"Ongoing changes in the world of work and the growing demand for career guidance are leading funders and stakeholders to rethink the ""traditional"" modes of delivery. While new technologies are often seen as an essential factor for optimizing and improving access to career guidance services, experiences show questionable efficiency of algorithmic and self-service approaches to e-guidance. At the same time, the lack of evidence-based research limits the development of innovative and effective blended counseling solutions (see ""Overview of Key Developments in the Use of ICT in Lifelong Guidance"", Vuorinen R., Kettunen J. , 2017). Moreover, the current models of services encounter limits in terms of personalization of service (structured diagnosis of the situation of the beneficiaries and definition of learning objectives of guidance), identification and recognition of informal learning, transversal skills and soft skills (particularly with regard to increasingly irregular career paths) and support for entrepreneurship (in its ""human capital"" dimension). The purpose of the project is to reinforce, in an innovative and practical way, the power to act of individuals by acting on two levers: autonomy and valorization. Autonomy of a person is linked to the work on career management skills, including within the context of a career goal that includes entrepreneurship. The valorization (open badge) is done by taking into account of the informal and transversal socio-emotional competences (soft skills). The project aims to create the tools and methods of a career guidance acting on these two levers by integrating digital into a systemic multimodal (blended) approach based on the principles of flipped learning. Methodologically, the project will meet this objective by producing the following intellectual outputs: O1 - State of the art: Comparative study of digital practices in career guidance and perception of users (typology and mapping of existing tools and resources, conditions for success) O2 - Methodology for co-constructing of a personalized guidance pathway based on career management skills (research report, set of indicators and method for situation analysis and co-definition of learning objectives of guidance) O3- Handbook to support the ""human capital"" dimension of entrepreneurship career goal (indicators of entrepreneurial skills, method of diagnosis and blending career guidance with technico-economic advising) O4 - Elaboration of a career guidance guide for the design of a ""multimodal (blended) learning path"" (pedagogical tools, technical and content specifications) O5 - Collection of pedagogical content, tools and techniques of multimodal professional guidance O6- Elaboration of a certification soft skills and informal learning (based on open badges approach) 07 - Implementation / test kit for the prototype version of the multimodal career guidance model O8 - Consolidated model of multimodal career guidance The consortium is composed of 5 partners: 2 national networks (National Federation of CIBC - France, ZKPRK - Association for Career Guidance and Career Development - SK), one European network (European Federation of Centres of Career Guidance and Bilan de Compétences) and 2 centers of bilan de compétences/skills audit (CIOFS - IT, LEA - BE). LEA is also a research laboratory in Applied Ergology and will provide a scientific perspective to the developments of outputs. Deliverables will be developed based on research and European good practices in the use of ICT in career guidance (O1), career management skills (O2), entrepreneurial skills (O3) and soft skills (O6), in order to design tools that are easily integrable into existing guidance practices. From these elements, a multimodal educational path will be developed (O4), implemented (O5) and tested (O7, O8) by 24 consultants with 330 beneficiaries in 4 countries. An impact study is planned during the test phase to validate the prototype model and provide the guidance community with evidence for further development of blended delivery of career guidance. The deliverables will be developed with the aim of a quick and easy integrability by the consultants and the centers (instructions for use, tutorials ...). Resources will be freely available on the open licensed project website as specified. Through dissemination activities, these tools will be presented to stakeholders in partner countries and in Europe with the desired effect of taking into account the current issues of career guidance and further stimulate innovative practices."

