<< Background >>ContextAs COVID-19 has shed light on business models' reshaping, bringing remote work and hybrid models to the front line, Europe urgently needs to digitize its industries, while a fundamental shift in the skills of corporate trainers is required in order to be successful (Hoojberg & Watkins, 2021). To that end, the European Commission has presented the ‘Shaping Europe’s Digital Future’ strategy, with the view, among others, to invest in digital skills so as to promote new opportunities for businesses (European Commission, 2020, Shaping Europe's Digital Future). In fact, the Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) of the EC combines the development of a highly sustainable digital education framework with the increase in digital competences for digital transformation, including digital literacy, data-driven technologies, etc.(European Commission 2020, Digital Education Plan 2021-2027). Rationally, the pandemic has put a dent on businesses' digital transition strategy (Ong, 2020,). However, more than 70% of them are struggling with the lack of staff with digital skills, especially within the rise of hybrid working models (remote/in-office work), while 88% do not have the capacity to invest in the digital upskilling of their employees (European Commission, Digital skills and jobs, 2021).A main challenge is that remote work leads to staff being less productive, with many companies failing to adjust their training culture in order to digitally engage with employees while in a lockdown (Consultancy.eu, 2020). Of course, the digital transformation has also affected corporate training, since new ICTs emerge and occupational profiles need to change increasingly fast to survive (Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, 2020) . The share of workers with low or even no digital skills ranges from less than 20%(Bulgaria) to up to 40% in most EU countries (Germany, Ireland), while many countries stand between 20-30% (Greece, Italy, etc.), implying that employees are not yet comfortable with this new remote-work model (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2020).As L&D pushes up the corporate agenda,to engage employees in being more productive within hybrid workplaces, effective e-training demands exceptional digital competences and soft skills in order for VET & corporate trainers to efficiently operate in a virtual coordination mode (Hoojberg & Watkins, 2021). Thus, the role of trainers becomes even more vital, as the European labor market will need to replace less qualified or narrowly trained trainers with highly qualified professional experts. Besides, all the actions taken for digital transformation forcing a rapid adoption of e-learning solutions by VET programs has not properly supported the acquisition of practical skills and organization of work-based learning,which are crucial elements for successful VET training (Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, 2020).<< Objectives >>Project SolutionAmong other fields, COVID-19 has also affected corporate training and team management, making digital transformation along with the adoption of microlearning even more urgent within a world that everything turns online. To increase employees’ productivity and establish efficient team leading, DigiREACT will combine personalized training and gamified learning in an Experience Brewing Engine that will deliver effective skills retention tools for the establishment of an online engaging experience for employees.To that end, the project will develop a full training e-course primarily for corporate trainers of EQF level 3 that are struggling to engage their employees in remote-work or hybrid work business models. In addition, DigiREACT will also create an Employee Experience Platform (EXP) that will be facilitated by artificial intelligence and gamification mechanisms serving as a constant training and skills retention tool for employees. Finally, the project will provide a solid framework and support for the creation of European synergies that can affect the recommendation of new solutions towards sustainable development and viable digital transformation.Project ObjectivesTo normalize virtual/blended training within hybrid workplaces and due to the lack of engaging e-learning platforms and educational resources, DigiREACT aims to increase the professional skills of corporate trainers. This will enrich their profile with efficient e-leadership skills and digital competences enabling them to tackle the challenges of leading hybrid teams. In particular, the project will focus on the development, retention and improvement of the following skills of corporate trainers, always in alignment with the needs of the labour market and the digital vision of the European Commission (Digital Agenda, Digital Competence Framework 2.1, including the integration of AI technologies):-e-leader’s skills and leading virtual teams-organizational skills-data literacy for digital design & data visualization-communication and teamwork skills through ICT tools-creative Digital content creation-problem solving skills-online safetybasics of data-intensive technologies (aligned with the Digital Competence Framework 2.0 and EU legal framework to AI).To support knowledge and skills acquisition, the purpose is also to launch an engaging Employee Experience Platform for corporate training in order to digitally upskill corporate trainers to manage hybrid teams of learners, while supporting employees in retaining their skills. DigiREACT will provide content authoring functionality supported by Artificial Intelligence technologies (xAPI, recommendation engine) for the development of personalized training pathways based on skills mapping and learner’s type. The web-based platform recommended by DigiREACT will utilize social learning tools and gamification elements (Open Badges, stimulating videos, competition leaderboards, interactive quizzes, point system) for business training in order to motivate employees to learn how to achieve their organization’s mission.