Erasmus is being promoted at many higher education institutions as providing a ‘plus’ on graduates’ CV, which would be valued by employers once they enter the labour market. However, very few studies investigated whether this really is the case. Researchers at Tilburg University (the Netherlands), the Erasmus Student Network (Belgium), the Autonomous University Madrid (Spain) and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece) now addressed this gap in the academic literature through a field experiment – a methodology often used to investigate discrimination on the labour or housing market, whereby 2,100 fictitious applications of a student with a master degree in Economics were submitted to real job vacancies in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain. In these applications, the researchers systematically varied the characteristics of the CV and motivation letter in terms of whether the fictitious applicants went on Erasmus or not. In Greece, 700 employers were asked to evaluate these applications, resulting in 101 responses. Building upon the available and theoretical and empirical literature, hypothesis were made on: likelihood of graduates with study abroad experience being invited for a job interview, differences by the nationality of employers and the various methods of articulating the study abroad experience in motivation letters and how this could change the probability of an interview invite. The results of the experiment consistently indicate that the popular assumption that employers take an Erasmus experience abroad into account when recruiting is not supported by the data produced, which focused on horizontal student mobility (international exchanges between higher education institutions of similar reputation) of Belgian, Dutch and Spanish master graduates in Economics. Furthermore, the results indicated that there is no advantage in describing the exchange period in a specific way in the motivation letter. In the case of Greece, although the study methodology varies, results are similar, indicating studying abroad does not increase the likelihood of being invited for a job interview, and there is no advantage in describing the exchange period in a specific way in the motivation letter, for recent graduates in economic disciplines (as mentioned above). Greek employers mostly value previous relevant work experience and short and tailored CVs, rather than participation in an Erasmus+ exchange per se. However, some caution on these results are needed. Firstly, the present publication includes two studies with experimental approaches, and the conclusions can only be considered for graduates with an Economics degree. Given the scarcity of experimental studies on the subject, the partners highly recommend to replicate this study in other national contexts, different disciplines, looking also to vertical mobility patterns (international exchanges with students moving to higher education institutions of higher ranking). Such studies would contribute to a more fine-grained understanding of the heterogeneity in outcomes of study abroad, both across countries and within countries (e.g. depending on the discipline or institution of graduation). It is important to focus on the employer's perspective. It is essential to understand how employers assess study abroad experiences and raise awareness on the competences acquired by graduates during their study abroad experience. In this respect, our findings also suggest that besides better understanding the employers’ perspective, informing them about the benefits of study abroad might be urgently needed. The employer-oriented manual of the Erasmus Careers project, with the wider goal of contributing to a better connection of the Erasmus+ Programme to the labour market, will be a first step in this regard. Find the whole document here. Do you want to know more? Visit the project’s website. This research was carried out in the framework of the Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Cooperation Partnership project: Erasmus Careers - 101049436 November 2023, Erasmus Careers Consortium Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Hosted by the University College Cork, in Ireland, the 3rd Global Lifelong Learning Week was an exciting opportunity for researchers, policymakers, educators and stakeholders from five continents to gather, network, share insights and discuss opportunities for collaboration! From 27-31 May, under the auspices and the organisation of the ASEM LLLHub & eucen, a large series of events gave impetus to lifelong learning in universities and beyond! Over 50 speakers and 200 participants from over 40 countries attended the events, sessions and workshops of the conference, addressing the theme “Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity in our world”. Particular space was given to the opportunities and threats posed by AI, the ongoing problem of misinformation and fake news (with a special focus on the EU Elections), and the ever-present challenge posed by climate change to our societies. Some conclusions? First off, international stakeholders feel the need to state, once again, that skills and competence development should go beyond labour market needs - as many policy developments hint at. Indeed, lifelong learning is about empowering people and communities to remain active in society, with the social dimension of learning exceeding the utilitarian argument. Additionally, it’s imperative for decision-makers to continue funding and allocate resources as well as to building private and public partnerships that can foster a culture of lifelong learning outside of the usual and formal education environments. Designing inclusive lifelong learning strategies, policies and opportunities is a must: oftentimes the most vulnerable cannot access education opportunities. Overlooking inclusion strategies means to continue to serve the most qualified and privileged and segregation, unfortunately, is still a key feature of our systems. Global exchanges such as this one are much needed to surf the current momentum: societal and economic issues are similar in most countries, so systemic action is required. Fixing skills shortages in a country relying on third country nationals may create problems in another country: the fight for talents without cooperation will be damaging. When it comes to research, more research and better links between theory and practice were deemed crucial. This includes more work and research on how to overcome the remaining barriers to improve access. Universities were of course a big focus of the week and their role within the communities they serve cannot be overstated - involving all stakeholders and especially learners in the definition of learning paths remains a crucial endeavour for the entire world.

