Joint European Master in Speech-Language and Hearing Innovation The ability to communicate is a fundamental human skill, critical for personal and social competences, allowing successful personal and professional relationships, and imperative for social inclusion. The theoretical and clinical domains of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) are at the heart of both speech-language therapy and audiology. While the professional competencies of speech-language clinicians and audiologist are defined in BA-level study programs, MA-level advanced studies, contribute significantly to professionalism and subsequently to the well-being of clients. Moreover, global changes in health services paradigms trigger the need for major changes in these professionals’ profile, creating opportunities for development and implementation of new services, products and technologies that may transform the way communities come together. The “European Master in Speech-Language and Hearing Innovation” is an HEI proposal joining together Portugal, Georgia, Slovenia, Finland and Israel as partners who share the vision of promoting the domain of CDS and its practitioners in the context of diverse social and professional realities. Specifically, this proposal aims to provide professionals with advanced competences and skills in professional practices, research, ethics, multiculturality, quality and leadership. This 120 ECTS (four-semester) program results from intense collaborative work between these institutions since 2019 and is already in an advanced stage of development. The consortium intends to finalize ongoing work and to apply for EMJM measures, providing a new high-quality educational opportunity with potential impact in EU and developing countries.

Youth unemployment is one of the biggest challenges facing Europe today. Over 22% of those under 25 are unemployed. In countries like Spain and Portugal youth unemployment rate is even higher, 55% and 40% respectively. The way out of youth unemployment can be achieved by increasing the knowledge and skills of young people as stated by the Erasmus +.14 Spanish and Portuguese youth will participate in this project. They face a risk situation as to be unemployed. Over the 11 months of the project, they will deal with this situation and fight to get out. The project aims to:1. Strengthening entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity of young people2. Increase the skills of young students or college graduates who face unemployment despite their studiesAll this through a series of activities such as workshops, visits to companies, interviews with entrepreneurs, individualized support from experts, creating their own business plan... etc (in English) to be undertaken in the 2 transnational meetings to be developed in Spain and Portugal. And with a special focus on social entrepreneurship. The social entrepreneurship, defined as a combination of employment and opportunity to fight poverty and social exclusion is seen as an important tool to fight against unemployment, unknown in the educational sector and in the society in both countries.Through this project, entrepreneurship among young people is promoted and entrepreneurial vocation wake, analyzing and enhancing the capabilities of each. It is intended to grow the enthusiasm to develop a project, and to work for the development of key skills such as finding own passions and interests, encourage creativity, improve teamwork, develop public speaking, facilitate decision making, increase the ability to lead a project, enhance English, promote constructive criticism, bring young people into business world, promote solidarity, help them to grow and mature, and make a real world learning. They will be also in the company with young people from another country, different cultural background, facing the same problems. They will have the chance to communicate and cooperate with each other and in the end to find ways out of the deadlock of unemployment. During the project the communication between the two groups will be conducted via email and facebook. A blog for the project will be set up with the results.The target group of the project is not only the group of participants, but also their peer group and unemployed youth in both countries through the dissemination and publication of results that may also participate in the project.Project promoters are Tandem Social and IPP both partners have experience in projects in the field of youth and social entrepreneurship, and they have worked together in European projects.

