Demographic change is a globally recognized societal challenge. All countries in Europe are experiencing an ageing of their populations, and this trend will even increase in the future.Moreover, the number of older people with multiple and complex chronic conditions – the segment of the population that is already putting the greatest demands on health and social care services – is growing rapidly. It is expected so that demand will rise for both technically less complex care, as for instance, in Home Care for Elderly People and technically more complex care, as new technologies, such as genomics, metabolic testing, and computer-assisted surgery,… However currently there are not sustainable models for health and care delivery.In this context, the Integrated Care model has erupted in Europe as a new approach to get the long-term sustainability of health and care systems. This new approach promotes a better coordinated care pathway for patients, through team work of multidisciplinary professionals from the health and social services fields. Integrated Care services are more closely oriented to the needs of patients /users, multidisciplinary, well-co-ordinated and accessible, as well as anchored in community and Home Care settings.An enabler that will support the process of transformation of health and care delivery towards integrated care is the workforce. The CAREVOLUTION Project focuses on the side and perspective of professionals that work at Home Care Service, the homecare workers. Home care workers are the closest professional in contact with the elderly. It is for that reason that it is expected they might support the process of implementation of integrated care systems and models, delivering new higher added value tasks. Currently they cannot complete these tasks, because they do not have the necessary competences to complete them. Existing professional qualification frameworks for homecare workers do not contemplate which potential roles homecare workers might play within integrated care systems and models, hindering thus any kind of training efforts of such workforce on the skills necessary for the adoption of such roles. The overall goal of the CAREVOLUTION project was to improve and uplift the competences and skills of the professional profile of Home Care Workers in Europe by the update and review of their current professional profile and qualifications, for the inclusion of new competences and skills demanded for the adoption by these professionals of new tasks and roles in the framework of Integrated Care models.Consequently, the CAREVOLUTION partnership was established with 5 different organizations which have a complementary profile and are all working in the fields of the people dependency, the health and social care services and the VET training for care workers. In addition, 4 different countries are represented in order to enlarge the geographical scope of this project.The CAREVOLUTION project has led to the realization of a) 3 PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES (description of Good practices of Integrated Care Models; description of Unmet needs of elderly people with chronic diseases; description of the new Professional Profile of Home Care Worker.); b) 1 GENERAL TRAINING CURRICULA composed of 4 Units, responding to the new competences and skills to be provided to Home Care Workers on Integrated Care models; c) 4 ADAPTATION AT REGONAL / NATIONAL LEVEL taking into consideration the specific needs and context; d) 3 PILOT TESTING implemented and evaluated in Spain, the Netherlands and Scotland, which involved 56 Home Care Workers and 8 Trainers, and outreached indirect beneficiaries (approx. 164 Elderly people and 260 Informal caregivers); e) 1 SPANISH TRAINING CURRICULA WITH THEIR LEARNING MATERIALS adapted to the Basque Country; f) 1 ITALIAN TRAINING CURRICULA adapted to Emilia Romagna Region; g) 1 DUTCH TRAINING CURRICULA WITH THEIR LEARNING MATERIALS adapted to the Netherlands; h) 1 SCOTTISH TRAINING CURRICULA WITH THEIR LEARNING MATERIALS adapted to Scotland; i) 5 DISSEMINATION WORKSHOPS in 3 different countries (Italy, Scotland and the Netherlands) with 94 local participants; j) 1 FINAL CONFERENCE in Spain with 21 local participants.; and k) 37 DISSEMINATION ACTIONS were ran all along the project in the different participating countries.As a result, CAREVOLUTION project contributes to foster and facilitate the implementation of new Integrated Care models in Europe, allows Home Care Workers to access to new training opportunities on competences demanded for new integrated care models, enhancing their professional qualification and employability and uplifting the social consideration of these professionals, by the adoption of new functions and roles requiring a bigger qualification, and definitely enhances the quality of life and empowerment of patients and their family.

