In the context of transition from institutional to community based care of children, all CEE countries face the challenge of changing the institutional culture, re-training and continuing competence development of careers and foster parents who look after the children facing multiple disadvantages and being highly exposed to the risk of social inclusion. To facilitate the development of transversal (social, creative and recreational) and professional skills of the carers and foster parents, who must be able to facilitate group living, must be excellent communicators and advocates, have to know how to access a wide range of child protection and child care legislation information, and also have to be able to create a friendly and nurturing environment by mastering the domestic skills this requires, the present project addressed the following objectives:1. Development of professional competence of trainers of carers and foster parents by offering them training curriculum, training materials and best practice models to be used in their daily work.2. Development of the transversal skills of carers and foster parents by training them in fields such as: handling challenges, working with others, verbal and non-verbal communication, creative thinking, critical thinking, learning to learn, planning own work, problem-solving , etc.Besides the immanent development of project management staffs' competencies, 12 specialists (3 from each country, psychologists, social workers) have been trained in the project on how to use the Curriculum, the Training material and the Best Practice Database produced throughout the project. The transnational joint staff training facilitated not only the professional development of the participants, but will also promoted transnational cooperation and collaborative learning of specialists in child protection beyond the lifetime of the project and beyond the borders of the participating countries.Following the transnational training the specialists in each country have organised national pilot training, using (and testing) the materials developed within the project. The training took place at various locations in Romania, Hungary, Austria and Croatia, between February-April 2016. There was a huge interest in the training in each country, so instead of participants altogether (as foreseen in the project proposal) , a number of 154 carers and foster parents (30 participants in Romania, 75 participants in Hungary, 34 participants in Croatia, 15 participants in Austria) took part in the pilots, all of them appreciating and valuing the opportunity very much. Main activities to accomplish the project objectives were: 1) Needs analysis of the target group resulting in a transnational report on training and continuing development needs of carers and foster parents - The Croatian partner (Sirius) has been coordinating the process of needs analysis and provided guidelines for doing the research work. Results of research have been collected on Wiggio group and by e-mail. The guidelines - translated and used in all countries to collect comparable data and information - included a Methodology Guideline the the following annexes: 1. Questionnaire for the individual interview addressed to foster parents, 2. Questionnaire for the individual interview addressed to carers and educators, 3. Questionnaire for the individual interview addressed to other experts, 4. Desk research template, 5. Instructions for filling templates for collecting data from individual interviews, 6. Excel chart for summarizing findings. FINDINGS of desk research and 130 interviews taken in the four countries (41 foster parents, 68 carers and 21 other experts) are summarized and extensively described in the NEEDS ANALYSIS REPORT.2) Developing a CMS based website that will host not only project information and downloadable outputs but also a best practice database: The website is avaialabe at carecomp.eu , it hosts the best practice database, general information and all intellectual outputs of the project.3) Elaboration of a Curriculum and Training Material: based on the needs analysis the partners shared the tasks of developing a Curriculum and a Training Material that meets the most urgent needs of the target group. The units of the Training materials have been elaborated in national languages then translated into English for comparison, testing and peer evaluation. Pilot testing (see above) have been successfully done in each country. The training material units have been adapted and further improved based on the feedback received during the pilot training, then the final Training material has been translated into Croatian, German, Hungarian and Romanian, illustrated and graphic edited for an attractive design and printed, presented on multiplier events and other dissemination events. All language versions are made available on the project website.

