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.

The proposed project, EDIPUS, will create a new powerful tool, namely the Digital Portfolio Portal (DPP) which will be addressing the employability needs of university students and young job seekers. The DPP, will provide students with a digital area, where they can create their own portfolio of experiences and qualifications in a creative and professional way. The DPP aims to replace the traditional CV, by offering a smarter tool to students to express themselves. A Digital Portfolio will allow students to record all their experiences and to present themselves to employers prior to an interview, thus having the chance to make a good first impression. In addition, EDIPUS will produce a Database of digital portfolios, where employers can have access and choose the right candidates for their company needs. A Guidebook will be created on the technical details of creating a digital portfolio, while providing advice on how to communicate strengths and qualifications of the candidate to potential employers. A training course for university students will be developed so as to guide them through the relevant processes of using the Digital Portfolio Portal.The EDIPUS will build upon EDIPED (106059-CP-1-2002-1-COMENIUS-C21) another European funded project which produced a tool for the development of an on-line digital portfolio for Educators and which since 2005 has been live and used by more than 1000 educators. It will improve and build upon other existing European practices and tools which also address the employability of young people.The core objective of the EDIPUS project is to enhance the chances of employability of students and young job seekers in Europe. The aim is to create a tool to help students express themselves creatively and professionally through a Digital Portfolio, while also involving career counselors and university advisors. Another major objective is the creation of a Database of digital portfolios so as to successfully engage employers in the process of utilizing this tool in selecting their potential employees. The main project target group are university students from any background who wish to develop a personal on-line digital portfolio; more than 100,000 students will be reached. The secondary target group includes career officers, as well as, other representatives from university student services in Europe, and it is estimated that 4,000 university career offices will be informed about the project. Furthermore, employers’ associations and various enterprises (3000 at least) will be reached through the local events and other dissemination activities.The methodology and activities for implementing the project is simple: the project starts with the formulation of an analysis report for the specifications of the Portfolio Portal, including a Needs survey targeting possible users of the proposed Portal (O1). This activity will lead to the design and development of the Digital Portfolio Portal (O2), which will more specifically focus on the development of the digital tool, the clear definition of its structure and technical specifications. In addition to the development of O2, a Digital Portfolio Database (O3) will be created based on all the aforementioned. Furthermore, a Digital Portfolio User Guide Book (O4) will be designed and structured that will help users on how to easily use the DPP in order to create a digital portfolio. Finally, a training course (O5) will be designed and delivered aiming to train the beneficiaries on how to use the DPP. The structure and method of delivery will be defined by the partnership and the implementation phase will include the evaluation of the pilot training course developed, so as to assess the effectiveness of the course. Each partner will have to work on all outputs and deliver their results on schedule. Regular feedback on all activities will be exchanged throughout the project, while five partner meetings are planned. The project coordinator will make sure to resolve any issues arising via regular communication.EDIPUS hopes to make an impact on the employability opportunities of university students in Europe, by improving their position in the labour market, specifically aiming to make a significant impact on strengthening their professional profiles and improving the tools available. Furthermore, the project aims to have an impact on the way employers view profiles of prospective job candidates and to make this process easier and more efficient for everyone involved. Finally, the project aims to improve in the long-term the quality of services used by the students’ university services, as well as, career consultants so as to guide young graduates and aims in the adoption of the proposed tool throughout Europe.

Blockchain technology is basically blocks, which are linked using cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash (i.e. a one-way function, that is practically infeasible to invert) of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data; therefore, every block is highly resistant to modification of the data. For these characteristics it is also known as “Distributed ledger technology” and is characterised as any technology that enables the keeping and sharing of records in a distributed and decentralized way, while at the same time ensuring its integrity through the use of a validation consensus protocol with cryptographic signatures.In Europe, within the educational sphere, there is little standardisation of student records. Currently, education received at tertiary level is represented by credits of learning using one of two credit standards, namely ECTS (in Higher Education) or ECVET (in Vocational Education). However, metadata standards (i.e. a common understanding, interpretation and use of the same type of data) do not exist for these credit systems.All degrees issued within the European Higher Education Area are accompanied by a diploma supplement that describes the degree in standard terms. However, again there are no standards for computer-readable data for diploma supplements. Paper-based higher education diplomas, school certificates and extra training course certificates get lost and the original can be lost over time, while their common digital version can be counterfeit or not easily recognised. When put in blockchain, the information about a student’s grades and the courses that have been undertaken will not get lost, and it is impossible to change or falsify the information. The EU has launched in 2018 the ‘EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum’, with the aim to accelerate blockchain innovation and the development of the blockchain ecosystem within the EU, mapping relevant projects and initiatives with the intention to build a European knowledge hub on blockchain. According to the paper “Blockchain in Education” report, issued in 2017 by the Joint Research Centre (the European Commission’s science and knowledge service), using the blockchain for the automatic recognition and transfer of credits would make a learner’s entire educational history in terms of those credits instantly visible and verifiable.TRUE aims to develop an integrated training strategy for the uptake of blockchain technology in HEIs across Europe. The project seeks to develop the necessary outputs to implement its solution, such as:-a baseline knowledge pack about the potential of blockchain technology adapted to HE sector, including a Competence Framework for the Blockchain Expert;-training contents and tools addressed to HEIs’ staff about blockchain technology through a MOOC (Massive Online and Open Course);-a Serious Game providing an innovative learning experience on how the blockchain technology works for HEI’s staff.This is also in line with the wide Bologna process reform and the latest goal of creating the European universities of the future: a unique platform in which HEIs cooperate creating links between higher education institutions, research institutions, employers and the wider community. HEIs staff should possess the right skills to enable blockchain technology potentials.Right now, the only way to know if someone graduated from your university is to verify it personally by contacting the registrar or university administrative personnel. What if individual faculty or programs could play the role of “authorized credential issuers,” time-stamping accomplishments on the blockchain that can be validated instantaneously? In short, blockchain can help to solve one of higher education’s most burdensome challenges: making the case for a system where many people keep verified, trusted information. Universities will no longer need to spend thousands of hours verifying alumni's study paths and degrees for external bodies, as they do today.

