•Background:Nowadays, social exclusion of migrants and refugees exists in many European countries, although it is not well-reflected in our educational systems. Thus, tackling inequalities in education should be a part of the comprehensive fight for social justice,in order to make universal values alive.The acquisition of basic skills and mostly learning the language is the foundation for the integration process and the access to further learning and the gateway to employment and social inclusion.•Objectives:The purpose of INCREA project was the development of training modules and activities respecting the different culture of the individuals to support their integration in the European societies through language and entrepreneurial competences, including soft skills as well as digital skills. In fact,INCREA developed an innovative ICT tool-based on the methodology of Serious game-integrated in a blended-learning environment aiming in transferring knowledge towards target audience together with a manual that fosters creative entrepreneurship in European societies.•Undertaken activities:INCREA activities aimed in identifying the following challenges in relation with the needs of European societies:-1:Lack of adequate language skills – A language skills course was created with hands-on examples of professional language use in working environments.-2:Lack of professional and employment-related skills – INCREA also provided a combination of courses enhancing migrants and refugees’ digital and entrepreneurial skills in order to support them in being part of European creative industries or create their own business. •Participants:Different target groups were involved:-Migrants/ refugees that participated in an analysis aiming in identifying the gap between their level and the current situation in European industries. They were also engaged in all aspects of the project (validation, workshops,events, etc.)-Stakeholders (adult training organizations, social workers, entrepreneurs, organizations working in migration, business consultants, etc.)More than 52.000 participants were reached in total.•Results:The Intellectual Outputs were:•1–Identification of skill and gaps of target migrants related to:language and entrepreneurial competences• 2–Training courses for migrants combining language,entrepreneurial and digital skills• 3-From Migrant to Creative Entrepreneur Manual• 4-Serious game to foster entrepreneurship spirit exploiting personal cultural background. The first step comprised a detailed skills gap analysis serving as the basis for the delivery of all outputs. Within IO2,3 courses and a training scheme were delivered addressing language, digital and entrepreneurial skills that are required in the creative sector. Moreover,a hands-on manual was prepared within IO3 including useful information about the administrative rules that currently occur in each partner country.Finally, a Serious Game was developed for IO4 serving as an assessment tool with motivational workflows.The results of IO2, IO3 and IO4 are hosted in a Learning Motivational Environment that supports the learning process providing autonomy to the users. •Impact:The impact of the project was related to the main objectives:1.The social inclusion of new migrants in order to increase their contribution to grow creates new job opportunities in Europe in the near future.2.Raising awareness about the benefits of social inclusion aimed also in leveraging of various stakeholders involved. In this respect, the project also aimed to have an impact in the promotion and diffusion of the impact investing. 3.At a local level, the project provided participants with the tools and techniques needed to improve the processes of running and developing their own business.4. At a national level, the increased inclusion of migrants in the economy is materialized into a generalized economic growth and a diminution of social poverty. 5.At a European and International level, the project aimed in influencing policies and helping in shaping the future of social inclusion as long as partners continue to learn from each other.•Long-term benefits:The project activities and the INCREA Academy that was created for sustainability purposes contributed in the development of synergies of stakeholders that work on the field of migration within Europe.In addition, the project methodology can be used in the future as the foundation for relevant studies in other areas,such as the financial management skills of migrants. •Acronyms identification:- E#: Multiplier Event- TPM: Transnational Project Meeting- LTTA: Learning, Teaching and Training Activity- QM: Quality Manager - QPR: Quality Progress Report - QMP: Quality Management Plan- QAC: Quality Assurance Committee- IEQ: Internal Evaluation Questionnaire- IPR: Intellectual Property Rights - KPI: Key Performance Indicator - IO: Intellectual Output - VET: Vocational Education Training