"Disparity in financial literacy among European citizens represents a big challenge for the EU. Any commercial, economic or social action (i.e. study loans, paying taxes, taking up employment, starting an enterprise, signing a rent contract, starting a mortgage) requires basic financial competencies that many people lack. This becomes especially problematic for adults, as this lack of knowledge becomes a real obstacle to plan their economic life and achieve entrepreneurial objectives (to start a new business, business loans and relations with investors).Financial literacy programmes target children or highly educated young in almost all EU States but are not able to reach adults, households and NEETs, facing more barriers in learning such subjects. The rising complexity of the financial system and of the connection in the economy has hampered the capacity of every EU citizen in the field of economic decisions. This, in turn, damages the economy discouraging people, in particular those with a low skilled background, when dealing with financial and credit institutions or with the entrepreneurial world. Thus, financial literacy education sits at the heart of any solid economic system for Europe, because education is key to shaping people’s mind-set, attitudes and skills. Finally, it is important to educate about the so-called “legal economy”. In fact, above all in the rural areas, uneducated or low-skilled people often address to informal or “black financial market” fostering illegal practices and exposing themselves to risks, such as usury or fraud.The project objective will be engaging this target groups and educating them on financial themes will impact in their live and support them in the understanding of financial activities. The project aims to close the financial literacy gap revealed by past European Projects and pointed out in significant publications by institutions like the OECD and EBF, with specific attention dedicated to the target group through a high quality Educational methodology applied to the financial education sector. Moreover the project wants to take a further step on. In fact, a key element for proper financial education is the provision of fundamental tools to recognize the illegal conduct on the part of the ""suppliers"" of services, necessarily related to financial choices in daily or working life. ICT tools will be developed not only for improve training methodologies but also to provide a useful tool to understand basic financial and economic mechanisms.The project will involve representatives of the following target groups:Unemployed/NEETs, households, professional (mostly freelances) workers and in general all low skilled people who feel the need to learn more about the financial world. Besides, a wide range of stakeholders will be involved such as trainers, financial and banking field and law enforcement representatives.For this reason, the general objectives of this project will be:- To increase the financial literacy of adults;- To increase the ability of the mentioned target groups to deal with daily or life economic/financial decisions;- To increase the ability of the target group about how to start a business and to cope with the related issues;- To educate to the so-called “legal economy” above all in the rural and less-developed areas;- To increase the ability of the target groups to recognize financial “misconducts” to make right their financial or economical choices;- To develop innovative education practices, with a particular attention to the methodology and the development of educational ICT tools, such as smartphone apps.The Intellectual Output that will result from the activity of the partnership will be: IO1: Legal economy training module.IO2: Training platform and App.IO3: Practical guide for informed and safe financial choices.Teaching/Learning activities aim at supporting the assessment of methodologies, training material and ICT tools developed in FAIRLY project. They will allow generating innovation on financial and anti-fraud skills and dissemination of FAIRLY results. A learning activity is the most accurate way to test the efficacy of the developed training material and of the FAIRLY platform. The outcome of the learning activity can give the chance to consolidate the methodology and to offer a valid training system for the sustainability of the project.This project brings together several partners from different sectors and countries, including Chamber of Commerce, Adult edu providers, banking system companies and expert companies to prevent, detect and investigate frauds, corruption and unethical business behaviours. In detail the partners will be: Italian Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce (Luxembourg), CBE (Belgium), DomSpain (Spain), VEDA (Bulgaria), Hibis (Norway), CIOFS-FP Piemonte (Italy). The project will last 24 months and it will organize 4 project meeting and 6 multiplier events."

The project “Future skills for a better life in Sustainable Salons”, working title ‘Green Salon 2.0’, tries to transfer the ideas and knowledge on sustainability and environment through information, a simplified standard, education and training to students, schools, salons, employees and other stakeholders in the hair & beauty sector. Besides providing insight into sustainability the project also aims to give an image on the profile of a hairdresser in 2030 from the viewpoint of sustainability, technology and entrepreneurial skills. Context:The hairdressing sector in Europe employs more than one million people across 400.000 hairdressing salons, receiving 350 million potential customers. Hairdressing (and barbering) services, together with beauty treatment - the hair & beauty sector as it is called, form the personal services sector. Over the last years the sector has gone through a great deal of changes. The sector often has more affinity with knowledge about their profession than with other aspects of business. Attention to labour, sustainability, environment, health & safety, marketing and services are success factors for the future. A lot of these aspects you could share under the label: sustainability & future oriented skills.Objectives:In this project we will combine the sustainable ideas through education and training with innovative ideas within the sector. The educational products we want to generate during the process will include workshops on sustainability and trends, teaching materials for schools and extracurricular education about sustainability in the 'sustainable' hair salon. We start with the development of a profile of a hairdresser and its competences (sustainability, technology, entrepreneurship) in 2030; Parallel we will develop a simplified low threshold system on sustainability/environment (label) for schools (salon). Simultaneously we will work on a self-assessment internet tools on competence level and measuring the gap on profile and future competences and the gap of the level towards the sustainability system; specific learning material on sustainability/environment focussed on the sector and awareness tools to use in VET and salons to use in communication with employees and clients on the subjects. Against this background, co-financing of this proposed project by the EU would enable the participating partners to develop knowledge and tools that can easily be implemented by schools and used in salons throughout Europe on an easy accessible level.What and how:In the project we gather facts through an inventory of the hairdresser's competencies in 2030, the desired situation in a sustainable salon focused on environmental aspects (core of a simple standard), competences needed and research on 2 self-assessment tools to map the current situation on: 1. competence level and measuring the gap on profile and future competences and 2. the gap of the level towards the sustainability system on environment and sustainability in schools (salon). The outcomes will be discussed with experts and will be input for the self-assessment tools, the learning material on environment in a sustainable salon and awareness material on sustainability. The 2 multiplier events are planned to share results and to generate commitment and remarks from stakeholders. The project works with a final sector conference with student participation along the project. Results and impact:We will communicate through a brochure, articles, press releases, a project website and the final conference in Italy, on the results of the entire project. By informing and searching for interaction with students, teachers and policy makers, we want to take steps towards more sustainability. Vocational education is in close contact with the companies in the local community and can open doors to changes in the industry. Therefore, activities will be organized with students, employees and employers in the partner countries. Students and teachers are actively involved in the activities in each country. To demonstrate through this project, we in Europe need to act sustainably in the sector in a striking way.Long term:The effect of working sustainable in a ‘Sustainable or green salon’ bottom line is reducing risks and have more pleasure and satisfaction on the work spot. Sustainability creates less environmental damage, less waste and a better, healthier use of materials and resources, a more controlled use of energy and water, more sustainable choices in investing in equipment, less problems with health & safety and a higher level of customer experience and employee satisfaction. This all has to be managed by a salon owner or self-employed hair & beauty specialist with the right future oriented skills. In this way the salon can, in the long run, be more profitable and competitive. This requires good education and training in regular VET and non-formal education, accessible to people who are already working in the sector.

"<< Background >>The COVID-19 pandemic, by restricting movement and forcing the closure of cultural heritage sites/institutions, has strongly affected the entire cultural sector, which is now struggling to try to recover.The fruition of culture has come to a turning point: it requires the design and implementation of innovative practices, new forms of promotion, communication, access and transmission of knowledge. This change of perspective involves also the definition of a new vision, related the environmental issue: cultural institutions must increasingly act as a bridge connecting Nature, Culture and the Environment. With respect to these challenges, a new, correct and mature use of digital tools is essential.A precondition for this to concretely happen is to promote a multidisciplinary VET education, which includes the natural, human and digital sciences, necessary to train and forge renewed professional figures able to help address the challenges of the cultural sector. DIGICULT offers an innovative e-learning pathway, based on digital tools and focused on cultural heritage, with the aim of developing disciplinary, key and life skills, improving learners’ key competences as summarized in the recommendations of the European Commission and the European Council: communication in the mother tongue, communication in foreign languages, digital expertise, social, civic and environmental competences, initiative and entrepreneurship, cultural awareness.This e-learning pathway can motivate learners with reference also to young people at risk of leaving school since it transforms their knowledge and passion for digital tools (such as video games or social media) and their increasing environmental sensitivity into skills useful for their professional future. Trainers/teachers can experience a new mixed teaching approach that integrates digital, foreign languages and learning-through-practice.The DIGICULT project, in pursuing this educational pathway and being centred on a new cultural paradigm, is coherent with some SDGS - Sustainable Development Goals - set by the United Nations 2030 Agenda:Goal 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all;Goal 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls;Goal 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all;Goal 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patternsGoal 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.DIGICULT will promote these goals through promoting:- a formative / cultural narration that takes into account the environmental context of cultural heritage;- an e-learning pathway aimed at deepening some SDGS - Sustainable Development Goals, the concepts of ecological and digital transition, the new dimension of cultural heritage;- a game aimed at providing both quality education / services and digitization / innovation in cultural institutions.- a conscious and environmentally friendly cultural consumption pattern (e.g. cultural events with low environmental impact).Furthermore, the DIGICULT project will take place in a context characterized by the ""New European Bauhaus"" strongly promoted by the European Commission to strengthen the links between the world of culture and creativity and the world of production, science and technology, to guide the ecological transition pursued by the Green New Deal and the New Generation of the EU. DIGICULT involves:• 6 European country with strong expertise in the cultural heritage, educational and digital fields.