The people with disabilities (PwD) are the most disadvantaged group with regards to employment. Up to 2011 (the latest official date available) in Bulgaria their number (aged 18-29) is about 227 000 and more than 60% of them are unemployed. In Turkey they are 273,915 and only 15% are in employment compared with the national average of over 80%. In Austria they are around 850,000 and only 19% are employed and in Spain they are 3,847,900 and only 11% of them have permanent job.This project was built in line with the one of the key areas of both European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 and Europe 2020 to allow full accessibility to the labour market for people with disabilities. In many European countries and beyond (Turkey), the access to the labour market is still not given because of the lack of suitable and powerful implemented support concepts who may ensure a smooth preparation and follow-up.The impact of the Supported employment (SE) approach (a method of working with disabled people and other disadvantaged groups to access and maintain paid employment in the open labour market) is very beneficial to the PwD and during its implementation phase it gives clear quality improvement of the accessibility to the labour market for those targets.The COACH@WORK project continued the inclusion and implementation of the Supported employment approach in Austria and Spain, but also in new countries such as Bulgaria and Turkey where this was done for the first time by developing EQAVET system for recognition, validation and accreditation of their knowledge, skills and competencies, dedicated VET programme together with (self-) assessment procedures and tools. It involved 4 partners from Bulgaria, one from Austria, one from Spain and one from Turkey. This COACH@WORK VET programme related to the new job profile of Supported employment specialist was accredited by the national body (NAVET) which happened for the first time in Europe in that field. In Spain and Turkey the accreditation procedure also applied and the outcomes are expected from the relevant authorities. In Austria it is provided on a regional level by the biggest SE provider. This training programme was followed by piloting implementation phase where a memorandum of understanding for the further exploitation of the ECVET based project outputs was concluded.The long term impact of the project increased the employment rates of PwD who were inactive in the labour market and have low or no work experience. This led to greater independence and financial security, allowing them to become fully active members of society in general and ultimately to an improved economy. On the other hand, SE consultants who successfully completed the pilot course and were validated by the dual verification tool (IO2) now have the ability to increase their opportunities for sustainable employment by providing this very innovative expertise on National and EU levels.The developed VET training programme is consisting of predefined learning outcomes which are connected with the dedicated unique ECVET training programme for SE providers and consisting of the following modules:1. Module 1 - Disability Awareness2. Module 2 - Acquisition of key and transversal competences3. Module 3 - Practical methods in the coaching process4. Module 4 - Mainstreaming and Digital Technologies as Support to the Education, Employment and Well-Being of People with Disabilities5. Module 5 - Supported employment basics - the five steps process6. Module 6 - Attitudes and approaches towards people with disabilities7. Module 7 - Pre-employment agenda8. Module 8 - Career guidance - labour market methods9. Module 9 - Implementation and NetworkingThe project successfully achieved all its objectives: introduction of appropriate EQAVET system for recognition, validation and accreditation of the knowledge, skills and competencies of the Supported Employment (SE) providers. It allows a more efficient and effective monitoring of the recruitment of SE consultants and providers. The project has demonstrated the capacity to adjust the type of IOs according to the needs of the target groups. The project demonstrates a real impact on target groups, beneficiaries and gatekeepers.The impact of the project was observed directly – related to the main results of the project, as well as indirectly – related to the dissemination and exploitation of the concepts and methodologies developed and implemented through the project. The main impact of the project can be measured as a real support for establishment of a clear legal framework for the national inclusion of the Supported Employment around the partner countries (BG & TR). The project has reached the expected impact in number of courses implemented and number of people taught.All project results are available via: www.supportemployment.eu

<< Background >>For the project partnership of the #me#us#now project it is absolutely essential to apply for this project, as the focus is set on low-qualified people in VET, VET professionals including external VET trainers and VET schools, and the aim of changing our current situation not only on local, regional, national or EU levels, but also on international level for the better and to include everyone to counteract the effects of climate change in a sustainable and participative way based on common green values.The project #me #us #now focuses on low-qualified young people between 15 and 30[1] years of age in Vocational Education and Training (VET) and VET professionals across Europe.The addressed needs can be clustered according to the two target groups in VET and stakeholders, including professionals and experts, as follows: (1) low-qualified young people in VET -identify the status quo, needs, barriers and awareness levels -raise motivation -reduce given barriers -support them with easy-to-handle and low-threshold activities and measures -use their capacities in peer-group settings -accelerate their self-efficacy -allow for and further the building of common values -create access to societal participation -encourage a sustainable lifestyle (2) VET professionals -meet the need for common guidelines -offer innovative tools and strategies -encourage cross-institutional acting and supporting-provide potential innovative contributions to be incorporated into the curriculae of VET systems -encourage exchange of results, best-practices, experiences and lessons learnt -further exchange on local, regional, national, EU and international levels (3) stakeholders, professionals and experts -meet the need of a common green networking platform -encourage exchange of results, best-practices, experiences and lessons learnt -further exchange on local, regional, national, EU and international levels[1] age range is leaned on the European Youth Guarantee: https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1079&langId=en<< Objectives >>The project partnership of the #me#us#now project has set the following objectives to be achieved during the project for the following target groups: 1.low-qualified young people in VET -Identify the awareness, needs and barriers of low-qualified young people in VET concerning climate change by conducting national field studies and desktop research, both enabling conclusions and recommendations for VET professionals (R1) -furthering motivation, identification, development and implementation of effective and sustainable countermeasures that are applicable and adaptable daily and permanently (R2) (R3) based on the results of R1 -further active participation in society (R3) -further the development of shared green values (R2) (R3) - promote the transfer of the planned project results, especially R3 to more representatives of the target group -contribute to effective climate change countermeasures for all groups of young people through the implementation and delivery of the #me#us#now project. 