Context/background of the project. There are currently 14 million young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) in Europe, costing an a huge amount in economic loss to society, and increasingly threatening the future of an entire generation. The GLEAN project addresses NEETs and disadvantaged people through a training programme in agriculture. Agricultural sector in facts has a huge potential for employability, and previous experiences highlight the added value of agriculture work for disadvantaged people, particularly through social farming. GLEAN therefore has designed, developed and implemented, a training programme based on learning on the job in agricultural field, addressed to disadvantaged young people, such as NEETs and long-term unemployed young people.Objectives. Identification and analysis of the most innovative social practices in agriculture in the Mediterranean and EU countries. Definition and implementation of a training program improving the skills of unemployed former agricultural students and of NEET in severe discomfort (by immigration, socio-economic situations, and / or with disabilities). Definition of the learning materials and the architecture of learning related to social and technical skills in agriculture combining the latter with territorial needs in agriculture. Realization of a training course to about 50 people (minimum 15 per Country) with innovative teaching methods providing direct work experience and implementing social skills and mutual support. Through the realization of the above objectives. Identification of the methodological guidelines for the transferability and exploitment of the educational program at a EU level. Set up of a website for detecting the innovative practices identified and downloading teaching materials.Number and profile of participating organisations. The six partners from 3 European Countries, Spain, Italy and Greece, have worked in a complementary way in order to achieve the project results. In fact, three partners, one per Country, are deeply involved in training and agriculture, one – the lead partner – is experienced in disadvantaged people inclusion, another – Militos – is specialized in communication and online tools and the last one, Melius, has got a wide experience in guidance and in EU projects. This has allowed to keep high the quality of all products, also through a mutual review and support.Description of undertaken main activities. As planned in the proposal, the consortium has first analysed the existing practices at a EU level, and created an online database. The IO1 results have allowed the partners to structure the NEEP frame (IO2) in an innovative way, including all the relevant topics and customizing the programme for each trainees group. The draft NEEP has been validated through focus groups at a national level, then presented in workshops to all the involved stakeholders. Materials have been developed in each partner Country, shared and validated (IO3); as already told during the monitoring visit held by the Italian NA, the delay in the first months has been afforded and recovered by parallelizing some activities. This is the reason why IO3 activities have gone on also during IO4 ones. IO4 has started with the creation and validation of selection criteria and of the training agreement; after a period devoted to the selection, the courses have started (Nov-Dec 2015) in the three Countries and have continued till the end of August 2016. In the meanwhile, from July the draft of the IO5 Guidelines has been done, and enriched during the two project last months of activities, till the final version of end of August. The IO6 has started at the very beginning of the project and is still working, as the website, database and NEEP course will be made available to the public for the next years.Results and impact attained. An update state of play of the available programmes, learning units or practices fostering employability and entrepreneurship skills of NEET and disadvantaged young people; the NEET Programme (NEEP), a transversal learning programme aimed at fostering acquisition of technical and soft skills in an European perspective; 3 learning pathways activated in 3 countries in Europe; guidelines and recommendations for the adoption of the programme by further Institutions; activation of employment opportunities for the trainees; this is not available yet, as the three months planned after the end of the project exceed the reporting deadline; at the moment, about 30% have got a job opportunity.Longer-term benefits. The relevant results achieved through the project can be transferred both in other sectors and Countries. I. E. what has been made with agriculture could be made also for crafts or arts, which arefurther sectors with inclusion opportunities and personal development characteristics. Identified soft skills and related materials are transversal and can be used in many inclusive training programmes.

