"Diverse European works have highlighted the multiple forms of Work-Based Learning (WBL) organised in Europe and have developed recommendations in terms of key competences for trainers in WBL.However, despite a proven informal recognition of WBL, a persistent difficulty has been identified at the level of the recognition of learning outcomes. Indeed, although methodologies based on informal/non-formal learning have proved to be very relevant to enable low-skilled people to achieve efficient training pathways, the informal/non-formal character of these systems does not currently allow them to be certified.Therefore, the project ""Work-Based Learning Recognition (Reconnaître les Acquis en Formation par le Travail - RAFT"") aims to take part in the construction of evaluation systems that can support formalization of WBL evaluation with a view to certifying such skills while preserving the general informal context of training. Thus RAFT project aims to :- build a clear, precise and relevant reference framework; - develop an evaluation process consistent with the training process; - produce simple, concrete, objective observation tools;- produce simple, concrete and individualizable reporting tools.This new approach will enable people with low qualifications to highlight all their knowledge (knowledge, know-how, interpersonal skills, etc.). To do this, training and integration professionals will be equipped with RAFT resources namely, Assessment Reference Frameworks in the horticultural and catering sectors (O1), Guide on methods for assessing informal learning (O2), Quality Guide for recognition systems (O3) and Procedures manual for recognition/validation, including the production of Open Badges (O4). The Strategic Document for the recognition of informal/non-formal learning outcomes of low-skilled people (O5) will consolidate RAFT initiative by defining an implementation strategy for stakeholders, local decision-makers and sectoral actors.In total, nearly 30 trainers and 80 trainees in Europe are expected to test the developed tools.Thus, 8 partners from 6 European countries (AT, BE, FR, IT, LV, SL) will use their experience and expertise for 2 and a half years to develop and test RAFT tools with professionals and their trainees. From April 2023 onwards, all project outputs will be available free of charge in 6 languages (DE, EN, FR, IT, LV, SL) on RAFT website and Facebook page and on project partners' websites."

<< Background >>During 2020 and 2021 Europe has gone through an extremely uncertain time with the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. This has given rise to a wide array of conspiracy theories related to the pandemic, for example, that the pandemic is a hoax, that the virus was created in a laboratory and that vaccination against Covid-19 is a cover-up for microchipping people. People believing in conspiracy theories leads to negative societal effects like dropping rates of people taking vaccinations, less likelihood of voting in governmental elections, people not taking actions to reduce their carbon footprint, and people developing prejudice and racist ideas towards minorities. Furthermore, believing in conspiracy theories leads to people distrusting and rejecting official information provided by scientists and governments which in turn can lead to an alienation from society and democracy.Throughout Europe, many young people have been homeschooled during the pandemic and have therefore been isolated from their friends and teachers. During this period the use of social media among young people has increased and the combination of isolation from peers and increased input from social media, where conspiracy theories thrive, could be an ideal situation for conspiracy theories to flourish among younger groups. Studies have shown that young people have a relatively low ability to reason about the information on the internet, to distinguish between news and advertising, and to judge the reliability of a website (Stanford History Education Group: 2016). Indicating that young people’s skills in critical thinking and critical media literacy are fairly low. Moreover, research has shown that people with low media literacy are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories (News media literacy and conspiracy theory endorsement by Stephanie Craft, Seth Ashley, and Adam Maksl 2017).Today false news stories spread farther, faster, deeper, and more broadly than true news stories. In fact, false news stories on Twitter are 70% more likely to be retweeted than true news stories.Against this background, the Critical Balance project was initiated to target the need to strengthen and empower young people to become better at identifying conspiracy theories and disinformation. This will be done by equipping young adults with critical thinking skills and critical media literacy that will be taught via non-formal, informal methods and an e-learning environment. Within the partnership professionals working with young people have noticed a rise of youth bringing up different conspiracy theories and have asked for ways to work with these issues. This request in combination with the research carried out by Jeff Share and Douglas Kellner (2019) in the article “Preparing Educators to Teach Critical Media Literacy” shows the lack of knowledge among professionals working with young people on how to teach critical media literacy and critical thinking/perspectives. The Critical Balance project will address the need to strengthen the capacity among youth workers to deal with conspiracy theories by working with critical thinking and critical media literacy by offering a solid capacity building for youth workers.