<< Implementation >>In compliance with the objectives described above, specific activities are going to be implementing in order to meet up the project priorities for digital transformation and VET training establishment:-A needs’ verification report that will act as the foundation for the development of the Corporate Trainer Profile, the training backpack Learning Outcomes and the training methodology. The report will comprise the main findings from the needs analysis conducted at a pre-application level, the feedback derived directly from the project target group in order to validate the conceived needs, and the framework of the competences that corporate trainers need to acquire in order to be successful in new business models.-The development of a solid training methodology to be followed for training delivery during the project implementation and after its completion. The methodology will include also a Memorandum of Learning Agreement as well as the definition of the Corporate Trainer Profile in alignment with a pre-defined ECVET system for validation and accreditation.-The development of a complete training course in the form of a backpack comprising training materials, lesson and training plans, assessment tools and a concrete and yet helpful guide for corporate trainers with the view to increase their e-leadership skills and digital competencies.-The configuration of an online learning environment that will engage trainers into the learning process fostering their skills acquisition and retention in the long term.-The establishment of a wide network inside and outside the partnership for the development of DigiREACT synergies through a common community tailored to the needs of project enthusiasts and to the labour market’s trends-Project Quality Plan, Sharing, Promotion, Piloting and Exploitation plans facilitating the horizontal activities of the project and thus establishing its impact providing top quality results-The elaboration of an Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) agreement that ensures the exploitation of the project-The organization of 4 multiplier events for raising awareness about the project results and inviting participants to the piloting activities as well as the execution of a final conference serving as an exploitation seminar-The planning and execution of a 3-day Learning, Teaching & Training Activity serving as a training and validation workshop among partner staff members in order to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to deliver proper training in their countries.<< Results >>With regards to the tangible outcomes of the project, we will develop and validate:- A hands-on training backpack with multimedia resources tailored to the real needs of corporate trainers in alignment with the needs of the labour market with a view to increase their digital skills for efficient digital team management in a post-covid era. All project materials to be developed for the purposes of this result will be freely accessible as Open Educational Resources in the project website.- An Employee Experience Platform as an open software serving as an online learning environment facilitated by artificial intelligence mechanisms and gamification elements. The platform will be customized to the needs of corporate trainers that need to increase their e-leadership and digital competences in order to efficiently manage hybrid teams and employees that are/will be forced to work remotely and are struggling to stay engaged in their activities. The online learning environment will also utilize social learning tools for VET training in order to motivate employees to learn how to achieve their organization’s mission.- A dedicated virtual space serving as a common space of the project network for project practitioners. The web-based community will be created for participants and future participants to communicate, organize trainings, exchange ideas, build synergies of practice, promote and update the project results through content authoring tools, get live and asynchronous support from the experts. The goal is for practitioners to become active members of the community and in the long term promote a common policy recommendation for digital transformation.As for the intangible results that are expected past the project completion, we aim to:- increase the digital skills of corporate trainers in order to enable them cope with the digital transformation of their organizations and thus distant working models- improve employability skills for employees that are forced to work remotely after the pandemic crisis through a ‘Netflix-style’ Learning Experience Platform- support employees to retain their skills long-term in a post-COVID period through skills retention modules- formulate the framework for the creation of common synergies of practice among project practitioners, stakeholders and policy makers with the view to recommend new solutions for digital transformation across the EU- promote the adoption of smart solutions in E&T within the context of VET and corporate training sectors turning to online innovative and sustainable solutions- integration of open educational resources (OERs) and open software in the learning process facilitated by stimulating online learning elements and activities

"<< Background >>The current Project aims at empowering the education providers of the tourism branch, raising the knowledge and the competencies of the learners of the field, also addressing their needs as well as increasing their employability opportunities in all 5 participating countries by equipping them with the latest updates, practices, methods as well as tools in order for them to safely develop their career path.Tourism is a powerful industry providing employment to millions of people, an economic sector that simultaneously plays a social and economic role. Yet it has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis in 2020. The pandemic has caused economic, social and health challenges due to its cumulative effects in terms of propagation, global reach, and unprecedented steps taken by governments to contain its spread (shutdown of borders, travel restrictions, national lockdowns, closure of restaurants and hotels) (OECD, The territorial impact of COVID-19: Managing the crisis and recovery across levels of government). Most tourist destinations were forced to halt operations (OECD, Tourism Policy Responses to the coronavirus). They recorded one billion fewer international arrivals in 2020 than in 2019. 