To be effective, education policy research and development needs to be supported by collaboration and critical reflection. The project will address existing gaps between the knowledge and expertise of Higher Education institution-based researchers, practitioners in civil society organisations, and policy-makers, that prevent the effective connection of evidence with policy-making. The Bridge project brings together a collaborative pan-European professional learning community to support development of competences for policy research. It includes six university-based partners, an umbrella organisation bringing together 48 European networks working in education (LLLP), training and youth, and an international education policy think tank (EIESP). The partners are: Education Academy, Vytautas Magnus University/VMU) Lithuania (lead partner) European Institute of Education and Social Policy/EIESP, France (lead content partner) Lifelong Learning Platform, Belgium The University of Education, Freiburg (Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg/PHFR), Germany Faculty of Education and Psychology (PPK) Eötvös Loránd University/ELTE, Hungary Doctoral School of Human Sciences, Free University Brussels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel/VUB), Belgium Institute of Education, University of Lisbon (Universidade De Lisboa/UL), Portugal Centre for European Regional and Local Studies (EUROREG) University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski /UW). The project design includes development of ‘intra-’ and ‘inter-’ professional learning communities, which will promote interconnected HE systems, as well as offer opportunities for participation in democratic, social and civic engagement through formal and non-formal learning. The project uses Joint Research Centre’s (JRC) Science for Policy Competence Framework as a foundation for piloting stakeholder seminars and a bespoke training programme for Early Career Researchers in five European HE institutions. Online publications targeted to all three parts of the research-civic-policy knowledge triangle will also be developed. The specific work packages of the project are: WP1 Project management: The technical project management will be led by the Education Academy of Vytautas Magnus University, drawing on their strength in having previous Erasmus project leadership experience. WP2 Development of an intra-professional learning community: education policy research competences for Early Career Researchers: The work package is being led by Universidade de Lisboa (UL), Portugal, who have specific expertise in graduate training and in innovation in policy-making. They are joined by Uniwersytet Warszawski (UW), Poland, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium, and Education Academy of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), Lithuania, in designing and delivering the training programme, with support from Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem (ELTE), Hungary. All have expertise as HEIs in the field of education policy research. WP3 Development of an inter-professional Learning Community: The work package is being co-led by the Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP) and the Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg (PHFR), Germany, who have expertise in extensive network facilitation as well as field expertise in supporting collaboration and peer learning in education policy and practice. All partners will be involved in this learning community as it encompasses all stakeholder groups. WP4 Education Policy Research Publications: This work package will be led by Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem (ELTE), Hungary, as they have specific expertise in mentoring doctoral students, including through collaborative approaches to curating and writing high-quality academic publications on education policy, and in mentoring doctoral students producing academic publications. WP5 Sustainability: This work package will be led by EIESP as they have expertise in forward-looking strategic planning in education and social policy, as well as being ideally placed the ongoing project managers of all work packages in this project. Over two years, the project will contribute to more active civic engagement in education policy by supporting collaboration between and among different stakeholder groups. It will build their capacity to critically reflect on, interpret and contribute to education policy research. In addition, with its focus on Early Career Researchers, the project is promoting Higher Education international connectivity and future capacity for innovative, high-quality research. Find out more about the project here. Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

