Studies on implementation of newly acquired skills show that without support mechanisms, learning itself does not result in knowledge & new skills being used in the workplace. A research conducted by Project Partners confirms employers and HR departments’ desire for a tool that would support implementation of training effects into the workplace. Respondents of the research agreed that such a tool, available online, would help to grow their organizations. Introduction of innovative ICT tools in continuing vocational education and training is strongly supported by European Authorities’ recommendations.The aim of ELSS project was to increase effectiveness of implementation of newly developed skills, gained during trainings, by providing an online service supporting the transfer of learning into the workplace that can be used for any classroom training, e-learning module or other forms of learning. Such a tool is of interest to Partner’s organisations (their trainers, trainees) and their target groups: employees in private & public sector, SME owners, HR departments, employers, employers’ associations but also for institutional stakeholders e.g. VET education institutions officials.2 outputs were created to reach Project aim.First, the Extended Learning Support System (ELSS),an online service supporting learning implementation. It allows to create pre- and post- learning tasksfor trainees to motivate them to learn, to secure knowledge retention and implementation of learning in practice. Through its functionalities it encourages social learning and enforces involvement of trainees’ supervisors as coaches and mentors.since as research shows they are crucial for on the job implementation of knowledge and skills inside organizations.To create the System, Partners analysed expectations of possible userspertaining to its functionalities, designed and tested the system at all development stages, applying changes when necessary. The final System version is available online free of charge in 4 language versions: English, Greek, Italian and Polish.To evaluate ELSS impact on learning implementation and provide necessary improvements, Partners needed a reference point hence communication skills e-learning course was developed - a standalone solution as well, together with pre- and post-learning tasks in ELSS for this e-learning, both in 4 languages. Together theyform the second output, ELSS with e-learning, which is now ready to be used by trainersand organizationswho want to be sure that the training on communication skills for their trainees/employees produces real, positive changes in their work.Results of ELSS evaluation confirmed that the system encourages trainees to implement learning into the workplace and increases knowledge retention and skills implementation, which was the desired, qualitative impact of the Project. As for quantitative measurement of ELSS impact, it was counted that as a result of the actions leading to the development of outputs as well as dissemination activities more than 12 000 organisations are likely to implement the ELSS methodology.Project results were disseminated to target groups both within Partner’s organisations & outside. Stakeholders expressed their interest in using ELSS, also because they saw this as opportunity to spread learning culture throughout their organisations partly due to involvement of trainees’ supervisors in the process. Producing and disseminating 2 high quality outputs was possible by forming a Strategic Partnership of 5 experienced partners from 3 European countries:PAIZ Konsulting (PAIZ, PL), Project Leader, has significant experience in coordinating EU-funded training projects, has been a partner in Lifelong Learning & Erasmus+ projects developing vocational competences, including development with the use of ICT tools.Effebi Association (Effebi, IT) is working in the field of development of HR & organizational models in banking & financial sector, has a consolidated experience in the management of EU projects in the field of quality assurance for VET systems & in projects aimed at using ICT tools for learning purposes.Hellenic Society for the Promotion of Research & Development Methodologies (PROMEA, GR) is an entity with experience in the development of new technologies for pedagogical purposes & in EU co-funded research & cooperation. The Italian Confederation of small and medium private industry (CONFAPI, IT) is one of the main actors in the Italian economic & political environment, implementing initiatives & programs aiming at promoting economic & social development in the country in collaboration with National & European Institutions.The Italian Association for People Management (AIDP, IT) is an association of managers & professionals active in the field of HR; experienced in activities on national & territorial level (conferences, research, surveys, workshops, publications).