2.VET professionals -support low-qualified young people in VET to increase their awareness and self-efficacy on climate change (R2) (R3), based on the results of R1. -support VET professionals in motivating the target group in the daily context of VET (R2) -providing useful tools, activities and measures that can be easily implemented and adapted (R3)-encourage the incorporation of innovative and sustainable contents in all curriculae, including those in VET schools and the education of VET teachers/trainers - establish a networking platform to promote exchanges between VET professionals on multiple levels 3.experts and stakeholders on different levels -establish a networking platform to promote exchanges between stakeholders and experts (R4) at local, regional, national, European and international levels -provide a Green Policy Paper for public and educational bodies and political decision-makers-encourage education, VET policy and political discussion at a broader level (R4)<< Implementation >>The project activities that will lead to the successful implementation of the #me#us#now project can be divided into the following categories: 1. Project management and implementation activities These activities form the basic framework of the #me#us#now project by defining all the tasks necessary for the proper implementation of the project inside and outside the project partnership and consist of -administration (A.PM1) -monitoring (A.PM2) and -budget control (A.PM3) 2. Quality Management These activities include the -Quality Management Guide (A.QM1.1) which defines quality benchmarks on process, product and impact level and the-Quality Assurance consisting of regular evaluations of process, product, and impact quality on internal and external level. 3. Sharing and promotion, Exploitation and Sustainability These include-Sharing and Promotion Products (A.S1), such as design of project logo, Sharing and Promotion Guide, brochures, flyers and posters, the project website, social media channels and continous sharing and promotion activities sharing regular news about status-quo and product development process through online activities and personal activities at target group and at stakeholder level. Additionally, the-Impact Assessment (A.S2) provides regular sharing and promotion reports of partners. Moreover, there is the development and implementation of the-Sustainability Strategy (A.S3) 4. Transnational Project Meetings Direct and personal exchange between the partners in the crucial phases of the project split up into -TPM1: Trim, IE, Apr 2022 -TPM2: Bilbao, ES, Dec 2022 -TPM3: Graz, AT, Aug 2023 -TPM4: Vicenza, IT, Dec 2023 5. Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity (C1), Aug 2023 and Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity (C2), Dec 2023 In this 3-day short-term staff training each, both target groups involved will be trained in using and applying the #me#us#now project results R3 and R4. 6. Multiplier Events The national multiplier events further the sharing and promoting of project results, include relevant stakeholders and are split up into -E1: AT, Jan 2024 -E2: IE, Jan 2024 -E3: ES, Jan 2024 -E4: IT, Jan 2024 The project consortium of the me#us#now project will produce four high-quality and easy-to-use project results for the beneficiaries of the project and for further use on regional, national, European and international level. These consist of - the #me#us#now Research Report (R1), including national Field Surveys, a Transnational Report concerning low-qualified young people in VET and a video summary subtitled in all project partners’ languages. - the #me#us#now Methodological Collection (R2) providing activities and measures for raising the motivation and awareness of low-qualified young people in VET concerning climate change, including national motivational workshops. - the #me#us#now Action Plan for Eco-Pro’s (R3) offering a practical guidebook to VET professionals, a peer-group setting with role models of the target group of low-qualified young people in VET, and implementation activities. - the #me#us#now Green Merge Networking Platform (R4), allowing for a long-lasting exchange between professionals and experts on local, regional, national, European and international level and providing a Green Policy Paper to political decison-makers and public and educational bodies to accelerate discussion on multiple levels.<< Results >>(R1) Research ReportGathering relevant national information about the target group - low qualified young people - and the professionals who work with them, is necessary for providing tailor-made further results. This will help the project consortium to understand the perspective, needs and awareness of low qualified young people concerning topics such as climate change, sustainability, and their self-efficacy. Additionally, professionals working with the target group in the context of e.g., VET, youth coaching, counselling, will be asked as well. The project consortium will need to meet low qualified young people in VET and VET professionals alike at their current state, to create a deeper understanding of their situation and perspective. All project partners will conduct desktop research concerning existing activities/measures on national levels in the context of climate change and sustainability. The Transnational Research Report will serve as an important basis for the following project results. Video summaries will be available in all partner languages.(R2) Methodological CollectionBased on the findings and conclusions of R1 the project consortium will implement a collection of activities and measures for raising the motivation and awareness of low qualified young people regarding climate change. This can be used and implemented by VET professionals who support the target group. Due to the implementation of feedback loops with the target groups and further developed as an opportunity to motivate the youth for taking action. The main purpose of this project step will be to nominate one role model per country for the further project process. These will help the project to create a new approach for counteracting climate change. Raising self-efficacy and social responsibility of the role models will help spreading the idea of climate-awareness through peer-groups and will be ensured that not only professionals will motivate low qualified young people, fostering awareness, participation, and acting in a sustainable and self-efficient way by implementing motivational workshops in all partner countries.