Considering that the EU has decided to put 2030 Agenda as a theoretical basis for the next funding programme, we consider it essential to make a concrete contribution to the dissemination of these goals in our territories through the formation of specific categories representing the target group of users of the Tandem Plus network in Europe.The potential for dissemination of key concepts via VET to end users is very high. The choice to develop internal methodologies and policies to ensure an incorporation of the objectives more directly connected to social inclusion within the training activities proposed by the VETs, would have an important impact on the awareness of the population.Nonetheless, for the disadvantaged categories with which VETs are used to work (neets, unemployed, low-skilled, people with learning disabilities and migrants/refugees) the difficulty of socio-economic inclusion is mainly due to the training deficiencies generated by various social phenomena. This condition makes these categories often difficult to reach by social awareness campaigns.The project UnitED for Global Goals aims at creating a platform of exchange among the partners who belong to the European Network Tandem Plus to learn and share experiences among operators of VET on the topic of Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, especially focusing on the contributing to share knowledge and practice, learning and inclusion actions that each partner has adopted, or is willing to share to tackle challenges identified in three specific Agenda 2030 goals, addressing the challenges that every European community and country is facing.- ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy (No. 7)- Making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable (No. 11) - Sustainable consumption and production models (No. 12) The 3-year long project involves partners of the Tandem Plus Network who have been active in transnational projects (Forcoop, Anjaf,CIEP ) and those who have been officially and directly involved in such projects for the first time as partners of the network (CSS, IASIS, ISUM). This is the result of a commitment of the network to capitalize on the knowledge and practice of the single members and the development of innovative actions carried out in the framework of transnational cooperation.UNITED for SDGs focuses on two interconnected objectives:1) Reinforce the transnational potential of the network and its members to operate at local level with the added value of the transnational cooperation, through a process of benchlearning, that is by sharing and confronting systems and solutions, methods and practices that they utilized or operate with in order to improve and adapt them to new challenges.2) Support the capacity of involved organizations and their local networks to improve their service provision and outreach especially for their main targets: adults over 45, adults and young people with low educational attainments, migrants and refugees, NEETs and long-term unemployed to mention some groups.The project capitalizes on a number of local, regional and national – including some Development of Innovation ERASMUS + projects carried out – independently or as diversified consortia – by project partners.The project activities consist of alternating in-depth joint training/learning sessions (5 Joint Staff Training sessions of the duration of 4 days each) with Transnational meetings (6 TM each of two days). The method of alternating Training sessions (sharing of knowledge and experience) and TM (evaluating and consolidating results) will allow to closely follow the whole process and build on its results as the project evolves. It also provides for the inclusion of specific topics regarding key skills development that require special attention and that represent new needs for VET and social workers to better respond to emerging needs of the final target groups.The deliverables of the project are:5 joint training/learning sessions on specific aspects of Agenda 2030 for Social Inclusion development and recognition / validation of the duration of 4 days each, with an average number of 20 participants each.6 transnational meetings of two days each focusing on the evaluation and consolidation of the knowledge and know-how generated during the training/learning sessions 6 local dissemination events organized for the benefit of stakeholders and in presence of transnational participants to share with external actors the main content/knowledge An e-publication of a general compendium consolidating the project’s results and shared experience (English French)Communication or the project’s activities and results on Tandem Plus website and ERASMUS + results (EPALE if relevant) as OER material.

