<< Background >>A transnational project is needed because a joint approach might be more effective to tackle common social issues related to youth unemployment, under- unemployment or NEETs, united with the growing interest provided by the GIG ECONOMY. The number of people taking part in gig economy work has doubled in the last three years, with young people the most likely to be working this way, according to new research. Data show in fact that one in three of those on zero-hour contracts and in the gig economy are young people. Today, nearly 40% of employed people in the European Union are in atypical employment (not working under a full-time, open-ended contract) or self-employed. The ‘gig economy’ is a new and still little known phenomenon that is reflected in the exponential growth of online platforms. Online platforms are used as one of the tools for managing work in various sectors across Europe and beyond. During the COVID19 pandemic, but even before it, the worldwide turnover generated by the Gig Economy was estimated to exceed $ 82.4 billion (data 2017), with an annual growth of 67% on an annual basis testifying that the trend is strongly expanding. The report ‘Work in the European Gig Economy, Research results from the UK, Sweden, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy’ reviewed the existing evidence on the characteristics and the extent of ‘crowd work’, by using a broad definition, a high proportion of the population (ranging from 9% in Germany to a high of 22% in Italy) and based on the ongoing EU level debate, “it seems likely that platform workers will continue to be regarded as self-employed or independent contractors for the foreseeable future (Eurofound, Dieuaide and Azaïs, 2020). This changing working environment driven by technological advancement and global connectivity, brought about by the so-called 4th industrial revolution and pushed by the gig economy require future work force to ‘invent new ways for earn money’ and satisfy both society and companies needs in ways that cannot fully predict at the moment. Many large corporations in EU are more and recurring to external independent contractors and outsourcing non-core services to lower costs and risks. In addition, new economy models (as the gig economy, the share economy) are fully embracing this self-employment work-style, that offers temporary position to independent contractors and contributing in creating micro-entrepreneurs.<< Objectives >>Freelancing jobs include everything from computer programming to web design, tax preparation and different sort of consulting, but also less specialized and qualified work. The project will offer a concrete support to those who aspire to exploit these new form of employment. On the other hand, working in those unstable conditions requires job seekers to adapt to the fast changes brought about the new work procedures, being able to joggle different contract and tasks at the same time. In particular, working with different contractors requires the need to adapt to others leadership/work style, self-discipline and time management to deal with stress and work on a deadline. The GIG UP will contribute at empowerment of young people who only experienced precarious work forms or that never worked before, by offering a program that will reinforce and favour the development of transversal competences needed in the fast-changing world, encompassing: critical thinking and creativity, adaptability and an entrepreneurial mind-set. The present multi-disciplinary consortium aims at *Prepare (and test) the GIG UP program (micro-courses package, skills assessment tools) will use the gig economy (or also called platform economy) as an activator for employability skills, entrepreneurial and organizational skills in young adults about to enter the labour market. *equip EDUCATORS from NGOs and youth associations and other professionals working with unemployed youth and/or GIG-ERs to be ready to integrate the new approach and tools into their daily activities (practitioners’ handbook). During the present proposal, the 6 diverse partners will create the GIG UP program such as a package of micro-courses and a skills framework and assessment tools, using the gig economy as an activator for employability skills, entrepreneurial and organizational skills in young people about to enter the labour market. By using the GIGup program (composed by interactive learning materials and short courses) the participants will*increase employability skills, encompassing digital skills, entrepreneurial skills, communication skills and critical thinking and problem solving *gain basic knowledge on finance literacy to manage unstable incomes from different sources *understanding about their workers’ rights as employees and citizens, and how to behave and perform better in a work situation.