Harnessing the power of the mind has led to the popularity of alternative approaches to personal development and communication. One of these methods is neuro-linguistic programming, which originated as a self-help process rooted in psychotherapy. Today corporations and schools encourage their members to join neuro-linguistic programming training to achieve maximum potential and great success. The success principle of NLP is based on the concept that your mind and body are all the resources you need to effect change in your life and of those around you. It can help you define precise goals and take action. And through evaluation of the changes resulting from your actions, you can modify accordingly to achieve better results. Neuro-linguistic programming is popular in the field of personal development and self-motivation, and its potential for teaching and learning is gaining recognition, too. For example, when a trainer offers the learner a choice between taking a quiz now or finishing the speech first, the message that both tasks must be done is clear although not directly uttered that way. Giving the learner this ability to make a choice allows them to focus on their decision “rather than challenging the trainer’s instructions”.Among the many parallels mentioned between teaching and neuro-linguistic programming techniques can we mention some:1. In a dynamic teacher-learner relationship, meaning is achieved through mutual feedback, all communication potentially influences learning, trainers’ language and behavior crucially influence learners on at least two levels: their understanding of the topic in question and their beliefs about the world, including about learning.2. Trainers’ awareness of their behavior and choice of words, and how sensitive they are to the influence of such words and behavior on learners, are vital to making the teaching and learning processes effective.3. Trainers are active in all the education and business sectors. The role of the project is training the trainers to improve knowledge on perceptual positioning, develop their abilities to see things from the point of view of another, a new way to understand people better. This process can be used in their field of interest and self-concept. It encourages “putting oneself in another’s shoes”, and thus can be applied to help with bullying and behavioral problems, for example.The main objective of the project is to develop specific trainers competences in how they have to act, teach and training in a neuro-linguistic way and how can they improve their knowledge and gain self-esteem through digital exercises which imitate the reality. The e-learning program can update the information and the content from the manual through augmented reality.In 2014 Trainifique organize at the University of Bucharest the Educational Fair, where face it with a gap between neuro-linguistic programming and the academic community. In conclusion the need of this project appears in 2014 accompanied also by a paper that was submitted at the European Conference on Educational Research where were presented a discussion on how the neuro-linguistic programming approach is useful to teaching and learning. So, for building educational methods and develop a new curricula in the NLP training sector, we have to prepare trainers to fulfilling this gap.As specific objectives we can speak about developing the professional skills and competences for trainers from the consortium and people who work with in the field of education and training by facilitating the access of international experience changes, quality continuum training activities, open educational resources, modern instruments of work, alternative/innovative approaches for a period of 24 months.The project's transnational cooperation is necessary due to the project’s special need for experts (master trainers) and skillful partners in specific fields and for the exchange of knowledge, practices, resources and the dissemination in many countries. The consortium secures the high quality of the project’s implementation and results giving them a strong European favor and impact.