In Turkey, no specific education is required to be a prison staff (PS). PS actively working in prisons encounter many problems during execution of prisoners. Desensitization against crime and criminals, feelings of insecurity, pressure and threats of prisoners, feeling worthless, lack of social skills, limited field of action, social prejudices, personal and professional burnout, and various health problems can be listed as problems faced. PS has difficulty in overcoming many of problems mentioned. Thus, this project is related to the fields of vocational education and training (VET), developing basic and transversal skills using innovative methods, exchange of experience and know-how between different types of organisations involved in education, training. Target group of this project is professionals directly or indirectly involved in assisting the length of sentence.Main objectives of the project are to define professional and social competences of PS, improve the level of key professional and social competences and skills, with particular regard to their relevance for duties performed in the prisons. Gaziosmanpasa University (GOU), Ankara Training Center of Prison and Detention Houses (ATCP), Turkish General Directorate of Prison and Detention Houses (GDPD), Tokat T Type Closed and Open Prison (TTP) and Association of Assistance and Solidarity for Prison Staff (AASP), University of Pitesti (UPIT), Social Cooperative Nonprofit Organization (COOSS), National Association for Family Action (ANJAF) were the partners of project who are experienced in Prison regulations of EU Council. GOU, which is coordinator of the project, is experienced and applied so many national and international projects. GDPD is the main public organization responsible from all kind of activities in Prisons of Turkey. AASP is the only non-profit organization of PS in Turkey. ATCP is the largest training center of PS in Turkey and conducts trainings throughout the year. In order to develop professional competencies and increase social competencies of PS, SWOT analysis, need analysis and questionnaires, quality catalogue, educational modules and pilot and main trainings were performed. Therefore, in the first step SWOT analysis for PS was applied in order to see the current situation of this profession in Turkey. Second, need analysis and questionnaires were implemented with the face to face and online questionnaires by staff working in prisons. In the collection of data for needs analysis, 970 people were reached with the random sampling method; 455 of these responded. Third, quality catalogue was developed to determine professional and social competencies of PS. The catalogue consists of 3 core competency areas (professionalism, working with others, professional development), 12 sub-competency areas and 162 performance indicators. This catalogue has the characteristic of being the first quality catalogue developed for prison staff in Turkey. Fourth, education modules were prepared. When developing these modules, expert opinions, needs analysis data and basic and sub-competencies within the quality catalogue were taken into consideration. Each chapter of educational module was written by experts from Universities and training centers. The efficiency of the prepared educational modules were tested with pilot and main trainings, both in Turkey and abroad. In the pilot trainings, participants’ opinions were taken via an evaluation survey. In the final step, a website (http://prisonstaff-project.eu/) was created for the promotion and dissemination of the project and for beneficiaries to easily access project outputs. Also, a learning management system was added to the website, providing the beneficiaries the opportunity to utilize project outputs in an interactive way. Into this system, besides all relevant reference books and audio-visual materials (videos made at the main training, lesson presentations etc.), interactive materials such as question bank and animation were also added. In this way, it was aimed to reach prison staff that due to limitations could not receive training during the project and to support their professional and social developments based on lifelong learning.In order to achieve the objective of the project primarily a situation analysis was made by putting forth the internal and external dynamics of the penal system. The biggest contribution of the project to its participants and project partners however, is that it sets forth a competency framework concerning prison staff in EU standards for the first time. Also educational modules were developed to support the competencies of PS. These modules were published in the project website, providing access to prison staff both in Europe and in Turkey. This project overall made an important contribution to the improvement of the penitentiary system in Turkey in line with European Prison Rules and other international standards.

ACROSS- “Appraising transversal skills in green jobs for employability of youth and workers in restructuring processes” contributed to strengthening the capacity of VET and labor market organizations to reduce the gaps between available skills and labor demand and to deliver innovative tools to bridge such gaps focusing on two main tenets: sustainable development in the so-called green economies and the appraising of transversal skills as portable skills in times of high unemployment and restructuring. The project has looked at green jobs as a cross-sectorial overhaul of traditional jobs in transforming/ restructuring sectors and the development of innovative, technology- and efficiency-driven new jobs also in traditional sectors. ACROSS has highlighted distinctive features that adapt general transversal skills to the green context and the different meanings that “green” could have in different job profiles and specializations. Led by a European network specialized in training and inclusion of people at risk, TANDEM PLUS (FR), the partnership is made up by diverse but complementary partners, operating in the relevant fields of VET and employability operating directly in many territories in different Members States, covering 9 different countries (FR, IT, PT, DE, HR, BE, NL, DK, FI), with expertise in different realms of IVET and CVET, including capability to adapt policy, devising and delivering career support services, effective transversal competence assessment, support to entrepreneurship, analysis and development of tools, also ICT driven.The needs identified at the project’s start: (1) the transition to new forms of “green” economy is not easily foreseeable but necessary to the fields of education, training, employment and business support services (2) the weak capability of micro, SMEs to identify not only products, but human capital with suitable skills to transit to a greener approach; (3) high need for flexible (on-the-job, practical) sound methods for skills appraisal and development available in the portfolio of VET providers; (4) the effort to develop tools for green skills must not be a separate policy from wider frameworks. To respond to these needs, ACROSS has identified the following specific objectives:1. To expand and improve the knowledge of current practice on ACROSS’ two tenets to provide partners and other stakeholders with concrete methodologies and tools2. To provide multi-stakeholder accepted analysis