The expanding use of digital technologies such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers for work at home and elsewhere is rapidly transforming the traditional model of work. It can improve work-life balance, reduce commuting time, and boost productivity.Research (EUROSTAT 2017) has shown that there is a stable increasing of adults working from home. More specifically, the percentage of employed persons aged 15 to 64 in the EU who usually work from home stood at 5.0% in 2017. In the EU, more self-employed persons usually worked from home (18.1%) than employees (2.8%). The frequency of working from home increases with age which indicates the necessity of adults and seniors to remain in the skill force. Only 1.6% of 15- 24 year-olds in the EU usually worked from home in 2017, rising to 4.7% of 25-49 year-olds and 6.4% of 50-64 year-olds.Further to the above, research has shown that a slightly higher proportion of women in the EU usually worked from home (5.3%) than men (4.7%). Work is a determining factor of gender equality and women's economic independence, but also important for the entire economy. Women's employment patterns are tightly connected to motherhood. Similarly another category of adults which favours working from home is the group of adults with disabilities. Over 15 % of employed people with disabilities worked from home in 2011, compared to 13 % of those with no disability irrespective of which of the two definitions of disability is used. Based on the above the project targets adults who for various reasons have restricted access to the labour market. Through the project the consortium aims to reach out:-Adults, especially women, who for family reasons (newly born babies, cultural norms, family reasons etc.) cannot take a F/T employment -Adults with health-related conditions or some form of disability (with basic disability – seeing, hearing, walking, communicating or who are limited in the work they can do because of a longstanding health problem and/or a basic activity difficulty – LHPAD)-Adults, senior citizens or unemployed people who want to re-entre the labour market working on flexible terms.The indirect target group is adult educators whose profiles will be upgraded and strengthened through the professional development programme to be developed to acquire the essential skills to support, guide and train the above groups of adults using on-line and of-line opportunities.The project aims to provide adults with a three stage upskilling pathway programme to acquire, develop, assess and validate a set of essential competences (financial, digital and entrepreneurial) to be able to meet the needs of working remotely. The development of the project is based on: audit skills screening of current skills acquisition, intervention through on/off line upskilling opportunities for LLL (e.g F2F training, e-learning, provision of MOOCs, workshops, setting up of the FINE2WORK REMOTELY HUB) and external assessment-validation of the newly acquired competences in a non-formal learning setting. These will be achieved through the on-line assessment tool to be designed based on the ecosystem of the OPEN BADGES and the FINE2WORK Competence Framework with inbuilt benchmarks and indicators for measuring adults’’ knowledge and skills (skills identification screening and on-going progress). The Open Badges offer the basis on which the assessment, recognition and validation of the financial and entrepreneurial skills acquired through the HUBS to be organised will be achieved.

Global demand for accessibility continues to grow, due in part to the strengthening voice worldwide of more than one billion people with disabilities & important frameworks, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. From a private sector standpoint, the Convention represents a unique opportunity to ensure equal access to information while achieving global harmonization of standards and economies of scale. Understanding that technology is the great equalizer for underserved populations & having a clear roadmap towards inclusive information & communications technologies (ICT), rather than simple compliance strategies, will benefit everyone in every industry.Specifically, the financial services sector is faced with the need to transform operations while providing truly exceptional customer experiences. Disruptive trends - such as the influx of mobile devices & global regulations- are driving demand for more human-centric technology, & creating an opportunity for innovation that are proving to be differentiators for the institutions embracing them. Consumer demand to be in control of interactions & information is forcing those in financial services to reconsider what’s important to stay competitive. By offering an online experience through any device personalized to individual needs, preferences & abilities, organizations can ensure they are reaching the broadest base of the population, especially the “unbanked” and “underbanked,” to enhance interactions & improve sales opportunities. Thus, access to & inclusion in financial services is crucial to poverty reduction & participation in economic prosperity & growth & development.Signing banks initially aims to point out the need of full financial inclusion to people with disabilities & to be more specific to d/Deaf bank customers. Persons with disabilities & d/Deafness have been amongst those traditionally marginalized from the financial services sector through a mix of inaccessibility, presumptions of limited need & capacity to manage finances, & mindsets that did not view them as a profitable consumer base. Signing banks emphasizes to the fact that this paradigm is now rapidly changing with growing evidence of their demand and need for access to services as well as the increasing income base of persons with disabilities around the world. Persons with disabilities and diverse abilities are demanding better and easier access to the entire range of financial services. Access to and inclusion in financial services is important to persons across the economic spectrum. And for persons with disabilities who live under the poverty line, it is essential that they are involved in financial inclusion initiatives & programs that will empower them and enable them to become financially independent.In order to reach these aforementioned outputs, Signing banks project has 3 main target groups: 1) the financial and banking world represented by