<< Implementation >>The project can be divided into 3 transversal activities (management, quality control and dissemination) running from month 1 to month 24. They are aimed at offering a smooth cooperation among the partners, visibility and quality of results, respectively, led by Technische Universität Berlin, Mine Vaganti NGO and LIBERA UNIVERSITÀ DI LINGUE E COMUNICAZIONE. Then, in relation with the project’s specific results, we can mention 4 main activities, preparation, development, testing and roll out. Each of those as a start to finish approach, as each deal with a specific and important element of production. More in details: The key element of the preparation activity is making sure the partners have a clear picture over the skills and competences actually needed by the labour market in general, and by self-employed people, specifically. ACCION LABORAL will ensure partners’ understanding of the actual dynamics of the labour market and guide partners in preparing the skills referenced on the GIG UP program. Based on the skills, partners will develop a set of interactive materials (micro-lessons, text, games, reading materials, exercises, presentations, infographics…) used during the GIG UP program to gain knowledge, on the labour market, skills needed in self-employment, entrepreneurial skills, and communication skills. INNOVATION HIVE is the partners responsible for digitalizing the materials and make sure partners’ educators are able to use them in the pilot program. At the same time, under VERDIAN and Mine Vaganti NGO guidance, the partners associate non-formal education techniques to each element of the library and produce the handbook of the GIG UP program. The handbook offers guidance to any other educator (youth workers, educators, HR managers, mentors, coaches, and career advisers in VET and HEI organizations or employment services …) in charge of fostering NEETs / youth employability skills. Under partners’ trainers’ supervision, the educators that have been trained to deliver the program, will run the pilot activities. The materials in the library can be used together, to create a unique program, or can be used in associations with other activities organized by NGOs, VET schools, HEIs, employment services. Each partner with their educators will look for and select the participants and will run the activities deciding the best blends among online, offline, on-demand, experiential, face-to-face activities to increase participants learning possibilities, and, most of all, allowing learners to control their own timing and schedule. The pilot is aimed at supporting NEETs and unemployed youth in • gaining better employability and life skills – using self-employment and the gig economy as an activator of interest • increase their possibility to be prepared for a meaningful work experience • receive guidance on what skills can help them make a positive change in their life •understand better their rights as employees and citizens, and how to behave and perform better in a work situation. The platform will offer a certification with a clear and detailed report on the competence gained and tested during the program. The certificate can be attached at the CV and can be used to show case participant’s skills to potential contractors and employers. During the last months of the project, the coordinator is responsible for closing each of the activities identified within the project management, on time and according to the rules established by the NA funding the project. All produced products will be available on partners’ websites, project’s websites, made visible via social media and EU level platforms offered for dissemination purposed by EU and other institutions. To foster products’ transferability and visibility, partners will organize local seminars to present the project’s results a wider group of stakeholders, interested to use the GIG UP PROGRAM and tools in the future.<< Results >>The GIG UP program is composed by GIG UP LIBRARY AND SKILLS GRID A digital library of ready to use materials (micro-lessons, text, games, reading materials, exercises, presentations, infographics…) that educators can use with their target group. The partner will cover at least 10 topics covering competences that any gig worker/self-employed person will need to manage their work efficiently (time management, entrepreneurial mind-set, cognitive skills, problem solving skills, digital skills...) while working independently maybe joggling different contracts and navigating uncertainty (build relationships with clients, finance literacy, accountancy, social media marketing, labour market regulations EU level included). The materials in the library can be used together, to create a unique program, or can be used in associations with other activities organized by NGOs, VET schools, HEIs, employment services. The platform will offer a certification with a clear and detailed report on the competence gained and tested during the program. The certificate can be attached at the CV and can be used to show case participant’s skills to potential contractors and employers. GUIDEBOOK FOR PRACTITIONERS The handbook is used facilitate the program delivery and most importantly, to increase educators understating of actual employability skills and equip them to replicate program, update it and make it available for other participants in the future. It offers guidance to any educator (youth workers, educators, HR managers, mentors, coaches, and career advisers in VET and HEI organizations or employment services …) in charge of fostering NEETs / youth employability skills. The handbook will offer tips and suggestions on how to define the blend among online, offline/face-to-face activities to increase participants learning possibilities, and, most of all, allowing learners to control their own timing and schedule. The manual is a practical tool to foster professionals’ ability to offer more engaging support, learning how to integrating activities with online/virtual learning to help them in delivering more adaptive learning solutions. The GIG UP program that can be used in different environment to foster youth social and employability skills and empower them to be more