of issues and innovative, blended solutions as a set of concrete tools for professional development to be streamlined in wider VET frameworks; 3. To test and transfer ACROSS tools and strategies 4. To make the project’s results and outputs accessible to the highest possible number of actors, stakeholders and beneficiaries The project’s first output, “the ACROSS knowledge toolkit”, has drawn on different analyses of sectorial trends (CEDEFOP, OECD, ILO) and builds on past & current work, changes in the labour market, the experience in skills forecast, and the long experience in skills’ assessment and key skills/profiles for innovation, including the partnership’s experiences and work with SMEs. The partners have embedded the project into the appropriate transnational EU framework, using the ESCO (European Skills, Competences Qualifications and Occupations) taxonomy and standards. The extensive work done has been conducive to the development of three blended tools which are based on a cross-cutting principle: contextualization of transversal skills in jobs and work environments that have the attention to preservation, promotion and development of environmental, social and economic sustainability. The result is a set of integrated tools: a tool for transversal skills assessment (IO 3); a tool for guidance and employability in greening jobs(IO4); a tool to anticipate green skills needs(IO5). All tools are available online on a platform http://acrossonlinetool.eu/. A 5-day intensive joint staff training has been pivotal to the development of the methodology, which has been tested on a very small scale (IO6). The overall methodological approach has been codified in the “ACROSS model” (IO 2) and disseminated through local and transnational multiplier events to present the results of the project and to promote its approach to external stakeholdersBased on existing good practice and innovative tools, the ACROSS model and its tools are, at the end of the project, already re-used in mainstream VET and employment policy (ESF funded activities). The partner organizations are already – and plan- using the tools developed in the project as part of their service delivery, in some cases within larger policy frameworks at regional and national level. The small experimentation has shown that final beneficiaries appreciate the simplicity of the tools, and professionals deem them as useful new support in their job.

"Research showed that in EU there is a variety of ethnicities encompassing different cultures & religions. The 2011-2012 censuses in AT, CY, ES, IT, PT, RO, TR, UK reported existence of various religions: Muslims, Roman Catholics, Protestants, Hebrew, Hindu, Presbyterian, Anglican, Methodist, Reformed, Pentecostal, Orthodox, Sunni, Alevi or Sufi. Social tensions and anti-social deeds inevitably occur in such mixed societies, generated by multiple factors (i.e. different religions, cultural traditions, ethnicities or social clusters, etc.) and can be defused through non-formal & informal education, training for tolerance, acceptance, opening, understanding and reciprocal knowledge; this was exactly what the Us&Them project attempted to achieve. The project aimed to improve the multicultural skills of educators working with learners from linguistic, ethnical, religious, racial and cultural mixed communities, to make them able to efficiently manage multi-ethnic groups, for reducing social tensions, promoting tolerance and better peaceful coexistence through quality non-/informal learning on tolerance & understanding of “The Others”. The target groups were AE educators & adult learners from cultural conglomerates.The partnership consisted of 8 organisations from: AT, CY, ES, IT, PT, RO, TR, UK. GIE (RO) is a strong regional AE & VET provider; CY (CARDET) is the leading independent education research centre in Cyprus; ES (FUERM) is a foundation of professionals with expertise in education, training, research, innovation; LMETB (IE) is an institution with international recognition for innovation in education; STAFF CONSULT (IT) is a company that provides support to disadvantaged people; ANJAF (PT) is a non-profit association whose aim is to encourage solidarity between young people, families and community; CIMEM (TR) is a local authority in education; COLEG CAMBRIA (UK) is one of the UK’s largest colleges. Together they had the expertise necessary to succesfully implement the project.Main activities undertaken were: O1: desk & field research (by bibliographic survey, questionnaire, Focus Group) on specific features of European cultures to identify potential sources of social-cultural tension; elaborating Transnational Report. O2: desigining the Curriculum for Adult Educators training course “Managing multicultural and multi-ethnic groups of adult learners for tolerance and good coexistence”; translation in partner languages.C1: performing the joint staff training event in Rome (Italy) at STAFF Consult.O3: desigining Handbook I for Adult Educators “A new approach of multiculturalism and religion for peaceful and rightful coexistence” (draft version, evaluation by stakeholders, adjustment, final version); publishing it in 20 copies/partner.O4: designing the Plan for AE educators Course; translation in partner languages; implementing parts 1 & 2 of the course “Managing multicultural and multi-ethnic groups for tolerance and good coexistence” (20 hours f2f training – pedagogical, English and cultural skills; 20 hours online training).C2: performing the blended mobility of adult learners in Lisbon (Portugal) at ANJAF (40 hours f2f training).O5: desigining Handbook II for learners living in multicultural societies ""One day in the shoes of The Other“ (draft version, evaluation by stakeholders, adjustment, final version); translation in partner languages; publishing it in 20 copies/partner.O6: desigining and translating in partner languages the Plan for Adult Learners Course; implementing the intensive course “One day in the shoes of The Other”; 12 hours of f2f training, 124 participants); elaborating the 8 National Reports.O7: developing the 8 Case studies; translation in partner languages.We also performed Management, QA, evaluation, dissemination, exploitation, sustainability activities which continued all over the project.Results & impact: increased awareness on AE staffs & stakeholders (authorities, decision makers, NGOs, social workers, immigrants) in partner countries regarding the need of promoting, supporting and strengthening peaceful coexistence within multicultural communities, 51 well trained AE educators through C1 and C2 events and over 40.500 stakeholders reached through interview, Focus Groups, f2f meetings, trainings based on Handbook II “One day in the shoes of ‘The Other’ ”, multiplier events and through various dissemination channels – social media, websites, articles in newspapers, scientific paper in international journals, etc.We estimate longer-term benefits will be more obvious in the coming years through the larger distribution of Us&Them outcomes. More meetings with stakeholders and especially with AE providers will be achieved in all countries to share results and to teach participants how to use them in their professional activities. The free access to project outcomes through the project website will represent another stimulus which will help disseminating Us&Them tools."

