<< Background >>*Project idea:In this age of rapid technological and economic change life-long learning is becoming a way of life but the COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges to all types and levels of learning including vocational education training (VET) and adult learning in general. On a more negative note, a great number of adult education programmes have stopped due to the crisis meaning that learning has been disrupted for many adult learners. This is impacting the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups in society more prominently - all the more so as they are the ones most in need of face-to-face courses. Cedefop’s findings show that vulnerable groups are women, older employees, migrants, those lacking basic skills, low-qualified and low-educated adults. Also, the learning provided in the workplace delivered online, which is no longer taking place given that workers are not present in the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a digitalisation of education and rapidly pushed education and training systems to explore new ways of teaching and learning. The crisis, and its widespread impact on economies and societies globally, has also highlighted the prominent role for adult learning in a COVID-19 affected world. Within and beyond the crisis, adult learning is key in ensuring people can obtain the (new) skills and competences required in a COVID-affected labour market and society. Adult learning is increasingly seen as a potentially important ‘tool’ in the response to the crisis. However, adult learning providers and educators face multiple challenges in continuing their learning offers and adapting to the situation.*The aim of the project:Therefore the project consortium has identified the need to improve and require new skills, competencies for educators and other adult education staff. Specifically the aim of the project: to enhance the digital and teaching skills and competencies of the adult learning providers, VET providers, and educators required in the digital age, as well as allow them to face the multiple challenges needed for a Covid affected society and continuing their learning offers and adapting to the new situation.Through this project, we want to directly help the adult educators, or the wannabe adult educators to learn how the adults learn online – and at a distance, the VET providers and all the institutions of adult education to make the transition to distance learning.Also, we want indirectly help the persons in disadvantaged and vulnerable positions ( low skills adults, women, immigrants, elders, unemployed, etc.) Participation in learning throughout each person’s working life is crucial and must continue through the COVID-19 era even with online distance learning. It helps maintain existing work-related skills and acquire new in-demand ones (OECD, 2019). In particular, training will be important for the increased number of unemployed to gain skills that are likely to be in high demand in the post-COVID‑19 world. Yet, today, only about 40% of adults, on average in OECD countries, participate in formal and non-formal job-related2 training annually and they are disproportionately high-skilled. Among the low-skilled, the incidence of adult learning is just over 20% on average (OECD, 2019). Lack of time, scheduling conflicts and distance constraints are among the key barriers reported by those who do not undertake any training, along with a lack of financial resources. Online learning has the potential to address these barriers to training.*Project target group: The project’s target group is primarily the educators, i.e. groups of people who are responsible for vocational education and training, ideally, to bring about sustainable change. This group of persons includes, for example, trainers of instructors, instructors in companies, head of the department, institution leader, consultants, mentors and in inter-company training centers as well as teachers of vocational schools.<< Objectives >>The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges to all types and levels of learning including vocational education and training (VET), adult learning, etcWith the current global crisis caused by COVID-19 and the education and training system paralised in Europe, learning continuity may only be ensured thanks to educators and educators digital skills, flexibility and creativity to develop and use creative solutions with online resources. Unfortunately, not all educators and trainers are equally prepared. In a profession exercised predominantly in its traditional format, where personal interactivity and proximity are essential, social distancing certainly poses new roles and challenges for VET trainers, educators, mentros, etc. The online learning environments require them to demonstrate high-quality digital delivery skills, knowing about data security issues, digital tools, confidence in using web conferencing solutions, etc. it is vital to protect and support the education and training system, within and beyond the crisis, adult learning is key in ensuring people can obtain the (new) skills and competences required in a COVID-affected labour market and society.Therefore the project consortium has identified the need to improve and require new skills, competencies for educators and other adult education staff. Specifically the aim of the project: to enhance the digital and teaching skills and competencies of the adult learning providers, VET providers, and educators are required in the digital age and allow them to face the multiple challenges needed for a Covid affected society, continue their learning offers, and adapt to the new situation.In the last decades ( it is an EU EU 2020 goal of 15% of learners’ participation in lifelong learning) life-long learning has become a way of life and it is vital to maintain that and to overcome the barriers of the COVID crisis. *Specifically the objectives of the project are:In this project, they will discover how to use the newest educational methods to create a learner-centered classroom and online classroom that's perfectly suited for adult learners.