In LiveElearn project we envisaged trainers currently teaching to adults and senior learners to incorporate in their courses and educational activities information and communication technologies (ICT). The motivation was originated because the most common way of teaching ICT is by tool-centered courses, using computer or internet services, practicing exercises or examples offered by ICT-trainers. This is the traditional way of teaching ICT. It is very convenient on beginners, but as students becomes more competent, it is more convenient to teach ICT as something they use, enjoy, share and allow to create networks; this is the most challenging, and also beneficial, that is why the project is called “Live eLearn”, where electronic-mediated learning could be promoted to keep learning other courses in a more experiential way.Trainers should be capable to adopt ICT to increase the impact of their courses and teaching activity no matter the topic of the course; technology and the network potentiates the acquisitions of digital competences from a very integrated and practical way. By this way of adopting technology, adults and senior learners will keep practicing ICT to be used for activities they enjoy, sharing, co-creating, communicating and using Internet services for an intrinsic need and meaningful purpose.We aimed at extending and developing the competences of the staff involved with non-formal and informal education of senior learners through the effective use of ICT. We promote social inclusion and digital inclusion, active participation and collaboration through innovative ICT-based methods, providing tools for educators for assessment and validation of competences learnt.6 Methods about how ICT could be included on traditional courses has been produced. Each method includes 2 study cases to shoe how to do that as an example:•Learning by research; discovering and spreading•Blended learning; the best of both worlds•Digital Storytelling for creativity and teamwork•Engaging online handcraft lessons•Walky-talky lessons with digital media and physical activity features•Gamification as a teaching method in community collegesAlso, an evaluation toolkit helps learners, trainers and managers in a very different way:•Learners will know their own ICT competence level, their potentialities to improve on ICT and share their strengths with friends.•For trainers, we propose a training method based on their capacities and aims that will foster their learners’ competences.•Managers or coordinators; they will know their organisation digital level and get suggestions: new courses, methods and training activities.•As researcher, they will know how the LiveElearn assessment toolkit works.More information: https://www.liveelearn.eu

"Adults with a low level of soft skills is an issue nowadays and it has great importance at a time when relevant international bodies and the scientific community stress the importance of enhancing and developing human capital, identifying in the personal skills significant predictors of economics and social outcomes. The problem of low skilled citizens is dramatically present in all the countries that participated in the first PIAAC survey. In three partners’ countries (Italy, Spain and France), the percentage of low skilled is very high, while it is lower in the other two partners’ countries (Ireland and Finland). To tackle the problem, the objective of the OECD Skill Strategy is ""mutually reinforcing the skills system"" through four pillars: 1. develop relevant skills, 2. activate the supply of skills, 3. use skills effectively, 4. strengthen the skills system so that appropriate skills can lead to better jobs and better living conditions, both at a personal and at a social level.The general objectives of the project, therefore, are to identify the best practices for the process of certification and validation of key competences, in particular ""Personal, social and learning to learn competence"" and to promote the adoption of best practices in the network of partners and stakeholders concerned.The specific objectives consist in the elaboration of a White Paper on the best practices for the implementation of a process of certification and validation of non-formal competences, with particular reference to ""Personal, social and learning to learn competence"". It will guide the operators in the identification, collection and evaluation of the competences possessed by low skilled people and therefore support them in the choices of training offers consistent with their expectations and competences possessed. Moreover, the specific objectives are also to identify a shared path as a ""first step"" towards the validation of competence in the non-formal field, and to disseminate the project results on the Internet and in adult education centres.The project is addressed to trainers and teachers of education and training institutions, as direct users, and to low skilled people, but also to social partners and enterprises involved in adult education, as indirect users. In order to achieve the planned objectives, the project activities will develop as follows: -research phase of methodologies for the collection of non-formal learning outcomes in relation to the key competence ""Personal, social and learning to learn competence""-comparison and evaluation of the methodology to be applied on the research carried out-1st training activity for trainers aimed at the acquisition of the methodology for the collection of learning outcomes-evaluation of the training activity and research on the certification and validation process of competences-2nd training activity for trainers aimed at the acquisition of the methodology for the evaluation of the key competence and the certification process-evaluation of the second training activity-experimentation of the process-realization of a white paper.The expected results for training and education centres are:-Promote innovation in adult education by using methodologies for the development of a competence validation process.The expected results for the low skilled are:- Possibility of rediscovering and developing skills they possess, but they do not know they have- Improvement in the rate of socio-work integration and/or integration into qualification pathways in relation to the validation process of ""Personal, social and learning to learn competence""The project will have an impact on direct participants, partner organisations, end-users and stakeholders in terms of:-improving and updating methodologies, -raising general service standards, increasing effectiveness in the management of pathways to accompany the process of validation and validation of ""Personal, social and learning to learn competence"" acquired in non-formal contexts, -contributing to the improvement of awareness of their competences by low skilled people."