As part of the Erasmus Careers project, the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain) team has carried out a systematic literature review on competence development during international mobility experiences of students in higher education to propose a classification of the competences acquired during mobility experiences. A bibliometric analysis on 108 publications, a content analysis and the results from focus groups organised with students and interns allowed to produce a framework to classify the competences developed during an international student mobility into: Academic gains, Cultural gains, Personal development gains and employability gains. • Academic gains: interactive learning and educational innovation. • Cultural gains: intercultural sensitivity, cultural awareness and language skills. • Personal development gains: autonomy, independence and social skills. • Employability gains: work experience, professional competences and networking. The publications analysed rarely deal with a single competence, but usually focus on a set of competences that often belong to the same cluster (Academic, Cultural, Personal or Employability). Most of the revised publications focus on personal development (although with decreasing interest over time) and cultural gains, while the academic gains are hardly analysed (probably because they are taken for granted). Regarding the option of students and interns, and according to the focus groups’ main conclusions, the most important competencies for those who have had a mobility experience are those related to personal development, although for interns the employability gains are also very relevant. On employability, both students and interns consider that they have more chances of being hired, having the perception employers value the participation in mobility programs. Furthermore, academic publications as well as the students and interns focus groups organised agree that the mobility experience is very positive and that mobility programs largely meet their objectives, improving academic knowledge, language learning or strengthen cooperation between the world of education and training and the world of work. However, there are some aspects of mobility programmes that can still be improved. Some suggestions from students on institutional support in Erasmus mobility can be found on the publication, as follows: • Simplify the bureaucratic process • More appropriate Erasmus+ grant amounts • More opportunities to networking for former Erasmus+ students • Improvement of the administrative support by receiving institutions before the mobility (bureaucratic, accommodation, study programme) • Organisation of free-of-charge (possibility mandatory) language courses in local languages The Erasmus Careers partnership built a database of publications on the topic openly available here. Find the whole document here. Do you want to know more? Visit the project’s website! This research was carried out in the framework of the Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Cooperation Partnership project: Erasmus Careers - 101049436. November 2023, Erasmus Careers Consortium Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The LLLPlatform was a partner in the Erasmus+ KA2 ‘CODESKILLS4ROBOTICS’ project, a joint effort for the promotion of coding and STEM skills in primary schools involving six partners from four European countries. Spanning over a 28-months period, from 1/9/2018 - 31/12/2020 the project focused on robotics as an introductory channel to coding and sought to facilitate the development of programming and computational thinking skills among primary school students by producing a comprehensive set of tools designed for teachers, parents and policy-makers. The project results and resources is available on the CODESKILLS4ROBOTICS interactive portal and mobile app. Objectives Programming and computational thinking skills are becoming ever more important in our society and working life: an increasingly digitalised economy has transformed the labour market and brought digital skills to the forefront of the educational scene. As emphasised by the 2015 New priorities ET 2020, “knowing how to code is empowering. It allows to understand the digital world we live in and to shape it. Basic coding skills are essential for accessing the jobs of tomorrow and today”. In light of these recommendations, ICT school curricula have been shifting their focus from computer literacy to digital literacy, i.e. on teaching students not only how to work a computer, but mostly how a computer works and how to make it work for you. Often selected as an introductory channel to programming, robotics effectively initiates students to various STEM disciplines while also promoting transversal employability skills such as problem solving, leadership and creativity. In the above context, the CODESKILLS4ROBOTICS project pioneers: designed, pilot-tested and evaluated a complete tool kit that supports primary schools in developing their own digital-inclusive strategies for the promotion of coding, robotics and STEM skills; developed an educational pack containing all the essential materials, tools and resources for the introduction of coding and robotics to primary schools; the educational pack is based on a targeted Digital Competence