Digital technologies are quickly changing education and is bringing many opportunities for schools & training organisations, impacting what, where & how education is delivered. However, the adoption of these technologies remain slower than seen in other industries. One study by the European Commission (Survey of Schools: ICT in Education) found that only 25% of students in the European Union are taught by digitally confident and supportive teachers, while another study by the OECD found that 56% of teachers report that they have “moderate to high development needs” when it comes to using technology at work. In addition, teachers fail to appreciate the digital opportunities which exist and those which are due to open up in the near future. Building the digital skills of teachers & students is a vital step in actually benefiting from technology in education. Various teachers are ready to accept the wave of digitization but more effort still need to be exercised when it comes to teacher training. Outmoded teaching and training methods need to meet with 21st century teaching & learning trends. The IDEAL project aims to help educators, teachers & trainers in (in)formal adult education to understand & put digital education into practice. IDEAL will promote modern pedagogies, training methods & teaching practices, and develop learning materials and tools that support the effective use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in education & training. As a result, the project will promote digital literacy, skills & inclusion for both teachers & learners. The IDEAL project will be executed by a partnership of seven organisation from 6 different EU countries: - Enseña (ES), a training center for employment providing training services to contribute to the development and qualification of both workers & companies. - Eolas (ES), provides services & support to all enterprises, organisations & entities with demands in the field of the design & management of projects. - Inqubator Leeuwarden (NL), provides training & coaching to starting companies to firmly establish their business and to help them maximise their personal growth. - Expontential Training & Assessment (UK), is working with learners in over 50 countries undertaking professional development & qualifications in management & leadership, coaching & mentoring, business support & management consulting. - CrystalClearSoft (EL), expert in e-learning, develops its own learning tools ranging from e-learning platforms offering personalised learning environments, serious games, simulations, immersive environments etc. - North-East Regional Development Agency is authorized as provider of training & education by the National Authority for Qualification and carries out this activity under their North-East Regional Studies Center (CRS). - Eurocrea Merchant (IT) is a consulting & training company that aims to improve the competitiveness of the European society through business development, training & creation of transnational partnership. The project uses a clear, complete & high quality methodology, including the 3 phases: 1. Strategy (activities Preparation & Research) 2. Development, Implementation & Testing (activities Development & Alpha testing, and Implementation & Beta testing) 3. Review, Finalisation and Dissemination (activities Review & Finalisation, and Dissemination) What makes this project innovative is that the IDEAL project aims to provide a complete package of materials and tools which has been divided into steps that are built on a very logical succession and therefore form a whole. The following results will be developed in the IDEAL project: - IDEAL Campaign (IO1) to inform and convince educators, teachers and trainers involved in adult education about the opportunities and benefits of digital education - IDEAL Teacher Manual (IO2) describing step-by-step HOW digital tools and ICT can be implemented in their teaching practices and strategies - IDEAL Toolkit (IO3) that provides teachers, trainers and educators with a comprehensive toolkit that offers the best digital & modern tools to use and easily, quickly and directly implement in their course or training - IDEAL online platform (IO4) to make the materials easily accessible & free of charge The IDEAL project expects to have an impact on: - Teachers & learners in adult education as IDEAL will lead to professional development - Organisations involved in adult education (including the project partners), as through the project, organisations look at how digital technology can support the development of new training and teaching methods and improve the effectiveness and impact of courses. In addition, IDEAL will contribute to the development of modern & digital education focused on 21st century skills. It will also change the perceptions of the importance of digital skills. Finally it will also fight EU’s crisis of shortage of employees with digital skills.