100 to 120 million tourism jobs were put at risk, a large portion in small and medium-sized enterprises (World Travel and Tourism Council Economic Impact). This is a fundamental concern for economies as tourism is not only a vital source of foreign currency, but has also the potential to serve as a development ‘tool’ to strengthen supply chains, improve local firm productivity, create jobs and provide income (Tourism in the post-COVID world, Marielka Pangestu). Recovery should be deliberate and wide-ranging, with domestic tourism, and hereby local unknown regions and rural areas being scrutinized as driving forces. Moreover, the pandemic’s undeniable impact on the way we live means that travelers will likely think harder about their choice of destination and have new expectations (UNCTAD). Thus, the future of tourism cannot be viewed through the prism of 2019. Destinations need to present themselves as safe and secure, easy to get to and with COVID-19 travel rules that can be seen as appropriate, but not overly disruptive to travel plans (How to prepare for tourism’s rebound post COVID-19, Keiran Hutchison). New processes in transportation, mobile applications in hotels and automatic travel insurance are some of the keys for the tourism of the future. (Post-COVID Tourism: Digital, Personalized, and Safer than Ever, Patricia Ruiz Guevara). Increased level of digitalisation in tourism will enable expansion of market reach, raise growth, improve operational efficiencies, and sharpen tourism agencies’ competitive edge. It can also help to develop and customise product offerings, improve destination connectivity, generate data to track performance, and help to improve destination management (Digital Technologies as a Driver for the Development of the Tourism Industry, Natalia Natocheeva). However, the tourism sector is highly fragmented, and sub-sectors such as transport, accommodation, restaurants and catering, and personal services are all subject to very different challenges and opportunities when it comes to digitalisation. There are significant differences in human resource capabilities, different levels of awareness, and variations in digital skills. Moreover, in the tourism system, the challenges and opportunities that individual businesses encounter become magnified, distorted, and amplified both in business ecosystems, and at the collective destination level (Digitalisation in Tourism, European Commission’s EASME). In this context, it is crucial for education institutions in the tourism industry, especially for VETs, to keep up with the ongoing digital transformations, adjust their tourism education curricula and suggest a green, resilient, and sustainable development approach, by focusing on the environment, people and technology.<< Objectives >>The consortium considers the precondition for achieving a sustainable and digital tourism is solid education and career planning of the operators of the field. Based on the EU tourism policy, the current project “FuTour” aims at supporting VETs of the tourism field to redefine themselves, establish and develop innovative strategies and smart approaches. The project will promote sustainable and digital tourism by equipping the VETs of the field with the latest updates, trends, methods as well as tools in order for them to offer genuine curricula and courses so that they prepare competitive and employable future professionals/employees of the tourism field. The FuTour will present best practices, create partnership and cooperation possibilities, mastermind new services, develop innovative solutions and answers, such as gamification, preventing over-tourism, suggesting more sustainable and resilient solutions, ensuring safe and secure tourism and creating additional services in digital ways. The project will strengthen digital competences and skills of the learners so that they pave their career path independently and successfully in the tourism industry, have sustainable income as well as overall socio-economic outlook and understanding of the best practices and the innovations, and have ideas of more green and sustainable methods of the field. In the long run these measures will contribute to curb and overcome the economic crises in the tourism sector, enable operators to be compatible but also competitive with other providers and destinations as well as endure in the future sustainable smart tourism in Europe.Thus, the frameworks and solutions conceived and developed within the project will be multifaceted, comprehensive and coherent. The one-window approach will empower the VETs to get better insight, curricula and programmes, less duplications and waste of time. As a result, the learners will get a complex and all-inclusive prospect/overview in the development of their career in the tourism field, making it stronger, more sustainable and resilient. Moreover, taking into account the wide scope of the geography of the project, the patterns suggested can enrich the knowledge and expertise in digital tourism far beyond the regions/countries involved, show the importance and the credibility of high technologies in tourism, highlight their validity not only in metropolitans but also in small unknown and/or less-known regions which can get more visibility as well as economic benefits.