bring to a brand. To help bring their social responsibility priorities into focus, start-ups should begin with a discovery process to identify how their business directly impacts communities and people around them, and the ways their assets can be re-imagined to drive social change. In this regard the project SUM sets the framework for EU start-up companies to meet their corporate social responsibilities and in this way strengthens the feeling of social justice and coherence among EU citizens.In this regard the project SUM aims to:Create a Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) framework for start-up companies that takes seriously in mind EU citizens’ rights and employability, accountability, civil participation, social justice and environmental issues.Facilitate a better understanding of what CSR actually is among start-up companies head administrators and employees.Emphasize the issue of corporal transparency which is so crucial for start-ups in maintaining reliable and trustworthy organisations.The participants are head administrators and employees of start-up companies along with formal and non-formal stakeholders and practitioners, labour union members and individual citizens, administrations, governmental services, any interested parties; additionally, in certain events will take part executive members of the Start-Up Europe Advisory Board (SEAB). The estimated number of participants is approximately 2000.The activities conducted are in the context of the following methodology:•Preliminary Research on how CSR is incorporated into the mentality of EU start-up companies.•Scientific evidence and relevant outcomes on the current status of CSR for EU start-up companies today.•Propose relevant measures that animate social sensitivities and awareness by start-up head administrators and employees that specifically relies to CSR mentality.There have been developed in three main categories and with subsequent categories the results as follows:a)Preparatory/Foundation category, with the preliminary review & research on the existing situation and the variables of CSR as related to EU start-up companies.b)Development, incorporation & sustainability category including the suggested SUM framework manual, Handbook, relevant workshops and consultation.c)Dissemination activities entailing the SUM framework manual, web-based actions, info days, workshops, conferenceConcerning the overall impact, the SUM project is expected to create the framework for sustainable development and social responsibility from the part of EU start-up companies. Socially responsible business behaviour has to be grounded on steady democratic principles that take into serious consideration citizens’ rights and employability, accountability, civil participation, social justice as well as environmental issues.The project adheres to the international and European dimension of creating a start-up ecosystem in Europe accompanied with specific impact on relevant decision makers in embracing and further promoting CSR mentality in EU start-up companies.

<< Background >>In the past few years, there has been a growing interest in the development of a ‘green’ or ‘low carbon’ economy in the Eu context, as a means of reconciling economic development and the environment. According to the European Commission (2020), eco-design, eco-innovation, waste prevention and the reuse of raw materials can bring net savings for EU businesses of up to EUR 600 billion. Additional measures to increase resource productivity by 30 % by 2030 could boost GDP by nearly 1 %, while creating 2 million additional jobs. It also benefits the environment and reduces Europe's greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, green economy is a means of financial and social growth, through the provision of employability and entrepreneurship opportunities to all EU citizens, especially those with fewer opportunities. In 2019, the average rate of NEET young people in Europe was 16,4%, with 9 Member States reporting rates higher than the average. Among these, by far the highest rates were recorded in Italy and Greece, where a quarter or more of all young people aged 20–34 were neither in employment nor in education and training (27.8 % and 25.1 % respectively). In the same year, more than one fifth (20.8 %) of young women (aged 20–34) in the EU were NEETs, while the corresponding share among young men was 8.6 percentage points lower, at 12.2 %. In this context, the project Green Entrepreneurship for NEET Persons - GENTe aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) take advantage of the opportunities offered by the transition to a green economy. The project will bring together young adults, especially women, who fall in the category of NEET and representatives of SMEs who are interested in making their business greener and give them the chance to explore the possibilities for cooperation. In parallel, the project will offer NEET people the opportunity to participate in educational activities that will allow them to develop their skills, boost their employability and consider the possibility of starting their own green business. More specifically, the project suggests ways in which SMEs can turn environmental and social challenges into business opportunities, by involving NEET people in their activities, especially women, and taking advantage of their existing skills and competences.Preliminary research in the partner countries has revealed the need for the upskilling of young people, especially women, and the provision of opportunities for employability and entrepreneurship. In order to address those above needs, the project GENTe is built on the foundations of the latest EU policies, initiatives and strategies for NEETs on green entrepreneurship skills, and transversal skills development. The development of the project results, the overall project implementation and the project outcomes will progress based on a well-structure model of smart, adaptable, sustainable and value-oriented mode. There are various steps in the knowledge and training development continuum and development of skills to the target groups that will be supported by the GENTe consortium, and they could be used out of sequence as well depending on the need of the target group and each stakeholder in the wider NEET area, with a primary focus on financial and resource sustainability. What is more the modular and innovative digital approach of this project will provide general guidelines and pedagogies, so that other issues and skills can be addressed, depending on the specific needs of the target group and the stakeholders.