• VET learners - young people (14-30 years old) attending training courses.• VET learners - trainers involved in training courses.<< Objectives >>The project wants to achieve the development of new competences, thanks to an innovative educational pattern conceived as a replicable model, up to the challenges of the cultural sector: the design and implementation of innovative practices, new forms of promotion, communication, access and transmission of knowledge based on the assumptions of digital and green transition.DIGICULT, in coherence with Council Recommendation on vocational education and training for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience and the Digital Education Action Plan, focuses on synergies between cultural heritage and digital education in VET considering the following key factors:• COVID-19 crisis has brought greater awareness of the need to improve the use of technology both in VET and cultural heritage sectors;• living and learning cultural heritage has to continue to be a source of resilience, even if enjoyed at a distance, as young and adult people continue to draw inspiration, joy and solidarity;• changing labour market underlines the need to provide innovative learning methods and to empower guidance services in order to facilitate agile adaptation to new labour market requirements;• VET trainers and learners need to perform new roles in the digital era in order to be resilient and future-ready for their personal and professional life.<< Implementation >>The project consists of 3 phases, supervised through a continuous evaluation activity. Every phase is divided in activities, aiming to address specific tasks and achieve precise project results.Phase 1 TOWARDS AN INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM FOR THE CULTURAL HERITAGE DIGITAL EDUCATION•Project Result 1 DIGITAL CULTURAL HERITAGE: AN INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM- the definition of the training methodology for the pilot course (Act 1.1)- the developing of the strategy on how to welcome different learners (Act 1.2)Phase 2 IMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATION OF THE E-LEARNING DIGICULT PATHWAY•Project Results DIGICULT E-LEARNING PATHWAY AND VALIDATION- the creation of the content of the training modules identify as relevant in new digital, methodological and relational competences (Act 2.1)- the development of digital educational resources (Act 2.2)- the piloting of e-learning Pathway and validation report (Act 2.3+ Act 2.4)Phase 3 CREATION OF THE DIGICULT EDUCATIONAL GAME•Project Result DIGICULT EDUCATIONAL GAME- the design and the realization of DIGICULT educational game (Act 3.1 + Act 3.2).The project methodology aims to maximize the involvement of the learners alternating meeting and practical activities, allowing participants to immediately put into practice the skills acquired through fruitful discussion with participants of other countries.The use of digital tools like e-learning platform, social networks, the creation of digital outputs (e.g. the design of a virtual game) will help increase their practical involvement and boost the expertise useful for their professional development.In order to ensure a long-term DIGICULT sustainability, the consortium ensures the all the educational resources, materials and tools developed will remain at disposal of partners and public on an open-source platform. This platform will be linked to partner's websites and its impact will be multiplied thanks to their diffusion (through promotion and dissemination) and use in different contexts and situations.<< Results >>DIGICULT wants to cope with the changing ways of culture fruition and at the same time to safeguard access to contents by all. This implies to improve the use of technology in VET, to adapt pedagogies and develop digital skills, to encourage greater interaction with technology and more efficient learning and teaching practices, the use of alternative learning channels, equally inclusive, but capable of being flexible and adaptable to the new context. Since the cultural place is an educational place, this must be experienced (and therefore narrated) in an engaging and memorable way.DIGICULT offers an innovative e-learning pathway with the aim of developing disciplinary, key and life skills, improving learners’ key competences as summarized in the recommendations of the European Commission and the European Council: communication in the mother tongue, communication in foreign languages, digital expertise, social and civic competences, initiative and entrepreneurship, cultural awareness.This e-learning pathway, based on digital tools and focused of cultural heritage, can motivate learners with reference also to young people at risk of leaving school - since it transforms their knowledge and passion for digital tools (such as video games or social media) into skills useful for their professional future. Trainers/teachers can experience a new mixed teaching approach that integrates digital, foreign languages and learning-through-practice. Furthermore, the collaboration with partner countries will allow recipients to acquire additional skills and to exchange views.The project is expected to have a more general impact at all levels (local, regional, national and European) mainly because:• it will strengthen digital and technological skills of ""digital natives"" learners with a specific focus on the cultural heritage, making them more aware about the impact of the digital technology in this area;• it will increase learners’ resilience by promoting and implementing competences for the digital transformation in the cultural heritage area and related processes;• it will enhance digital possibilities for learning and engaging with cultural heritage;• it will equip beneficiaries with new life, technical, pedagogical and creative skills;• it will encourage a broad and conscious use of the European cultural heritage in VET;• it will increase awareness on VET learners and trainers in the field of culture and cultural heritage.The results of the project will also represent a powerful and lasting outcome to ensure the continuity of DIGICULT after the end of the implementation phase. All project results will in fact remain at stakeholders’ disposal, in order to be useful and inspiring for future action.Indeed, the DIGICULT project wants to help achieve the SDGS - Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations 2030 Agenda (Goals 4-5-8-12-17)."