active citizens and be ready to be integrated into the labour market. By using the newly prepared interactive materials – better suited for younger generations- participants are fostered to acquiring skills requested by the 21st century workplace while • gaining better employability and life skills – using self-employment and the gig economy as an activator of interest • increase their possibility to be prepared for a meaningful work experience • receive guidance on what skills can help them make a positive change in their life •understand better their rights as employees and citizens, and how to behave and perform better in a work situation. The project is expected to have this impact at partners’ local level *Stronger participation of young people in democratic and civic life of their communities *Decreasing the time, they spend in unemployment *Tackle barriers preventing them to gain economic independence *Decrease the possibility to be exploited (economically or legally) *Increase their ability to manage their finances and their work efficiently *Increased social inclusion of all young people and prevention and reduction of negative and anti-social patterns in disengaged youth*Strengthen cross-sectorial cooperation, allowing for greater synergies across all fields of actions concerning young people*Promoted common values of freedom, tolerance and respect of work and workers, and social rights; *Better possibilities for young people to connect with, express their opinions to and get in contact with local key stakeholders *Increased possibility for partnerships among learning institutions, businesses and intermediary bodies;

<< Objectives >>“A,B,C…Digital Education” wants to act in the context of digital skills gap among adults (25-34 years old). More specifically, the objectives of the project activities are: to acquire updated data about the actual digital skills of adults (25-34) in different European Countries; to give adults (25-34 years old) base-levels digital skills; to raise awareness among European citizens about the important role of digital skills either in education or labour market.<< Implementation >>The project foresees three main activities: a survey, a training course, and a research handbook. The survey wants to collect updated data about the target group of the project, with the scope of understanding the state of things. The three sessions of training aim to provide adults basic theoretical notions, practical tools, digital risks and strategies of defence. At the end, the handbook puts together the results of the survey with the scope of giving an overview of the situation.<< Results >>The project foresees the following results: -Augmented number of adults with digital skills useful in education and labour market;-Increased knowledge about the actual level of digital skills in the two European Countries partner;-Increased awareness of the importance of digital skills and of their correct use to reach personal and professional goals.

<< Objectives >>This project is going to result in a mechanism of assessment of the various sources of capital available to SMEs and family-run businesses from 5 different EU jurisdictions.The web-based assessment of the SME user will achieve a better understanding of their financial needs and the types of capital structure requiredThe SME users will receive training on how to seek different sources of finance, as identified in the previous phase, and what their respective terms and conditions are.<< Implementation >>The activities will include research, assessment and analysis with the providers of capital in order to assess the products available by jurisdictiondesign and creation of a web-based self-assessment tool to allow SMEs to understand their financial requirements based on their input.design, creation, and dissemination of the web-based training tool that will help SMEs to better understand their businesses' financial and structural needs.The partners will meet transnationally.<< Results >>The project results will be an innovative and new approach to the issues faced by SMEs when seeking to raise finance, and will seek to give tangible and practical support to the SMEs in respect of better understanding of their business financial needs, as well as identifying sources of finance that would be available in their jurisdiction, as well as other EU jurisdictions participating in the project. The sources of finance identified will also divulge terms and conditions.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVESDigital sovereignty is a new concept in the digital era suggesting that parties should have sovereignty over their own digital data. On an individual level, digital sovereignty demonstrates the capacity of individuals to own their personal data and control its use. According to relevant empirical privacy studies (Acquisti et al., 2015), it is very clear that individuals find it difficult to make reasoned and rational decisions on their personal data due to behavioral bias and the complexity of the issue. Moreover, individuals demonstrate significant uncertainty about the importance of privacy due to difficulties in evaluating the relevant consequences derived from the intangible nature of the privacy harms. When it comes to VET teachers / trainers and their activities, the aspects of digital sovereignty and data / privacy protection become of even higher importance. Therefore, supporting VET teachers/trainers in becoming sovereign of their digital data and in enhancing their digital security