<< Implementation >>To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the project will produce 3 results: 1. Training kit for VETs, 2. Courses on MOOC, 3. Online Matchmaking Platform. For that purpose the following project activities will be organized: 5 Transnational Partner Meetings, 1 LTT, 5 Multiplier Events, 1 Website, 2 Sector-related analyses for 2 different curricula, 2 evaluations of challenges, needs and opportunities, 2 education material developments, 2 preparations of content proposals, 1 45-minute documentary on digital tourism and sustainability, quality and consistency checks, designing use cases, setting functional specs, multiple testings as well as further dissemination activities and publishing throughout networking events. All the produced materials will be submitted to the scientific committee of the project and will undergo the Quality Assurance analysis before their administration via webinars, in person lectures/practical exercises. Upon completion of the quality assurance check, the training kit and the MOOC will be piloted with the selected trainers (both on-line and in person sessions) in all partner Countries.As primary users of the project we will engage professional facilitators (10 from each institution, 50 in total) (trainers, social pedagogs/workers, etc) who will later pass on the achieved skills to the target group (min 1000 persons in total). The participating professionals will get acquainted with best practices, modern approaches, market challenges and requirements, create partnerships, originate genuine cooperation, jointly conceive and master new and innovative paradigms for a more digitalised tourism branch, develop and deploy innovative solutions and answers, such as gamification and experiential learning. These measures will contribute to capacity building, realistic self-assessment of the learners, support them in their career planning, enable them to be compatible and competitive in the ever developing tourism field as well as sustainably endure in the labour market in Europe.The project will have an official webpage which will serve as a basis for the internal and external communication (brochures, banners, press releases, project newsletter, podcasts on digital tourism), as well as for the provision of the programme and the forged models. Besides, it will also include a section for the internal users (project partners) communication and data administration and another common portal for networking among trainers, mentors, the target group, policy makers and any other parties engaged. This will contribute to the rise of knowledge and awareness, promote capacity building as well facilitate development of ecosystems occupied with digitalisation and smart tourism.<< Results >>The project will produce 3 Results:Curriculum SyllabusThe project will design and develop an informative curriculum that reflects the growth, impacts and associated implications of digital tourism on tourism and hospitality providers in this field. Generally speaking, an effective curriculum should reflect the philosophy, goals, objectives, learning experiences, instructional resources, and assessments that comprise a specific educational program. Agreeably, this curriculum should help VET providers in tourism and hospitality to understand the important role of digital tourism. Given the above, content of the curriculum development should be sector-specific and outline the relevant impacts of the growth of digital tourism on tourist practices and behaviour, urban and rural planning, and enterprise. As well, the curriculum will offer insights into the importance of sustainability in tourism and the relevance of digital tourism to destination marketing and management.Our direct target group is VET providers in the field of tourism and hospitality. The project aim is to prepare curriculum development, e.g., handbook/guidance for this specific target group, and our indirect target group are students, professionals and experts, and others, who do not have a direct background in the field of tourism and hospitality, but they want to upgrade their knowledge for their own (individual) purpose only based on self-learning. MOOC DesignThis project component consists of a MOOC design and delivery. The aim is to implement a MOOC in VET courses (permeable to HE) to learn the digital methodological framework and its innovative approach in the tourism and hospitality sector to activate innovative teaching and learning tools to support career construction. MOOC is an open access type of online course (Open Access), which provides for extensive participation via the web (Massive) based on the use of open educational materials (OERs).The MOOC will include theoretical lectures based on FuTour curriculum content. The course will offer online materials, such as podcasts, videos, and webinars. The MOOC will incorporate collaborative construction functionalities (being a cMOOC) of a shared corpus instead of transmitting a corpus ""state of the art"" through classic MOOC designs. The cooperation will be supervised to avoid chaotic learning pathways. The result will be designed in a way to allow participants to drive the course and to contribute to it in a loosely controlled environment by facilitators. This way, basic educational goals can be set and reached, and at the same time, the subject offered is provided flexibly. The assessment of learners will be multifaceted. For the MOOC's design and development, we will use formal standards such MOOQ’s Quality Reference Framework for MOOCs (based on ISO/IEC 40180). The MOOC is a tangible result which includes a set of learning contents in multimedia form both in written and visual form. It’s innovative nature lies in being a training implemented in a virtual environment Moreover, with possibility to re-build a lab activity in the Classroom or the training facilities to expand and apply the concepts learned during the courses.Online Matchmaking PlatformThe matchmaking platform will serve as a complementary tool to the training materials and MOOC aiming to support VET providers embracing the digital transformation of the hospitality sector. The platform will actually demonstrate an open and free to use online environment that matches the demand of the hospitality market for digital solutions and digitally skilled professionals with the skills that VETs gained through the project training. The platform aims to complement the hands-on training by providing an environment that allows VET providers to come into direct contact with the intended market and better understand the needs that they will come to satisfy in order to successfully sustain their businesses in VET provision."

