Background and objectives:The most important aim of the project was and still is the better integration of disadvantaged persons (low-skilled, migrants, ethnic minorities, long-term unemployed etc.) into education, training and the labour market through more client-oriented guidance and counselling offers that consider diversity issues. Therefore more qualified counsellors in the field of VET are needed who will be aware of various kinds of disparities and sensitised and prepared for equity, diversity and inclusion challenges. This is crucial in order to reach the disadvantaged persons in the first place and to respond as a counsellor adequately to their needs and particular circumstances. Thus, the project facilitates through its outcomes not only the access to guidance services but also the transition to further education, training and the world of work.In Bulgaria and Romania there are huge economic and especially ethnic disparities which counsellors have to deal with. We tackled these facettes with a diversity and human rights oriented approach. Also in Germany we need innovative approaches to deal on the one hand adequately with the increasing number of migrants and refugees but also to close the gap between low-skilled and high-qualified persons. Counsellors need appropriate tools, methods and knowledge how they can reach and counsel them appropriately and individually.To reach this aim all partners identified, developed (further), compiled and disseminated successful methods and approaches to improving the integration into society and the labour market and support of unemployed people and those who have only little or no access to further education. The main focus was on the analysis of methods and approaches and to establish new counselling and guidance offers by developing a modular training course for counsellors that we started to establish in the partner countries. Central focus of the project was to support the target groups in their home countries and to foster the national economy by counselling and qualifying disadvantaged persons. This project increased the chances of disadvantaged persons to find (better) work, as this is directly correlated with the level of qualification.Direct target groups of the project: counsellours and guidance practitioners, social and community workers, staff of churches and other aid organisations, advisors of the public employment services and the chambers of commerce, adult education providers, universities.Activities and methodology:- Compiling country reports that describe the VET system and the possibilities for further training and counselling/guidance in each partner country- Presentations from all project partners about suitable best practice examples in their countries for reaching and counselling disadvantaged people- Development of a training course handbook including a curriculum for both trainers (who want to train counsellors) and for counsellors as a reference guide to improve their knowledge and skills. Topics/chapters:• General basics for counselling and guidance in order to support disadvantaged persons• Career guidance according to the special needs of disadvantaged persons• Diversity and human rights• Business foundation coaching / Entrepreneurship• Mobile guidance to reach disadvantaged persons• Quality standards in guidance• Guidance for volunteer work and internships- The training course modules are carried out in the participating countries- Website in all partner languages + English- e-learning platform in all partner languages + English - Dissemination events in each partner country to disseminate the project resultsResults, impact and long-term benefits:- Through the training course counsellors can provide more individualised guidance to disadvantaged clients. They gained deeper understanding on their special needs, are aware of the necessity in being mobile as a counsellor and as an institution and they increased the effectiveness of their guidance and counselling services as they incorporate new knowledge and methods and a deeper understanding of diversity and fairness in their professional processes.- Organisations gained information on how to design their offerings and services to meet the needs of disadvantaged target groups and offer suitable support and how to modify their mission statements in regard of diversity.- Disadvantaged persons profit from more professional client-centered counselling and guidance offers and better access to learning opportunities.Project partners:Germany: ttg team training GmbH (ttg) and Ministerium für Kultus, Jugend und Sport Baden-WürttembergRomania: Asociatia Multifunctionala Filantropica Sfantul Spiridon (AMFSS), Asociatia Ecumenica a Bisericilor din Romania (AIDRom) andAGENTIA JUDETEANA PENTRU OCUPAREA FORTEI DE MUNCA GALATI (AJOFM)Bulgaria: SDRUZHENIE TERITORIALNA ORGANIZATSIA NA NAUCHNO-TEHNICHESKITE SPETSIALISTI (TOR) and University of Ruse Angel Kanchev

The economic and social crisis that Europe is facing has led to a sharp decline in economic activity and recession. The labour market is being severely hit and unemployment rates are increasing thus negatively affecting the EU’s potential growth. In this scenario, the aim is for Europe to become a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy. Inclusive means, among others, raising Europe’s employment rates and helping people with fewer opportunities of all ages manage change through investment in skills and training. Unemployment is particularly high among women and young people and this situation is exacerbated among migrant women and women at risk of social exclusion. In addition, these groups are more vulnerable because of issues related to work-life balance, limited availability for training and access to resources. The general objective of WhomeN Project is to offer new opportunities and competences to adult women at risk of social exclusion (immigrants, long-term unemployed women, young women with low level of education, single mothers, unemployed women, over-45,…) for improving their qualifications and thus their levels of employability and integration into the society, mainly through innovative methodologies of recognition of skills and competences that include transversal and soft skills. The project focuses on the development of an effective protocol for the evaluation of skills and competences based on EU guidelines for validation and recognition, ECVET and EQAVET tools. This will allow a further professionalization of occupations commonly carried out by women at risk of social exclusion ( as for example Personal House-hold Service, hotels, restaurants and caterings (HORECA)and others), and a better integration of these women that develop these jobs without official professional qualification but with a lot of experience and competences. These skills and competence recognition process have the objectives: - Define of specific training itinerary according to each prospective target group and each occupation. - Develop a protocol for the evaluation and recognition of skills and competences within the most common job roles developed by women at risk of social exclusion (based on EU guidelines for validation and recognition, ECVET and EQAVET) that includes tools for monitoring and quality assurance. -Design curricula and pedagogic material for employment advisers/ officers on how to implement the protocol that includes special attention to soft skills and guidelines to introduce standards to respect for cultural diversity and gender equality. -Produce two courses for employment officers/ trainers on how to implement the protocol in different contexts of competences background and with different target groups. -Disseminate the protocol in each partner country trough guidelines and other methodological tools. -Implement training courses in each territory aimed to develop professional competences and soft skills for women according to specific training itineraries established by each partner. -Disseminate results, protocol and tools created at a transnational level. WhomeN project, implemented through a partnership that includes 9 organizations from 7 countries, will allow reaching the following impacts: * To give a European dimension to the process of recognition of professional competences and personal competences trough soft skills that will allow these women with fewer opportunities to improve their socio-occupational integration process. * Enhancing of intercultural and cross-sector cooperation among organizations involved in the partnership. * Capacity-building among professionals (staff) from organizations in the exchange and transfer of know-how, transversal skills increase, tutoring and counseling, among other issues. * Establishment of networks at EU level of organizations involved in training, education, cooperation, innovation and/or professional competences and soft skills recognition, among other topics. *Design of an effective and usefulness tool aimed to the self-evaluation of personal competences and connecting with EU guidelines EQAVET and ECVET and that includes formal competences recognition process. * Promote employment for women with fewer opportunities through the design of personalized itineraries to recognize professional and personal skills. * Disseminating project outputs at a large scale. WhomeN project will contribute to the Europe 2020 Strategy and targets regarding the role of education and training in recognition of competences, empowering people and ensuring that citizens, in particular, adults who have low levels of education, the unemployed, migrants, and those who have left school early, can access lifelong learning and up-skilling throughout their lives.