skills serves a two-fold purpose:1.On an individual level, VET teachers/trainers will improve and enhance their knowledge and the available tools that will help them control and evaluate the use of their personal digital data and history.2.On a societal level, VET teachers/trainers will be enabled to teach and promote safer and more responsible use of digital technology.And this is exactly where DiSCVET project steps in aiming to develop a new innovative form of training content along with an online simulation platform that will empower VET teachers/trainers throughout Europe to develop and enhance their digital sovereignty and digital security skills as well as to enrich their portofolio with relevant training materials for teaching others on digital security topics. Moreover, through the improvement of the VET teachers/trainers’ skills, the enhancement of VET organizations’ capacity for providing safer and more responsible digital education.The project’s main target groups will be:VET teachers/trainers (direct target group)VET organizationsEducation providers and organizationsExperts and decision makers at regional/national/European level and relevant networks of interest.ACTIVITIES & METHODOLOGYDuring the initial planning phases of this project and application, a detailed need analysis supported the fact that there is currently no single digital sovereignty and security competence framework for Europe. Therefore, the Framework of Digital Security Competences (IO1) will define the key components of competences needed by VET teachers/trainers to effectively integrate digital sovereignty and security protocols into their localized contexts, as well as to provide and validate an EU reference framework for developing and evaluating digital security competences. Based on the key skills and competences recognized and included in the VET teachers/trainers Digital Sovereignty Competences Framework, IO2 activities will focus on the development of an innovative training material aiming to enable VET teachers/trainers develop the necessary competences in order to increase the level of their digital sovereignty as well be able to train other people within their work.Last, but not least, through IO3project’s target group will have the chance to put the knowledge they acquired into practice by trying to successfully cope up with the interactive digital security simulation exercises.RESULTS & IMPACTDISCVET project’s tangible results will be:- A newly established framework of the necessary digital sovereignty and digital security skills and competences for VET teachers/trainers and other individuals;- An innovative micro-learning training material on Digital Sovereignty Competences;- An online platform through which VET teachers/trainers will be able to respond and react to various scenarios of cyber-attacks and digital security breaches;- An interactive Digital Sovereignty Toolbox for VET teachers/trainers which shall include all aforementioned tools and materials and ensuring a high level of accessibility and transferability of the project’s outputs and outcomes.Moreover, DiSCVET project is expected to have significant intangible results:- Increased capacity of VET teachers/trainers to develop more secure and fortified digital education environments and services;- Increased capacity of VET teachers/trainers for promoting and teaching a safer use of the digital technology;- Increased capacity of VET teachers/trainers for ensuring the protection of their and others’ personal digital data;- Increased self-awareness and critical thinking relating to the use of digital devices and the forms of digital communication;- Understanding and awareness of the effective application of digital security measures in day-to-day work and specific situations.

The project "FORCE" - Fostering Optimal Regulatory Compliance for Cryptocurrencies: An Interdisciplinary Approach - addresses the urgent need for innovative Anti-Money Laundering (AML) systems tailored to the rapidly evolving cryptocurrency ecosystem. Cryptocurrencies, including decentralised finance (DeFi) platforms, have significantly changed the global financial landscape, enhancing financial inclusivity and operational efficiency. However, these technologies' pseudonymous and decentralised nature also creates vulnerabilities that traditional AML systems cannot adequately address. This project aims to bridge this gap through an interdisciplinary research program combining blockchain analytics (business), artificial intelligence (AI), quantum-safe cryptography (cybersecurity), regulatory compliance frameworks (legal), decentralised finance (finance), digital EURO (business and management), education and training. By uniting expertise from academic institutions and dynamic SMEs across Europe, the project will facilitate the development of real-time, efficient, and secure solutions to combat money laundering and financial crime in cryptocurrency markets. Additionally, the project will promote cross-border collaboration, a key priority of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Staff Exchange Program, ensuring that these AML systems are globally applicable and aligned with international regulatory frameworks. The overarching objective of FORCE is to create novel, scalable, and future-proof AML solutions for cryptocurrency ecosystems. Specifically, the research will focus on the following objectives: blockchain analytics & AI for AML, quantum-safe cryptography, global regulatory compliance, and cross-border AML enforcement.