Framework, which also served as a basis for the monitoring and assessment of the students’ progress; introduced the Open Badges system as a method to validate and award the coding skills acquired by both teachers and students, in conjunction with an online assessment tool developed to this purpose; a mobile app meant to support teaching, learning and assessment is also developed; in accordance with the 2018 Digital Education Action Plan for EU, designed a strong campaign as part of the EU Code/Robotics Week; CODESKILLS4ROBOTICS Competitions will be organised at the regional, national and EU level, thus promoting transnational cooperation. CODESKILLS4ROBOTICS clubs were set up for students as well as an Open Badges System for teachers and students to validate their coding skills. The project developed eLearning platform and Mobile Application with a team of teachers to make it easily accessible for students on their mobile phones anywhere they wish to connect. IO1 Competence Framework IO2-Educational-Back-Pack/ IO3-assessment-open-badges/ IO4-interactive-portal-mobile-app/ IO5-tool-kit-for-digitalskillsschools-clubs/ IO6-sustainability-strategy/ Oficial website: http://codeskills4robotics.eu/ Coordinator: National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos” – Greece Partners: LLLPlatform – Belgium; Regional Directorate Of Primary And Secondary Education Of Crete – Greece; Private Institute Emphasys Centre – Cyprus; Technological Educational Institute Of Crete – Greece; Hälsinglands Utbildningsförbund – Sweden

The DigiCards project launched its website which will host a Digital Competence Cards tool! LLLP is a partner in this new project - DigiCards: Digital Competences Cards - which started in January and will continue throughout the year! Coordinated by Karbon Consulting, DigiCards aims at designing a user-friendly and tailored digital competence cards tool to support educational and career counsellors in implementing digital approaches to counselling. During these first three months, the team has been working on selecting the relevant competences and defining and designing the tool, together with important stakeholders: experts, counsellors, and educational practitioners. A focus group was organised in Austria in March to collect feedback from stakeholders and understand what are the real-working-life scenarios in which the DigiCards tool could be used and its value in practice. April will bring new opportunities to collect feedback and engage with stakeholders outside the partnership with the organisation of another focus group and different expert interviews. Interested in the project? For more information, look at our website or read the project page! DigiCards is a project co-financed by the European Union within the framework of Erasmus+. Lead coordinator: KARBON Consulting GmbH (Austria) Partner: Lifelong Learning Platform (Belgium) Project period: 01.01.2024 – 31.12.2024 Project number: 2023-2-AT01-KA210-VET-0001758544

The Erasmus Careers project, from which LLLP is partner, is glad to announce the organisation of a staff training for career counselors at EU Universities, titled "Unlocking Opportunities: Internationalization of Career Counseling". This specialised training will take place from 3rd to 5th of June, 2024, at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), in Thessaloniki, Greece, and is designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to support students at every stage of their Erasmus mobility experience. Key Highlights: Expand Your Toolkit: Gain valuable insights and strategies to effectively support students in 5 different stages (before, pre-arrival, during, pre-departure and after) of their Erasmus mobility programs. Foster Global Connections: Network with fellow career counselors, exchange best practices, and explore collaborative opportunities to enhance internationalisation efforts at your university. Stay Ahead of the Curve: Stay updated on the latest trends and innovations in career counseling within the context of international mobility, ensuring you're well-prepared to meet the evolving needs of your students. Event Details: Date: June 3rd - 5th, 2024 Venue: Speech & Art Hall, School of Pedagogy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Registration: Secure your spot early to access exclusive resources and networking opportunities. The maximum number of participants is 25. Discover the agenda and apply by April 30th, 2024. Participation will be confirmed after the selection process with an email from the AUTH team. For any inquiries, please reach out to the training’s organisers at papakota@auth.gr. Erasmus Careers is a three-year long project which seeks to translate the lessons learned during Erasmus+ student mobility into competences, and to have students, employers, higher education institutes, including international and careers guidance offices, recognise and value them. The project’s six partners – ESN, UAM, ELM, AUTH, LLLP, TU – see the value of student mobility and its potential in favouring employment.