"<< Background >>The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women-owned businesses around the world, with 87% saying they felt a strong negative impact, as MASTERCARD Index of Women Entrepreneurs 2020 shows. A market survey conducted by IZI DATA in February 2020, using CAWI methodology, on a national urban representative sample of 1,008 respondents, with a sampling error of 3.1%, revealed that 9 out of 10 Romanians (88%) believe that women are suitable to run businesses to a great or very great extent, and 89% of them believe that businesses run by female managers or shareholders are trustworthy. However, in a DELOITTE study, women in management positions, from Romania, are frequently paid less and promoted less than their male counterparts. The gender pay gap is rated at 3.3% among EU countries after Luxembourg, according to EUROSTAT.The portrait of the Romanian businesswoman is the following: professional, higher education, age of maturity, urban environment. This is how 675.867 women were present in business in 2019, 87.513 more than in 2014. According to data from the National Trade Registry Office (ONRC), 2 years ago 508.312 women were active in business as shareholders/associates, an increase of 21.1% compared to 2014, when 419.598 women were registered. Also in 2018, a further 167.555 women were registered as Registered Sole Traders (PFA), their share of the total PFA representing 39.4% of the total 425.770 PFAs. For the economy as a whole, including men, the number of entrepreneurs in Romania increased compared to 2014 by 18%, to almost 1.8 million (CONAF - National Confederation for Women Entrepreneurship). Unfortunately, this also shows that there is a lack of profile attributed to young women entrepreneurs, with secondary education, in rural areas.The EU unemployment rate among women raise from 7.1% in 2019 to 7.5% in July 2020, EUROSTAT shows. This comes at a time when female-dominated jobs are generally lower paid and have less social protection. According to a study published by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), 76% of healthcare workers in the EU are women, and 82% of cashier jobs in supermarkets are also held by women. ""Women work in the same positions as men and earn on average 16% less. There are countries where the gap is even wider,"" said EVELYN REGNER chair of the European Parliament's committee on women's rights and gender equality in 2019, when the crisis was still far away. In addition to the threat of unemployment, women are also highly exposed to Covid-19, as many of the essential jobs in the pandemic are done by women. ""In hospitals, at supermarket checkouts, women are fighting the pandemic on the front line,"" Regner adds. Based on this comprehensive needs analysis conducted on European, national and local level, the project aim is to develop the tools and methodologies able to support adult education trainers and learners in the design of quality and entrepreneurship strategies for empower the female entrepreneurs and giving them free access to education and training through elaborating needs analysis, training methodology and a self-assessment guide that will contribute to developing the contents for an e-learning platform which will provide relevant teaching and training guidelines on the topic of innovation education based on our piloting testing outcomes and proven global best practices.<< Objectives >>Trade Register statistics show that out of 482.746 women who are partners or shareholders in active companies in Romania, most fall into the 40-49 age group - 29% (140.216 people), according to a study published by the consulting company REGNET.RO in 2018. The second age group in which most women entrepreneurs are found is 30-39 years old (27% - 130.615 people), followed by 50-59 years old (18% - 87.107 people), over 60 years old (16% - 76.982) and up to 29 years old (10% - 47.826). Things have changed during the pandemic, according to a study published by SCENA9.RO. Two-thirds of those who have remained unemployed in Romania since the start of the pandemic are women. Using data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the number of unemployed women in Romania has risen by 50% since the pandemic, while the share of unemployed men has risen by just 16% (Romania's unemployment rate reached 5.4% in July). Based on this needs analysis raise the project aim that is to develop the tools and methodologies able to support adult education trainers and learners in the design of quality and entrepreneurship strategies for empower the female entrepreneurs and giving them free access to education and training through elaborating needs analysis, training methodology and a self-assessment guide that will contribute to developing the contents for an e-learning platform which will provide relevant teaching and training guidelines on the topic of innovation education based on our piloting testing outcomes and proven global best practices. Through the project we can’t resolve the entire problem, but we can create a transnational network for entrepreneur women, national hubs linked between them through an e-learning platfom. The main target group will be women from rural areas who’s access to education is difficult because are facing with barriers related to education and training systems or social, economic and geographical barriers, also we can face the barriers related to age discrimation. The project major objectives are: increasing the competences of adult education trainers and learners by giving them new training methods in the entrepreneurial sector; increasing the supply of high quality skills development programs in digital learning context that will suit female entrepreneurship needs and increase ability of organizations from the learning sector and adult education to realize their mission by providing access to the resources increase the probability of a successful innovation and, also, increase the entrepreneurial women competences and businesses from rural areas rate. To realize the objectives the project will provide open user oriented skills development path in innovation area that will allow in time and cost effective way provide adult education trainers and learners with innovation skills.It specifically aims at adult education trainers in the entrepreneurship area, especially working with women from rural areas. By development, test and delivery of targeted methodology and integrated online digital tools, it aims specifically at increasing the supply of high quality skills development programs in innovation area that will suit needs of adult education trainers across Europe, facilitate their access to up skilled pathways in entrepreneurship area and increase the training poll with innovation capacities. Considering fast changing innovation in educational environment, ensuring integration of state of the art knowledge, diversified practical experience and their transfer across boarders is crucial to provide solution with expected impact, by ensuring strong synergies and relevant knowledge inclusion, for providing a comprehensive base of knowledge, experience and different visions, but to ensure inclusion of less developed EU rural regions in transfer of state of the art innovation practices and increasing the innovative methods applied in the learning process.