<< Background >>CONTEXT/BACKGROUNDThis project will introduce the Cities of Learning platform into several new communities: Ghent and Hoogstraten (Belgium), West Brabant, Region Rijnland, and Island Curacao (Kingdom of The Netherlands), Lisbon (Portugal). Cities of Learning promote open, accessible and inclusive learning to all.This project idea takes place in the context of digitalisation of societies, which is now additionally accelerated by the lockdowns due to the pandemic crisis. Common challenge is the lack of adult education programmes oriented towards competences and skills needed to thrive today and in the future. That’s where the 21st century skills idea originates.We refer in this application to 21st century skills, which we see as a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits and character qualities for people in ensuring well-being, civic engagement and employment. This set of skills also include digital skills and literacies necessary to harness the digital transformation. Through the work in Cities of Learning context and also the international adult education context, we will combine frameworks for 21st century skills that are recognised on world wide and on national levels: E.g. DigComp 2.0, nationally used working skills (can be different per partner country), and the World Economic Forum Top 10 skills in demand for 2022.<< Objectives >>OBJECTIVES:This project aims to achieve the following objectives:1. To map existing best practices of validating and recognising 21st century skills developed through adult education programmes.2. To exchange perspectives on how 21st century skills can be connected with existing or newly developed competence frameworks.3. To create skills assessment, validation and recognition pathways for adult education programmes focused on the 21st century skills development.4. To develop technical solutions to embed 21st century skills assessment and competence frameworks within the platform of Cities of Learning.<< Implementation >>ACTIVITIES:The project partners will map best practices in validation and recognition of the 21st century skills in participating countries, in other countries in Europe and the world. The 21st century skills are skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, information literacy, media literacy, technology literacy, flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity, social and cross-cultural skills, learning to learn, digital literacy, problem solving, and creativity.Partners of this project will create unique skills assessment, validation and recognition pathways for adult education programmes focused on 21st century skills development, which will be developed respecting different perspectives of organisational roles and countriesDuring this project we want to extend the possibilities of digital technology to improve transparency and recognition of skills, in our case 21st century skills. We want to develop the skills assessment and competency frameworks functionalities and integrate them in the platform for Cities of Learning. The assessment functionality will enable learning providers and learners to use a 360° assessment system which will combine self-assessment, external feedback from other learners, mentors and supervisors. The 360° assessment system will be based around a specific competence model chosen by the learning provider. The competence model can be aligned to a specific qualification framework or occupational standard.<< Results >>RESULTS:- Webinar recordings and a comprehensive report with good practices of validating and recognising 21st century skills developed through adult education programmes.- Guidelines for validation and recognition of 21st century skills in adult education programmes.- Validation and recognition pathways designed, tested and created for selected adult education programmes implemented by the project partners.- Technical solutions to implement assessment and recognition of 21st century skills using the platform of Cities of Learning.- Impact on learning and recognition of adult learners to improve their opportunities for 21st century skills validation and recognitionLONGER TERM BENEFITSOne of the most valuable results of this project will be to launch 5 localised platforms for Cities of Learning. This technical solution will be made available not only the partner organisations of this project, but also for any learning provider in participating cities. We will make sure to promote this opportunity well to our local partners and stakeholders and beyond our networks. Partners of the project will use Multiplier events to reach out to targets audiences who can make best use of Cities of Learning platform locally.Every partner delivering adult education programmes identified specific stakeholders for this project. We selected local partner organisations, institutions, and businesses which we work with for some time already. In this way we will make sure that the results of this project will be made relevant and known to important stakeholders. Validation and recognition of skills requires direct involvement of external partners to strengthen value and benefits to learners.PARTICIPANTS PROFILE:This project will involve around 300 participants. They will be adult learners, including participants with difficult backgrounds and fewer opportunities, adult education staff, managers of adult education programmes, policy and decision makers at adult education organisations.