The project understands that the traditional universities have structures which are hard to change/adapt to new requirements of industry. In addition, industry needs are growing faster and changing rapidly and in order to keep up, the businesses need highly qualified staff which increases their cost of operations. Parallel to this, VET schools, for long period of time, have been seen as supplementary education to higher education.The project will offer educational model which can be utilized by VET schools, especially at tertiary level, in order to be able to offer high quality of services to various types of organizations which operate in national and international context. The model is structured to satisfy various target groups whose location is dispersed geographically and physical attendance is not always possible, especially not for long term periods. In addition, the project utilizes blended learning which provides the most optimal learning experience for the participants. The target group is comprised of VET learners, especially on tertiary level, youth workers, not-graduated university student between 30-34 of age, young entrepreneurs and professionals.The expected impact of the project is to increase and improve the provision of educational/work modules management mechanisms which can be utilized in the region and internationally, human and labour capabilities to be enhanced, increase the competitiveness of regional and EU educated workforce and utilize combined education by utilization of ICT tools.The project will engage in activities such as assessing the educational outputs of universities and VET schools as well as assessment of the real labour needs of the industry. This output will be the foundation for development of educational curriculum for soft skills development. A short learning-trainning activity will enable testing the model of education-in-action as well as produce ORE materials which can be later utilized via ICT platform. The educational model will be based on real case scenarios. In addition, the learners will be able to choose two different streams: entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial. All learners, as part of the holistic approach to learning, will be able to engage in apprenticeship and job shadowing activities. The goal of the project is to bridge the gap between the qualitative outputs of educational provisions and industry needs by offering innovative approach in learning and praxis.The specific objectives (SO) of the project are:SO1: To develop and deliver innovative educational method based on education-in-action of soft skills in order to enhance the quality of education offered in VET schools;SO2: To increase the cooperation between educational institutions and industry for improvement of educational outputs and increasing the employability rate of tertiary VET learners, youth workers, and young entrepreneurs and professionals.SO3: To enhance the VET system by improving utilization ICT tools for provision of combined learning and comprehensive data provision for policy and decision makers. The model allows adaptive approach to gaining knowledge based on the learning needs of the individuals. The project is designed with an inbuilt sustainability due to the fact that it is learner centered model and its provision envelops wider and diverse target group. The model provisions have cross-sectoral application and wide range of implementation. This means that VET schools can utilize the model for adding value to their programmes; companies can use it for in-house training; wide range of professionals and individuals can, at their own schedule, keep their know-how up to date. The structure of the modules ensures complete, systematic and measurable learning trajectory for the learners.

<< Background >>The NEW partnership is applying for this project to find a common answer to these questions, aware that Neurodiversity, intended as a fast-growing sub-category of organisational diversity and inclusion that seeks to embrace and maximise the talents of people who think differently (with reference to dyslexia, autism, ADHD and dyspraxia and other Specific Learning Differences - SLD), is a completely new approach in European SMEs and microenteprises. The lack of data, information and awareness about the presence and/or the performance of workers with SLD in SMEs, the lack of a specific legislation about SLD in the field of employment, the perception of SLD only as impairments, the raising inequality in SMEs due to COVID-19 pandemic show us that dealing with SLD at the workplace is a pan-European challenge. Indeed, the Member States share a common need for a cultural change from a Special Learning Differences approach towards a Neurodiversity perspective: a “paradigm shift” able to concretely contribute to the inclusion and wellbeing of staff with SLD, but also to make understandable and clear that diversity, and specifically Neurodiversity and inclusive practices, can bring an actual added value to business in terms of competitiveness. In fact, to date, the Neurodiversity approach has been introduced at workplaces only in UK and in USA; and, as affirmed by Rosie Bissett, the European Dyslexia Association President, the value of neurodiversity within these companies is increasingly acknowledged: leading employers, mostly form multinational and International big companies are documenting the significant competitive advantages of employing people who literally think differently, thank to which organisations have the opportunity to leverage the skills of this high potential, available talent pool.To favour this “paradigm” shift, the first need to be addressed is the one of “raising the issue” in SMEs: it is necessary to produce specific data about the presence and the performance of workers with SLD, to explain Neurodiversity and promote a positive attitude toward it, to create the necessary conditions for making people with SLD willing to tell about their disorder.To be effective and sustained in the long-term, this paradigm shift needs to be followed by the alignment of C-VET provisions and managerial approaches and practices, able to produce evidences