<< Objectives >>The project aims to provide alternative ways of learning to a broad range of young adults and help them develop their knowledge, skills and capabilities in order to be benefited from opportunities for employability and entrepreneurship in the framework of existing or new SMEs. In particular, it is estimated that the participation of NEET adult learners in the educational activities of GENTe will offer them the opportunity to explore new forms of employability and motivate them to either join existing small and medium-sized enterprises or, ideally, put their own ideas into practice and start their own small, green, business. Furthermore, it is expected that all participants involved in the project (NEET adult learners, partner organisations and relevant stakeholders, such as representatives of SMEs) will become more aware in terms of environmental issues and put green entrepreneurship into practice, growing a green mentality of learning and working in the EU. What is more, it is expected that the participants will benefit from the project by improving their digital literacy and creating eco-friendly, green and sustainable businesses.In summary, the main objectives of the project are the following:- Contributing to the EU’s strategies for green entrepreneurship by offering the opportunity to a broad range of people, especially women, to be involved and utilize their potential.- Promoting green growth and becoming part of developing a resource-efficient, circular economy where nothing is wasted.- Developing innovative educational tools that will facilitate the development of new and innovative digital skills among NEET people in Europe.<< Implementation >>The project GENTe is designed to serve a dual purpose: on the one hand, to contribute to the dissemination and adoption of the philosophy of green entrepreneurship among the partner countries and beyond and, on the other hand, to improve the employability of young NEET people, especially women, in the contemporary EU labour market. To achieve the above, the project includes innovative activities and results, in which all participants and target groups will take part. In particular, the partner organisations will recruit and engage all interested members of the target groups in the project design, development and implementation. The first step will be to ask the members of the target groups to provide inputs in the development and review the content of the Interactive Training Curriculum (Project Result 1), on whether it matches their needs and expectations. Then, on completion of a prototype of the Online Platform (Project Result 2), all partners will extensively disseminate the platform among target group members, stakeholders and multipliers in order to pilot-test and provide feedback and suggestion for improvement. Additionally, policy actors and other stakeholders will review the Interactive Guidebook (Project Result 3) and contribute to the drafting and dissemination of the National and EU Education and Training Policies that it will include. Moreover, all partners will identity and attract the involvement of interested actors which will commit to integrate the project outcomes in their normal training activities, as an open-source program.Furthermore, all participants will contribute to the dissemination of all Project Results through the Learning, Teaching and Training activity for the partner organisations, and the Multiplier Events and Final Conference NEET, partner organisations and stakeholders. Their involvement will allow the further spread of the project across partner countries and the EU in general and form the basis for the creation of a transnational community of individuals and groups acting towards the upgrade of adult learning and the adoption of innovative pedagogies in contemporary European learning settings.<< Results >>The project GENTe aims to provide equal opportunities for learning and employability to NEET people, especially women, through the utilisation of their existing skills and the development of new competences. It is estimated that, upon its completion, the project will have the following results and outcomes:1) Provision of an in-depth analysis of the current green economy and entrepreneurship strategies in Europe on a regional, national and local level: This analysis will be based on the collection of data from interviews and focus groups which will take place during the project. The objective is to map out the specific character of the current opportunities for green entrepreneurship in the contemporary European labour market, as well as the benefits of including NEET people in current and future SMEs, in order to better address it through the provision of opportunities for learning and employability. 2) Development and implementation of an Interactive Training Curriculum (PR1) for NEET people: The Curriculum will include activities designed to help NEETs, especially women, improve their skills and capacities to enter the labour market. These skills include digital literacy, as well as ways of developing their own business ideas, thinking about start-up companies, entrepreneurship skills etc. The Curriculum will be a valuable tool for NEET people and can be utilised by partner organisations and stakeholders as well.3) Development of an Online Platform (PR2): The platform will work as a bridge between NEET people and local SMEs, stakeholders and organizations who offer opportunities for employment and/or entrepreneurship. This platform will also include the Curriculum activities, as well as information about green opportunities in the EU. The platform will be used for the training of NEET people in all partner countries and will be open to the public during and after the implementation of the project. 4) Development of an Interactive Guidebook (PR3): The Guidebook will summarise the activities and outcomes of the project and will be a comprehensive resource that will work towards the objective of building the professional capacity of practitioners in the field of green entrepreneurship. It will do so, by preparing SMEs, practitioners and stakeholders to address the needs and gaps as well as move towards fulfilling their expectations as identified in consultations with GENTe’s partners in earlier stages of the project.5) Dissemination of the results and sustainability of the project: The successful implementation of the project will form the basis for NEET’s integration in the European green labour market and society at large and set a good example for other organizations and stakeholders across Europe to follow. The impact of the outcome will be twofold. First, it will encourage a more inclusive approach from local SMEs towards NEET people, especially women. Second, it will disseminate the experiences, knowledge and practices gained through the project’s actions across and beyond the network of partner organisations of GENTe.