"The main aim of the project was to establish European cooperation and exchange of good practices regarding the education of people from the Generation Z among others in the area of diagnosing competency gaps and effective methods of activation and communication techniques, including the use of new IT technologies. The goal of the project will be implemented through cooperation from the 1st of November 2018 to the 31st of October 2019 between strategic partners: Wyższa Szkoła Bankowa w Toruniu (Poland), RISEBA University (Latvia) and Porto Politechnic (Portugal). These are organizations dealing with education of adults and which operate on the domestic and European market efficiently in which the need to change the methods and tools in the area of education of Generation Z via educators has been identified. The main objective of the project included the exchange of good practices concerning mainly:• Analysis of competency profile in education of adults with the identification of competency gaps (RISEBA University)• Using new IT technologies and adapting the competences of educators working with people from the ""Internet generation"" (Porto Politechnic)• Methods of activation and application of communication techniques stimulating work with Generation Z (WSB Toruń)The above objectives will be achieved through three international project meetings and three short training sessions combined with a study visit, which will be organized in each of the partner countries.The project duration is 12 months.At the request of the partners, the schedule of activities in the project (duration of individual activities) has been slightly modified compared to the original assumptions and included:1. International project meeting (Poland, January 2019).2. Training in building competence profiles at RISEBA University (Latvia, March 2019).3. Sending to the Partners developed in RISEBA University competence profiles and competence gaps of Generation Z in order to use them for the analysis of training programs in Poland and Portugal (March-May 2019).4. Training and exchange of experience in the use of new IT technologies in work with Generation Z (Portugal, May 2019).5. International project meeting - (Riga, September 2019) to summarize the training sessions conducted so far.6. Making changes to training programs after feedback from each Partner on previous training or exchange of good practices (September-October).7. Training and exchange of experience in the methods of activating Generation Z and techniques that increase communication stimulating work with Generation Z in an intercultural group (Poland, October 2019).8. International project meeting - project summary and completion (Portugal, October 2019).9. Dissemination of good project practices using the video ""Catalog of good practices from Poland, Latvia and Portugal"". The project involved educators - trainers and people involved in reliable adult education.Two people from each of the partner countries plus one person from Poland participated in international project meetings - it was the person managing the project (7 people in total).Six to twelve people from each of the partner countries took part in short training sessions (depending on the type of training). As a result of the project, educators learned about practical methods for determining educational needs (competence gaps) in adult education, and had the opportunity to exchange experiences in the use of new IT technologies and adapt the competences of people working with people from the ""Internet generation"" and methods of activating and using communication techniques that stimulate work with the Z generation.During the meetings, the Partners developed a ""Catalog of Good Practices"", which will allow to bridge the differences related to the approach to the new generation in different countries at different economic and social levels. Research on the Generation Z competence profile will allow the definition of differences arising from social or cultural diversity and the more effective preparation of training programs. The exchange of experiences will increase the potential and professionalism of educators and the quality of their activities regarding non-formal education of adults."

"In the context of the project, it was crucial to bridge the gap between higher education offer and labour market demand in terms of the acquisition oftransversal skills in dentistry. The objectives of the project were 1) to analyse the present labour market demands required in the field of dentistry; 2) todevelop a survey on the synergies between education and labour market aimed at re-evaluating the academic and domain-related competences to match themwith the transversal skills required for the professional community; 3) to use the survey results in order to develop relevant methodology for the target groups;4) to design teaching and learning materials to equip students with the transversal skills required in the professional setting; 5) to use ICT-based technologiesin developing OER for the benefit of gaining and validating the new skills; 6) to implement blended mobility in order to employ the relevant methodologyapproach, teaching and learning materials in dentistry and OER by using the English language as a medium of international communication. The projectparticipants were the University of Latvia (UL) (Latvia), the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Department of Preventive Dentistry (theNetherlands), and the Centre for Intercultural Studies, the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, School of Accounting and Administration (ISCAP) (Portugal). The profileof each insititution was: 1) the UL contributed with its expertise in designing methodology for a simultaneous acquisition of dentistry and the English languageand developing teaching and learning materials in clinical dentistry. 2) ACTA’s contribution was in integrating clinical research in understanding the processesthat sustain oral health and preventive dentistry. 