<< Objectives >>The overall aim of the Critical Balance project is to prevent the risks that come from believing in conspiracy theories including racism, intolerance, and resistance towards science, among youth. The specific objectives of the project that will work towards achieving this aim are:1. Support and build capacity among youth workers with innovative methods and training on how to confront and prevent conspiracy believes, especially the ones with a racist core, among young people both in online and offline practices.2. Increase critical thinking and critical media literacy skills among young people to better understand and deal with conspiracy theories when confronted with them, and thereby better cope with the novel risk and implication of digitalisation and the availability of disinformation.<< Implementation >>The activities that are going to be implemented in the project are the following:1. Activities related to promotion and sharing the project - creating a website, hosting multiplier events, creating new letters, arranging stakeholder meetings, attending conferences and meetings, and forming networks. 2. A joint teaching, learning, training event for 12 youth workers in Latvia.3. National piloting workshops with a minimum of 90 young people participating.4. Project management activities such as quality assurance, risk assessment, 5 transnational partnership meetings, impact assessment, financial and time reporting, writing an interim and final report, producing a project management handbook.5. Implementation activities related to the project results such as desk research, interviews, writing reports, mapping of prevalent conspiracy theories, drafting and developing the e-handbook, researching and developing the toolbox for youth workers, establishing an e-learning platform with online exercises such as a pop quiz, validating the project results.<< Results >>The main outcomes of the project are the intangible outcomes in form of capacity building in regards to working with conspiracy theories among youth workers and increasing critical thinking and critical media literacy among young people. The project will supply youth workers with new skills, knowledge and methods on how to work with young people, critical thinking and media literacy connected to conspiracy theories. This will be achieved by four tangible project results:Result 1: Mapping of conspiracy theories in Europe is a PDF document that will be available online and for downloading. The result will map the situation of conspiracy theories in Europe related to young people. Including, 1. A list of prevalent conspiracy in Europe 2. Young people’s media and news usage connected to conspiracy theories and 3. Outlining youth workers' capacity in relation to critical thinking/critical media literacy and conspiracy theories.Result 2: The E-Book for youth workers on critical thinking and conspiracy theories will be available online and for downloading. The e-book is a resource for youth workers in better understanding how conspiracy theories relate to each other, how social media and media consumption interacts with forming opinions, psychological input in why people believe in conspiracy theories and why critical thinking and critical media literacy is the best weapons for preventing conspiracy theories. Result 3: The Toolbox with critical thinking and critical media literacy exercises includes a minimum of 24 interactive, informal, and non-formal exercises for youth workers to implement with young people. The learning exercises all focus on increasing the level of critical thinking and critical media literacy among youth.Result 4: E-platform with exercises in critical thinking and critical media literacy provides a slick educational platform that combines PR 1, 2, 3 with a well-known tool like the magazine-style Pop Quiz and using the results to target a tailored and framed video response.

The European Mobility Advisor (EMA) is a youth worker (paid employee or volunteer) specialized inadvising young people willing to go abroad (mainly in EU countries) for a learning experience, eitherby studying, working or volunteering. The EMAs deliver mobility guidance, defined as a range ofactivities that enables young people to make mobility decisions related to study, working,volunteering and to manage their staying abroad. The EMAs play a fundamental role in promotingmobility abroad and assuring mobility is a fruitful experience for the youths, however this role /occupation has not been standardized at EU level and there are no tools to assess the competenceof those working in this role. The competence of youth workers, including the ones working as EMAsis a constant concern for the European Commission considering that in many European countriesthey: • comes from heterogeneous backgrounds, especially among volunteers • don’t hold formalqualifications for working with youths • are mainly trained by the organizations employing them, asformal and not formal training programs are scarce • don’t have the possibility to see their expertisevalidated. This project will improve the current situation by mapping the competence profile of theEMA at European level, and by developing a methodology for assessment of their competence calledExpertise checkup, a E-training course for assessors, a European certification and a Europeanregister for assessors and EMAs that have passed the Checkup. The description of the Competenceprofile of the youth educator working with EMAs will be based on ECVET, and the checkup on theEuropean Council recommendation on validation of non-formal and informal learning and to theEuropean Guidelines for Validating Not Formal and Informal Learning developed by CEDEFOP. Theconsortium is composed by organizations working with youth mobility in FR, LV, SK, IT, PL, and canrely on a wide European network. Approximately over 400 EMAs will be involved in the project andover 10.000 EMAs and other members of target groups will be informed about the project. Long termbenefits will be the professionalization of the EMAs, and delivery of better quality mobility guidance.