<< Background >>[MOTIVATION TO APPLY]The hospitality industry is a major source of revenue for Europe, offering jobs to more than 8 million EU citizens (https://bit.ly/3nynTiO) and the tourist accommodation sector’s popularity, in particular, has been steadily increasing, becoming a valuable pillar for the European economy (https://bit.ly/3jDBNPK). Upon the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the EU tourism has been plagued as it dropped by 61% (Eurostat, 2021) negatively impacting the hospitality industry. Accommodations located in rural areas were rather affected by this decline, as they had already been facing challenges due to limited access to training. HERE4you aims at restoring balance as fast as possible, by acting towards attracting tourists to rural European areas. To achieve that, hospitality accommodation owners and employees will acquire the essential skills to improve guest satisfaction and offer unique experiences to tourists. Since raising environmental awareness has become a focus in Europe over the past years and travellers demand more choice regarding ecotourism options (https://bit.ly/3FCmzE2), a very efficient way to attract tourists while protecting the environment is by offering alternative, eco-friendly activities near the accommodation unit.[NEEDS ADDRESSED]Recently, there has been an increasing need for the introduction of new training standards in the hospitality industry due to the numerous newcomers entering the sector as a result of the job displacements and staff shortages that the pandemic brought about (https://bit.ly/3CjF1iv). For the hospitality sector to get back on its feet, quick and immediately usable training solutions that equip hospitality professionals with the essential skills need to be developed. Current needs of the industry include basic service skills and communication between teams. HERE4you will tackle this need by teaching English language and service skills to hospitality professionals, leading not only to improvement of the communication between the staff and the guests, but also to the promotion of international staff mobility within the sector by increasing awareness of the importance of speaking English in accommodation units. Especially in rural areas, where people have limited access to training options, staff upskilling will open the way for new opportunities, such as more revenues and increased mobility. To this direction, another major challenge that needs to be tackled in the hospitality industry is the need for increasing digital competence among the sector’s professionals. Bearing in mind that today’s tourists book accommodation and arrange their vacation mostly through digital means (Wang et al., 2016) the emphasis on employees’ skills to respond to these trends is becoming increasingly important. The current project will help new and existing hospitality professionals in rural areas to become digitally empowered to attract more guests, build strong relationships with them, and become competitive in the global market. Finally, considering the global environmental crisis and the fact that “Europe faces environmental challenges of unprecedented scale and urgency”(https://bit.ly/3jDkdv8), any step towards sustainability is considered valuable and of utmost importance. The European Union, in the context of developing a strategy for sustainable tourism, highlights the importance of promoting ecotourism and rural tourism – especially in the post pandemic era (https://bit.ly/3b3Xvrx). Moreover, ETC sees COVID-19 as a unique opportunity to redefine tourism in Europe and permanently steer it to a more sustainable direction (https://bit.ly/3Ec6QKs). Considering the above, HERE4you will equip the hospitality professionals in rural areas with the knowledge and skills to promote ecotourism in their region. In this way, they reinforce environmental protection and sustainable tourism while promoting their businesses and supporting their local economy by attracting ecotourists.<< Objectives >>HERE4you will develop a complete, web-based training course for hospitality professionals focusing on boosting their English language and service skills, their digital competence and their environmental awareness along with creating an interactive, role-playing game environment aiming at knowledge retention and an interactive mapping tool demonstrating accommodation units and ecotourism possibilities in rural European areas accompanied by an Eco-Guide with instructions on how to use this tool to make the most out of it. Accommodation unit owners and employees will have access to a free, innovative, easily accessible upskilling methodology no matter their geographical location or socioeconomic education. Moreover, VET educators will possess a strong, digital training tool for providing students within the hospitality sector with hands-on, simulation-based training.HERE4you has as main objective to promote the upskilling of hospitality employees working in rural European areas by offering a training approach that entails introduction of hybrid skills, retention through simulation, and development of a new interactive tool with instructions on how to use it. Upon completion of the training, learners will be able to offer a unique service experience to their guests and promote their businesses worldwide while offering environmentally friendly entertaining options. This will attract more tourists and support their local community.In terms of specific objectives, HERE4you will serve the following:- Raising awareness regarding the importance of communication, service, digital and environmental training and upskilling in the hospitality sector, especially in rural European areas.- Providing hospitality professionals and VET institutes with a complete, open access e-learning course, developed to pass new skills to new and existing members of the hospitality sector.- Developing an alternative training approach that promotes skill retention through simulation and role playing on Minecraft.- Reinforcing access to high quality, effective and inclusive training in the digital era regardless of one’s location or socioeconomic situation. - Promoting ecotourism and sustainable activities in rural European areas to tourists worldwide. - Equipping hospitality professionals with the skills to advance their businesses while promoting and supporting local SMEs, rural and ecotourism centers.