One of the four common EU objectives of the Education and training 2020 (ET 2020) framework to address challenges in education and training systems by 2020 is to enhance creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training.In the past years, more than one million refugees have come to Europe, and the influx will continue also in the years to come. Apart from political questions concerning their distribution, the most urgent aspects are their integration into our society and their employment. A refugee entrepreneur, like any entrepreneur, brings many potential benefits to the host community. First of all, an entrepreneur creates at least one job for her-/himself. In addition they can employ other refugees and/or host country nationals. The kind of businesses opened by refugees often reflect innovative solutions to local problems and are therefore more effective at addressing the needs of specific target groups than large, donor-driven programmes. Having a (social) enterprise can also help to create normality in a difficult surrounding. Providing familiar food or wedding dresses not only brings employment, but also ways to unite communities, preserve traditions and a sense of normality. Overall, it can be said that entrepreneurship improves the psychological well-being of individuals and the overall atmosphere.Becoming an entrepreneur is always a challenge and often not the most obvious choice for a refugee. He/she needs, above all, information provision, networking (with both other refugees/migrants and members of the host community), mentoring, training, and finally also investment and funding. All of these are equally relevant in the refugee context.Therefore, the overall objective of our strategic partnership is to provide an overview about projects, initiatives and methods which train, support and facilitate entrepreneurship for immigrants, and in particular for women.In order to reach this objective, the specific objectives are1)To implement an e-platform with an interactive database, searchable after various parameters, that describes and gives access to initiatives, tools and methods and other materials that have been identified and collected in the course of the project, concerning market conditions, policies, administrational settings, entrepreneurship skills and support programmes for immigrant entrepreneurs, in particular women, as well as how to train skills and knowledge to generate creative ideas especially in IT based business. . The database will have explanations in the languages of the partnership.2)To elaborate a Catalogue “Supports for Refugee Entrepreneurs” which will give an overview about the current situation of the specific project environment in the partners’ countries. It will be enriched with the outcomes of the transnational meetings of the four meetings in each partner country where experts from the respective national and local vocational counselling organisations will discuss these issues with the representatives of our strategic partnership. 3)To organise an online interactive Forum for exchange of experience and good practice that will promote networking and exchange activities not only among the partnership and VET organisations in their countries, but also on a European level. With new translation services, it will become possible to break down language barriers between users from different countries, and to foster exchange and assist initiatives that contribute to the European society as a whole.The target group of our project are VET and adult education trainers and organisations that will make use of the identified and selected materials to design and offer respective measures for refugees who want to become entrepreneurs.

Digitization is increasingly shaping the world of work. While computerisation has until recently been confined to routine tasks involving explicit rule-based activities, algorithms for big data are now rapidly entering domains reliant upon pattern recognition and can readily substitute for labour in a wide range of non-routine cognitive tasks. Advanced robots are gaining enhanced senses and dexterity, allowing them to perform a broader scope of manual tasks. This will change the nature of work across industries and occupations.A recent study (The Future Of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs To Computerisation, Oxford 2013) estimated the probability of computerisation for 700 occupations, and examined the impacts of future computerisation on the labour market. According to their estimate, 47 percent of total employment is in the high risk category, and many occupations are potentially automatable over the next decade or two.This means that most workers in transportation, logistics and in production are likely to be substituted by computers, as industrial robots are taking on the routine tasks of most operations.But also, many office support professions are endangered. Here, algorithms for big data are already rapidly entering domains that deal with storing or accessing information, making it probable that office and administrative support occupations will be subject to computerisation.More surprising is that also a substantial share of employment in services and sales will become the victim of computerisation in the near future. These findings are largely in line with recent documented technological developments including interactive tasks. and will concern, for example, cashiers, counter and rental clerks, or telemarketers. By taking this development into consideration, it becomes evident that employers will put more emphasis on basic and transversal competences and on creative and social skillsTherefore, the overall objective of our project is to raise awareness about these developments, and how this will require continuous skill adaptations, especially on personal competences and soft skills. Our aim is to inform people working in the labour market service and in vocational orientation and education about successful initiatives and methods for training, developing and self- improvement of personal skills, and for evaluating and assessing personal development and competences. In order to reach this objective, the specific objectives are1)To implement an e-platform with an interactive database, searchable after various parameters, that describes and gives access to initiatives, tools and methods and other materials that have been identified and collected in the course of the project, concerning the development and self- improvement of personal skills and competences and their evaluation and assessment. 2)To elaborate a Catalogue “Skills and Competences for Work in Industry 4.0” which will give an overview about the current situation of the specific project environment in the partners’ countries. It will be enriched with the outcomes of the transnational meetings of the four meetings in each partner country where experts from the respective national and local labour market and vocational counselling organisations will discuss these issues with the representatives of our strategic partnership. 3)To organise an online interactive Forum for exchange of experience and good practice that will promote networking and exchange activities not only among the partnership and VET organisations in their countries, but also on a European level. With new translation services, it will become possible to break down language barriers between users from different countries, and to foster exchange and assist initiatives that contribute to the European society as a whole.The target group of our project are VET and adult education trainers and labour market policy organisations that will make use of the identified and selected materials to design and offer respective measures for adults who need to adapt their skills and personal competences to the needs of the 21st century labour market.