for promoting change and supporting legislative and innovation actions from all the key actors and stakeholders in the world of work. It is necessary to equip business leaders and staff with appropriate competences, enabling them to introduce the Neurodiversity approach in SMEs and microenterprises as a key asset for innovation and competitiveness, by restructuring management / career management and professional development practices and workspaces, so as to enhance the strengths and wellbeing of neurodiverse people, and prevent inequality, de-qualification and marginalisation among SMEs employees.In order to sustain this process, C-VET key actors are requested to update their competences and innovate their product and services, making them more relevant to the current and future needs of local communities both at social and economic level, with specific reference to inclusiveness and Neurodiversity. This will also contribute to increase the general awareness of the role and impact of VET in inclusiveness, specifically with reference to neurodiverse people at workplace, leading also to disclosing the diversity so as to be acknowledged as diverse talent to value instead of difficult to face.<< Objectives >>The NEW partnership sets as objectives:•raising awareness and increasing knowledge among SMEs and micro companies’ entrepreneurs, HR managers, companies’ leaders, and reference stakeholders, about neurodiversity as key asset in contemporary business;•championing specific and regular data collection on neurodiversity at the workplace, especially in SMEs, following the inclusive approaches already in place in school education about SLD;•equipping business leaders and staff with an appropriate set of competences, strategies and tools to introduce and practice neurodiversity at the workplaces, with the aim to prevent discrimination, and to guarantee the wellbeing to their employees as well as benefits to their organisations.According to this objectives, the project wants to impact on the system of VET and on SMEs and microenterprises at different levels in Europe.The impact at local level is expected to be particularly relevant in the communities that are going to experience the planning and implementation of project results:-greater awareness of neurodiversity of enterprises’ staff as a richness able to drive business towards a more ethical and prosperous future;-greater commitment of employers to take action for producing concrete benefits for their organisation, and for supporting neurodiverse people to be successful at work;-work environments more inclusive and able to enhance the talents of the available personnel, with specific reference to the ones with SLD;-increased wellbeing and sense of belonging of SMEs and microenterprises employees;-more appropriate support to workers with learning differences, by leveraging their strengths to increase their odds of success in the workplace;-greater capacity to maximise the talents of people who think differently, by highlighting the importance of ‘diversity of thought’ for innovation and creativity, and reshaping workplaces as learning spaces, where people are valued and their well-being pursued.Thanks to the role played and the competence profile of the partners involved at regional and/or national level the major impact is expected to be registered on policy makers, public authorities, networks of VET providers, employers, social partner organisations in terms of:- increased awareness of the role and impact of VET in inclusiveness, specifically with reference to neurodiverse people at workplace;- more impactful and inclusive solutions to guarantee the wellbeing of employees and the competitiveness and innovation in SMEs and microenterprises;- higher relevance of the continuing VET offer to the current and future needs of local communities both at social and economic level;- higher capacities of VET key actors and stakeholders to anticipate SMEs and society’s needs, by equipping both business leaders and staff with an appropriate set of competences, strategies and tools to introduce and practice Neurodiversity at the workplaces.- improved and enhanced long-lasting frameworks, as the European Network foreseen in R3, for effectively promoting Neurodiversity at Workplace;- more structured capacities at policy level to effectively enhance Neurodiversity as key asset in work environments.At EU and transnational level, coherently with the priorities included in the Council Recommendation on VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, and in the European Education Area, the NEW project creates innovative frameworks for taking up the pan-European challenge of unlocking the potential of adult workers with SLD in the workplaces, and of supporting SMEs in responding to the new global context, by developing shared proposals based on C-VET and linked services.<< Implementation >>The NEW activities are all part of a consistent implementation strategy that works to make European SMEs and microenterprises able to enhance Neurodiversity as key asset in their work environment and practices. Indeed, through the development of the NEW results in Italy, Austria, Bulgaria and Ireland, the partnership is going, first, to highlight Neurodiversity as an issue both in work environments and in continuing VET, and then to raise the understanding, competences and responsiveness to this topic in SMEs, inspiring employers to action for producing concrete benefits for their organisation, and for supporting neurodiverse people to be successful at work. In order to “raise the issue” the NEW partnership will work on SMEs and microenterprises information awareness about Neurodiversity, developing an Awareness Raising Strategy based on a positive attitude toward SLD. The Strategy, to be implemented thank to National Campaigns, will activate a cultural shift from a “SLD approach” towards a neurodiversity perspective. The Awareness Raising Campaign will see as follow-up:- a Preliminary Survey aimed at anonymously collecting data about SMEs awareness and knowledge of Neurodiversity, as well as about related existing practices and emerging needs;- a Call for Action, finalised at giving