(R3) Action plan for Eco-Pro’sThe findings of (R1) and (R2) will be compiled in a guidebook that will help and support professionals to integrate climate change activities and measures into their work with low qualified young people. They will learn how to motivate them to become active and to take their societal role in counteracting the negative environmental results. The Action Plan for Eco Pro’s will be the core output of the project and will include practical advice and case studies. The result will include the important findings and conclusions of (R1), but also on the other hand recommendations and guidelines for a step-by-step implementation of the defined activities and measures of the result for professionals. Role models will be consistently included to offer a deeper understanding of the target group and their motivating factors and barriers regarding the topic and together with them custom-tailored ways in peer-group settings will be developed and implemented to reach the target group.(R4) Green Merge Networking PlatformAs the European Union underlines the importance of exchanges beyond experts, the project partners will elaborate the structure of setting up an online platform. This will include the creation of the design, the functions and an easy-to-handle user interface. It will provide free access to all results and findings collected in the project, and the Green Policy Paper. In addition, professionals, experts, stakeholders and interested parties will have the opportunity to get in touch with each other and exchange views on the content and practical implementation. In this way, the results will even be more spread and accelerated across borders, bringing together interested experts and will therefore create international impact and good opportunities for a follow-up even after the projects end.

The promotion of inclusive education and lifelong learning for students and learners with disabilities is one of the priority areas set up by the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020. Moreover, in the Bruges Communiqué the EC suggests to increase the possibilities for disadvantaged learners in VET by offering alternative pathways, innovative VET training formats, more Work-Based Learning (WBL) in the main forms present at EU level. Further, The European Agency for the Development of Special Needs Education has published a study on the competences of an inclusive teaching in 2012, where 4 main competences are requested: valuing learner diversity; supporting all learners; working with others and continuing professional development. These are competences required and which are by far not reflected in the VET training programmes. Students with learning disabilities (LD) need, therefore, to have a personal plan of study which includes WBL experience and tailored on them and the enterprises, on the other hand, need to be trained to support the envisaged target group.The project objectives represented a reply to the above mentioned problems as it was inspired by the following factors: - Train teachers and staff working with the target group to make WBL or internship experience more fruitful and aimed to future job insertion even in an European context; - Develop flexible pathways which connect the VET formal school curriculum to WBL for students with learning disabilities; - Foster the implementation of ECVET principles and tools and develop an innovative approach to Mobility in order to facilitate the access for students with learning disabilities; - Support enterprise mentors and staff during the WBL/internship experience of students with learning disabilities.The main project results were:O1-INCLUVET Didactical Guidelines for training VET staff working with students with disabilities: they are a compact presentation of how didactical processes should be organised and implemented when dealing with students with disabilities/special needs; how to support them during the WBL/internship experience even at EU level in Mobility programmes; Three methodological stages were foreseen: 1) Preparation 2) Implementation 3) finalisation.O2-INCLUVET Training Curriculum for VET Staff: it includes a theoretical part and the supply of concrete competences to the target group when dealing with students with LD. It is an exhaustive training model elaborated at EU level in order to have a much more exhaustive approach to the WBL thematic and increase the participation of students with LD to Mobility projects. Supported Employment that is one of the key assets of the non-exclusionary policy pursued by the EU has been considered. 1) Preparation 2) Implementation 3) finalisation.O3-INCLUVET in-company Mentors Vademecum. It is a very practical tool to be distributed to Mentors in order to support students with LD during their WBL experience. Supported Employment has been also included. 1) Preparation 2) Implementation 3) finalisation.O4-Mobility Vademecum for accompanying persons of students with learning disabilities. It is a practical tool to support the accompanying persons, usually teachers not expert in disabilities, and even the EU Enterprises during the mobility and how to implement and develop LOs acquired in a EU context and how to evaluate the students. 1) Preparation 2) Implementation 3) finalisationThese Intellectual Outputs were connected with Multiplier Events, in order to reach the widest range of target groups and stakeholders possible. In addition to these 4 core intellectual outputs the INCLUVET project developed a number of further outputs necessary to achieve the set objectives: website and Dissemination materials; Dissemination Strategy; Quality Management Handbook; Learning/Training Teaching Activities.INCLUVET achieved an extended impact on: - Direct participants in the project: INCLUVET provided concrete competences for the targets on how to deal with students with learning disabilities during WBL experiences; how to evaluate students during their in-company training; how to foster company motivation to deal with WBL paths for the envisaged target group; - Partner Organizations: with the project they received an innovative approach for planning and managing flexible WBL experiences both at NA and EU level for the envisaged target with learning disabilities; - Other stakeholders: they are labour market authorities, political decision makers and policy makers on regional, NA and EU level; target group associations/cooperatives for disabled persons; they received an innovative tool to use in their dayly work with disabled people.On a long-term perspective, the benefits of the project will be on a systemic level with an increased quality of the VET system (renforced and updated skills of VET staff) which fosters the social and labour inclusion of students with learning disabilities.