From 19 to 22 March 2024, Oslo was the venue for the launch of a 3-year research project on promoting equity and inclusion in education. The STRIDE project, coordinated by OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, commenced with a promising meeting attended by consortium members, advisory board members and national stakeholders. STRIDE, or Strategies for achieving equity and inclusion in education, training and learning in democratic Europe, funded under the Horizon Europe Programme, aims to compile a comprehensive knowledge-base on effective educational reforms, policies, and interventions targeting the reduction of inequalities in European education. The meeting agenda unfolded across two days, each focusing on different aspects of the project. The first day commenced with introductory sessions outlining the project's overview, timeline, key concepts and values of the project: equity, inclusion and intersectionality - led by Oslomet. Work package overviews were provided, delineating the project's structure and deliverables. The day's discussions delved into detailed planning for specific work packages: Work Package 2 (WP2) focusing on policy analysis and meta-analysis, led by VIA University College (Denmark) and Uniwersytet Jagielloński (Poland). Work Package 3 (WP3) concentrating on trends in inequalities in education achievement, with planning spearheaded by Tarki Tarsadalomkutatasi Intezet RT Tarki (Hungary). Work Package 5 (WP5) tackling effective policy initiatives and interventions, coordinated by Ethniko Kai Kapodistriako Panepistimio Athinon NKUA (Greece) and Roehampton University LBG RU (United Kingdom). The day concluded with engagement strategies with national stakeholders and the introduction of the policy brief work led by OsloMet. The second day transitioned to more concrete actions. Project officers from the European Commission contributed insights into dissemination strategies and potential impact pathways. The partnership further discussed: Work Package 4 (WP4) discussions revolved around planning data collection and reporting, closely linked with WP2 and WP3, led by NKUA and Tarki. Work Package 6 (WP6) focused on planning effective policy making and assessment tools, led by VIA and JU. Work Package 7 (WP7) - led by LLLP and Oslomet, aiming at implement a comprehensive impact and dissemination strategy in order to enhance public knowledge on the value of longitudinal data in policy making and its usefulness for policy learning at national and EU levels, and factors that can reduce inequalities in education, as well as to explore and develop a toolbox of techniques for facilitating cross-sectoral policymaking and assessment of inequalities in education, training and learning achievements over time using longitudinal data on learning. Lastly, attention was given to project management: establishing procedures, quality management, and ethical guidelines (WP1). It was a great pleasure to work with Oslomet that will be leading us over the next 3 years, as well as with all STRIDE consortium members, International Advisory Board members and National Stakeholders. We look forward to collaborating with this talented group of researchers across Europe working on equity, equality and inclusion in Education and Training and how policies can be reformed for improving our systems and benefit all learners. Stay updated on the progress of the STRIDE project by visiting our website here or read more about the project here. Join us in our mission to foster equity, equality, and inclusion in education across Europe!

The European Training Foundation (ETF) is the agency of the EU tasked with the development of skills in transition and developing countries. Within its Community of Innovative Educators, ETF just launched New Learning Clubs! What about them? The New Learning Clubs are informal groups of teachers, educators, and experts on topics linked to innovation in learning. Experts who join the clubs will contribute to the community by sharing their expertise, good practices and ultimately get the chance to learn from each other’ experiences. At the end of their mandate, clubs will hold a webinar to present a joint output (an innovative curriculum, a video, a report, guidelines, toolkits, blog posts, etc.). What are these clubs about? Three New Learning Clubs are being launched! New Learning Club on “Innovative STEAM education”, as of April 2024 - Participants will bring their ideas and discuss about topics as stimulating the students' curiosity and enthusiasm in scientific and technological subjects, developing the ability to apply creativity and critical thinking in young people, and improving young people's access to high-quality STEAM education. New Learning Club on "Teaching with Artificial Intelligence”, as of June 2024 - This Club will focus on the adoption of AI solutions by educators and teachers, to try answering some of the hot questions that require attention. Participants will debate on the ways to integrate AI tools safely and effectively in teaching settings, to implement software in educational environments and deal with e.g., correct and consistent assessment of students’ work, etc. New Learning Club on "Engaging and inclusive teaching methods for upskilling and reskilling of adults", as of September 2024 - The club will, based on the interest of participants, select focal topics and allow for peer exchanges, and sharing of inspirational practice. The concrete output of the club will be a collection of inspirational practices and tips & tricks in adult learning and education in VET. Who can join? All members of the ETF Community of Innovative Educators can join the learning clubs. Not a member yet? Join here for free. You will be asked to demonstrate practical expertise and present shortly your good practice in innovative teaching methods. As a treat, all participating members will receive Pioneers Open Badges by ETF!