<< Implementation >>HERE4you will deliver a new training standard for the hospitality industry to be used both by individual professionals and vocational centers that offer hospitality and management programs, comprising an e-learning course, a simulation game to be performed in a digital learning environment and a detailed guide with information on how to utilize an interactive mapping tool to promote ecotourism activities. This will be achieved through a series of constant collaboration between subject matter experts (aka hospitality professionals and environmentalists), game developers to first identify the needs and set the learning objectives, and later implement them in a virtual environment. Role playing helps trainees remember their experiences while gaining new knowledge, so simulation will create everyday working challenges for them to solve within Minecraft. Apart from facilitating the improvement of English and service skills, the game will also familiarize them with the use of digital technology and boost their confidence. Project activities comprise:- National reports developed by the participating countries which will work as a framework presenting best practices, weaknesses and needs for improvement as perceived by hospitality professionals in rural areas. The reports will enlighten the public and raise awareness about the immediate need for staff upskilling in the industry.- The development of an Essential Skills Pack e-learning course: The ESP e-learning course aims at providing a complete solution to hospitality professionals in rural areas by improving their English language and service skills, helping them develop digital competence and promoting environmental awareness. The online, asynchronous lessons will be accessible from everywhere and at any given time.- Minecraft Hotel World: A dedicated custom Minecraft world to help learners retain and practice the knowledge previously gained through elaborated hospitality challenges in the context of a mission to be accomplished.- Mission: The complete game scenario describing the non-player characters (NPCs), the game elements, the walkthrough introducing the different game areas and tasks, the after the game practicing session. - Mapping Tool: the interactive mapping tool will exhibit ecotourism options in various rural European areas and accommodation units that are located nearby.- Eco-Guide: a guide with detailed instructions will be created regarding how to register a hotel in the mapping tool and the ways to combine accommodation with eco-friendly activities.- The results will be tested first internally and then an improved version based on the results of the testing will be subjected to a series of validation activities with the involvement of representatives from the direct target group, mainly professionals in the hospitality industry, ecotourism professionals and VET instructors.- Based on the conclusions of the validation exercises, a final release of the results will be provided towards the end of the project.- A series of Multiplier Events (5) to generate awareness about the launch of the HERE4you project.- Roll out of the results<< Results >>HERE4you will encourage inclusive training focusing on hospitality employees in rural European areas based on the need for communication and service upskilling, as well as digital and ecotourism training in the hospitality sector.Expected tangible outcomes comprise the following:- Essential Skills Pack course will contain modules that will help hospitality professionals to acquire the target skills (improving English language & service skills, developing digital capabilities, and raising ecotourism awareness). - Hotel Minecraft World, enriched with resource packs and mods which will allow interactive, role-playing training.- HERE4you Interactive Map, an interactive mapping tool that will provide accommodation and ecotourism activities available in rural European areas.- An Eco-Guide which will provide interested parties (rural accommodation unit owners, NGOS, environmental organizations, SMEs) with instructions on how to use the interactive mapping tool to register and promote their business.Apart from the direct benefits that are related to the upskilling of hospitality professionals, HERE4you will also:- increase awareness regarding environmental protection and promote sustainability - socioeconomically support rural areas by attracting more tourists - support inclusion, as innovative training methods will become available to people in remote rural regions who face education, training, and employment barriers

<< Background >>Young people today read less frequently than any previous generation and enjoy reading less than young people did in the past. At the same time every two days now the human race creates as much information as we did from the dawn of civilisation until 2003. Nowadays, the spaces with the widest civil participation are found online, including social networks, video games, and other internet platforms. Therefore, if we want young people to be active, empowered and informed citizens, the presentation and communication of common strategic priorities asking for comprehensive social engagement also need to change. On the other hand, the workplaces of today require reading and understanding tons of information online, reporting through apps, applying HSEQ software, etc. Therefore, in order for young people to enhance their employability in Europe, acquiring the right set of literacy skills is fundamental. Unfortunately, according to the latest PISA report 17% of all European 15-year-olds (13% of 15-year-old girls and 27% of 15-year-old boys) cannot fully understand what they read. In addition, one in five 15-25 year-olds have poor reading skills (Literacy in Europe: Facts and figures, the European Literacy Network). According to PIRLS (a comprehensive assessment of students' reading literacy achievement), Norway performs below the EU average and a high proportion of pupils (about 29%) can be considered as low-performing readers.Reading has the potential to bring strangers together and the benefits are not only linked to basic literacy, but reading also develops functional, recreational, civic, media, information and critical literacy. The purpose of any club is to bring a community together to learn about and discuss something that matters to them, and a virtual reading club is no different. Reading clubs go beyond the fundamentals of reading and into thinking about the process itself, encourage critical thinking, and deeper engagement with the information you read. To respond to the above challenges, needs and context, the idea for the Generation Z Reading Club was born. It is aimed at empowering young people to be critical and responsible users and producers of information by promoting reading and ensuring access to quality impartial and youth-friendly information on key topics such as common values, civic engagement, social inclusion, green transition, digitalisation, which will ultimately boost literacy, active citizenship, inclusion, and employability.