In the current times of economic turbulence and market shortcoming, where the majority of EU citizens are struggling to manage the financial challenges they face, a real life need for the development of their financial literacy competencies has been identified, in particular among young EU adults (18 - 35). It was in this context that the eFinLit project was created. Its main goals were to help people to understand the mechanics of the economy and the market, providing them with the necessary tools to deal with daily financial issues, and protect them from slipping in to extremely negative situations. Moreover, the project also intended to, directly and indirectly, promote the digital numeracy, language, reading, collaboration and communication skills of the target. To attain these goals, the consortium developed an online educational platform which encompasses social networking tools, online games, data bases, and training packages of online self-regulated modules, which are also be available through mobile platforms. The online training modules developed are:1. Digital Literacy and Access to Financial Information2. Basic Maths3. Budgeting 4. Savings5. Indebtedness6. Credit and Loans7. Consumer Rights8. Investment and EntrepreneurshipThe consortium of the eFinLit consisted from 8 partner from 7 different EU countries; partners come from a wide range of backgrounds including training centres, family care centres, research and development centres, and SMEs. The eFinLit is in full alignment with the priorities, objectives and aims of the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnerships call for Adults as it envisions in adults up-skilling and provision of transversal skills, provide access to Open Educational Resources based on ICT, carry awareness campaigns, and promote validation, accreditation and certification for adult training.To attain the objectives the consortium undertook several activities. The first one consisted on a State of the Art and Gap Analysis. Here partners collected information about the gap in financial literacy in particular in the training of digital, financial and math literacies. Results provided information not only about financial literacy but also about eLearning and adequate pedagogies to be used with the target of this project. These were later incorporated in the learning platform and modules developed, which consisted in the next activity. 8 modules were developed, each one being divided in basic and advanced levels. Basic was designed for a target with a lower level of education (translated in all partners' languages) and Advanced for a target with a higher level of education (contents only in English). All modules followed the latest pedagogical developments concerning eLearning and so are interactive, have videos, games, quizzes and a final self-evaluation test so each user can assess his / her knowledge at the end. The platform also has a forum so all users can interact. All models were tested and validated and suggestions and comments were incorporated. A web portal was also developed - http://efinlit.eu/. Here, users can find, besides the eLearning platform, also an elibrary with additional suggestions such as a toolkit in a digital flip book format with information regarding the modules as well as hints and advices on how to use the materials with the students. Useful links can also be found here. A mobile app was also developed - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cardet.efinlit. This allows all users to use the platform wherever they are.Dissemination activities were also organized. Each partner organized national seminars to present the results of the project and involve the target group. At the end of the project a multiplier conference was organized in Cyprus. Additionally, partners also organized other dissemination events or participated in seminars and conferences presenting the project. News were also published in several publications, including journals, newspapers, and websites just to mention a few. 8 newsletters were produced and sent to thousands contacts all over Europe.The target group was involved since the beginning of the development of the project. His opinion and concerns were taken into consideration throughout the project. Moreover, all the activities contributed to attract interest from the media. Due to the language proximity some contacts were also made with Brazil and perspectives of collaboration and dissemination there were also envisaged.In a Europe still recovering from the crisis and dealing with the problem of migrants and refugees, this project can also be used as a useful tool to help these people to develop the necessary skills to survive after having healed the wounds of war.