"Given the prolongation of life expectancy and retirement age and the aging population, a group of citizens over 50 is becoming very important in several aspects of the EU national economy. However, the education, training and lifelong learning system as such is not very flexible, and this causes the exclusion of this group of citizens in terms of employment. In fact, people over the age of 50 suffer from high unemployment rates and are usually discriminated when it comes to training provision. The training institutions did not adapt their offer and methodology to this target group. The seniors were educated in the education system where digital skills, communication skills and many others either did not exist or other priorities were set in their teaching. It is therefore desirable to identify the missing skills of the 50+ people and provide them with training that meets current needs and expectations in order to ensure that this workforce is maintained or reintegrated into the labour market.The aim of the SILVER project was to promote new and innovative methods of education that will contribute to improving skills that affect the employability of people over 50 years of age. The project also aimed to open a debate between relevant stakeholders to identify the barriers that this population group has to face. It was also important to emphasize the importance of lifelong learning, the silver economy and age management in the current EU demographic situation.Partners from four countries - TREXIMA Bratislava (Slovakia), LENO Consulting (France), Endurance (the Netherlands), Human Profess (Hungary) and the Cooperation for a Better Future Veľký Meder (Slovakia) - were involved in the project.The main objectives of the project were:-Identifying the missing basic transversal skills of seniors and discrepancies between what seniors have and what is expected of them in the labour market-Improving the skills of citizens over the age of 50 through the creation of an innovative educational tool.To meet the objectives, the project partners implemented activities that can be summarized in the following 4 stages:1. Preparation - In preparation, the partnership carried out discussion forums and a questionnaire survey, identifying the main areas of skills that seniors feel that they need to improve and, on the other hand, employers express what skills they expect from older workers. The results of these surveys as well as a summary of initiatives and policies and the situation of the elderly in the labour market are available in one of the project outputs entitled ""Situation of seniors in labour market in selected countries and EU"". Outputs from the first phase of the project served as a basis for the creation of outputs in the second phase of the project.2. Creating a training program - based on the results of questionnaires and discussion forums, the project partners have built a training program structure - defined 7 main topics that form the basis of the training program. Each topic contains several areas deepening the knowledge of the topic in the form of short videos, additional documents, quizzes, respectively exercises. The training program consists of the following topics: generation gap, networking, job strategy, personal development, professional development, lifelong learning, entrepreneurial skills.3. Implementation of the training program - creation of an electronic platform through which the training program is implemented. Once registered, the platform is accessible to both the general and professional public at www.moodle.silver-skill.eu. As part of the implementation of the training program, its testing and pilot training sessions were also carried out in each of the partner countries. Feedback to the platform was positive from all participating countries, where more than 90% of users (106 users) rated the platform as useful, deepening skills and knowledge of the topic, and visually and user-friendly.4. Availability - creation of a project guide that summarizes individual outputs and gives guidance on how to use the results even after the project is completed.The target groups of the project were mainly citizens over 50 years of age, regardless of their situation on the labour market (unemployed / job), also employers, education providers such as counseling centers, non-profit organizations and the like. These target groups can also benefit from the results of the project in the long term through the use of open educational resources available on the e-learning platform, which can be used in different environments and through different media."

One of the objectives in terms of employment in all European countries is a special support to the employment of persons with disabilities (PWDs). Although there are different employment support services for PWDs, their capacity in partner countries does not cover the national requirements. In filling this gap, the NGOs providing counselling and training for PWDs aimed at joining the labour market and using the potential of experts by experience play an increasingly important role.In our project, expert by experience is a PWD, who has been able to overcome and resolve the challenges of his/her life and who will be able, by improving his/her skills and competences by accomplishing this innovative training program, to offer his/her experience to help others in a similar situation.The main objectives of the project was to develop and strengthen an international network of organisations aimed at reintegration of PWDs, professionalisation of organisations, improving the knowledge and developing competences of mentors, vocational advisors, as well as PWDs through their involvement in an innovative training program for experts by experience and, support the (re)integration of PWDs.As part of the specific objectives, we focused on the activities and creation of particular outputs: organising a workshops, compiling an electronic collection of best practices, developing an Innovative Training Programme for experts by experience, training of trainers and additional PWDs as potential experts by experience, creating information materials (flyer, brochure) and designing a website (https://experience-erasmusplus.eu/).The partnership consisted of four organisations from four countries - Spoluprácou pre lepšiu budúcnosť – Veľký Meder (Slovak Republic), Human Profess Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft., Szombathely (Hungary), Fundația creștină diakonia filiala Sfântu Gheorghe (Romania), Dost Egitim Turizm Insaat Tekstil Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Ankara (Turkey) which provide consultancy and/or social services for various disadvantaged groups, or function as accredited employers operating sheltered workshops and workplaces.The main output of the project is the Innovative blended-learning Training Programme for experts by experience available in five different languages, which is freely available on the Internet. It contains the theoretical learning material divided into 14 chapters and available also in the form of e-learning, tests associated with each main theme and 43 interactive practical exercises. It aims to expand the knowledge and develop practical skills needed to provide consulting to