The theme of recognition and validation of competences from informal or non-formal settings is commonly understood as one of the most important challenges for educational and training sector nowadays.One of the most powerful informal learning contexts is represented by the volunteering sector, where young people of all education, cultural and social backgrounds, have the opportunity to experience different challenging situations, putting into practice their own skills and getting wide experience and new competences. Most of this new knowledge can represent an asset for volunteers in other areas of their life, as, for example, in professional career.Volunteering is an opportunity, not only to be socially active and to feel part of civil society, but it is also a way to gain skills and competences. Volunteering can be considered as a natural learning environment, especially for those that fall out of the formal educational sector or who find it difficult to re-enter the labour market. It is important to increase motivation for vulnerable target groups, such as NEETs (Young people not in employment, education or training) to approach the volunteering sector also as a way to re-engage in social life. Therefore, in order to improve their options, should they decide to re-enter the labour market, it is absolutely fundamental to properly validate those competences.Therefore, the overall objective of our strategic partnership is to provide an overview about projects, initiatives and methods for the validation of non-formal and informal learning, through volunteering, and to identify instruments, models, and schemes which validate and clearly identify the key competences that have been gained by volunteers. Providing this recognition could motivate volunteers to become either involved in additional learning activities or may also facilitate or improve their employability.In order to reach this overall objective, the specific objectives will be:1)To implement an e-platform with an interactive database that gives access to initiatives and learning information materials that have been identified and collected in the course of the project, especially concerning successful models and best practice concepts for the validation of key competences acquired during volunteering and systems of recognition of competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning 2)To elaborate a “Catalogue for Recognition of Competences Acquired Through Volunteering” which will give an overview about the current situation of the specific project environment in the partners’ countries, and present the initiatives, projects and materials, in English and with explanations in all languages of the partnership; 3)To organise an online interactive Forum for exchange of experience and good practice that will promote networking and exchange activities not only among the partnership and youth organisations in their countries, but on a European level. We will highlight and link to the new translation services such as Skype’s real-time translation in ten spoken and 50 written languages. In this way, it will become possible to break down language barriers between users from different countries, and to support ideas, foster exchange and assist initiatives that contribute to the European society as a whole. The partnership comprises a multidisciplinary, proven and successful team of four partners from Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia who have already collaborated in labour market related themes in various LLP and Erasmus+ projects.The project fits into the common underlying strategy of the partners insofar that the identification and selection of initiatives, materials and approaches for intercultural communication is in line with their operational strategies; and it will provide solutions to the needs of the associated public sector partners.During the implementation of the project, we will regularly upload news about the project’s progress in EPALE. We will also present the outcomes of the project, especially the interactive database of best practices, initiatives and projects dealing with volunteering and validation of competences, at the European Youth Portal which covers 35 countries and is available in 28 languages.

All technology produces both good results but also has questionable consequences. The internet is a perfect case study for this statement. While better connecting the world and democratizing information, the internet has also allowed individuals to hide behind masks of anonymity. The “faceless evil” of the internet is a growing threat for teens, specifically when it comes cyberbullying.The latest UN research data reveals that almost half of the students in schools suffer violence. 46% of children in the age group between 11 and 15 reveal that they suffer from violence and intimidation by peers. The daily experience of many schools and youth counselling centres shows that the issue is critical and one can observe growing interest in programmes and lessons for the prevention of violence or bullying.However, not only young people, but also teachers, trainers and youth workers need therefore new skills and competences to be better prepared to deal with this phenomenon. However, many of them have had their vocational education years ago and are unprepared to the changes in the way in which our internet society is organized and which understandings, necessary knowledge and skills for the prevention of cyberbullying. Moreover, although a whole range of projects, initiatives and materials exist in English, access is hampered due to confused locations and missing translations.The strategic partnership “Initiatives against Cyberbullying and Hate in Social Media” aims at identifying and collecting effective strategies and practices to address cyberbullying and to provide an effective and integrated approach to prevention.The general objective is to provide relevant information about initiatives, materials and best practice solutions which•raise awareness about cyberbullying among young people and among their educators•support them to react against online discrimination, hostility and violence•build skills at children and juveniles how they can protect themselves against bullying and victimization•reduce racism and xenophobia among young people•encourage and add value to school anti–bullying strategies by incorporating “user” led action research to define current need and resolutionIn order to reach this objective, the specific objectives are1)To implement an e-platform with an interactive database that gives access to initiatives and materials that have been identified and collected in the course of the project, especially concerning successful initiatives, best practice examples and tools which are the most suitable preventive measures against cyberbullying and how to respond to incidents2)To elaborate a Catalogue “Initiatives Against Cyberbullying and Hate in Social Media” which will give an overview about the current situation of the specific project environment in the partners’ countries. The Catalogue will be enriched with the outcomes of the four meetings in each partner country where experts from the respective national and local youth organisations discussed good practice from their countries and abroad. 