"The project’s main idea is to gather a creative, conscious and energetic group of young people composed of representatives of different cultures with the main task of producing short audiovisual works that wield social, educational, inspirational, professional, recreational and awareness value. The videos will be disseminated in electronic networks to reach the biggest audience with the aim of entailing knowledge, impact on attitudes, reflection and positive change in the end-receivers. Along with this the team will organize the regular off-line presentations of their work called “YouthInsight” in the local community of the project’s venue multiplying the impact and informing the local community about the new “Erasmus+” youth mobility Programme. These “YouthInsight” meetings will be concluded with an audiovisual festival where other interested local youth groups will contribute their own works. The project is expected to reach the main following objectives: promoting media literacy and communication technologies skills in the participants and the end-receivers of deliverables; creativity and artistic expression of the participants; impacting the audience with the audiovisual materials’ messages and giving chance to participants to speak out on the burning topics of today; intercultural dialogue in the multinational working team and in the local community; equipping participants with leadership, language and media-oriented skills and competences for their future professional careers. The project will lead to a number of tangible and intangible results and its main impact will be in promoting media as a tool for positive change, causing reflection and knowledge in the society, fostering the intercultural dialogue and developing the European human capital with the help of investing in its youth media literacy, youth active participation and youth management skills. The project’s visibility and its results exploitation are reinforced with the project’s sustainability because its idea is embedded into a long-term concept under the name “Youth Intercultural Studio” which is planned to host in future more youth international initiatives based around youth media. In the current project the intercultural group will be composed of 4-5 European volunteers from different countries each having a separate sending organization and plus 4-5 Ukrainian volunteers representing the receiving organization. Additionally - Extract that didn't fit in the ""Objectives and needs field"":Developing individual media literacy and proper personal traits, uniting in adherent groups (especially international) and working with solidary civic society institutions, receiving financial support and acknowledgement in the community are those very factors that stand at quality shift in the youth media initiatives and lead to success. With its audiovisual outputs the project raises topics taken from the context of the contemporary reality characterized by its diversity, fast pace, globalization, systemic burdens and need for open-mindedness. While in every case wielding socially wholesome, awareness, educational, inspirational, recreational or professional value these videos are short messages that are planned to trigger meditation or bearing instruction coming from the multicultural youth team and set for the broad on-line and off-line audiences. The alike examples can be the next videos produced by youth with the support of the European Commission:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIEbdoiQ2N0 / http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUUVA8ginOo To sum this up the project addresses the need of equipping young people with media (audiovisual in particular) skills so that they can realize their need in speaking out on the burning topics of the today’s society through their media deliverables, causing positive changes. While doing this with intercultural composition of the team the project brings in the diversity, enhanced creativity and impartiality to working visions, which helps to solve issues of limited open-mindedness in restrained environments. The international scale as well introduces the reinforced cooperation and broadens the possibilities of follow-up and wider dissemination of the project’s results.We want to turn the attention on the following: the project’s working team will be composed of a group of up to 5 EVS volunteers from different Programme Countries plus the same number of local participants (Ukrainians) to achieve its intercultural dimension, thus the partner organizations with their corresponding EVS volunteers will literally apply with the same project to their respective National Agencies. The partner organizations and the volunteers appeal to the National Agencies and EACEA project validation bodies not to judge this as a double-funding but as a project that needs a group of individual volunteers to achieve its goal. P.S.In the attached file you may find the expanded answer on the topics raised by this project and other."