This Erasmus+ - MOOCs IN BASIC SKILLS TRAINING - is based on the valuable experiences gained through a previous Erasmus + project - BASIC SKILLS IN WORKING LIFE (2016-1-NO01-KA204-022071). The new project is a continuation of this project with the same partnership.The partnership consist of FONIX from Norway (leade partner), BEST from Austria, STEP from Slovenia, CITEVE from Portugal and CONFAPI from Italy.One of the main outcomes the Erasmsu+ project BASIC SKILLS IN WORKING LIFE consisted of a large number of quantitative and qualitative data collected from eight different branches in six countries. All results and reports are thoroughly documented on the project's website: http://www.basicskillsinworkinglife.no/From the data collected, we observed that across all countries and branches the need of soft skills was more valued than the need of technical skills. By soft skills, we defined the “character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person's relationships with other people, they are to do with who people are, rather than what they know. Therefore, they encompass the character traits that decide how well one interacts with others. In workplace they are considered a complement to hard skills”. In this new project MOOCs IN BASIC SKILLS TRAINING we plan to take these findings to a higher level and take into account for further discussion and development the following issues: 1. Soft skills are more needed than occupational skills in the “new” industry. The question is how these will enhance low skilled employees, and how we can prepare a curriculum for better training for the target group. 2. If common training framework for low skilled employees is to be put in place; how to accommodate all partners’ needs?To answer these questions we will conduct a project that produce curriculums for practical training courses on the most important social skills in working life, supporting digital learning maps and combined and incorporated with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The target groups in the project MOOCs IN BASIC SKILLS TRAINING are low skilled workers with a demand for new skills and / or formal coalification in terms of soft skills in working life. In this project, we are specially aiming for employees in companies / branches where the demand for the new skills are generated as a result of technological changes and / or new digitalized production methods. The project MOOCs IN BASIC SKILLS TRAINING will work in three phases that each are covered and defined by an Intellectual Output:IO1 First we will create concrete curriculums for training courses based on the results from our previous Erasmus+ project. We have a lot of materials since we already explored and developed this with practical training and pilots in each partner country, as well as a Teacher-Training-Event in Portugal in 2017.IO2 Secondly, based on the curriculums we will produce digital learning maps in accordance with each curriculum for employees with low basic skills. The learning maps will both function as individual “skill checkers” and important motivation tools as well as concrete learning material for online courses.IO3 At last – and as the major output from this project - we will produce three different Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to support the online training. The main outcome of this project is practical focusing on producing minimum three MOOCs that can be presented and distributed on many different platforms throughout the partner countries. Each MOOCs will be minimum 30 minutes long and will be produced in English with subtitles in each countries language. The MOOCs can also be linked to “classrooms” inside the companies as well to other national and international digital learning platforms that are used by providers all over Europe.This offers a multi-perspective and practical view on how and why providers should implement basic skills training in communication and soft skills as an important strategy for training for employees in a modern working life.

<< Background >>Entrepreneurship in the young people, based in the promotion of their self-initiative and capacities, especially linked to the start-up of an economic initiative, is not an easy issue in any way. If the target groups are young people in potential exclusion risk or, at least, without a sound basic education and training, become near the impossibility. And this situation is not very much better working with any other groups of young people.Starting-up is not currently an option for the majority of the young people… even because the knowledge and skills to facilitate it are not addressed in the traditional and regular curricula.In this context is clear the need to have an integral path, from an early stage of the young people (15-16 years old), creating and promoting motivation, initiative and self-confidence, facilitating community initiatives and other social actions, to an stage where the young are fully developed and trained (28-29 years old) and capable of launching a business.Target groupsThe main target group is young people, without leaving out any for reasons of integration or socio-economic profile.Several sub-groups can be differentiated:-young people from 16 to 18 years old, with social inititive will but without entrepreneurial capacity.-young people from 18 to 24 years old, with entrepreneurial potential, without the capacity or technical knowledge to implement a business.-young people from 18 to 24 years old, without entrepreneurial initiative and/or attitudes.