•First, they will be introduced to adult learners' unique needs and motivations and find out just what expectations they have. •After that, they will examine their learners' different learning styles and multiple intelligences and look at how they can teach to each learner's strengths.•Next, they will delve into a host of innovative teaching techniques that will turn their adult learners into active learners and set them up for success. They will discover high-tech, low-tech, and no-tech educational tools they can use to capture and hold their students' attention.•They learn how to design their materials effectively and their courses. They will also explore a wide range of assessments and how to grade them. Finally, they will learn how making your classroom accessible and enjoyable for students with disabilities*Skills the educator will learn•Designing online training activities•Design online assessment•Supporting diverse learners online•Teaching online•Selecting learning technologies•Developing persuasive arguments•Design online courses<< Implementation >>1. Management and coordination includes all tasks related with the administrative management and coordination of the project and partnership. 2. Communication, dissemination and exploitation, includes all activities related with the communication of the project outside the partnership, multiplier events aiming dissemination and strategies for the exploitation of the IO and sustainability of the results after the end of the project3. Monitoring, evaluation and quality management will include activities aiming to follow the project development, achievement of goals and indicators, identification of constraints, obstacles and delays and implementation of corrective measures in order to ensure the success of the project. *The partners focused on the development of innovation, from which will result Intellectual Outputs are: 1. EduAdult self-assessment tool and training course 2. The mobile application, the key output of the project, aiming to deliver a completely autonomous self-assessment, learning platform and contents to the final user 3. Finally, the Piloting will aim to experiment the training course and mobile app with the final users. *Across these IOs PMI will be carried out related with: • Management and coordination of the project, including administrative, financial and reporting activities;• Development and implementation of the communication strategy and exploitation planning, including preparation of communication materials, dissemination of information, animation of social network pages, preparation of scientific papers;• Involvement of key stakeholders, including the creation of the LAG• Development of tools, implementation of monitoring and evaluating activities and preparation of reports to support decision making by the partnership;• Preparatory work for the pilot phase, including, preparation of privacy policies, involvement and follow up of participants, preparation and implementation of piloting evaluation;• Development of sustainability plan, including the exploitation and IPR agreements;• Administrative support to IO development;• Management of participants and stakeholder engagement• Management of translation process.<< Results >>Within the project 2 types of results are expected during the project implementation and on its completion:1) direct outputs of the project implementation will be:To achieve the objectives of the project, the partnership will develop 3 IOs:1.1 - IO1 The EduAdult curriculum for vet providers (The aim of the syllabus is to define the framework for developing of the training content in the application under the IO3. )1.2 - IO2: The EduAdult Handbook and Self-assessment tool1.3 - IO3: The EduAdult learning application for adult educators Each partner will be responsible involved in the creation of content Training digital materials, which will be divided into 5 thematic parts: Each part will be coordinated by another partner:1.Skills / characteristics of an adult educator2.Teaching methods and techniques3.Digital tools of distance learning 4.Cultural awareness 5.Designing online teaching and learning activities, courses, and assessment1.3. Multiplier events – each partner will carry out an information seminar where project, its aim and activities implemented in its region will be presented, at least 40 people and 80 people the lead parnter will bepresent (240 altogether)2) outcomes achieved through the implementation of the project:- Prepared basis for establishing online distance learning courses- Developed innovative educational materials with very relevant and actual topics, important for educators and VET teachers,- Better educational preparation for new educators and VET teachers in the distance learning- New knowledge gained from neighbouring regions and also from regionAll results (intellectual outputs, multiplier events and training activities) are described in bellow parts of the proposal.

