Context & backgroundSoft skills are closely connected with employability and it is also seen that EU countries have different methodologies and approaches to assessment (Cinque, 2016) of soft skills competences and furthermore in the train of teachers. Skills development is one of the four main areas of the European Union. The labor market is constantly evolving and therefore competences and qualifications that educators need change over time. These interpersonal skills are seen as a one of the key competencies in EU policy. The Cedefop (2014) defines competence as the ability to apply learning outcomes adequately in education, work, personal or professional development; these outcomes include knowledge; skills; and personal, social, and/or methodological abilities. European Commission has published new recommendations (2018) for Key Competences for Lifelong Learning, which was adopted in 2006. An agile competence development is seen as a key factor when developing European education. Competence needs are not static; they change throughout life and across eras.Easily accessible learning outcomes promote adult educators development, indirectly students in adult education benefit from the results. Objectives, activities & resultsThe objectives of the project were: a) to recognize needs of soft skills competencies through 2 Delphi rounds, b) to identify and describe 15 key soft skills competencies , c) to develop a self-reflective online test, and d) to co-create an open badge-driven learning process to improve missing soft skills.The project team consisted of six European partners from five countries; Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) Finland, Formacion Para El Desarrollo E Insercion, Sociedad Limitada (Defoin) Spain, Universidad De Cordoba (UCO) Spain, Fondazione Hallgarten-Franchetti Centro Studi Villa Montesca (FVM) Italy, Orange Hill Sp. Z o.o. (OH) Poland and Centrul Pentru Promovarea Invatarii Permanente Timisoara Asociatia (CPIP) Romania. The common definition for soft skills was reached by the first survey (398 responses) and the second survey (216 responses) by which the most important soft skills for adult educators and HR people in their daily work were identified. In total 15 key soft skills were identified. Translations of the badge names and descriptions into national languages were conducted. The landing page (online) was created and badge icons were composed. The landing page was updated by self-directed learning materials (such as new created podcasts, learning materials, videos) in partners’ languages (Finnish, Polish, Romanian, Italian, Spanish) and in English. The links for the badge application with detailed competence criteria as well as instructions for skills demonstration was shared via the landing page. The self-reflective online test was created and implemented in the landing page. The purpose of the online test was to assess persons’ skills related to chosen soft skills (15). In all, 274 badges were issued to the participants in all languages (Finnish 48, Polish 30, Romanian 27, Spanish 40, Italian 28, and English 101). The project team arranged three short-term staff learning, teaching and training activities during the project, twelve multiplier events and was able to achieve all set objectives. Participants, impacts & sustainabilitySOSTRA project succeeded in supporting adult educators, training companies, school-based training centers, training consultants and HRs teachers in achieving a better understanding of the soft skills competencies, as well as adapting learning process more transparently and consistently into practice, seeking an innovative way to intertwine digital and competence-based education into soft skills development in the field of European adult education and to further model competence-based adult education approaches in open digital badge-driven learning approaches.During the project, approximately 38 000 people were reached through dissemination activities. The feedback gathered from piloting the open badge-driven learning process suggested that the learning and teaching situations were conducted well, the process was straightforward and all participants used soft skills daily, finding them to be important skills for educators. The Participants found the project innovative, appreciated the involvement of many countries and that it could be linked to EQF levels. There were some concerns regarding the official recognition of the badges and the evaluation process. The partners found the project results useful for their own self development and will use this type of learning process in the future. Sostra has inspired several new European projects to include digital badges or soft skills development.All materials including self-reflection tests and 15 podcasts in six languages produced during the project are available on Sostra.eu webpage.

The project has been prepared to make a meaningful contribution to inter-cultural dialogue and addressing loneliness, both of which are identified by the European Commission, Member Governments and agencies engaged in local / regional strategic planning as important social issues to be addressed. The application has evolved from the current Erasmus+ project entitled EDIN (Equality Diversity Inclusion Network) where a network of organisations have come together to ensure these principles are embedded in the delivery of Lifelong Learning. This ethos is embedded in the Cultural Ambassadors Target Loneliness through Intercultural Dialogue (CATLID) project where we will enact the following steps:- Develop a training course to provide migrants / refugees with the skills to become Community Educators and share their cultural background- Pilot the training course with eight migrants / refugees and run a series of Inter-cultural Dialogue workshops for them to engage and share with businesses, public sector, NGOs- In addition run Inter-Cultural Dialogue workshops (Knowledge Parties) for migrants / refugees to share with individuals facing loneliness and to facilitate on-going engagement to provide for all the opportunity to extend their support network / contact- Follow-up from the Knowledge Parties to create buddying links between course participants and individuals facing loneliness to reduce their respective sense of isolation - Produce a series of audio - video good practice case studies to promote the project methodology contribution to inter-cultural dialogue- Produce and publish a Handbook on Techniques to Creatively Tackle Loneliness through Intercultural Dialogue, which can be used as a resource to develop new ideas and approaches to creative engagementThe six partners will each train and up-skill eight migrants to become Community Educators who will be a resource for inter-cultural dialogue which will during the project and through sustainability beyond the impact will be to provide learners with presentation skills, enhanced cultural awareness, employability skills, increased confidence and communication skills. In addition the impact will assist businesses to embrace diversity / understand better their customers, assist public sector / NGOs better understand the background / plan for the needs of local citizens and to be active citizens and resource for community cohesion initiatives. Community Educators will also be a resource to buddy with people facing loneliness and enable situations of mutual support and benefit.With active partner contribution from Austria France, Poland, Spain, Sweden and UK the longer-term project benefits will be to bring a trans-national perspective and innovative creative trans-national solutions to combining the project themes of inter-cultural dialogue and loneliness. This will result in the production of materials and tools which can be mainstreamed within the partner organisation and be available through active dissemination to other learning providers / community development / community cohesion focussed organisations throughout Europe.