RCCI, ESQUARED and by EOLAS, 2) d/Deaf people represented by Ergon and INNETICA; 3) adult educators with d/DEAF PEOPLE (30 per country).By creating a holistic strategy for embedding accessible technology across the entire enterprise from processes to product development to people – organizations can reinvigorate individual channels and harmonize them across the bank. Thus, Signing banks aims to provide a clear picture of the global forces at work that are transforming how employee- and client-facing applications, products and services are delivered to reach the broadest set of customers. The project also serves as a useful benchmarking source for governments and advocates based on its review of existing solutions already implemented around the world.The strategic objective of the project is to promote full financial inclusion to people with disabilities in particular to d/Deaf people, including traditional and alternative banking services, online payment services, financial transactions, and mobile banking.SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:1) CREATE A REPOSITORY OF BEST CASES2) CREATE CLEAR GUIDELINES FOR BANKING INSTITUTIONS on how implement accessibility measures in their communication and products.3) CREATE A TRAINING for d/DEAF adults to improve their financial education and ability to communicate with financial institutions.TARGET:d/DEAF PEOPLE BANKING INSTITUTIONSeducators engaged with d/DEAF PEOPLEThe project will bring a clear EU added value since financial inclusion is a challenge faced by most EU countries. For achieving the project results, the international partnership established is essential because it brings complementary expertise for designing a programme with a high replication potential in other countries. Hence, the transnational collaboration established is essential because it enables partners to share good practices & combine knowledge towards the development of a replicable model for integrating d/Deaf people to European bankin

The AppMod.E project was carried out between November 1, 2017 and October 31, 2019 over a period of 24 months in 6 different countries: France, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain.The AppMod.E project aimed to promote the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills among adult apprentices / students accommodated in training centers. In this perspective, the project includes the development of partnerships between training centers and companies. The learning model includes the methods of gamification and problem-solving learning (PBL).As part of this project, a consortium of 6 European partners has been brought together (IDEC-Greece, EUROCREA-Italy, RCCI-Bulgaria, AOA Age-Romania, PIT-Spain, Sud Concept-France). All these partners work in the field of professional training.The project consisted of creating collaboration between training centers and companies for the benefit of apprentices. This is why, each partner, as a training center, has signed three agreements with different companies. In all, the project will have involved 18 companies in the following sectors: silver economy, cooperative of generalist entrepreneurs, heritage preservation, electronics and security system, sales and marketing, mechanics, project administration.The AppMod.E project made it possible to develop 3 intellectual productions:- A learning model for acquiring entrepreneurial spirit and skills- A trainers' guide for trainers in training establishments and companies- A guide for implementing partnerships between training centers and companies for learning.In addition, the project was nourished and was supplemented by activities allowing the involvement of people and outside organizations.A seminar bringing together 87 people was organized to make the trainers (training centers and companies) aware of the teaching methods chosen for this project: gamification and Problem based learning.An experimentation phase of the learning model involving 16 students and 16 trainers was set up. A webinar with 19 participants was conducted to present the AppMod.E project: methodologies (Gamification and PBL), EntreComp Framework, EQF levels , evaluation methods. A dissemination event presenting the results of the project was carried out in each partner country, bringing together more than 150 people, from all countries.The project has enabled the implementation of a total of 18 agreements between training centers and companies. It made it possible to involve 19 apprentices in total.The project raised the awareness of around 200 trainers and tutors to the method proposed within the framework of the AppMod.E project, all actions taken together.The project enabled the creation of three deliverables available free of charge on the website created within the framework of the project (www.appmode.eu).In the short and medium term, the impacts / benefits observed on trainers (in training centers) and on tutors in companies are the improvement of the transmission of entrepreneurial skills, better management of the human resources needs of companies: trainees / apprentices, a better match between the tasks entrusted and the initial skills of the apprentices, an improvement in the perception of learning and an increased motivation of the company, better preparation of the trainer, better collaboration between trainers and tutors.The tools proposed within the framework of the AppMod.E project will in particular have made it possible to transmit a learning design model integrated with gamification and PBL methodologies, while proposing an evaluation and monitoring method with the implementation of objectives and success in the training of apprentices, standards / results and the concept of perceptions and recommendations.With regard to apprentices, the learning model developed by AppMod.E promotes motivation and the acquisition of skills necessary for business creation among former apprentices involved in the experimentation phase as evidenced by the course of some apprentices as a result of their involvement in AppMod.E. Indeed, the project allowed apprentices to improve their entrepreneurial skills in the following areas: strategies and development, organization and planning, ingenuity, decision making, problem solvingOver the longer term and in general, the project made it possible to implement a real process of collaboration between training centers and companies which led to better monitoring of apprentices.