<< Objectives >>The objectives of the Generation Z Reading Club are:•Promote and boost reading among young people thus enhancing their functional, recreational, civic, media, information and critical literacy;•Ensure access to quality impartial and youth-friendly information on key topics such as common values, civic engagement, social inclusion, green transition, digitalisation;•Increase the quality and innovation of youth work through equipping youth workers and any other stakeholders involved in activities to support, train or educate young people.To achieve the above we will aim to:- develop, test and launch a virtual reading club, i.e. Generation Z Reading Club, which will provide a safe space for young people at the age 15-25 to develop their love for reading, inform themselves on key topics such as common values, civic engagement, etc., develop critical thinking skills, enhance their literacy competences, participate in discussions, interact with peers and support the process of new content creation. - develop detailed guidelines on how to: manage the reading club (administration, work with the app, functionalities, process of registration, etc.); moderate and facilitate online discussion sessions among young people on texts that they have read; develop new content for the app and support the process of content creation by young people.- carry out a comprehensive sharing of results and promotion campaign to ensure wider exploitation of our project results, further multiplication and sustainability.<< Implementation >>Our project will be delivered across 20 months to ensure that the produced project results are still needed and with high potential for exploitation by the time we officially launch the Generation Z Reading Club. Due to the fact that our core outcomes are planned as results with innovative nature of substantial quantity and quality and with high potential for exploitation and transferability, these will be developed as what was previously known as intellectual outputs. To achieve high usability and applicability, we will test and pilot the results during the lifetime of the project and provide for different language versions of the app (functionalities + content) and the guidelines to support youth workers and stakeholders, i.e. English, Norwegian, German, Greek and Italian. To ensure wider impact, we will also conduct a structured and targeted dissemination campaign to reach out to the right audiences that would potentially use the Generation Z Reading Club app and guidelines, or that have the necessary profile and resources to support our sustainability efforts.Our approach is built upon the understanding that if we wish to develop high-quality results with potential for wide impact, we need to join forces with transnational partners, each with unique profile, experience and expertise, but all united by the same passion to support young people with meaningful and relevant to their aspirations resources. Our consortium is composed of partner organisations from Norway, Austria, Cyprus, Greece and Italy, each with unique expertise, direct access to the target groups and vast experience in project management.<< Results >>The results that we hope to achieve are:*PR1 – Generation Z Reading Club App – an application software for young people between the age of 15 and 25 with bite-size youth-friendly texts on key topics such as common values, civic engagement and participation, green transition, social inclusion, digitalisation. It will be accessible through smart phones and tablets;*PR2 – Generation Z Reading Club Guidelines – comprehensive manual for youth workers and stakeholders working with young people on how to manage a virtual Reading Club through the app, how to moderate and facilitate discussions and how to develop new content for the app, as well as support the process of content creation by young people;*5 targeted multiplier events in Norway, Austria, Italy, Cyprus and Greece to promote the project and its achievements;*Young people between the age of 15 and 25:-enhanced functional, recreational, civic, media, information and critical literacy; -raised awareness on topics such as common values, civic engagement, social inclusion, green transition, digitalisation leading to:•empowerment;•employability and prosperity;•more responsible and sustainable behaviour and lifestyle choices;•more active engagement and informed participation in decision-making processes which affect young people;- enhanced competences to be critical and responsible users and producers of information.*Youth workers and stakeholders working with young people:- enhanced competences to support young people through meaningful activities and innovative resources;-enhanced knowledge on methods and techniques to enhance literacy, civic engagement and participation of young people;-increased capacity to apply and co-create innovative participative and cooperative informal learning methods by taking advantage of the digitalisation process;-enhanced skills to apply innovative high-tech tools in their everyday work.*PARTICIPATING ORGANISATIONS:-enhanced knowledge of applying innovative methods and techniques in youth work and in working with young people through informal and non-formal methods and tools; -new competences to bring the learning process closer to individual needs and the current context;-enriched arsenal of resources to apply in their daily work with an emphasis on informal and non-formal online learning provision; -increased expertise in applying effective methods in reaching out to marginalised young people and in addressing the risks, opportunities, and implications of digitalisation; -enhanced professional development and reputation among key stakeholders;-direct involvement in transforming a key aspect of youth work, i.e. foster engagement and empowerment; improved quality of the services provided to young people and the wider community; enhanced capacity for transnational cooperation; -raised awareness on the necessity to transform traditional youth work to respond to new challenges and context.Generation Z Reading Club project is focused on reshaping youth work by introducing innovative approaches, methods, tools and techniques to effectively empower young people, increase the their employability and prosperity, as well as foster responsible and sustainable behaviour and lifestyle choices.At European and national level, we believe that our efforts will contribute to enhancing the quality of youth work, by providing youth workers and all those involved in supporting young people through informal and non-formal activities, in a meaningful manner that is in line with young people’s aspirations, the digitalisation of the learning process, the current context and the limitations of the formal education sector.