"The reduction of food waste is seen as an important lever for achieving global food security, freeing up finite resources for other uses, diminishing environmental risks and avoiding financial losses. In its roadmap for a resource efficient Europe the EC has set the target to halve the generation of food waste by 2020.Although the food waste issue has gained a high interest in Europe in recent years and some initiatives have been started, there is still a lot to do about citizens’ education.The project specific goal is to develop educational contents to raise awareness of the food waste problem and educate citizens to reduce their food waste footprint.General objective is to improve the offer of high quality learning related to food management and sustainability, tailored to individual adult learners and delivered through a completely innovative way of outreach. The target group will be the whole citizenship, in order to educate and shape up “sustainable families” and to make them ""responsible consumers"". The project aims at reaching all strands of citizens also those with some financial difficulties, by targeting the educational modules towards specific sub-groups;•Families: the hard core of citizens who can make real changes on consumes and household food consumption.•Beneficiaries of food aid and people facing food shortage: material assistance needs to go hand in hand with social inclusion measures, such as guidance, education and support to help people out of poverty•Social workers: the project offers them methods, contents and tools to actively work as educators about food waste reduction.The main outcome will be a multifunction and interactive platform hosting various training contents and tools developed with an innovative approach based on informal learning, education and entertainment, in short edu-tainment.In particular, the platform will host:- A learning path including educational materials and methods/scenarios for adult education activities - An internet TV, a simple base of short educational video-materials, which responds to actual nutritional, social and economic situations related to an efficient use of food resources- A board-game, available both online and off-line to help people learn about: food products and food processes from the farm to the supermarket; culinary traditions in different European countries; negative effects of food; the reality of food poverty in Europe and in the world; smart solutions to improve their consumer habits and re-use discarded foodstuff. - A networking area, to allow the creation of a community of practice, where organisations active for the reduction of food waste can exchange views, stay in contact, share best practice, and organise educational events using the EFFECT results.The project is promoted by a consortium of 6 partners from different EU countries, including the representatives of the end beneficiaries (Food Banks), experts in adult education, charities active in food redistribution, technical experts in digital education and an NGO experienced in campaigns related to food waste reduction.In order to involve people, stakeholders and decision-makers, the project will launch a European campaign, based on internet presence (websites, social networks), distribution of paper and digital information materials (brochures, newsletters, flyers), organisation of big events with high visibility, networking with civil society organisations, demonstration days.In total the people directly involved in the project will be about 5000.The campaign will start with a European survey, that will serve on one hand to investigate the target group level of knowledge as for food waste, their interest, their gaps and the best way to address them; on the other hand it will raise awareness of the project, stimulate curiosity in the general public and create an initial group of people interested in the project and its results. Then the results will be developed and later tested and evaluated by involing again the target group, in view of the fine-tuning and final release. The awareness raising campaign will be given a boost during the last months of the project, thanks especially to the organisation of big multiplier events for the presentation and demonstration of the results. The consortium also plans to develop a database of at least 500 organisations working in the filed of sustainability and reduction of food waste, that will be involved in the project, stimulating further exploitatation at international level.Thruogh the campaign and visibility activities, it is intended to reach at least 15000 people in Europe.It is expected that the project long term result will be a change of behaviour and habits that contribute to a real reduction of the amount of food waste at home by adults and their families and promote sustainable way of living with benefit to financial situation of citizens and positive impact to their local and global environment."

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/