<< Implementation >>Among others, the project aims to strictly focus on development of solution for practical needs of the group, clear communication of realistic practical implications of proposed measures and required inclusion of stakeholders in encouraging development and inclusion of the group in innovation. Reaching the project objectives and optimizing the synergy effects within the partnership, the work plan is organized in 6 working packages (WP) detailed in the application form.The project objectives require creation of highly integrated, complex solution that allows to strongly capitalize on diversity of partners' profiles, expertise, cultures, visions and objectives optimally allowing users benefit from results of the synergies. Strongly collaborative methodology will allow to obtain strong integration of IOs into one effective methodological and e-learning solution. Thus, the project activities and plan focus on peer learning, active engagement of all partners, and contribution of their capacities to reach high results quality. To ensure strong focus of all partners on delivering quality solutions according to the objectives, partners were carefully selected taking into account need for competences, access to target groups (see partnership), but specially importance of the project to engaged institutions and their mission. Ensuring interest of all in exploitation of the results is not only a part of ensuring sustainability and dissemination but firstly their concern about results quality and target group orientation. Methodological approach is focused on the final IOs, thus responsibilities for IOs production are distributed according to different profiles and expertise.<< Results >>1.Entrepreneur handbook:Training methodology and Self assesment guide : the methodology will be designed to fit the defined needs of the target group basing on asynchronous learning to provide a self-paced learning opportunity. This learning handbook will include instructions for self-studying and all training contents included into recommended training paths. Modular form of the course will allow easy adjust-ability to specific needs of participants allowing its customization to particular needs depending on the results of self-assessment tool. Based on conducted needs analysis and experts method within innovation training, the areas of intervention has been defined according to the needs. To ensure the e-learning solution interactive, practical and engaging for the specific target group character the interactive methodologies will be the crucial point for ensuring high effectiveness and impact of the provided solutions. The new tools will make the training more interactive in order to assure that the learning outcomes are obtained by the participants in a user friendly, effective and more intuitive way. The materials will aim at providing easy to understand straightforward training that in effective way will allow users to develop internationalization skills. They are aiming to increased efficiency of learning and practical application of obtained learning courses. Thanks to strongly target group oriented methodology, diversity of organizations and visions involved and international approach of the materials tested in 4 different countries, the output will reach high level of transferability, providing their specific requirements.The added value is that the methodology presentation together with specific recommendations will also facilitate its transfer to different contexts which can result in, after adaptation, its transfer to fit needs of different target groups, like women of different ages and different levels of professional domains and expertise. Taking into account the specific target group the outputs are expected to be easily transferable to the needs of general population to increase their proper understanding of innovation and related processes which can further increase their global impact; 2.Online e-learning platform : the platform will allow the participants, trainers and other agents interested in the methodology and results developed access and experiment with the developed outcomes. It will be developed using an e-learning platform in which the outputs will remain available also after the end of the project. It will contain pedagogical material and learning objects, tutorials, evaluation tools and other further functionalities increasing attractiveness of the course, its transferability as well as its learning effectiveness (such as exercises, interactive materials, case studies, among others). As the possibility to learn through multi-sensory approach where participants can watch, listen and talk about the things they are learning was recognized as important tool to increase learning outcomes and engagement of participants. The platform will include a forum where all the users will have an opportunity to discuss issues directly connected with the project, but specifically will be able to connect with other users, exchange knowledge, different local context, network and engage in international community. That aims not only at providing further opportunities to build competences in internationalization, but also to directly establish contacts between EU educational providers involved, generating business incubators, at least for RO-20 participants, IT-20 participant, DE-5 participants, HR-5 participants; 3.Best practice guide: The content of the guide will provide relevant teaching and training guidelines on the topic of innovation education based on our piloting testing outcomes and proven global best practices- provide the pilot testing phase experience - ""do's"" and ""dont's"" when trying to develop."