NeedsThe importance of health & social services is increasing as European society grows older and unemployment and relocation across Europe increases. This growing demand for services, a public sector provision in many Member States, is creating unprecedented pressures on health & social care systems. Despite differences in political approaches and institutional frameworks, health and social services in all Member States face similar challenges in adjusting to demographic ageing, societal change, rising expectations and consumerism, changing employment and family patterns, evolving technological opportunities and funding issues. A key part of the sector deals with vulnerable people. A recent report by the Social Protection Committee stated that greater emphasis must be spent on generating an effective and innovative way of developing the human capital of those responsible for making a significant professional impact and successful intervention in improving the quality of life for vulnerable people throughout Europe. Education and training plays a pivotal role in developing those who work with vulnerable people. In many parts of Europe, the sector has a strong emphasis on learning and assessing skills for job roles in real practice environments (“practice learning”), which in some qualificationscan be almost 40% of the total learning time. There are also on-going demands for practice learning with new qualified professionals and as part of “in-service”/CPD training. There are clear logistical challenges in arranging practice opportunities where trainees are able to learn the core skills of the job and receive high quality support, supervision and assessment of their practice from suitably qualified mentors/practice assessors. Further, finding sufficient numbers of such placements has been a challenge for the last 30 years. However, there are also other challenges; eg. risks associated with work-based learning and the safety and well-being of service users in giving trainees access to their lives. Meeting the needsTo address these challenges, this project will develop an immersive 3D virtual environment, built on gaming architecture and driven by emotional AI, to provide a safe and readily accessible environment where Higher Education and VET students and professional social workers who deal with vulnerable people can learn by interacting with NPCs (Non-Player Characters) in a simulation of a real world service. Trainees will engage with simulations and be required to navigate their way through choices to arrive at the best resolution. Each simulation can be replayed and evaluated by the trainer/mentor and the trainee can use the same simulation as many times as required. We see this as offering a measurable, controlled environment where learners can gain a command of the basics of the job role they are training for with minimal resource requirements and zero risk to the public, thus providing a sound basis from which to progress to real work practice placement. The expected results of the project are: - a pedagogy and curriculum that can be used by educators to train HE/VET students and professionals who work with vulnerable people in a simulated practice learning environment. The curriculum will be aligned with ECTS/ECVET.- a 3D game platform for supporting practice learning, developed to be multi-lingual to support teaching in different European languages.- training materials for the teachers, mentors and assessors who will use the game. - training for 200 teachers/teacher trainers using the materials and the simulated practice environment.- large-scale piloting of the simulated practice environment across Europe with HE/VET students and professionals who deal with vulnerable people.- in-depth analysis of the training and piloting.- development of policy and practice guidance for policymakers/decision makers on the benefits of the simulated practice environment.- establishment of an online Community of Practice to continue the use of the platform after the project has completed. - widespread dissemination of the results of the project.- assessment of the commercial value of such a game. Impact• 500 HE/VET students and social services professionals trained using the game;• 200 teachers/teacher trainers trained;• Community of Practice with at least 500 members.PartnersAs well as partners covering HE/VET providers, HE/VET policy makers and the labour market, the project also required technology partners to develop the educational game. Developing educational games is an interdisciplinary enterprise requiring the technical skills of games developers, the domain knowledge of the subject expert (social work with vulnerable people), an understanding of the pedagogy and psychology of games as well as knowledge of educational interventions and evaluation. The selected partners have been carefully chosen for their expertise in these different subject areas.