In their efforts to promote equity, social cohesion and active citizenship (one of the four core objectives of the ET2020 strategy), the EU member states also need to ensure equal opportunities regarding access to the education systems and the labour markets. One essential element to reach this aim is the reduction of dropout rates in the education systems and, particularly, in initial VET. A benchmark of a maximum of 10 % of dropouts from the initial education pathway by the year 2020 has been set by the European Commission. With dropout rates of up to and above 30 % in various member states, it seems that current methods in education systems in initial VET do not fully meet the requirements and needs of all learners. Particularly disadvantaged learners (e. g. learners with a migration background or with socio-economic challenges), often, cannot be sufficiently motivated to follow their initial educational pathways up to the end. Didactical models in use seem inadequate to some extent: Existing teaching models in initial VET are either based on school paedagogy or on adult learning paedagogy, and neither of them seems to be able to provide convincing and satisfying solutions for a target group that is constantly growing - thus creating ever bigger challenges for VET teachers, VET trainers and VET tutors in VET schools, VET institutions and enterprises (the direct target group of the project).Based upon the above-mentioned facts, the NEW-D project set out to find new kinds of didactical solutions. It was the main objective of the project to develop an innovative didactical model to be used in the VET training of disadvantaged young learners (the final beneficiaries of the project) - in order to keep them in or, even, to bring them back into initial VET. The model should, on the one hand, reflect the life realities (motivating factors) of the learners and, on the other hand, provide easy-to-use tools for the VET teachers, trainers and tutors. In order to reach the project goal, the partnership created the following products: (a) A research study, which reflects both latest research results from the fields of learning psychology, developmental psychology and neurophysiology as well as the results of an empirical research with the disadvantaged learners themselves. The study was published in English; a summary was published in the partner languages. The NEW-D Research Study and the summary can be downloaded from the project website. (b) The NEW-D Didactical Guidelines are a collection of seven major principles for a new didactical approach in dealing with young disadvantaged learners in initial VET. The NEW-D Guidelines are based on the research results, they provide explanations and examples, and they are colour-coded, which makes them easy to follow and use. The NEW-D Guidelines were published in all partner languages; they are available as hard copies from the project partners and can be downloaded from the project website. (c) The NEW-D Training Curriculum offers a 30-hour training course for VET teachers, trainers and tutors in VET schools, VET institutions and enterprises to learn about the NEW-D didactical model and its implementation in everyday work with disadvantaged learners. Based on the guidelines, the curriculum (7 modules/10 units) includes both practical exercises as well as a collection of innovative learning materials and is ECVET-based. It was piloted in six partner countries with ten participants from the target group per country. The curriculum was published in all partner languages and is available for download from the project website.Within the project, dissemination played a crucial role. Besides channels and materials such as project website (www.new-d.eu), posters, brochures, direct contact, conferences, and social media, the partners organised two conferences. While the focus of the first (national) conference was placed on the NEW-D Guidelines, the second (international) conference focused on the NEW-D Curriculum. Both conferences took place in Graz, Austria. The project partnership, lead by Jugend am Werk Steiermark GmbH as the project promoter, consisted of well-experienced VET providers, VET schools, representatives from enterprises, and political bodies from seven countries (Austria: Jugend am Werk Steiermark GmbH and ENTER GmbH; Denmark: Fritid Germany: Oscar-Tietz-Schule OSZ Handel II; Ireland: Meath Community Rural and Social Development Partnership Ltd; Italy: Formazione Co&So Network; Slovenia: Gospodarska zbornica Slovenije; Turkey: Egitim ve genclik calismalari enstitusu dernegi), thus allowing access to the major stakeholder groups. The short-term impact was measured via a three-stage feedback process during pilot implementation. The feedback was excellent and demonstrated both the success of the project itself as well as the need for action in this field. At this point, it is not yet possible to speak about a medium- or long-term effect of the project.