Fast changing educational market makes competitiveness of learning centers, economies and individuals dependent from knowledge and innovation. In this group innovation is generated based on experience-based skills and informal processes. It results from experience related to the crisis situation generated that will follow the Covid-19 pandemics episode. That requires availability of skilled teaching and training methods, organizational problems and lack of innovation expertise are main barriers to innovation. Obtaining innovation in this sector requires training and up- skilled staff, support for innovation in learning process and knowledge transfer. Innovation skills allow to generate innovation capacities of educational/teaching/training/development centers and continuously identify innovation opportunities by allowing their trainers to contribute to innovation, decreases risk of redundancy and increase employability. While ensuring trainers engagement across functions is crucial for educational and trainings innovation, low-skilled trainers presents significant lack of innovation understanding and skills. In preparatory phase study of the project, educational and training centers shows that 65% of their trainers doesn't recognize importance of innovation in scope of their activity. Cross-referencing specific questions allowed to define that the reason lies in 2 principal issues suggested by the lack of understanding of innovation, especially incorrect association of innovation with high-tech industry and assigning innovation activity exclusively to this educational and training centers. To fill the skills and knowledge gaps, the project aims at to build awareness of trainers and teachers of importance of innovation and related skills for their professional growth and employability, providing trainers with understanding how to contribute to innovation and innovation skills, developing innovative mindset and building awareness of educational and training centers of importance of building innovation capacities among them and how to integrate them in the learning processes. The innovation methods that will be applied in the content of the learning process will be ensured by 2 rules :1) The Black mirror rule: the trainer have the more options from where to choose how to carrying out the training programme in an interactive way, from stage to stage, from user to user;2) Breaking the fourth wall method where the methods applied by trainer are analyzed by specialists (in the teaching way, special techniques used for keep the participants in the process, how he used hid=s resources, public speaking or emotion management).To realize the objectives the project will provide open user oriented skills development path in innovation area that will allow in time and cost effective way provide low skilled trainers and educational and training centers with innovation skills. It specifically aims at up skilled low-skilled trainers from educational and training centers. By development, test and delivery of targeted methodology and integrated online digital tools, it aims specifically at increasing the supply of high quality skills development programs in innovation area that will suit individual needs of low skilled trainers or teachers across Europe, facilitate their access to up skeilled pathways in innovation area and increase the training poll with innovation capacities. Considering fast changing innovation in educational environment, ensuring integration of state of the art knowledge, diversified practical experience and their transfer across boarders is crucial to provide solution with expected impact, by ensuring strong synergies and relevant knowledge inclusion. Inclusion of international partners is specifically crucial not-only for providing a comprehensive base of knowledge, experience and different visions, but to ensure inclusion of less developed EU regions in transfer of state of the art innovation practices and increasing the innovative methods applied in the learning process.

<< Objectives >>Our project fits into the 6th action stated by the European Skills Agenda with regard to skills to support the green and digital transition. It aims to accelerate the development of green knowledge and skills of students, teachers and practitioners by designing, implementing and scaling up an Innovative Educational Model framed by transnational, trans-disciplinary and forward-looking approaches in business & engineering fields toward greening jobs & enterprises, and sustainable growth.<< Implementation >>The project commits a range of interconnected activities with strong digital character and multidisciplinary thematic facets on green concerns which bring methods and techniques that integrate Innovative Educational Model into the digital teaching and learning practices of partners. These give opportunities for innovation in business & engineering areas, knowledge exchange and experience sharing within the broader scope of greening jobs and enterprises and environmentally responsible behavior.<< Results >>The thematic focus with trans-disciplinary approaches enables scalability of results including the opportunity to bring together 180 students, 33 teachers from various specialisations, 50 practitioners from different industry sectors, 65 learners (HE students, teachers, and trainers), and 100 transnational participants in a mix of learning contexts for cooperation and learning to boost innovation, green skills & knowledge, employability and new business creation in this part of Europe.