"""CULTURE UP – Capacity building of Cultural Institutions and Local Authorities in non–urban and peripheral areas"" project sets out to share and exchange knowledge and practices of cultural development across the public, private and civil sector in five European non–urban and peripheral areas. The project includes five European partners that have been engaged in former, coming or aspiring European Capitals of Culture (ECOC), both as host city or as neighboring cultural institutions and local authorities in the region, working with diverse age groups of children, youth and adults.The project partners more specifically represents: Tampere 2026/Finland, Novi Sad 2021/Serbia, Galway 2020/Ireland, Leeuwarden 2018/The Netherlands and Aarhus 2017/Denmark.The goal is to build capacity on best-conducted practices and transfer experiences, knowledge and know-how through European networking amongst cultural institutions, civil society organisations and local authorities working in the cultural field in non-urban and peripheral areas, Through the diverse experiences, strategies, learning and perspectives from an artistic, cultural, institutional and local authority level, all lead and associated partners will work towards exchanging and developing an outline strategy with a European partnership mind-set and values. Setting an active future plan that functions as an institutionalized new learning model of operation, and a catalyst for sustainable cultural development in non–urban areas. Thus bridging technical and know how inequality of opportunities in these peripheral areas.In a rotational mode, individual partners exchange job shadowing opportunities both on location and online. In the same mode, each partner is responsible for creating a local host program in her/his local area to host all other partners. The host program will organise visits to the different stakeholders in these non–urban areas, through induction meetings, TOT training of trainers sessions, seminars, cultural activities, networking and exchanges. All rotational exchange programs end with a debrief and an evaluation session with all participants led by the Project Coordinators and Communication Coordinators. The main purpose of the evaluation session is to ensure progress in the project and that each exchange visit has reached its goals. The outcome results in an outline strategy on how to operate together in future European projects addressing present non-urban challenges in sustainable cultural development. Results of the project CULTURE UP will be of a diverse nature and consist of both (tangible) results as well as (intangible results) like skills and personal experiences. Some of the intangible results will be measured by the use of interviews, questionnaires, tests, observations or self-assessment mechanisms that may help to record these types of results. Those results that will be disseminated more widely as e.g. experiences, strategies or processes, programs and activities will be documented.Number of participants: There are 9 project partners representing cultural institutions or organisations and local authorities. A total of 27 European participants plus relevant national participants will be included in the LTTA. The project has defined the following specific objectives: 1. Exchange and knowledge-sharing of concrete experiences to strengthen capacity of cultural development in non–urban areas both on an artistic, and institutional and local authority level (by exploring best practices, participatory and bottom-up approaches, peer-to-peer methodology of hands on training).2. Create awareness on cultural development in non–urban areas and support existing initiatives3. Develop European partnerships on cultural development in non–urban areas and show the way for a stronger European awareness in smaller cultural institutions and newcomers as a potential path for innovative development and solutions to local challenges4. Create an outline strategy for an institutionalised new learning model of operating European cultural development in non–urban areasEnvisaged long term impact:1.Inspired and motivated cultural newcomers to work on a European level as a way of developing local practices and strengthen their cultural capacity and hereby accommodate rural challenges.2. Regenerated ways for local authorities in being a cultural sector catalyst, creating opportunities in non–urban areas.3. Platforms for future non–urban partnerships are identified with specific types of exchanges for future collaborations between smaller cultural institutions, artists and organizations.4. Raised visibility of cultural narrative in non–urban areasThe potential longer term benefits of the project CULTURE UP is to show and promote that rural areas can as much be laboratories for exploration of possibilities within culture and forward culture as drivers for habitation, social gatherings and rural development in general."