Strategies for Achieving Equity and Inclusion in Education, Training and Learning in Democratic Europe (STRIDE) STRIDE will provide a new, comprehensive and comparative knowledge-base on effective education reforms, policy initiatives and interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in education, training and learning outcomes in Europe . STRIDE will do this through analyses of education reforms in national and regional systems, existing large-scale educational assessment data and existing longitudinal data on the causal link between educational and other social policies and inequalities in educational achievements. STRIDE will closely examine the range of intersectional variables such as socio-economic background, gender, (dis)abilities, migration status, home language, early childhood education and care (ECEC) attendance, which may affect learning outcomes in different ways in different contexts. Through the involvement of national and European stakeholders, STRIDE will develop methodology and assessment tools for policy learning offering policymakers a toolbox of enhanced knowledge of what shapes educational outcomes over time and demonstrating the usefulness of longitudinal data in policy-making to reduce educational inequalities in the short, medium and long term. Objectives Overall objectives: To map longitudinal data and assess inequalities in education, training, and learning outcomes over time and identify reforms and interventions that compensate for those inequalities and formulate recommendations and a guide to good practices. STRIDE will do this through 8 specific objectives and 6 work packages (WP2 - WP7, WP1 is reserved for project management): Specific objective 1: Deliver an overview of significant national and regional education reforms aimed at rectifying inequalities in education and learning outcomes and to promote equity and inclusion over the past 25 years in Europe . This will be done through a comparative and historical policy analysis at European and national levels (WP2).  Specific objective 2: Map the trends of inequalities in educational achievement of students over the past two decades in Europe . This will done through mapping and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies and evaluations following the key educational reforms (WP2), supplemented by a re-analysis of large-scale educational assessment studies, using quasi-panel analytic techniques to study data from International Large Scale Assessment studies (ILSAs) (WP3). Specific objective 3: Develop an interactive map depicting the significant factors in policy development and student achievement that foster or hamper equity, inclusion and resilience in education, training and educational achievements over time (WP4). Specific objective 4: Deliver new knowledge on how other social policies (employment, family, child welfare, etc.) may affect the learning outcomes of education policy initiatives through qualitative studies into policymaking in five countries (Denmark, Hungary, Norway, Poland and the United Kingdom as these countries have existing appropriate longitudinal data to be analysed by STRIDE (WP5). Specific objective 5: Identify new perspectives on how pupils progress in education systems. STRIDE will demonstrate that the knowledge drawn from longitudinal studies can provide a valuable input into effective policy initiatives and interventions that compensate for inequalities in learning outcomes over time in five European countries (Denmark, Hungary, Norway, Poland, and the United Kingdom) (WP5). Specific objective 6: Develop a policy database with links between cross-sectoral policy making and the intersectional factors that affect intergenerational reproduction of inequalities in educational achievement (WP5). Specific objective 7: Implement a comprehensive impact and dissemination strategy in order to enhance public knowledge on the value of longitudinal data in policy making and its usefulness for policy learning at national and EU levels, and factors that can reduce inequalities in education (WP7). Specific objective 8: Explore and develop a toolbox of techniques for facilitating cross-sectoral policymaking and assessment of inequalities in education, training and learning achievements over time using longitudinal data on learning (WP6-7). Partner institutions Oslo Metropolitan University ( OSLOMET ), Norway (NO) Roehampton University (RU), United Kingdom (UK) National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece (EL) VIA University College , Denmark (DK) Lifelong Learning platform (LLLP) , Belgium (BE) TÁRKI Social Research Institute (TÁRKI), Hungary (HU) Jagiellonian University (JU), Poland (PL) Project managers: Lihong Huang , Dawn Heskestad (OSLOMET) From LLLP: projects@lllplatform.eu Project period: 01/02/2024 - 31/01/2027 Financing: EU Horizon Europe Website: https://stride-research.eu/