Ensuring girls and women have equal access to STEAM education and ultimately STEAM careers is an imperative from the human rights, scientific, and development perspectives. Equality in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (E-STEAM) focuses on primary, junior and upper-secondary, teachers, student teachers by developing a gender-sensitive interdisciplinary approach in class. It addresses the underrepresentation of girls in STE(A)M (Science, , Technology, Art, Engineering and Mathematics) who will be the future women in STE(A)M careers. EIGE’s study on the economic benefits of gender equality (2017a) shows that reducing gender segregation in STEM education alone could lead to an additional 1.2 million jobs in the EU. These jobs are estimated to occur mostly in the long term, however, as employment is likely to be affected only after new women STEM graduates choose to work in the STEM fields. In parallel, higher productivity associated with these STEM jobs is likely to result in higher wages for newly graduated women – affecting the gender pay gap as well as income and living standards of women, men, children and their extended families (European Parliament, 2015a). To treat one group preferentially based on gender is seen as morally wrong; it seems downright irresponsible to ignore half the population when there is a skill shortage. Whatever argument you choose: ethical, pragmatic or philosophical it is clear that the STEAM fields cannot continue to ignore and be under representative of such a huge sector of the population at European level What prevents girls from choosing STEAM? Most of all cultural traditions and stereotypes. Stereotypes are insidious things and can manifest themselves in various ways, but one of the most damaging ways stereotypes can affect girls is through the implicit biases carried by their teachers. The project aims to: -establish synergies among schools and the labour market towards creative and meaningful engagement of girls in STEAM education (through a mentoring programme) - develop a virtual platform as a resource hub for practical and innovative learning solutions complementing schools’ curricula - exploit and disseminate hands- on activities by promoting the use of the platform The project will target 3 groups: - Teachers and student teachers in Primary, Junior and Upper secondary education and especially teachers in STE(A)M, career advisors; - Decision makers, Policy formulators, Head teachers, school directors, teacher' training centres, representatives of regional/national and EU authorities. - Students/pupils 7+ (to engage more girls in STEAM careers). An experienced consortium has been called to design, implement and sustain E-STEAM project.The geographical and cultural area covered by the countries taking part in the project is extremely diverse. From the western traditional countries(PT,SP), eastern GR and to two recently accessed countries in European Union. Gender equality has been an issue in all these countries and the effort to persuade students and especially girls to take up Sciences will change the mentality in the family, in schools, in the communities. Six IOs were developed: IO1 - A STATE OF THE ART to identify stereotypes, taking as a starting point the collection made in each of the countries and within the partner institutions, with 48 interviews with teachers and workshops involving 86 students; IO2 - A MENTORING SCHEME that allowed female students and teachers to learn more about the STEAM professions and experience an interesting relationship with their Mentors (62 female mentors with top STEAM professions developed the mentoring program for a 121 students, using an E-STEAM IO4 platform (moodle); IO3 - A cross-curricular E-STEAM COURSE (Curriculum, Course Activities and Student Kit) was created, easily adjustable according to the needs of the teachers and built in 5 levels : primary education, Junior secondary education , Lower secondary education, Secondary education, Upper-Secondary Education, and Post Secondary Education - Pre-Teachers, with guidance. and experiential methods. The training program was adapted to the digital teacher training platform E-STEAM IO4 (Athena platform) where the online Course for 80 teachers, during IO5 - PILOT AND CASCADING, which put ideas into practice and collected information to improve the Program. All of these IOs need EXPLORATION, which can be found in IO6, with the contribution of partners and the E-STEAM Support Board. If we add all the participants in the project we reach more than 1050 participants and indirectly at least 1600 students (application of the course). E-STEAM teaching materials will be integrated into partner training offerings or as part of school curricula, optional courses and integrative activities in a more friendly way of approaching STEAM. Teachers will use and will promote IOs outside of schools, thus ensuring their long-term use and exploration.

Digital innovation continues to change every business. Therefore businesses are facing the challenge to stay ahead of the market, particularly in Europe with growing market tensions from America and Asia. This is only possible when they understand threats and opportunities which come with a fast changing business environment. To create smarter, more efficient businesses is therefore the goal for all enterprises and employees play a crucial part in the success of every business. Today, it’s often argued that flexibility helps organisations get more from their employees and teams. Many businesses now offer flexible working to help employees in this respect in their work/life balance; while some even go much further, implementing ‘‘AGILE WORKING’’ practices to enable all staff to work wherever and whenever they want, with the help of the latest technologies. Businesses and employees need to get prepared for these digital future work environments, but according to the European Commission (Digital Education Plan, Action 2 SELFIE Tool, 2018) only 20-25% of students are taught by teachers who are confident with technology use. Only with a strategic foresight in education it will be possible to create an impact on EU’s education and training systems so that they are better aligned to the needs of and opportunities offered by the labour market, closer link businesses and the community aiming at future skills’ gaps and mismatches be