On-line shopping has taken a flight over the last years, with large digital operators with no need for physical spaces gaining ground, and with large retail chains complementing their physical shop activities with very active webshops. Smaller commerce and retail operators have great difficulties in competing in this environment. The crisis from the last years has put additional strain on smaller commerce and retail businesses, with has left to the closure of many businesses in areas which were once the commercial centre of the town or neighbourhood. This has not only affected the commerce and retail sector, but also the hospitality and cultural businesses in these areas. A commercial area with less commerce or retail is prone to loose visitors, which in turn has a spill over effect on the hospitality and cultural businesses in the area. In many medium-sized and bigger towns, large malls on the outskirts offer a “one-stop-experience” for shopping, culture and hospitality, generating even more difficulties for the smaller ones in the centres to subsist. Not only the retail, commerce, culture and hospitality sectors are aware of this issue, but the deterioration of commercial areas, has raised interest from municipalities and civic organisations, as the reduction in retail, commerce, hospitality and cultural activities in these kind of areas results in an overall deterioration of the area, with less movements of persons. Many municipalities are looking for solutions which can help them to give new live to these kind of areas and spaces. Trends related to increased awareness among consumers about sustainability issues, the impact their decisions have on the environment, and the “slow”-movement (which advocates a cultural shift toward slowing down life's pace, and of which the “slow-food” movement is the most well-known), generate ample opportunities to bring about the so-much desired change. Proximity products and services are gaining ground. Also, consumers nowadays not only acquire a product or services, but look for an “experience” or a statement with regards to their preferences and lifestyles. If one merely wants to buy a product, going on-line is for many the obvious option, so attracting consumers/visitors to the commercial areas requires added value needs to be provided, e.g. an experience, or a combination of products or services not easily found somewhere else, or with clear added value, e.g. sustainable, ecological, environmental-friendly. Although there are already some initiatives springing up in commercial area, which cover the consumer demands with regards to sustainability, proximity and the slow movement such as shops which offer products in bulk so the consumer can buy exactly the needed amount, or those offering local ecological produce, there are many which have not adapted to this new setting. It is difficult for a small commerce, retail, hospitality or cultural/creative business to provide answers to the aforementioned challenges individually, and when they do, the impact is limited to the specific type of consumers they address, with less possibility of opening up their offerings to other types of consumers. Hence intense collaboration through the joint creation, design and implementation of new products and/or services, offering the consumer the needed experience is key. The present project aims to provide an answer to the aforementioned challenges by offering a learning programme aimed at owners, managers and self-employed persons of small retail, commerce, hospitality and cultural/creative businesses in commercial areas in decay (or at risk of) which gives them the knowledge, skills and competences to:●Adapt their individual offering to the new environment;●Co-design, co-create and co-work to develop new (or adapt and combine) existing products, services and experiences.●Respond to trends related to sustainability, green & circular economy. By acquiring these skills they will be able individually and jointly provide an answer to the demands of the sustainable conscious and digital-native consumer, open to the slow-movement concept and compete through differentiation offering a different and unique experience.

This Erasmus+ KA204 project (N 2018-1-RO01-KA204-049516) focuses on the development of digital competences of seniors willing to work as tourist agents or local guides in order to become experts in destination promotion through a life-long learning perspective. The partnership aims to develop materials that enable staff of tourism agencies or individuals to increase their skills and improve a touristic destination in their local communities in order to compete with the growing global competitiveness.The main target group of Your Local Guide are adult learners, seniors working in tourism or persons who are retired and are willing to find a new career in this sector as experts in destination management and promotion.The results of the project are in line with the funding request and comply with the adaptation requirements for today's times: IO1 - White Paper on Digital Skills needed in Destination Management IO2 - Training kit - EXPERT IN TOURISM DESTINATION MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT IO3 - Videogame Digital Marketing for Tourism Destination.So far, there has been carried out a desktop research translating into a White Paper and a Comparative report which have been the basis for partners to learn about the competences needed by the target groups, with the aim of making the learning materials even more relevant!So far, partners have developed FOUR HANDBOOKS with new and innovative teaching materials which provide a pathway to learn how to manage and promote touristic destinations by using digital tools and platforms. These handbooks focus on the role of digital technology and social media in tourism management and promotion, and are illustrated with case studies and good practices from different countries.After the success of the FOUR HANDBOOKS on Digital Skills for Tourism the Your Local Guide partners propose an interesting and innovative tool for learning, which comes to complete the developed training materials.The “Learn Tourism 4 All” videogame is an online application that works as a gamified virtual assistant during the learning process about the digital skills required to promote and manage a tourist destination. Users will be able to revise all topics covered in the modules in a fun and motivating way. What’s more, the game can be played collectively by choosing several characters, which, by the way, will make the users feel identified with. There is a tutorial available, so that any user or educator wishing to use the game in their learning activities understands the different features and functionalities of the game. In the same way as the manuals, the game covers a wide variety of topics that, nowadays, are essential to build a strong and sustainable tourism destination: •Digital skills in tourism•Tourism destination management•Tourism destination promotion•Social Media Communities in tourismThe Erasmus+ partnership has been working hard to enhance the digital competences of seniors willing to work as tourist agents or local guides in order to become experts in destination promotion through a life-long learning perspective. The materials developed are the result of months and months of hard work, cooperation with local stakeholders and collaboration with entities expert in the sector. Thanks to the piloting of the materials and the events organised locally, the target group of Your Local Guide -adult learners, seniors working in tourism or willing to, and their educators- have been provided with very detailed and specific materials in this sector paving their way to learn how to manage and promote touristic destinations by using digital tools and platforms. With a strong focus on the role of digital technology and social media in tourism management and promotion the handbook and the game are illustrated with case studies and good practices from many EU countries.All details, results and materials can be found on the project website - www.yourlocalguide.org/en/