<< Background >>Due to the ongoing DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION of the last decade and the associated changes in the professional world, the need for qualification in adult education has increased immensely. Particularly low-skilled people are disproportionately often employed in jobs that could be substituted by technologies or that are affected by changes in the job profile. For example, the World Economic Forum predicts an enormous need for adult skills training at the 2020 meeting in Davos. For Europe, it is predicted that almost every second adult will need further training within the next 5 years. Low-skilled people in particular are therefore disproportionately affected by the threat of job losses due to technological substitution or changes in job profiles and need ACCESS TO TRAINING to remain competitive in the labour market. Increasingly, training offers are being switched to distance or blended learning, a trend that has intensified in the wake of the COVID pandemic. However, it is precisely these learning opportunities that are often difficult to access for low-skilled people because they LACK VARIOUS BASIC SKILLS to be able to use these learning opportunities. The GAP between low-skilled and higher-skilled people is WIDENING, with immense consequences for the labour market and social cohesion. Therefore, it would be of great importance to integrate low-skilled learners into these new forms of learning. However, the problem is that there is a prejudice that blended learning is not suitable for low-skilled learners and, in addition, these learners very often lack the digital and cognitive skills they would need to participate in blended learning programmes.In order to close this educational gap, it is therefore important to break down this prejudice and support low-skilled learners in developing basic digital and cognitive skills, thus facilitating their access to different educational programmes - especially blended learning settings.<< Objectives >>The OVERALL GOAL of the Access2Learn project is to contribute to the INCLUSION of disadvantaged learners in all fields of education, especially in blended learning programmes. This is crucial to sustainably support low-skilled people to find a job or to keep their job even if their job profile changes.SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES of this project are:1) to draw attention to and counter the prejudice that low-qualified adult learners could not participate in blended learning programmes2) to raise awareness of the importance of developing cognitive competences for the participation at blended learning programmes3) to promote positive attitudes towards blended learning concepts 4) to support adult learners with developing the required digital and cognitive competences for blended learning5) to motivate low-skilled learners to participate at further education programmes 6) to support trainers in training low-qualified learners in blended learning settings 7) to provide trainers with different exercises and tips they can use when preparing their learners for blended learning<< Implementation >>ACTIVITIES AND METHODOLOGY:To create materials tailored to the target groups of low-qualified learners and educators who are training this group in blended learning settings, it is crucial to involve them in all activities of the project.In PR1 we will conduct FOCUS GROUPS and INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS to develop recommendations for action for decision-makers and to break down the prejudice that low-skilled learners are not suitable for blended learning. In addition, we will compile TWO QUESTIONNAIRES for adult educators and low-qualified learners to determine the competences that are needed for participating in blended learning programmes. The outputs of PR1 will be a POLICY PAPER as well as a COMPETENCE CATALOGUE which serve as basis for PR2 and PR3.In PR2 we will develop LEARNING MATERIALS and EXPLANATORY VIDEOS for low-qualified learners to support them in enhancing their digital and cognitive competences.In PR3 TRAINING MATERIALS for adult educators are developed. To assess the learners’ competences, we will develop an ASSESSMENT TOOL and additionally we support trainers in choosing appropriate learning materials for each learner by ILLUSTRATING A PROCESS for different situations. Furthermore, we compile a SEMINAR DESIGN for training low-qualified learners (on-the-job and in job-orientation) and we create a PODCAST to raise awareness for the importance of the inclusion of low-skilled people. To round it all off, we develop a HANDBOOK and GUIDANCE for trainers.NATIONAL WORKSHOPS:Within PR3 each partner organisation will organise a national workshop for adult educators who are training low-qualified adult learners in blended learning settings. Within this workshop they use the developed materials in their everyday training and proof their practicality. The feedback of this workshop is an essential part for our project.MULTIPLIER EVENTS:Each partner organization will organise a Multiplier Event with the involvement of key stakeholders to disseminate the results of this project as widely as possible.<< Results >>In this project we will realise the following three results:(1) Creation of a POLICY PAPER and a COMPETENCE CATALOGUE: In this Project Result we compile a policy paper that highlights the disadvantage of low-skilled adults in relation to blended learning and provides recommendations for decision makers to facilitate the inclusion of this group of learners in new forms of learning. In addition, we create a competence catalogue that explains the competences learners need for blended learning.(2) Development of LEARNING MATERIALS for low-qualified adult learners:Learning materials and explanatory videos for low-qualified adult learners are developed to support them in developing basic digital and cognitive competences they need for participating at blended learning programmes. The materials and videos can be used by adult educators in their trainings as well as HR managers or organisations who want to further educate their employees.(3) Development of TRAINING MATERIALS and AWARENESS BUILDING for adult educators: We develop materials and tools trainers can use when training low-qualified adults in blended learning settings. These include: an assessment tool to assess the competences of the learners and the illustration of individual learning processes in relation to the assessment tool, a seminar design in blended learning format for training on-the-job as well as for job orientation, podcast episodes for awareness building and with tipps for training low-qualified learners and a handbook with information about the interrelations of the different outputs to ensure an efficient use of all results.The Access2Learn project will have the following impacts and long-term benefits on all geographical levels:- low-qualified learners get access to and are prepared for blended learning programmes- adult learners become more motivated to participate at further educational programmes- adult educators know how they can prepare their low-qualified learners for blended learning- awareness for the importance of the development of learning competences on the part of the learners before conducting blended learning coursesThe OPEN SOURCE ACCESS to all project results will be guaranteed for at least 5 years after project end. Our aimed impact is to initiate a broad debate on the importance of the inclusion of disadvantaged learners in new formats of learning and to support as many low-qualified learners as possible in developing the required competences for successfully participating in blended learning programmes.