avoided. Through appropriate measures, educational stakeholders can proactively plan for and lead the necessary change.The project therefore aims to ANALYSE MISSING DIGITAL SKILLS of trainers and beneficiaries with the help of SELFIE which is based on the Framework for Digitally competent educational organisations (Digcomporg) developed by the European Commission. Deriving from this, the project consortium will develop a FUTURE WORK MANUAL AND TOOLBOX FOR TRAINERS which will include exercises based on the needs’ results, since only skilled trainers are able to equip (future) employees with competences they need for a digital based working environment. It will also hold implementation recommendations to better address future work skills. As a next step, to ensure an appropriate access to the future work skills for beneficiaries (defined as young adult learners from VET providers and higher educational institutions aged 16-25), the project consortium will develop a FUTURE WORK SKILLSAPP - a mobile app for this learner groups, holding also a CASE BOX FOR BENEFICIARIES with innovative exercises and learning activities. All of these will be validated in pilot activities with trainers (in a C training activity) and in work-based learning when implementing lessons learnt in their work with their learners..To sum up, the strategic partnership intends to produce outcomes, which benefit a more modern, dynamic, committed and professional environment inside organisations so that trainers get prepared to integrate new methods into daily teaching and working activities, which ultimately will benefit our beneficiaries to be equipped with future work skills as well as businesses to ensure they receive employees prepared for new work environments. The following intellectual outputs will be produced:- FUTURE WORK manual and toolbox for trainers (including exercises based on needs results and implementation recommendations to better address future work skills). - FUTURE WORK SKILLS App - a mobile app for beneficiaries (based on needs results) with case box for beneficiaries (learning activities for them).A number of dissemination events will support the consortium in their development and implementation work. Associated Partners will contribute with representatives of target audience to high quality results.

The project aims to develop a set of tools and guidelines addressed to higher education educators/professors in the field of humanities (literature, history, geography, philosophy etc.) with the goal to improve their ICT skills, teaching performance and consequently the attainment of their students and motivation. Ultimately the project seeks to renovate the classic ways of teaching humanities subjects which are the least likely to be affected by the digital transformation, yet are those that can benefit the most, bringing our cultural heritage to a stake of European economy in different field. As stated by the Working Groups on the Modernisation of Higher Education and Digital Skills and Competences last January 2017 in Malta: “Rapid technological development is transforming the way in which higher education is delivered and students participate. The diversification of the student population requires individualisation of learning, more flexible delivery and a greater focus on pedagogies that provide support for learners.”Although more academic contents and tools are becoming available openly and freely, students will continue to require local support for learning, which underlines the importance of teachers’ pedagogical skills along with field-specific competence. Teaching staff will also need stronger frameworks for assessing students’ learning outcomes as well as the value of different technologies and how or when to use them. Teaching staff needs skills in both digital pedagogy and discipline specific digital competences. Authorities and institutions should prioritise flexible approaches that allow context and discipline specific responses rather than one-size-fits-all solutions. The approach was already stated in the Framework for digitally competent educational organisation (RC 2015) which entails that “teaching and learning is ‘redesigned’ to incorporate digital technologies. Building on relevant research, the organisation promotes a diversity of technology-enabled learning and teaching practices that are flexible, adaptable and engaging”.In the context Humanities and Social Sciences ICT has a valuable role to play. It enriches student’s education and promotes the occurrence of deep and authentic learning (Gilbert & Hoepper, 2014 pp.158). Therefore, the project will investigate on the main challenges faced by teachers in humanities field, find out the most useful and practical tools available and adaptable to different subjects and provide the right training contents and tools to help teachers develop their teaching strategy adopting ICT tools.Objectives/Goals-To improve teachers’ ICT skills and competences-To provide user friendly and adaptable tools to teachers to improve their teaching performances-To improve students’ motivation and engagementTarget groupDirect: teachers of Higher Education Institutions in the field of humanities studiesActivities-Selection of practices and database of available tools-Development of the training plan and contents based on basic programming and coding skills addressed to the target group needs-Pilot test which includes also a mobility experience for teachers-Evaluation of the pilot both from the teachers and students’ point of viewExpected results-A set of guidelines on how to include ICT tools in teachers’ pedagogy-A training course on basic programming and coding for teachers-A database of tools to be used by teachers.The project consortium has been selected following the principle of having inside the partnership all the different competences to achieve project results and represent the different European cultures, thus to have enough point of views and achieve outputs with a strong potential of adaptability and transferability. Notably there are four HEIs representing the different fields of the humanities studies from UK, SI, RO, EE. Moreover, there are three different European wide network which represents the HE sectors, Geographers and Digital Education; finally, there is one technical partner which will support the partnership in developing the necessary tools.