-young people from 24 to 29 years old, with technical knowledge and entrepreneurial initiative, without entrepreneurial skills or knowledge.In addition to these core target groups there is the sub-group of the young people at risk of exclusion, in any of the above categories, able to be incorporated as workers in the start-ups set-up by the core groups of entrepreneurs.The needs from the target groups have been identified in each territory participating in the proposal, and all of them share the same difficulties to start-up.To change and revert this situation requires a combined effort, deploying common models and systems across Europe to access the young people, to involve them in activities to improve their capabilities and skills, and accompany them throughout the entire process from the idea to the implementation of the initiative.YoPeVa will provide a full support to these target groups, advising and accompanying the start-up of economic activities, facilitating and providing infrastructures and services. In the middle, along this path, all the combinations of the targets, the activities and support towards them are possible.YoPeVa entrepreneur will help the partners and the professionals working in those organizations to adequate their work towards the potential entrepreneurs.YoPeVa Entrepreneur is complementary, first of all, with YoPeVa project –of which most of the project partners participate–, because this is addressed to some of the same target groups, but incorporates the entrepreneur dimension. In consequence, YoPeVa Entrepreneur completes the ‘offer’ towards the young people and provide a complete ‘employability’ service from the organizations partners and stakeholders. Furthermore, YoPeVa Entrepreneur follows a similar methodology than YoPeVa, focusing on providing young people with professional and soft-skills training, and ensuring, through a comprehensive support and orientation system, that young people increase their motivation and self-esteem and improve their life perspectives. Both projects have at its core the aim of helping young people emerge all their energy, enthusiasm and potential and apply it at the sphere or employment. All of which with a particular sensitivity towards social inequalities and needs.<< Objectives >>ChallengeThe challenge of the project is to increase the young people entrepreneurship and starting-up, making the initiative to create economic activities a normal alternative for the integration of young people into the world of work, while this self-employment improves the employability of young people who can be incorporated as workers of these initiatives.Strategic ObjectiveThe strategic objective of the project is to set-up a system to identify, promote and accompany young people in their entrepreneurship process, improving their initiatives, potentialities, knowledge and skills, and assuring the major success in the process and the results.The system will be applied through a common YoPeVa Entrepreneur guide and resources to promote active entrepreneurship among young people, prioritizing social innovation as a means of employment in the future, transferring key competencies to them and facilitating support and accompaniment during the process of creating and starting their initiative.Specific ObjectivesThe specific objectives of the project, linked to the results to be produced, are:a.to develop a set of methodologies, based in and adapted to the needs of the target groups, to work with young people promoting and developing their entrepreneurship potential, capabilities and skills.b.to produce a set of training systems and materials to be integrated as different Courses addressed to the different target groups.c.to define and put in place a entrepreneurship support systems to be used by professionals and to benefit young people, working at two levels: at local/regional level, working with the young people, and managed by the partners; and at European level, supporting the local/regional systems.All these objectives/results will be accessible and replicable across Europe by all the actors and agents interested in.Operational ObjectivesThe operational objectives of the project, linked to the activities to be carried out, would be:a.the analysis of existing entrepreneurial training systems (offer side), and the needs of the young people (demand side).b.the analysis of consulting systems for entrepreneurship and support for business activity, and their match with the offer from partners and stakeholders.c.the definition of the methodologies to be applied in the work carried out by the partners and stakeholders towards the target groups.d.the elaboration of the curricula and training materials to reach the objectives to improve towards the young people their initiatives, potentialities, knowledge and skills.e.the definition of the systems supporting the rational use of the methodologies and the materials within the support system for the young entrepreneurs, including the definition of infrastructures, physical and logical, to integrate the methodologies, courses and systems.f.a series of pilots to test, to check and validate locally and globally, the results obtained in the project.