We believe in educational and career counselling that uses digital tools to provide its clients with a counselling process that is sustainable, relationship-oriented and tailored to their needs. Career guidance faces new challenges with the digital transformation, especially with the increased use of AI and new technologies. At the same time counselling thrives on the relationship work between counsellor and client. With DigiCards, we are enabling the digital evolution of a central method in educational and career counselling – working with competence cards. With the development of digital competence cards, we developed a tool that supports educational and career counsellors in their daily work with their clients in a practical and easy-to-use way. Two main goals To design a user-friendly and tailored digital competence cards tool, which are relevant for labour market, social inclusion, and personal development. T o support educational and career counsellors with DigiCards in dealing with digital technologies and the use of digital methods for daily work practice.   Main activities and outputs Development of d i git al co mpetence cards for educational and career counselling The DigiCards tool is now out and available online and free of charge. Use it by simply following the link: https://app.digicardstool.eu ! For a practical solution for the use of digital competence cards, it is important for us to involve educational and career counsellors as experts in their own work. For this reason, two DigiCards focus group were organised in each project partner country to identify needs, requirements and relevant information on the use of digital competence cards. In addition, two interviews with renowned experts from science and research were conducted in order to include future developments in the labour market and counselling context at international level in the development of the digital competence cards. To read more about the main conclusion of LLLP's focus group and expert interview , follow the link to a find a more complete article. The tool is was tested by educational and career counsellors during a piloting phase. Their feedback will be used to adapt and finalise the tool and Competence Handbook. If you are an educational and career counsellor, please explore the tool and provide us with feedback by filling out the feedback form available in the tool . The DigiCards Competence Handbook The use of digital competence cards also requires customised guidance and a playful approach when using digital competence cards. Therefore, a Competence Handbook is being finalised (in English and German) to present tried and tested approaches in methodology and didactics to support the professional use of digital competence cards. Download below the English version of the Handbook. Networking and DigiCards events After a successful pilot phase, the results and the DigiCards handbook were presented at networking events in Austria and Belgium to increase the reach of the use of digital competence cards in educational and career counselling. LLLP organised internal and external workshops , in-person and online events to further disseminate the results. Learn more on DigiCards by following the link: https://digicardstool.eu/ The DigiCards: Digital Competence Cards for counselling will stay available online in English and German for free use! If you have any problems, suggestions, ideas, contact us projects@lllplatform.eu . DigiCards is a project co-financed by the European Union within the framework of Erasmus+. Lead coordinator: KARBON Consulting GmbH (Austria) Partner: Lifelong Learning Platform (Belgium) Project period: 01.01.2024 – 31.12.2024 Project number: 2023-2-AT01-KA210-VET-0001758544

Project Summary The project ‘Co-operation Youth vote: Enabling future active European citizens’ aims to offer a space for training in the preparation of the 2024 European Parliament election campaigns.   The project will prepare a set of outputs that the partner organisations and a wider network can use for the coming European Parliament elections in 2024 ensuring young people will vote, but also to make politicians accountable for their promises and decisions. The initiative, supported by an Erasmus+ grant, will be implemented between March 2022 and February 2024 through the creation and use of a toolkit, a series of training sessions for multipliers, and a social media campaign.   Aims and goals The two aims of the project are to: 1 – Understand the challenges of youth engagement and participation (voting) following the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and develop tools to address it. The objectives related to the first aim are:   To examine the challenges and motivations of young people, especially first-time voters, to engage in European initiatives and their interest in voting in the 2024 European Parliament elections. To develop and try out educational tools, a toolkit and communication actions to address the identified challenges. 