<< Background >>Changing care practices within families, demographic changes, and the increase of the elderly population in need of care, together with shifting attitudes in favor of home-based (as opposed to institutional) care before and mainly after the COVID-19 epidemic, have rendered domestic care services increasingly important in EU countries. Despite the long-held association of paid domestic work with the unpaid work performed by women in their own homes, domestic work is an increasingly diverse sector encompassing a diverse set of tasks. However, during the pandemic, the set of duties expected from domestic workers, particularly women, became even broader, with 49.3% of them reporting negative changes in their professional lives (Oxfam, 2020). More specifically, significant numbers of domestic carers have been asked to use technological software and applications to monitor their clients’ health needs, provide clients with extensive medical care, physical and psychological therapy and even nursing. Yet, the breadth and level of skills and competences with which domestic care workers are equipped present significant variations. In fact, a substantial share of care workers, namely those low-skilled, unemployed, and/or belonging to disadvantaged communities (e.g., refugees, migrants, people living on benefit) have either a limited empirical or no prior knowledge before embarking on in-home care positions. They are among the most vulnerable groups of workers and at heightened risk of contagion, social precarity, and exploitation.<< Objectives >>The project aims to: a) equip domestic care workers (employed or seeking employment) with a mix of social care, transversal, and attitudinal skills to ensure resilient employment pathways, and b) contribute towards advancing the regulatory environment and working conditions pertaining to domestic care (at the institutional level). More specifically, the project will:1. Develop an evidence-based course curriculum on critical skills and practices required for up-to-date care provision.2. Develop flexible training delivery methods (e-book, MOOC) and innovative open-access resources (training game) to support individuals in acquiring, evaluating, and testing new skills and competences in formal, non-formal, and informal contexts.3. Compile best practices and develop recommendations to address policy gaps and structural vulnerabilities concerning the training and professional development of domestic care workers.<< Implementation >>- Extended skills intelligence gathering activities to define occupational requirements for domestic care workers - Design of the structure of an educational curriculum along with OERs to equip carers with critical skills and up-to-date care provision -Development, testing and delivery of a MOOC and a training game, enhancing flexible learning options for domestic care workers- Involvement of key stakeholders for the recognition and validation of the DoCUp learning outcomes - Sharing of outputs with multiplier events and dissemination activities, inviting target groups to uptake the DoCUp results and to act as further multipliers<< Results >>- A set of evidence-based learning outcomes on emerging skill needs in care provision for adults - A Curriculum structure (syllabus), a pool of pedagogical resources (OERs), a trainer’s handbook, and an e-book for learners - Online course with interactive content for flexible, self-paced training- Web-based training game addressing common challenges faced by domestic carers in the sector- A best practice guide and a policy paper covering legal, regulatory, and social protection aspects of domestic care work and a Statement of Support for the validation and endorsement of the DoCUp resources- Five (5) national information days (one in each partnership country) to promote project results and stimulate an open discussion on the present and future of domestic care work, challenges, training needs, and new opportunities.