Recent studies (McKinsey 2013; Trendence Institute, 2013) highlight that in Europe, 74% of education providers were confident that their graduates were prepared for work, but only 38% of youth and 35% of employers agreed: the 27% of employers reported that they have left a vacancy open in the past year because they couldn’t find anyone with the right skills. This means, that even when the jobs are available, young people often is not suitable for these positions. The link between Education and the labour market should be addressed, and career services in higher education can play a major role in improving the transition between education and labour market. In facts, high quality career guidance is a key component in the effort to help individuals into learning and work and to assist them to sustain employment and reach their full potential. However, this will require a re-thinking of the career service as it is in the majority of higher education institutions in Europe, that should include- An improved general provision of guidance for career, that cannot be left at the very end of the study path of the students;- A stronger relation with the labour market, as stressed within the Modernisation of higher education agenda;- Reference standards for quality assurance that include all mentioned aspects and are integrated to the overall QA system of the institutions in Europe.This should lead to- Improved placement results;- Increased retention rates, following the improved relationships with employers and the community, therefore providing qualified graduates in specific programs and fields that will increase job opportunities for students;- Stronger recruitment and enrolment, as universities able to ensure enhanced employability of their students are able to attract more students.The perceived need is therefore the establishment of quality assurance standards for career services, that encompass all aspects here above mentioned, therefore quality standards, organisational implications, university relations to the labour market, and implies an improved dialogue and understanding between concerned players.The members of the consortium, which include universities, experts in guidance in higher education, networks of students, will work in QAREER to collect different points of view of the main players in the field (guidance professionals and QA reference persons at HEI, students, employers), to define quality standards for career services at HEI, to draft the guidelines for their integration into HEI, to test them in real settings in the countries of the consortium, consult and involve further universities of Europe within the process, to establish a community of experts able to support these processes, and deliver the Guidelines for QA of career service in Higher Education in Europe (QACS).

At present, most European universities offer their students vocational guidance and placement services, albeit with different provisions: the European scenario is indeed quite diverse in this regard, also depending on the degree of integration of entrepreneurship training. Therefore, if some universities offer career development programs beginning in the first year of university career, others offer only basic information and advice to enter the world of work at the end of their university career. In summary, significant problems remain for students, who:• They are not sufficiently prepared to understand the skills necessary to perform professional roles: they often have information on the specific skills required, but they are not aware of how the role of the professional (ie transversal skills) is carried out;• They are not familiar with the world of work, so they do not have clear in mind what the settings and work environments actually mean;• Often they lack self-awareness of their abilities, particularly in relation to the professional career they wish to undertake.The need for dialogue between education and businesses is therefore not only linked to placement: placement is a consequence of suitable candidates for job vacancies, rather than a simple combination of degrees and jobs. Career services have workedfor years in promoting mobility through internships and traineeships, in order to improve the dialogue between universities and companies on the one hand and promote self-awareness and the development of transversal skills and transversal competences in the students on the other side.Sustainability should also be taken into account in this process: students should be equipped with self-reflection tools and self-assessment skills, should therefore acquire skills for professional development; however, they should also be offered opportunities to understand the professions and what skills the professional roles imply in real contexts. This means that students should have the opportunity to speak with companies before interviews for the internship or work.The project consortium consists of 4 Universities: University of Padua (IT, project leader), Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (ES), Bachelor of Applied Sciences (FI), Ss. Cyril University and Methodius of Skopje (MK), as well as three partners specialized in the transition to the world of work: Fundación Universidad-Empresa (ES), Cramars (IT), and Anthea Consulting (IT).The V-TOURS project has increased and improved opportunities for dialogue between university students and businesses, creating a virtual place to access:• Online course focused on corporate culture and work ethics, addressing Research and innovation, Integrated quality (Quality - Environment - Safety), Corporate social responsibility, Corporate organization, Roles, tasks and competences within the company, Strategic transversal skills, etc.• Opportunities to participate in virtual tours in companies, such as online events in which company managers presented their business and organizational processes, and answered questions in real time;• Self-reflection exercises and self-assessment for students, in relation to the professional profiles faced by the interviews conducted during the virtual tours, the corporate culture and the work ethic.Based on the experience of 204 beta-testers and students involved in piloting, the entire course requires 125 to 135 hours of study.The V-TOURS platform provides a significant range of learning opportunities that promote the understanding of the workplace; promote the acquisition of professional development skills; improve student employability; facilitate mobility.The partner universities of the consortium will adopt the online course and related methods in their own learning offer already during the academic year 2018-2019, both as part of a degree course both as a complementary autonomous program offered, for example, by their career service. The course will be offered, at least, in English and in the partner's local language. It is also possible to update the platform with new content (video interviews, other educational resources, registration of virtual visits, etc.). The V-Tours platform is open and is available to other universities and companies that want to take advantage of this innovative tool.