"CONTEXTThe Cedefop European Skills and Jobs Survey (ESJS) indicates that a fifth of EU adult employees (including young adults) have lower skills than needed when starting their jobs, indicative of skill gaps at recruitment. Based on results of this survey, young adults preparing to enter the workforce are significantly lacking in transversal skills or soft skills - such as teamwork, decision-making, and communication - that will help them become effective employees.OBJECTIVESSEE FIRST will develop methods and tools to foster employability through upskilling the soft skills of young individuals (i.e. communication, creative thinking, work ethic, teamwork, decision making, creative thinking, work ethic, time management, critical thinking, conflict resolution). PARTICIPANTSThree training organisations with focus on young adults, two companies active in ICT-enabled E&T and knowledge dissemination and an EU wide network focused on digital learning. ACTIVITIES- Address three main educational fields which are of particular importance to the countries of the partnership (health, socio-economic, sciences)- Identify the key soft skills per sector by directly interacting with companies from the targeted sectors and capturing their views - Classify soft skills in terms of impact on employability of entry level applicants - Design questionnaires capable of revealing the true knowledge gap - Determine the current level of knowledge of the target group in relation to each skill (""AS-IS"" situation)- Group the different levels of the knowledge gap determined - Elaborate personalised strategies to progress from the current to the desired situation.- Break down the elaborated strategies to distinct goals to be attained- Develop bit sized units to support the attainment of each goal by the learners seeking to materialise their strategy.- Design a skills achievement and recognition framework.- Conceptualise the different types of interactions between the Genie and learners- Map the identified knowledge gaps to personalized enhancement strategies for the Genie to classify the user to one of the categories of learners based on its profiling outcome- Develop the Genie iteratively, in 3 iterations: First iteration will serve as an internal test release of the Genie in English. Based on the outcome, the 2nd iteration will be a the pilot release in all languages. Following the execution of the pilot exercises, the third release will be the final project release covering key findings from the pilots - Organise pilot activities in the form of hands on exercises during which participants will have the opportunity to develop their own strategies guided by the Skills Genie- Set up the SEE FIRST Academy virtual space to support the growth of the SEE FIRST network of adopters and practitioners- Promote the Academy and the projects outcomes through dedicated multiplier eventsMETHODOLOGYAn iterative methodology: three versions of the Skills Genie tool are produced, one in each iteration. After each iteration the results are tested/validated and based on the conclusions the next iteration is planned. The iterative methodology applied is also facilitating the sustainability of the outputs through the incorporation of sustainability requirements at the design phase of the project outputs. RESULTS- Transversal competencies framework comprising gap evaluation methods and tools and a skills and achievements recognition framework- Transversal (soft skills) enhancement strategies and actions- Skills Genie online tool- SEE FIRST Academy virtual space with supporting infrastructure TARGET GROUP- Recent High School graduates,- Recent or undergraduates of post-secondary education, or HE- Vulnerable young individuals (i.e. unemployed, disadvantaged, migrants)- Recent young employees, who want to upskill their soft skills within existing professional context, in order to be competitive for an upgrade ora new job offer.- Trainers and teachers who may find useful to incorporate the methodological and technology tools of the project into already established curricula; - Employers, Training Centers (VET), Career guidance counselors, Recruiters, HR departmentsLONG TERM BENEFITS- Better employment opportunities in their fields of interest for young adults as first time job seekers- Increased productivity for European SMEs through faster on-boarding of new employees and quicker and more efficient contribution to the production process- Improved professional capacity of youth trainers to help their audience enter the job market [A minimum of 5 youth organisations and 20 youth workers/trainers per partner country will be involved in project activities from the start of the project]- Enhanced understanding of the importance of transversal skills at the work place"