<< Implementation >>The work plan of the project is structured in 6 big blocks of activities, three of them horizontals, and the last three being the core of the project producing the results.A0.PreparationThis activity will ensure the premises under which the project is built are as detailed as possible and contemplate the risks, context and needs to ensure useful and impactful results; It will also anticipate and get ready the needs structures for the project to be adequately developed.A0.1 – In-depth analysisA0.2 – Set-up of the Advisory BoardA1.Management and CoordinationThis Activity will ensure the effective and timely completion of all project activities so that all partners fulfil the responsibilities assigned to them and the overall project objectives are met.A1.1 Strategical managementA1.2 Operational managementA1.3 Financial managementA1.4 ReportingMilestones (M) for the implementation work areM1– Kick-off meeting (m1)M2 – Dissemination and Quality Plans (m2)M3 – 1st Awareness material (m8)M4 – Intermediate Evaluation Report (m14)M5 – Piloting R3 (m20)M6 – Sustainability plan (m23)A2.Evaluation and QualityThe Evaluation and Quality Activity is designed to ensure the maximum effectiveness of all project activities and guarantee the capacity of the project to achieve its objectives in an optimal manner. YoPeVa Entrepreneur partners are committed to develop quality work in process and to deliver quality outcomes. While our Quality and Evaluation plan (D2) is focused on ensuring the relevance, ease of use and attractiveness of the resources, our Evaluation activities monitor and assess project progress is focused towards tangible outputs and quantifiable goals.This integrated assessment will result in a compilation of findings and lessons to be learned and applied. The interactive and participatory nature of our evaluation and knowledge generation process will bring high added value to the project.The Quality aspect is designed to ensure the maximum effectiveness of all project activities and guarantee the ability of the project to achieve its objectives in an optimal manner. There will be a set of measurable indicators that will provide information about the level of quality of the project execution.A3.Dissemination, Communication and SustainabilityThe main objective is to provide the highest level of dissemination and communication to assure the incorporation and active participation of partners and stakeholders, and the strong involvement of the general public and SMEs, as well as to guarantee the future sustainability of the networks, the results and the activities beyond the EU funded project calendar and the initial consortium.Sustainability activity is addressed to assure the deployment and monitoring of the IO, as well as their transfer and replication beyond the consortium. All these outputs will generate training tools and materials, transferable in any European country and will continue to be used by the project partners and partner organizations.A4.R1 – Guide ‘Working with young Entrepreneur’Activities and Tasks corresponding to this result are fully described in the corresponding section.A5.R2 – Courses YoPeVa EntrepreneurActivities and Tasks corresponding to this result are fully described in the corresponding section.A6.R3 – YoPeVa Entrepreneur SystemActivities and Tasks corresponding to this result are fully described in the corresponding section.Deliverables of the project, beside the three main results, will be:D0. User needs Analysis (m0 – permanently updated)D1. Management manual (m1 – permanently updated)D2. Quality and Evaluation Plan (m1 – permanently updated)D3. Dissemination Plan (m1 – permanently updated)D4. Intermediate Evaluation and Quality Report (m6, 12 and 18)D5. Intermediate Progress Report (m12)D6. Sustainability Plan (m23)D7. Final Evaluation and Quality Report (m24)<< Results >>The core outcome will be the YoPeVa Entrepreneur model and system, creating an integral pathway model to work with the young people able to start-up new initiatives, promoting their initiative, self-confidence, knowledge and skills to implement business and undertake entrepreneurship initiatives.The main results, products to be disseminated, transferred and replicated are:1.Methodologies of work with young people for entrepreneurshipA methodological guide for the work with the young entrepreneur people from the Organizations working with them.a.Initial interviews, classification and initial supportb.Trainingc.Supportd.Evaluation2.Training systems and materialsTraining courses and materials to be used with the young people applying the methodological guide.a.Initiative, self-Confidence and other soft skillsb.Creativity: ideas generation and definitionc.Personal brand, communication and marketing d.Entrepreneurship and Businesse.Elaborating a business plan f.Entrepreneurial excellence 3.Entrepreneurship support systemsHow to support and advice the young people along the entire process to undertake their new initiatives.a.Information resources: start-up environmentb.Advice and counselling resourcesc.Youth organizations involvementd.InfrastructuresIn addition, and with an instrumental character, there will be another three results:4.User needs analysisResult of the A0, it will be an in-depth analysis of the user needs, from both sides: the young people as core target groups of the project and the partner organizations as providers to the first ones.5.Awareness materialMaterials produced along the project with the objective to engage the major number of stakeholders as possible, incorporate them as associated in the Advisory Board, and put the basis for the sustainability.6.Sustainability planPlan to assure the replication and sustainability of YoPeVa Entrepreneur in the future.