2 – And to develop an informal alliance of youth organisations that will work together on encouraging youth participation in democratic elections – both from peers and policy makers. The objectives related to the second aim are:   To offer space for networking among youth organisations, and exchange good practices on educational and communication actions.   To prepare an action plan of how youth organisations in partnership can reach as many first time voters as possible for EP elections 2024.   Implementation and activities   A) Transnational Partner Meetings (March 2022- February 2024) Four Transnational Project Meetings (TPMs) will be organised throughout the project. They will aim at setting up the bases and the evaluation for the whole implementation of the project. Moreover, they will establish the links between the partner organisations and their roles. The TMPs will be organised in Brussels (Belgium), Riga (Latvia), and Rome (Italy).   B) Survey and desk research (from March 2022 to August 2022) During the first months of the project, desk research will be carried out in order to get a broader academic understanding of youth participation and thus establish a comprehensive mapping of the literature and different strands of thought, with a particular focus on first time voters in European elections. This knowledge will be used to create the Education, Youth Citizenship and Democratic Participation survey . The aim of the survey is to explore the different aspects of youth participation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially how it could have affected the engagement and participation of young people in civil society activities and initiatives. A final report " Why Vote? An investigation on the attitudes, challenges and views of youth on the vote for the EP 24 elections " was published. Find more here .   C) Blended training for multipliers (October 2022- April 2023) The knowledge gained through the desk research and survey will be used to organise online crash courses, focus groups and 2 in- person Trainings for Multipliers.  Training for Multipliers in Lisbon: development of VOTING TOOLBOX Training for Multipliers in Sofia: development of Action Plans   D) Europe@School activities and Social Media Campaign (March 2023- August 2023) This part of the project will involve a Social Media Campaign which will include the dissemination of the Education, Youth Citizenship and Democratic Participation survey results. Secondly, training sessions will be organised for high school students on the topic of Youth Participation. Additionally, discussions will be organised with decision makers, as well as multiplier events in different European cities to present the voting toolbox. Download the Voting Toolbox , by following this link . E) Multiplier events & Follow- up (September 2023- February 2024) The multiplier events will be organised in 5 European cities and aimed at: • presenting of the toolbox and practice of some of the tools with youth organisations at local and national level, • and create debates with young people that are involved in European politics. During the final event in Brussels, a Policy Conference will be held, the Informal Alliance Co-operation Youth towards the EP Elections 2024 Action plan will be presented and the first meeting of the Alliance will take place. Check more about the final event here .   Partners and roles   Core Partners  JEF Europe will be responsible for the overall coordination and communication with the partners in each of the steps.   OBESSU (Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions) and the Young Educators – European Association, will work in partnership with JEF Europe and the national partners to organise the educational/capacity building side of the project. They will conduct desk research, try out the developed actions, and will organise educational seminars and training sessions for multipliers. LLLP (Lifelong Learning Platform) will be the partner to support the development of the informal alliance Co-operation Youth- Alliance of Young Voters for the EP Elections 2024 .   National Partners  The national partners were involved in each of the steps by bringing in the perspective from young people active on national and local level. They implemented the pilot actions, multiplier events and participate in the expert groups to develop the key tools.  JEF Belgium (Young European Federalists Belgium) JEF Bulgaria (European Youth Movement Bulgaria) JEF Italy (Young European Federalists Italy) JEF Latvia (Klubs Māja – Club “The House” – youth for a united Europe, Latvia)