The SMART skills 4.0 project addresses the transversal skills shortage with respect to the capacity to think autonomously and creatively, to manage complex information, use resources, including digital ones, smartly, communicate effectively and innovatively, integrating digital progress into the new Business 4.0 models.The 2018 CEDEFOP Skills forecasts for tasks content of jobs up to 2030 shows the shift towards more autonomy, fewer routine tasks, less physical work, more social and intellectual tasks, and a large increase of ICT skills. Also, the 2019 CEDEFOP Skills analysis acknowledges the high-level skills mismatches, the most frequently occurring shortage being associated with high-skills level occupations for which a tertiary qualification is required.Given the challenges of workplace digitization, our project fits into the 1st priority of Renew EU Agenda for HE by tackling future skills mismatches and promoting excellence in skills development. It addresses the horizontal skills mismatches with particular regard to forward thinking skills (i.e. mix of digital, cognitive and social skills) of students, teachers and workforce in sustainability-relevant sectors posed by Business 4.0 which further enable their fully engagement in society as responsible and productive citizens working in a technology-rich environment. The project commits a series of activities which channel transformational change for a coordinated response of education to the complex social issues in a digitize world, strengthening cross–sectoral cooperation between education, training and practices. It addresses the need for shared values, personal fulfillment, sense of initiative and intercultural competences, civic and responsible behavior to drive sustainable Business 4.0 to contribute to well-being of local community.The SMART skills 4.0 project targets developing and transferring collaborative learning practices that shape complex skills for higher education students and practitioners involved in blended learning sessions to foster intelligence skills for sustainable Business 4.0 creation, and HE teaching staff trained to design and deliver future-oriented curricula for forward thinking skills needed to resolve complex social issues. It entails the involvement of a multicultural frame of transnational stakeholders in knowledge exchange for innovation in education and training for a better alignment to the skills for Business 4.0 by means of four project objectives:O1. Studying the emerging knowledge and related Forward Thinking skills required by industry 4.0, and designing future-oriented Curricula to drive innovation in business 4.0 by engaging transnational stakeholders from various sustainability-relevant sectors in survey research, and HE learners in intercultural knowledge exchanges and experience sharing.O2. Unlocking the transformative potential of education and training through developing modern learning, teaching and training resources in line with Business 4.0 trends, and exchanging of good practices, centred on the concept of forward thinking development, through the involvement of HE learners in intercultural knowledge exchanges.O3. Deploying the Educational Initiative by pilot testing the future-oriented Curricula to support the development of forward thinking skills required by business 4.0 through cross-border exchange, making the most use of ICT-based and collaborative learning practices, engaging learners in blended learning sessions and transnational teaching and training activities to foster innovation in business engineering education and training, and to enhance civic and responsible behavior.O4. Scaling-up the Educational Initiative in the area of business 4.0 by promoting synergies between education, training, and labor market, and engaging a multicultural frame of transnational stakeholders (students, teachers, practitioners, educators, managers, and entrepreneurs) in cooperation for stimulating forward thinking skills, civic and responsible behavior in line with new Business 4.0 trends. These give meaningful opportunities for collaborative learning which translates into impactful, measurable and scalable development results for students, teachers, and other practitioners which improve the capacity to take up a sustainable education culture and to make curricula more relevant to societal needs. The added value comes from cross-border cooperation opportunities which channels positive changes at the institutional level, adoption of new curricula approaches for better alignment to current technological advancement and Business 4.0 trends, strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation between education, training and practice for a coordinated response of education to the complex social issues in a digitized world.