PWDs. The programme was developed by a team of experts with a wealth of experience based upon the outputs of workshops organised in partner countries with the participation of 79 relevant labour market actors and, the electronic collection containing 11 best practices applied to the training of experts in partner countries.The innovative aspect of the programme is its possibility to adjust the learning of the theoretical material to the individual pace of learners due to using ICT in adult education on the basis of:- an e-learning platform including the training materials and tests to verify the level of theoretical knowledge, and- a shared platform to exchange experiences allowing the learners to consult the trainers during the course of the study.The testing of the Innovative Training Programme was participated in by 8 trainers and 49 adult learners – PWDs and received a positive feedback in all involved countries.Impact:The greatest benefit of the combined training programme is that it allows to strengthen the current skills of PWDs through the theoretical material, e-learning, practical training and e-platform in order to become proficient in providing consultancy services for other PWDs in a similar situation. The project has a positive impact on the employees of partner organisations and the participants of pilot testing in terms of gaining new knowledge and developing their professional, methodological and social competences. The project activities at the national level have also been beneficial from the viewpoint of creating partner networks between experts and organisations representing different sectors. The Innovative Training Program has been incorporated in the educational portfolio of each partner organisation and, made available to other interested users. The project activities expanded the spectrum of opportunities and forms of lifelong learning for people with disabilities and, therefore they can significantly contribute to their reintegration to the labour market.Long-term benefits:motivation of people with special needs to engage in lifelong learning (LLL);exploiting the potential of experts by experience in non-profit organisations;free access to project products and their use in everyday practice by other organisations;motivation of organisations working with the disadvantaged to engage in LLL process.

Current activities promoting employment in many EU countries are insufficient. ALMP expenses in eastern Europe are low compared with other countries. In many countries, programmes do not increase the employability of participants. Disadvantage in the labour market is persistent. It is notable that disadvantaged groups do worse than others during recession, and remain unemployed more at any time. Current approaches are ineffective at the level of individuals in need of help. Council Resolution November 2008 noted that ‘Member States should [...] consider:- including activities which foster the development of career management skills - preparing teachers and trainers to conduct such activities- facilitating access to information about skills needs - developing career management skills- making guidance one of the objectives of schools, VET providers and higher education- integration into working life.’There is a large and growing body of scientific evidence from around the world concerning the methods of guidance which are most effective in helping people choose and succeed in suitable careers. Many people in schools, colleges, organisations and NGOs for disadvantaged groups have responsibility or contribute to the transition to work, and have little or no training in career guidance.The aim of the project has been therefore to: - review the evidence of what works in career and employment advice- apply scientifically validated methods to support the findings and test the effective methods in employment advice for disadvantaged people - work with all those providing careers advice to school- and college-leavers as well as adult job seekers (schools, colleges, PES, NGOs, welfare-to-work service providers services, career centres) to establish effective usable ways to improve services- create, test, apply & disseminate training that will enhance the performance of careers advisors, VET staff with employment objectives- make training available online, in workplaces, in modular accessible form- develop a guide to help organisations adopt evidence-based methods, including guidance on training, installation, self-assessment and use of skills & activities that work in organisations - publish a Handbook of Career Advice Skills based on the project findings- make resources available as Open Educational Resources.The six partners from 5 countries – TREXIMA Bratislava (SK), VRC Ltd (UK), M.M.C Management Center (CY), Human Profess Közhasznú (HU), Institute for Sustainable Technologies – National Research Institute (PL) and Spoluprácou pre lepšiu budúcnosť Veľký Meder (SK) – reviewed scientific evidence from around the world about the most effective methods of guidance for helping people choose and succeed in suitable careers. Based on research results, we have created a curriculum to train counsellors, employment advisors and others working with disadvantaged groups, enabling them to apply the methods that research has shown to be effective. The curriculum has undergone controlled comparative testing in four countries, and has led to the publication of Handbook of Career Advice Skills based on the project findings.Partners have tested their products in two phases with about 120 learners/users working in the field of career advice. 24 persons took part in the first trial (in person training) and 85 persons took part in the second trial (in person training combined with distance and e-learning). Additional users took part in an e-platform testing and we are continuously receiving further feedback. Their experiences have been used to ensure usable and accessible products that develop skills for use at work and that complement existing practices and qualifications.The impact of the project has been mainly improvement of services to disadvantaged people looking for work and/or being in transition from school to work: - better empowerment in the labour market through more effective guidance support and advice skills- development of skills that support employability. The deployed evaluation questionnaires to measure quality and success of the developed training programme showed increase in confidence scores in all countries for advisors/learners, their managers and trainers (from project partners staff).In the long term, guidance services should benefit from project results by:- use of better skills for counsellors- access to guidance on implementation to help organisations modernise careers advice services- development of a definitive ‘text’ and toolkit for advisors, VET trainers on the evidence base, practice and ethics that underpin and energise vocational guidance and employment support- availability of extensive distance learning materials that may be translated and applied in different settings and through different media- application of behavioural assessment criteria for the learning of skills and for the award to advisors- provision of the products as ODL.

