<< Background >>The two-year long strategic partnership project is implemented by Hungarian and Romanian public employment bodies, a Spanish and Hungarian higher education institution, a German community college, Estonian and Hungarian vocational training institution also providing adult education, and an Estonian private company facilitating the implementation of industrial digitalisation.The Fourth Industrial Revolution, the digitisation poses increasing challenges for adult education as well, across Europe. In order to better address the more and more tangible workforce shortage, new ways should be sought in training that is adapted to participants, taking into account their skills structure when combining the various methods and teaching materials applied in education.During the pandemic, adult training courses across Europe were partly organised in a digital work schedule. We have found that disadvantaged, low-skilled adults have been able to engage in this form of training with little efficiency in the absence of appropriate technical tools and digital competences. Research conducted by the coordinator institution among educators and experts in adult education, and among adults participating in training has also confirmed that the lack of digital competences for disadvantaged adults, and the deficiencies of modern educational methodologies of training providers are a barrier to the digital switchover of adult education. New demand has emerged in education professionals for the digital competence development of adults, and for learning about new approaches - applicable in adult education - that effectively apply the achievements of digitalisation, as well as for renewing their methodological toolkit. We looked at the situation of the 4 partner countries, reviewed local research and professional materials on the subject. According to feedback from partner organisations – although to varying degrees - this problem is identified everywhere, as well as the need for the methodological development of professionals engaged in adult education. In order to meet common needs, the partnership has decided to implement a project in international cooperation, in the adult education sector in line with the Digital Transformation priority.In adult education – from an employment policy perspective – the need for the development of digital knowledge emerges in two different target groups. Due to the renewal of technologies, a large number of professionals working in companies are in need to renew their knowledge, at the same time, the knowledge of disadvantaged available labour force (including the inactive and the unemployed) also need to be improved in order to be able to work in the digitised working environment. The system of services and aids operated by the employment organisations, including the system of demand-driven labour market trainings, shall be continuously developed. Adult education providers must be prepared to provide education supported by modern teaching methods and digital tools that take into account individual needs and prior knowledge. In order to improve the efficiency of the professional activities of the partner organisations, it is necessary to develop the specific competence of staff in the field. The members of the partnership also want to contribute to the higher quality of the work of staff by providing more qualified human resources to achieve our strategic goals. In the professional further training system of the partner organisations, learning about innovative methods applied on the international stage is a priority. We would also like to increase the quality and efficiency of the organisations’ professional activities by integrating them into the operation. The Erasmus+ programme has created the possibility for this.<< Objectives >>The main objective of the project is to ensure that partner organisations can expand their toolbox of methods for developing adult digital competences and digital awareness through learning from each other. Partner organisations share the methods they apply in the provision of services/guidance for adults with low digital skills, in determining the level of digital competence and its recognition in studies, the wide use of digital tools in adult education, the preparation of trainers for digital education, in differentiated (e.g.: adults of different generations, therefore with different digital skills structures) teaching methods. Our further goal is to network organisations that are stakeholders in adult learning and employment; strengthen cooperation, and this way exchange experience in the operation of local cooperation systems.Employment organisations do not organise trainings, but participation is supported through complex labour market programmes (including services and training aid). The aid is awarded to the jobseekers, and in case of the employed, to the employer. They operate a demand-driven labour market training system; trainings for qualifications that meet the needs of the labour market are implemented by officially licensed adult education institutions cooperating with them.One important element of labour market trainings is the development of basic skills, including digital skills – required both for learning and employment - for people in employment and for jobseekers. Low-skilled adults can only join higher levels of education matching employers’ needs after catching-up. However, the success of access to learning opportunities also depends on the quality of counselling. By implementing the project, employment bodies want to contribute to better addressing demand and supply needs in the labour market through developing human resources, renewing existing methodologies, integrating innovative approaches into day-to-day work of their staff and the organisation. The development of basic skills, including digital competences in adults, and the application of modern methods (including digital teaching methods and tools) facilitating differentiated teaching (taking into account the needs of adults with different skills and motivation levels, and of different age groups) require specific teacher competences and preparedness. The two Hungarian, the German, the Spanish and the Estonian partner organisations are adult education providers, thus, from their point of view, an important objective for the dissemination of digital education is to increase the capacity of their institutions to use digital technology, improve the methodological training of their teaching professionals and to improve the effectiveness of counselling in order to utilise the benefits of innovation. By implementing the project - from the point of view of adult education providers - we would like to achieve the increase of methodological knowledge of adult education professionals in the field of digital skills development and digital awareness development of adults, as well as in education that can match the needs of adults of different backgrounds and utilise the achievements of digitalisation.