Cultural heritage (CH) is of great value to European society from environmental, social and economic point of view. Its sustainable management constitutes a strategic choice for the 21st century (DECISION (EU) 2017/864). Moreover, CH played a specific role in achieving the Europe 2020 strategy goals for a ‘smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ (2014/C 183/08).Towards this vision, the European Union designated the year 2018 as the ‘European Year of Cultural Heritage’ with the purpose to encourage the sharing and appreciation of Europe's cultural heritage as a shared resource, to raise awareness of common history and values, and to reinforce a sense of belonging to a common European space. Various actions were put in place across Europe aiming at promoting Europe’s cultural diversity (#EuropeForCulture). Against this background, the CultApp partnership was inspired by the idea to contribute to raising awareness of Europe’s CH among young people from iVET institutions. In doing so, the partnership relied on powerful potentials of Augmented Reality (AR) as a tool allowing to experience cultural assets in a joyful and entertaining way. Through the combination of two topics, CH and AR, partnership strived to promote different set of 21st century’s skills of young learners, such as aesthetic, digital and civic competence, critical thinking, creativity and problem solving. The overall vision of the CultApp project was reflected in the project motto “Cultapp brings culture into the 21st century and in all our pockets”. In addition, CultApp aimed at creating supporting tools and strategies for iVET stakeholders (teachers, learners, managerial staff) towards integrating innovative AR-based teaching and learning practices in their educational activities, in particular, in incorporating CH-related topics in iVET curricula. The project’s objectives were implemented by the CultApp partnership consisting of 7 institutions with different profiles from Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland. 2 of them represented iVET sector (ITT MP from IT, Agora Niekée from NL), 1 – HEI sector (FHM, DE), 1 NGO with focus on providing educational support to children with special needs (NART, BG), 1 association specializing on the development and management of human resources (Effebi, IT), 1 training & consulting institution (PAIZ Konsulting, PL), and 1 SME focusing on the design and development of digital educational solutions (CCS Education, EL). CultApp partners performed a number of tasks which led to attaining the project objectives and resulted into the development and pilot testing of 3 intellectual outputs, which were:IO1: Augmented Reality meets Cultural Heritage - Compendium of practices and applications: the Compendium showcased 12 applications of Augmented Reality on art and cultural objects in DE, IT, BG, EL, NL, PL by describing their technological features, educational value, effects and impact produced, and provided several inspirations for adopting these practices to a wider community of stakeholders, if teachers & learners, cultural workers, public municipalities, tourism service suppliers and promoters. IO2: Open Online Teacher Training Programme “Augmented Reality for Cultural Heritage Education”. This Moodle-based course addressed Art, History or Media Design teachers who wanted to try AR tools to inspire their learners for CH. The course helped teachers understand the pedagogical value of AR, use AR for teaching CH-related subjects, and empowered them to design and implement simple AR projects.IO3: Augmented Learning Project work. During this project, selected teachers and learners from CultApp countries IT, DE, and NL virtually worked together on the development of AR scenes which presented stories about the past, the presence and a possible future of the selected cultural assets in the cities Florence, Bielefeld, and Roermond. The final output of the AL project is represented through 3 deliverables:-17 AR markers to be discovered with a mobile device with the installed AR Blippar;-1 publication reflecting pedagogical and organizational stages of the AL project;-1 AL platform containing visual and textual materials produced by learners during the AL project. Impact of the project:-increased transversal skills of learners, such as curiosity, creativity, digital and intercultural competence, collaboration and communication;-improved pedagogical and digital skills of teachers;-reinforced collaboration between EU iVET institutions;-increased awareness of common EU cultural and historical values.Potential long-term benefits of the projects are:- creation of challenging learner-centered educational environments at iVET institutions,- paths for modernizing iVET curricula towards incorporating CH-related topics through AR;- pedagogical AR projects in different subjects,- innovative cooperation models between iVET institutions, tourism suppliers, public municipalities.