3)To organise an online interactive Forum for exchange of experience and good practice that will promote networking and exchange activities not only among the partnership and youth organisations in their countries, but also on a European level, in order to facilitate the exchange between educators, teachers, trainers and youth workers who are confronted with this phenomenon and who will be able to obtain peer support and helpful advice. 4)One of the core activities in our strategic partnership will be the four transnational meetings. The focus will be on meeting with youth workers in the respective country, i.e. in Cyprus, Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia. In these events, the project’s objectives will be presented, as well as the actual state of the identification and selection of best practice examples and the concept of the database.Our project will provide youth workers and educators with information and best practice about effective tools and methods, in order to help them do their work better. They will be able to acquire skills and knowledge to apply interventions in a preventive stage, and to focus on self-esteem, empathy towards out-groups and on managing negative emotions. In the long run, this approach will reduce the dangers of victimisation combat the spread of online harassment.The partnership comprises a multidisciplinary, proven and successful team of four partners from Cyprus, Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia who have already collaborated in youth themes in various LLP and Erasmus+ projects.During the implementation of the project, we will regularly upload news about the project’s progress in EPALE. We will also present the outcomes of the project, especially the interactive database of best practices, initiatives and projects dealing with methods to prevent cyberbullying , at the European Youth Portal.

Europe is facing a “longevity revolution”, as the number of old and very old people will increase in the coming decades: According to Eurostat, by 2060 one in three Europeans will be over 65 years old, and every 8th person will be at the age of 80 and above. Very old people will thus not be a small minority in our societies but a significant citizen group. The time has come to change the attitude towards them and to shift the focus from inabilities to opportunities and strengths. The older generation needs to be provided with educational support to enable them to remain active members of society and face the challenges of growing old independently for as long as possible. Statistics show that senior citizens are often missing out the lifelong learning opportunities, although lifelong learning is one of the key factors of successful ageing and helps the wellbeing of seniors in later life, stimulating their social inclusion and interest in life. As the world is transforming into a knowledge society, we increasingly rely on information delivered through computers and mobile technology devices. However, senior citizens form a large part of society that mostly lacks the required skills to participate in this development. This situation creates a growing group of disadvantaged citizens and contributes to the digital divide of European society. This imbalance also means lost opportunities, as technology can offer many ways of improving quality of life, especially for senior citizens. More than ever before, services, including public services and business transactions, are moving online. The absence of digital skills in senior population is often synonymous of social isolation, segregation in access to information and services, loss of autonomy and increased sense of inability to adapt to the society. Indeed, improving digital skills in seniors is one way of improving their quality of life through an active lifestyle and freedom of choice and decisions.Therefore, the overall objectives of this project are to•tackle the gap between ageing population and digital literacy and address the high necessity for digital key competences of seniors, and make digital competences more accessible to them •strengthen and empower professionals, carers and volunteers working with senior citizens, so-called “front-liners” who are in direct and frequent contact with senior citizens to show and to explain which initiatives and programmes exist for older people to learn how to use online tools that improve their health and life quality In order to reach this objective, the specific objectives of this strategic partnership are1)To implement an e-platform with an interactive database, searchable after various parameters, that describes and gives access to initiatives, tools and methods and other materials that have been identified and collected in the course of the project, concerning the promotion of digital skills for people living in the 3rd age which are needed to access public services online, to adapt to the digital-oriented world and to feel confident using online tools which help to improve their health and life quality. 2)To elaborate a Catalogue “Ageing in the Digital Age – Best Practice Support for Digital Competences of Seniors” which will give an overview about the current situation of the specific project environment in the partners’ countries. It will be enriched with the outcomes of the transnational meetings of the four meetings in each partner country where experts from the respective national and local seniors’ education organisations, professionals, carers and volunteers working with senior citizens will discuss these issues with the representatives of our strategic partnership. 3)To organise an online interactive Forum for exchange of experience and good practice that will promote networking and exchange activities not only among the partnership and seniors’ education organisations in their countries, but also on a European level. With new translation services, it will become possible to break down language barriers between users from different countries, and to foster exchange and assist initiatives that contribute to the European society as a whole.The target group of our project are not only seniors’ education organisations, but also other professionals, carers and volunteers working with senior citizens. The latter are in close and direct contact with the senior citizens. However, they are usually not informed about the latest developments of ICT trainings. Our materials will provide them with an excellent source which they can use in their regular work with seniors to show and to explain which initiatives and programmes exist for older people to learn how to use online tools that improve their health and life quality.