<< Implementation >>The further training of experts of the partner organizations is provided through professional exchange of experience, and learning from each other, which is realized in transnational meetings. There will be a total of 5 partner meetings in 5 countries with all partner organizations participating. During the meetings in addition to performing project management tasks, good practices applied by the host institution and its partners are always presented. Practices are to be presented in a practice-oriented manner; in addition to the transfer of theoretical knowledge, the participants also meet the implementers of the given programme and the training participants. After the partner meetings the participants present the good practices they learnt in a professional report and their proposals for the applicability. Reports are to be in English and shared within the partnership, and presented at the next partner meeting. The quality of implementing the partner meeting is assessed by the participants in a questionnaire. The Questionnaire Survey provides feedback, which is considered during the preparation of the next partnership meeting.After the partnership meetings each partner begins internal dissemination activity within its organization. The staff participating in the meetings will work together with colleagues responsible for the management and coordination of professional activities in the project field. Taking into account the legislation and operation requirements, partners analyse the applicability of the given best practice. If a practice or its elements are considered applicable to be incorporated into the operation of the partner organisations the practice will be tested. Colleagues working in the field of the project, who did not attend the meeting, are also involved in this process. We intend to motivate them to participate in innovation during Information Days.If a good practice is considered suitable to be adapted in inter-organizational cooperation as well, we will also propose methods to be tested with the involvement of partner organizations cooperating with at national level, and discuss the application of the method.We strive to pay special attention to evaluate the project objectives, activities undertaken, and the project progress. Methods and tools of evaluation are set in documents developed in the preparatory phase of the project, such as the Organisational and Operational Rules, Work Programme, Risk Management Plan, Dissemination and Communication Strategy. In the implementation phase, the preparation of the professional products of the project and quality control of the products are supported by guidelines and criteria. Documents ensuring the appropriate quality of the project are always discussed and adopted at the partner meetings.During the project implementation we will measure the impact of the project. On the one hand, this will be done by applying the expected impacts defined by the partner organizations in the preparatory phase to the indicators assigned to the impacts. According to local possibilities each partner intends to test one best practice. In case of trial, before the end of the project - on the basis of pre-agreed guidelines - each partner prepares a summary about the result of testing, including any proposals for further improvements.Project results will be disseminated continuously outside the partnership as well. The partner organizations implementing the project will also directly inform the local organizations they work closely with in the field of the project about the project results through their cooperation channels. Each partner keeps its target audience and interested parties informed on its own website. The partner organizations' websites will also include project press materials, a general description of the project, contact details of the partners, interim results and the main products of the project. We also use the EPALE platform in the dissemination.<< Results >>In the Brochure of best practices two good practices per partner countries including the experiences and results of their operations will be presented. The collection presents methods that will be relevant in the future, lasting and valid in the post-project period, and can be integrated into the adult education system of any country.In the professional material prepared as the other main product of the project, we will propose a framework for in-service training - applicable at the EU level - ensuring the methodological preparation of the professionals participating in adult education (training organizers, educators, curriculum developers). The framework includes required learning results necessary for the development of digital competences and the application of differentiated teaching methods. We strive to that the professional material can be the base of developing further training programmes in any European countries. The partner organizations will make a proposal on what improvements they consider necessary in their country after the project period, taking into account their country's adult education system, the needs of their own organization and the shortcomings in this professional field, as well as the experience gained during implementation. The development proposals are made for policy makers, adult education and other relevant institutions. In the Project Impact Summary, we present the effects of the project implementation on the partner organizations.These documents will be accessed by the public in electronic form and downloaded without any restriction. Products will be available on the website of the project partners and both on the EPALE and Project Result platform.By implementing the project at local level we expect that each partner organisation will incorporate a good practice and methods learnt from the partners into its operation and, through them, into the work of organizations that still work closely with them on the project topic.Using innovative methods can contribute to the digital competence development of adults and thus to their access to higher level trainings, and to completion of these training programmes in a more effective way. This can result that the number of dropouts decrease and adults can acquire knowledge in higher quality and thus they can be integrated or return to the labour market as well as they will be able to keep their work placements.Through the professional dissemination of the project results by the project partner in a wide range, results can be built into the work of institutions operating in geographically remote areas carrying out the same activities so that results can be of great use in a wide geographical area. The methods collected will be available to all interested organizations and professionals, can be applied in any Member State and adapted according to local rules.Results of the project will also be shared with policy makers in the partner countries and thus, as a social impact of the project, changes in legislation and modifications in regulatory in the partner countries may allow good practices to be incorporated into work processes.As a social impact in a long-term we expect that the digital awareness of inhabitants will increase, adult education institutions will organize their trainings in a more effective and flexible way according to individual needs and using a combination of traditional presence-based and digitally-supported absentee educationIn terms of partners good practices shared during the partner meetings can generate more and new project ideas, and as set out in the development proposals, the preparation of another innovative project proposal may begin in the post-project period.