an immediate feedback to the request of SMEs leaders and staff to commit to Neurodiversity, by recruiting and selecting them for the participation in the following training and piloting activities.To enable SMEs leaders and staff to take action, specific training and piloting activities will be developed with the direct involvement of SMEs leaders and staff. Indeed, by sharing experiences, competences and practices, they will allow partners to understand better their needs and backgrounds related to Neurodiversity. The outcome of this cooperation process, held both at transnational and at national level, will be the main result of the NEW project, the NEURODIVERSITY AT WORK (r)evolutionary inclusion model, based on two main activities:- the elaboration of prototype for enhancing Neurodiversity in SMEs, including strategies, methodologies, practices and tools, with reference to 3 main areas: management, career management and professional development, design of work environment. The prototype will be validated through a national piloting activity, experimented on the basis of a common transnational protocol; - the planning and implementation of C-VET innovative products and services, able to lead to cultural and behavioural changes, addressing bias and stereotypes about SLD: specifically, the partnership will develop 3 curricula, 1 for C-VET trainers and 2 addressing SMEs leaders. The curricula will be experimented and validated thanks to the realisation of a transnational training activity (C1) and of 2 courses at national level, all meant at the acquisition of specific competences to effectively enhancing and taking advantage of Neurodiversity at workplace.The outcomes of this empowerment process, addressing SMEs leaders and staff, as well as key actors and stakeholders in VET and labour market, will be sustained and exploited thanks to the design, establishment and promotion of the European NEURODIVERSITY at WORK network: a permanent framework for putting in place a more impactful cooperation at national and European level, by valuing and intensifying partnership among all stakeholders relevant for Diversity and Inclusion, as well as for C-VET, notably public authorities, the different VET providers, social partners and business organisations.<< Results >>RESULTSR1 - NEURODIVERSITY Awareness raising strategy Awareness raising strategy about Neurodiversity targeting SMEs and microenterprises, structured as follows: - text document including the reference strategy;- interactive document including the awareness raising materials (informative leaflets, videospots, motivational graphical images);- guidelines for launching and implementing the campaign;- template of the preliminary survey aimed at anonymously collect data about SMEs awareness and knowledge of Neurodiversity, as well as about related existing practices and emerging needs;- template of the Call for action to be promoted to engage SMEs in the activities foreseen in R2.R2- NEURODIVERSITY AT WORK (r)evolutionary inclusion modelC-VET training and piloting model structured as follows: - Prototype for enhancing Neurodiversity in SMEs, including strategies, methodologies, practices and tools, with reference to 3 main areas: a) management, b) career management and professional development, c) design of work environment.- Guidelines for implementing study circles at workplace, for collecting SMEs and microenterprises contribution about the prototype.- Curriculum for C-VET trainers on Neurodiversity at workplace and reference training activity.- C-VET curricula making able both SMEs and micro companies’ managers and workers to effectively pilot the prototype.- Report of training courses for validating the C-VET curricula.- Report of piloting activities to validate the prototype, and reference experimentation protocol.- Handbook of strategies and tools to become a Neurodiversity Smart Company.R3 - European NEURODIVERSITY AT WORK network Multi-stakeholder long-lasting framework for sustaining and further elaborating on NEW results, structured as follows: - network’s prototype – description of objectives, structure and governance, working methods, requirements for membership, section on the NEW website hosting the network’s virtual activities;- network’s statutory documents;- Professional Code of conduct, outlining the principles networks' members they have to comply with;- branding strategy and materials for promoting the network at national and EU level;- mid-term network action plan at national and EU level (2 years after the end of the project).OUTCOMES- increased awareness of the SLD phenomenon within companies and at societal level, thanks to the design of a NEURODIVERSITY Awareness raising strategy at the workplace and its implementation through 4 national awareness campaigns – R1;- high level competences for VET trainers with reference to Neurodiversity at Workplace, thanks to a transnational training (C1) designed for sharing among the 4 project countries the methodological framework for implementing the NEURODIVERSITY AT WORK (r)evolutionary inclusion model at national level, so to assure the comparability of the R2 piloting results among the different Member States;- high level competences of SMEs and microenterprises managers, companies’ leaders, HR managers as well as employees and relevant stakeholders through the development of the (r)evolutionary inclusion model and the reference study circles (4 national ones) and C-VET activities for leaders and staff (2 training activities per Country except BE) – R2;- more impactful Inclusive strategies and practices by the mean of the piloting activities, and of the “Handbook of strategies and tools to become a Neurodiversity Smart Company” (R2);- the acknowledge and awarding of the companies’ commitment in introducing the Neurodiversity approach at workplace by giving them the opportunity to adhere to the “Professional Code of conduct” and become members of the European NEURODIVERSITY AT WORK network – R3;- sustainability of project actions through the establishment of the European NEURODIVERSITY AT WORK network, aimed to further develop, promote and transfer the NEW cultural approach and results.