The importance of acquiring and recognizing skills acquired in non-formal contexts is widely proven. The role of skills development is therefore considered as one of the key drivers of economic growth, it contributes to performance and competitiveness of individuals possess. However, the process of recognition, validation and certification of competencies (RVCC) is not harmonized yet in the European countries and many educational centers struggle to find a valid and common framework. On the other hand, we are progressively going towards the general ageing of the European population, meaning that the old-age dependency ratio (people aged 65 and above relative to those aged 15 to 64) in the EU will increase by 21.6 percentage points, from 29.6% in 2016 to 51.2% in 2070. These data call to take action in terms of promotion of older people inclusion in the labour world and, therefore in the acquisition of adults’ soft skills to increase their chances to get a job after retirement. SKILLS REC aims at proposing solutions to the above mentioned issues by elaborating a comprehensive model to allow the Recognition, Validation and Certification of Competencies of previously acquired competences by adults throughout life in non-formal contexts. Thanks to the development of specific resources, the project will allow adults’ educators to make such uncertified skills visible. The project will also promote the acquisition of adults’ soft skills, in particular focusing on the recognition of specific key skills identified by the Council of the European Union in its recommendation published on 20/05/2018 on key non-formal competences for lifelong learning.In order to achieve its objectives, the project will develop the following resources: -A Booklet including studies on users’ needs and a SOTA on the Recognition, Validation and Certification of Competencies (RVCC);-An innovative Manual proposing a Model for the recognition, validation and certification of adults’ non-formal skills;-An Adult Learners’ Kit for the acquisition, identification and evaluation of older adults’ soft skills;-An Online Platform collecting all the learning resources of the project and enabling e-learning through the above mentioned resources.

Demographic trends are a key factor for the future of the European Union. The consequence of demographic change in Europe, with the population continuously growing older, is a huge challenge in every EU member country. The need for an effective age management is obvious; by 2025 about one-third of Europe’s population will be aged 60 years and over, and there will be a particularly rapid increase in the number of people aged 80 years and older. This will have an enormous impact on European societies. They need to increase knowledge about how to promote age management strategies among companies, authorities, and within society in general so as to promote positive features of employability of the older people and to prevent costly and negative impacts on the population as a whole. Policy-makers need good outlines on which to make decisions, based on research and good practice. This in turn requires that the bridge between research and public policy is open and constructive. Practitioners and NGOs also need to know about evidence and good practice in age management implementation. Although the concept of the age management is not new in EU context, the difference in the level at which the age management has been considered in the national policies of the member states is very big. While there are countries, where the age management strategies have been implemented into the policies and laws for decades now (Finland, Sweden, UK...), there are countries where this process has not even started (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania...) and the society is completely unaware about the tools that can be used for the effective implementation of the age management strategies.The project has reached its main goal: helping the process of adaptation to the rising requirements of the labor market (influenced by ageing EU society) by providing the quality guidance tool for companies (age management advisors or in-company trainers) and VET providers (teachers and trainers). This project has designed a specific tool - a guidelines - for the transfer of the good practice in the implementation of age management among the EU countries, specifically among the countries involved in this project (Czech Republic, Italy, Finland, Romania and Austria). We have collected 28 good practice examples and processed them in the form of a well-structured user's-friendly web-page, providing a step-by-step description of the particular strategy implementation. This collection has been further elaborated into a form of a methodological recommendation, focused on the process of problem solving and decision making during the strategy implementation. These two project outputs provide a practical help for the professionals within the age management: advisors implementing the age management strategies, in-company trainers as well as the VET teachers and trainers from the education providers. The project outputs provide a significant help in terms of inspiration, motivation and detailed guidance especially during the first steps of the age management implementation in central and eastern EU countries. The biggest impact of the project appears to be in the rise of awareness of the significant demographic changes within entire EU and in providing a handy tool enabling an effective start of implementation of age management strategies in the organizations. This project is the beginning of the series of actions regarding the age management the project partners plan to implement in the near future.