Fønix AS in Norway has been the coordinator of an Erasmus+ KA2 project: Basic Skills in Working Life. The project has involved partnership from Norway (Fønix AS), UK (The Manchester Colle), Portugal (CITEVE), Slovenia (STEP Institute), Austria (BEST) and Italy (CONFAPI). This has been a good working partnership since it represented both adult learning organizations with a good working relationship to basic skills in working life (Fønix, The Manchester College and STEP Institute), and representatives from different business branches with a good working network to relevant companies (CONFAPI and CITEVE).The project included 5 Intellectual outputs, 1 Teacher Training Event in Porto; Portugal and 1 Multiplier Event in form of a two seminars in Rome, Italy A summary of the project results are as following:•A qualitative report regarding what the future may look like for the low skilled and low educated workers in the perspective of formal vocational education end certification in each of the partner countries.•An identification of critical factors/success criteria to succeed with basic vocational education/training and certification in different types of branches/companies in each partner country. •Practical training/pilots in some dedicated companies/branches in three of the partner countries – Italy, Slovenia and Portugal.•A lot of good examples from «lessons learned» from the pilot projects together with the practical outcome from the multiplier event with the teachers/trainers and the evaluatorsOne of the main outcomes of the project consisted of a large number of quantitative and qualitative data collected from eight different branches in six countries. All results and reports are thoroughly documented on the project's website: http://www.basicskillsinworkinglife.no/In the Basic Skills in Working Life project, we specially targeted for companies / branches where the demand for new skills was generated due to technological changes and / or new digitalized production methods. From the data collected, we observed that across all countries and branches the need of soft skills was more valued than the need of technical skills. By soft skills, we defined the “character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person's relationships with other people, they are to do with who people are, rather than what they know. Therefore, they encompass the character traits that decide how well one interacts with others. In workplace they are considered a complement to hard skills”. The major findings from the project can be summarized as the following:•There is a recognized demand for more basic soft skills in companies.•The three most recognized demands can be summarized as:The ability to adapt to change at workThe ability to maintain trustful relationship with customers / colleaguesThe ability to work autonomouslyThe main target group in our project was teacher / trainers that was working with employees with low basic skills in working life. This was a main target group from the beginning of the project and did not change during the project period.The project was successful by reaching a significant number of teachers / trainers, especially in Norway, UK and Portugal. In addition to this we also reached a number of leaders / representatives from companies from different branches in each of the partner countries.We also reached a large number of leaders / representatives form international and Italian companies during the two end seminars in Rome, Italy.The results from the Basic Skills in Working Life project is taken further in a new Erasmus+ KA2 project that was granted in the 2019 round. In this new project MOOCs IN BASIC SKILLS TRAINING we plan to take the findings to a higher level and take into account for further discussion and development the following issues: 1. Soft skills are more needed than occupational skills in the “new” industry. The question is how these will enhance low skilled employees, and how we can prepare a curriculum for better training for the target group. 2. If common training framework for low skilled employees is to be put in place; how to accommodate all partners’ needs?To answer these questions we will conduct a project with the same partnership that produce curriculums for practical training courses on the most important social skills in working life, supporting digital learning maps and combined and incorporated with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

The main objective of the project is to provide professional training for refugees, leading to better employment opportunities and living conditions. Through developing the abilities of refugee trainers and acquiring knowledge of intermediary organizations catering to the needs of the refugee community, the integration of refugees will be fast-tracked into the labour market or the start-up of a business, while promoting the development of innovative and effective mechanisms ensuring employment.Between 2015 and 2016, the countries of Europe and those bordering Syria, experienced an influx of more than 5 million Syrian refugees. Enabling migrants to become entrepreneurs lessens the effects of the crisis and facilitates social inclusion. Governments have been supporting refugees and integrating them into national health, education, employment and social services. However, this is not enough for integration into the labour market necessary for social-economic development.Migrants face many challenges establishing and managing entrepreneurship in their host countries. These are interlinked and stem from –•limited host-country capital•lack of understanding local labour markets•lack of local business regulatory frameworks•difficulties accessing local business networks•lack of start-up capital and business