<< Objectives >>Increase mental health, prevent burnout and social exclusion in terms of career development of women working remotely. Supporting the objective diversity and inclusion for the Erasmus+ programme 2022. Research show that women as a group have been affected the most by the pandemic and also have a higher risk of getting burnt out, with BB we want to understand women challenges, create training material that will help supporting women working remote.<< Implementation >>•A training guide & a checklist for managers on how to handle the identified difficulties and how to train employees working remote.•A website that will create awareness about the risks for burnout, remote work and the risk of social exclusion of women.•Online downloadable resources as information about each identified difficulty, checklist for managers, training guide for managers and employees and the self-evaluation questionnaire.<< Results >>•Increase awareness about the difficulties of women working remote and the potential threat of social exclusion and discrimination of career paths. •Prevent burnout for women working remotely. •Knowledge exchange between managers, leaders and coaches on an European level, highlighting the importance to tackle difficulties for women. •Knowledge exchange between women working remotely being a risk group for burnout. •Decrease gender gap in organizations.

Diversity management brings measurable benefits and influences directly the development and innovation of organizations. European Commission pushes for business-oriented diversity management as part of a strategic response to a more diversified society, customer base, market structure and workforce. The EIU report about diversity in business (2014) shows, that according to 83% HR directors the diversity in business improve the financial condition of enterprises. The 80% of them declare, that diversity management brings the most of the competitive advantage. This definitely implies new role of managers consequently challenged with diversity embedded dillemas. National researches give close look to a topic: only 21% of companies confirmed implementing diversity management solutions in workplace (more rarely in SMEs) and only 2% have diversity management strategy implemented (Diversity Barometer, I edition, 2011)All this puts an emphasis on the need of implementing diversity management within SMEs as well as the need of including diversity management within vocational education and training and workforce development and providing companies and their employees with competences directly related to diversity management. Project: TUNED UP! Tools Under the Need of Enhancing Diversity was created as an answer to the real needs of market and was supplemented with Partners’ knowledge and experience gained while working with SMEs (target group). The main aim of the project was to develop the potential and competences of SMEs and their employees in diversity management by providing innovative, comprehensive instruments (methods and tools, incl ICT) within 4 countries by the 31.10.2016. To achieve main aim following objectives were defined:• to develop competences and skills of managers in diversity management• to enable managers to efficient performance of tasks by providing tools (including diagnostic e-tools) to be used in particular situations related to diversity and by setting the role of Diversity Ambassador (strengthening his/her position in organization) • to mitigate barriers of implementation through developing knowledge and competences of SMEs’ employees and SMEs’ employers: decision makers. • to build the awareness and positive attitudes towards diversity among SMEs’ employees and SMEs’ employers: decision makers.Project lasted 26 months and was undertaken by 5 partners from 4 countries: Poland, Czech Republic, Spain and Austria, specialized in area of competence development and/or development of organizations (training and advisory companies) research, e-tools and e-learning development and supporting SMEs. Project was directly addressed to SMEs’ managers, SMEs’ decision makers (owners, presidents, directors and high level managers), and rest of personnel of the SMEs. Indirectly was expected to influence: entities acting in business environment, in particular those operating in area of responsible business (NGOs, business networks, business associations etc.); individual professionals (advisors, experts, trainers) operating on a market, as well as advisory and/or training companies.The project approach was to set the role of Diversity Ambassador and provide SMEs with comprehensive instruments supporting efficient diversity management which are the following: 1. E-TOOL (incompany diversity audit) with user guidelines.2. E- TOOL (Diversity Ambassador selector) with user guidelines. 3. TOOLBOX supporting Diversity Ambassador in a workplace,4. EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS for Ambassador and rest of staff 5. MANUAL FOR EMPLOYERS , supporting implementationEach partner had the coordinating role in at least one Intellectual Output and participated actively in management and evaluation and dissemination . Main result expected was: to develop the potential and competences of SMEs and their employees in diversity management by providing innovative, comprehensive instruments (methods and tools, incl ICT) provided in 4 partners countries by the 31.10.2016. Main result was achieved through below mentioned results:• Developed competences and skills of managers in diversity management - obtained by means of, e-tools and tools contained in toolbox, manual and videos• Managers enabled to perform their tasks efficiently – thanks to tools and e-tools to be used in particular situations related to diversity and settlement of the role of Diversity Ambassador• Barriers of implementation mitigated in result of development knowledge and competences of SMEs’ employees and SMEs’ employers with educatinal video and employer manual.• Raised awareness and increased positive attitudes towards diversity among SMEs’ employees and SMEs’ employers: decision makers.