3) ISCAP’s expertise in e-learning environment allowed the project to place the developed outputs on theMoodle platform as well as to ensure the visibility of the project and its results on the designed website.The learning/teaching activity, that is, blended mobility of higher education students with the students from the UL and ACTA as participating organizationswas carried out in the Summer School ""Dentistry and Language Integrated Learning"" hosted by the University of Latvia in Riga, Latvia from 28 August to 01September, 2017. The project implemented three face-to-face meetings in the partner countries and virtual meetings in order to enhance cooperation andcommunication among all project partners.In order to gather the research data, Output 1, an online survey was administered and a database with contacts ofprofessional organizations was drawn up. For the production of Output 2, a questionnaire was used to study the CLIL approach used at HEIs, to explore theavailable literature, and design a CLIL approach framework in dentistry. To develop Output 3, a web strategy for the dissemination of the Project outputs wasestablished and solutions proposed to make use of the e-learning platform and a project website was designed. For devising the training content (Output 4),the proposed course content was verified with experts. To create the OER materials (Output 5), the analysis of the domain specific language use was done, theidentified core terms, materials were verified and adjusted to the target audience in dentistry. For the dissemination of the Outputs and longer-term benefits, aleaflet was drawn up and spread to the relevant stakeholders. The project has achieved the following results: 1) The survey report on synergies betweeneducation and labour market, and a database with contacts of professional organizations was drawn up; 2) The manual on the CLIL methodology for thecourse Dentistry and Language Integrated Learning has been drawn up; 3) The project website http://paol.iscap.ipp.pt/erasmusendent/ that helps todisseminate the intellectual outputs and good practices has been created; 4) the training content for the course Dentistry and English Language IntegratedLearning was created; 5) The teaching/learning materials and OERs for the course have been developed. 6) A leaflet has been designed to disseminate theintellectual outputs produced. Longer-term benefits for the target groups are: a) acquired knowledge and transversal skills through the study of cases indentistry using English for instrumental purposes nationally and inernationally; b) increased number of the OER users; c) increased knowledge of professionaldiversity in the area of dentistry, English language and digital competence. The impact on the project participants is: a) increased professionalism to work atEU level; b) adopted methodology and innovative practices to satisfy the current labour market needs by integrating ICT methodologies; c) reinforced synergiesbetween HEIs and professional settings at national and transnational levels."

ContextAccording to Article 27 of the United Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), “ States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with others; this includes the right to earn a living with a job freely chosen or accepted within a labour market and work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities.…. by taking appropriate steps, including through legislation, to, inter alia:… enable persons with disabilities to have effective access to general technical and vocational guidance programmes, placement services and vocational and ongoing training….. »However, in France as in other European countries, the unemployment rate of persons with disabilities is twice as high as in the general workforce. Within this population, people with intellectual disabilities are even more disadvantaged. For them, access to vocational training potentially leading to a job is a challenge which the ACCESS project has intended to tackle.The partnersMade up of 4 partners from 3 countries (France, England and Portugal), the partnership gathers researchers, training centres and associations directly in contact with persons with disabilities.INSHEA, the project coordinator, is a national higher institute under the supervision of the ministries of national education and higher education and research, whose missions are research and training on schooling and access to work for persons with special needs.GEIST MAYENNE is a parents’ association created under the 1901 law, whose missions are to help contruct pathways fully chosen and wanted by persons with disabilities, with reduced autonomy or in vulnerable situations.NDTI (national development team for inclusion) is a non- profit organization whose missions are to promote inclusion and equality, notably for people with disability and mental health issues.IPP (polytechnique institute of Porto) is a higher education institute with a special education department and inclusion for students and young people with special needs.Activities of the project :-In each partner country, setting up a country committee equally made up of young people with disabilities, (cognitive problems, severe learning difficulties, psychic disorders,…) family representatives, trainers and employers or representatives from the labour market (between 16 and 20 members in each country who have all signed the chart agreement and contract commitment to the project). The main innovation of this project has been to gather these 4 types of stakeholders who are not used to working together or even to meet at all.-Collecting data to analyse the existing situation in each country-Organising 3 study visits in London, France (Mayenne) and Porto with groups of 1 young person with disabilities, 1 family member, 1 trainer and 1 employer to observe the good practices in each country and compare viewpoints.The objective is to establish a collaborative work methodology to enhance the participant’s empowerment and involvement, notably by allowing young people to express their views (with observations books) within each country’s committee.Results :-A comparative Chart-A guidebook of good practices in 3 languages-An Easy to read version (also in French, English and Portuguese)-A website with tools freely available to all.Impacts- For trainers and employeurs: Change of point of view and breaking stereotypes (a person with intellectual disabilities cannot work!). New methods with particpation of the youths in their professional pathways and reflection on the employability concept.- For the youths: Greater self-confidence and projection into a future where an autonomous life is possible- For the families: Their difficulties have been heard, and networking (notably via the blog: www.mamansdeurope.eu- For the partenrs organisations, possible new collaborations and/or training courses are beeing envisaged.