The main objective of the project was to help develop the European tourism sector, by promoting, developing and improving the skills and knowledge of tourism professionals in the field of sustainability and quality principles, so that they are able to face the following issues:- Properly manage their facilities, by taking into account environmental protection, use of resources as well as economic development;- To understand and implement European Tourism Quality Principles, so that professionals effectively know them and learn how to make appropriate use of them during their daily decisions;- The use of cultural and environmental heritage as a driver for sustainable development and competitiveness of valuable destinations, with high tourism potential.The Tourism sector heavily impacts on the development of contemporary European society; furthermore, tourism professionals are not always best prepared to assess the impact they can make in terms of sustainable development due to low skill levels and high turnover in the sector. The sector also has a skills and seasonality issue to deal with. Target groups were professionals in the tourism sector (mainly hoteliers and accommodation providers but some of the curriculum is also suitable for others in the tourism industry, e.g. attractions) or those considering working in the tourism sector. The training model was developed through the following activities:- Needs analysis and investigation on the state of the art, at the national level, leading to an overarching set of guidelines, based on a cross-national analysis of the cases;- Development of training modules, based on the results of the needs analysis and consultation with the industry, specific to the tourism sector and especially to hotel hospitality;- Development of a platform (SMARTOUR GENIE tool) which provides a personalised approach for learners in their daily decisions, so that they undertake sustainability as a competitive advantage for their companies and businesses;- Development of a system of certification of acquired skills, complying with the ECVET system and ensuring European-wide recognition;- Testing, refinement and final development of the training modules and SMARTOUR GENIE tool.The project consortium represented well Europe (IT, UK, FI, GR). There was a very good range of partners in terms of the type of organizations involved (from SMEs and tourism associations to experts in professional training), which ensured a correct interpretation of the market and training needs due to complementary competences (technical knowledge, experience in marketing, experience on sustainability).A facebook page is available entitled Sustainable Tourism in Europe at https://www.facebook.com/smartourproject/ The project website is at http://www.smartourproject.eu/

Let´s Guide project, a strategic partnership between 6 EU countries is financed and supported by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Programme, aims at creating an innovative on-line training/practical guide in form of interactive learning scenarios simulations for entrepreneurial education based on real-life entrepreneurial stories (storytelling multimedia training content) to further improve the entrepreneurial skills of youth and adult people: unemployed, freelancers in the age of 30-45 with a medium or long work experience, university students, schools and labour offices. Let´s Guide will also offer a set of innovative learning resources (within the gamified environment) that further supports potential entrepreneurs to take the best decisions for their businesses regarding entrepreneurship actions. The Project supports the following objectives:- To develop basic and transversal entrepreneurial skills, using innovative approaches,- To increase sense of initiative and entrepreneurship among adults,- To promote and enhance internationalization intention throughout entrepreneurs,- to develop European education and training area by strategic use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), open- educational resources (OER) within training modules compendium available for wide group of receptors,- To enhance employability and new business creation among European labour market,- To endorse distance online learning and create the proper ground for equal opportunities in education and training.LET'S GUIDE! Skills for entrepreneurship and internationalization promotion among adult peopleThe Let’s Guide project wishes to inspire the entire community and increase opportunities for entrepreneurs at European and national level. Moreover, it will offer a place where adult people, freelancers and unemployed may meet with a practical, new approach training prepared by a group of professionals from education and training organizations from different European countries.Objectives of Let's Guide!•to develop basic and transversal entrepreneurial skills, using innovative approaches,•to increase sense of initiative and entrepreneurship among adults,•to promote and enhance internationalization intention throughout entrepreneurs,•to develop European education and training area by strategic use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), open educational resources (OER) within training modules compendium available for a wide group of receptors,•to enhance employability and new business creation among European labour market,•to endorse distance online learning and create the proper ground for equal opportunities in education and training.Target group of the Let's Guide project activities:•adult people (30 - 45 years) with a medium or long work experience,•potential entrepreneurs,•freelancers and,•unemployed people.The Let’s Guide project focused on the target group of adult people (30 - 45 years) with a medium or long work experience, potential entrepreneurs, freelancers and unemployed people.The indirect target group consisted of local communities from which the participants were taken, local business and adults associations and entrepreneurial bodies, adult training providers that will add a training offer to their activities, policy makers and general economic public authorities that will have stakeholders able to deal with international market and so that will ask for more international support from Public Authorities, other EU networks with other countries not involved in the project, companies, youth training providers, organizations supporting disadvantage groups, local authorities, business associations, incubators, that will make possible to extend the range of involvement of indirect beneficiaries in other EU countries.Direct target group was constantly informed about the project activities from the first months of the project, especially after creating the project web page and project Facebook. Through the Facebook the target audience had the opportunity to read the Let’s Guide blog and be up to date with project news and activities. The complete learning experience that the LET’S GUIDE! training tool and its interactive material offer has achieved to contribute to the overall efforts of reversing the situation and turn this crisis into an opportunity for -experienced and new- entrepreneurs. The professionals that fall within the target audience and participated in the different phases of the project mentioned that through the learning process they regained their self-confidence and optimism. The development of new important skills and the empowerment of the existing ones help every professional grow, become more competitive and be better equipped to face the ongoing and upcoming challenges.