"<< Background >>The Digital Cultural ambassador (DICA) project has been designed to develop new innovative tools to make a key contribution in the field of inter-cultural dialogue and loneliness. Both topics have been identified as priorities within the European and national policy setting agenda. The European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage states ""intercultural dialogue is essential for avoiding conflict and the marginalisation of citizens on the basis of their cultural identity,"" whilst on the theme of loneliness Eurostat identified (June 2017) ""6 % of the EU population has no one to ask for help if they need it”. An Economist article from June 2018 has the headline ""The lonely are not just sadder; they are unhealthier and die younger. What can be done?"", a theme that is backed up by a recent survey (19/03/21, +23k respondents aged 16 and over) from Statista pointing that about 33% of adults experienced feeling of loneliness worldwide (36% in France, 34% in UK, 27% in Spain, 25% in Sweden and 23% in Poland). Those facts have been highlighted by the recent COVID-19 crisis.We recognise that all the people have something valuable to share and something worth celebrating and through sharing they enrich all members of society. The world of learning can make a significant positive contribution in coming up with practical solutions, so we have designed a project to creatively intertwine these two themes through engaging learners from a range of ethnic backgrounds, through training to enable them to build their presentation skills to share their cultural background as Digital Community Educators and then engage them in settings to raise understanding among businesses, public sector, NGOs and individuals facing loneliness in their daily life.The project is led by Leno (France) and has partners in Austria, UK, Poland, Spain and Sweden. The project idea has been generated through the previous experience of the partners collaborating together in the project Cultural Ambassador Target Loneliness through Intercultural Dialogue (CATLID) . This project has been implemented during the COVID-19 crisis as we realized how beneficial it would be for our target group to also develop skills about digital tools.<< Objectives >>The overall project objective is to create a new innovative, creative and digital approach to enable project target group (people from diverse cultural backgrounds) to become Digital Cultural Ambassadors and Community Educators and use their acquired knowledge to positively contribute to intercultural dialogue in society, with specific focus on using digital platforms to raise awareness of Equality and Diversity and the same awareness raising among the local population, particularly those individuals who face loneliness in their daily life.<< Implementation >>Through close collaboration the six partners with a track record of transnational experience will enact the following steps:• Design the Training Course to enable young people to become Digital Community Ambassadors with modules covering (i) What is culture, (ii) How to digitally share my culture, (iii) How to digitally present my culture (iv) Digital Presentation skills to engage an audience• Recruit in the partner countries eight participants from a range of at least four cultural backgrounds to pilot the designed training course.• Through training and partner support the participants progress to become Digital Community Ambassadors. Participants from each cultural group will have to produce during the pilot training a one-page script introducing their culture. From those scripts, we will produce video content in six languages. They will be disseminating through a dedicated platform and those materials could be used by our target group in their digital Community Ambassador activities.• Digital Community Ambassadors are engaged in a range of digital settings to share their culture and raise awareness among their audience, which are drawn from the business community, Public sector, NGOs and individuals who are facing loneliness. With the latter group partners will facilitate on-going buddying for mutual benefit of project training course participants and individuals facing loneliness.• Develop a Portfolio of Audio and Video examples of Good Practice on the themes of the project which draws upon the project journey• Organize national and international digital knowledge parties hosted by the learner participants and attended stakeholders<< Results >>• Through the training, 48 adult learners will have improved their digital and communication skills/levels of self-confidence, awareness of and ability to share their cultural heritage and become more active citizens in their local community• From the results of the participants trainings, we will create 48 motion design videos in 6 languages (EN, FR, ES, PL, SW and DE) available on a specific learning management system to turn each participant own story into digital learning materials about inter-cultural dialogue • Approximately 400 organisations, businesses, NGO's and other stakeholders will be asked to participate in the evaluation of the digital training and LMS. The project can be developed further by intercultural working to create further digital materials."