facilities•lack of language and cultural awareness•lack of training programsOur project partnership consists of 7 partners, three local institutions - Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality(KMM), Kahramanmaraş Sütçü Imam University (KSU), Kahramanmaraş Provincial Directorate of National Education, and four from Europe - International Centre for the Promotion of Education and Development (CEIPES), Anaptyxiako Kentro Thessalias (AKETH), Fonix AS, Wisamar Bildungsgesellschaftgemeinnuetzige GmbH (Wisamar), Our strategic partnerships aim to support the development of adult learning and building entrepreneurial capacity for migrants, transfer of innovative practices as well as the implementation of joint initiatives promoting cooperation, peer learning and exchanges of experience at the European level.Five international project meetings will be held, with the final meeting aimed at the effective and efficient management of the project and the follow-up of project activities and budget monitoring.A needs analysis of the current refugee situation will be made by intermediary organizations working together with each partner. Analysis reports will also include how to develop the capacity of intermediary organizations to support the employment or the entrepreneurship of refugees. In addition, entrepreneurship, business planning, the legal aspects of setting up a company and the employee hiring process will receive focus. Online training sessions and F2F workshops will be arranged for trainers in Italy as well as F2F training for the target groups included in the project. The online training and F2F workshop will include video lessons on the e-learning platform for trainers; sharing the approach and lessons taught during the workshop for trainers; practical tools and examples for refugees such as business planning, the legal aspects of setting up a company and hiring employees. Entrepreneurship training activities addressing the development of employers and entrepreneurs will be given by the Public Education Centre and Kahramanmaraş Municipality Vocational Education Directorate (KAMEK). Furthermore, the web portal will be developed for trainers.All work-based learning programs for refugees through apprenticeships or those provided by refugee and intermediary organizations will be put together into one resource. An information campaign with supporting activities will be arranged to increase awareness about the benefits of hiring refugees.The general and specific objectives of the project that will be realized are - •train the trainers to increase migrant entrepreneurship • support the creation, improvement and distribution of support schemes for migrant entrepreneurs•identify potential entrepreneurs among migrants•raise awareness about entrepreneurship within migrant communities•develop sustainable multi-level partnership models integrating refugees into the job market•value awareness of social inclusion through entrepreneurship•empower disadvantaged groups among migrants by developing business skills and competencies

The project will contribute to improve the employ-ability chances of adults with disabilities by providing them a modular training to become (co-)trainers. The new skills and knowledge will broaden their job opportunities and expand their possibilities for active and fulfilled lives. At the same time, participants will be able to support their peers towards the labour market and also those professional awareness raising equality training / awareness programs designed for employers, HR professionals, decision makers that are proven to be a major step towards successful employability of the population with disabilities.The partnership develop 2 Intellectual Outputs to reach the above written goals:1. The “Train the trainer” guideline is designed for professionals and adult educators/trainers to prepare them to train participants with disability (target group) to become professional co-trainers or peer supporters. 2. Train the co-trainer training curriculum for disabled co-trainers Both IOs are tested during the project: IO1 as a short-term joint staff training and IO2 as a multiplier events at every partner country.Testing: IO1Partners organise a learning/teaching/training activities during the project period. Professionals, educators, trainers of the project partners learn/teach each other how to train a disabled person to become co-trainer. Partners organize a 5-day learning/teaching/training activity for the experts of partners who will later on train the disabled trainers. (at least 1-2 professionals /project partner) The aim of this activity is to prepare professionals to effectively provide a modular training for the disabled participants to prepare them to become co-trainers in awareness raising trainings later on. Testing IO2All partner organize multiplier events for disabled adult learners (participants of the co-trainers program willing to become co-trainers in awareness raising trainings) to test the Intellectual Output2 (developed co-trainer training program).The project results and outcomes will be widely disseminated via project websites, local partner websites and multiplier events.All partner organize multiplier events for NGO-s, universities (if they have disabled students), educators, trainers and interested professionals working on related fields (10-15 organizations) at the end of the project to share its experiences about the process and testing of the training program for disabled co-trainers. Guests of the event will be mainly teachers, adult educators , professionals from related universities, ngo-s working with disabled clients.Project website will be developed, and the partnership use other online platforms to share the outcomes, experiences and result.