Employment challenges for persons with disabilities (PWDs) have been an important issue all over the EU. The most common barriers to their integration include their long-term unemployment, age, insufficient education and difficult social conditions. Solving their situation requires a comprehensive approach involving all concerned stakeholders. Special attention should be paid to social and occupational rehabilitation and, incentives should be provided to employers to raise the employment level and retaining of persons with disabilities. We have endeavored to identify new forms and approached within the international context.The main objectives of the project included exchanging good practices in the field of integration of PWDs to labour market, developing and strengthening of an international network of organisations active in the field of facilitating the reintegration and supporting the inclusion of PWDs to labour market through innovative education, raising awareness and sensitisation of employers to employ PWDs by promoting the cooperation of labour market actors from different sectors and at different levels.The specific objectives of the project included the creation of an e-collection of good practices, round-table discussions, questionnaire surveys for employers and successful PWDs, innovative training programme for PWDs, a package of services for employers and dissemination materials (i.e. a flyer, website, brochure). The partnership engaged 4 organisations from 4 partner countries - CA Spoluprácou pre lepšiu budúcnosť - Veľký Meder (Slovak Republic), Napra Forgó Nonprofit Közhasznú kft. (Hungary), IZAP - Slunečnice z.ú. (Czech Republic), Fundatia crestina diakonia filiala Sfantu Gheorghe (Romania) providing consultancy services and career guidance to disadvantaged groups, social services for PWDs or, as accredited employers of PWDs, operating sheltered workshops.The main product of the project is the Innovative Training Programme for PWDs considering the requirements of the current labour market. The most important areas of education and labour market training for the target group were identified based upon:1.electronic collection of 12 good practices and experiences from the international environment,2.recommendations from 57 labour market actors collected during round table discussions,3.conclusions of questionnaire surveys participated in by 69 employers, and4.in-depth interview with 43 successfully employed PWDs.The innovativeness of the education programme lies in the fact that it has been developed based upon a comprehensive approach to the reintegration of the target group focusing on success factors, it is flexible, comprehensive and effective. The education program has been tested in partner countries on the sample of 37 participants.The outputs of the project also include an innovative package of services for employers containing various forms of cooperation and learning opportunities, recommended methods and services to enhance their empathy to employing PWDs.The brochure contains a collection of successful life stories that can serve as an example for other persons with disabilities.All materials prepared under the project are available free-of-charge electronically on the website http://success-erasmusplus.eu.Impact:The project had a positive impact on the staff of partner organisations, contributed to obtaining new knowledge and to the development of their professional, methodological and social competences in the field of international cooperation as well as cooperation with PWDs. The international cooperation between partner organisations has intensified during the project cycle. Project activities at national level contributed to the creation of partner networks between experts and organisations operating in different sectors. The innovative training programme has been integrated in the educational portfolio of each partner organisation and made available for other candidates. Participation in the pilot testing of the education programme has contributed to the strengthening of self-confidence, communication skills and social competencies of PWDs and increased their employability in all partner countries. The main benefit for the employers was that the project activities contributed to raising their awareness, enabled networking of organisations and facilitated the exchange of experience in the field of employing PWDs.The long-term benefits of the project include the following:•free access to project products and their utilisation in everyday practice by other organisations,•strengthening the involvement of organisations working with disadvantaged persons in the education process,•motivation of PWDs to lifelong learning,•better understanding of the situation of PWDs and reducing their discrimination, •strengthening the motivation of other employers to employ PWDs,•utilisation of experience and international examples of good practices.

The Strategic Partnership for Older People’s Inclusion into the Digital World (SPIDW) project was implemented in the period from 01/10/2018 to 31/12/2020 within the Erasmus + programme by seven partner organizations from Germany, Slovenia, Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and Slovakia, which are very good aware that in the age of digitalisation, the development of ICT skills of older people has the great importance. The current pandemic situation that arose during the implementation of the project also pointed out that the education of seniors in the field of digital technologies is inevitable.The main objectives of the project wereto provide training for trainers by exchanging experiences and best practices based on modern digital tools in education of older adult,enable education providers and trainers to develop and strengthen their skills in international cooperation,share ideas, methods and best practices for developing the skills of seniors, especially in the field of ICT,to provide older people with opportunities to obtain and development of digital skills, implement successful educational activities with older people at local, regional and national level.The direct target group of project were experts of the partners’ organisations, adult trainers, particularly for seniors, social workers but indirect benefit from results had also older people in post-professional phase of life.Trainers from all partner organizations took part in three training activities in Germany, Slovenia (face to face) and Portugal (online) in order to improve their ICT skills and learn new digital methods and techniques, which they then passed on to their older students within the local training activities. The participants of trainings acquired competencies in the field of the City Games method, a biographical narrative method in the education of older adults, in the field of the application of SILVER blended learning, the implementation of digital storytelling and the preparation of films.A total of 36 trainers took part in the training and 84 seniors took part in film preparation training. Within the project there were created 27 short films, including the experiences of older people from the pandemic period of COVID-19. Older people were involved in local training activities including also 362 people with fewer opportunities (in the partners countries). All in all 10742 persons were involved or got in touch with the SPIDW project.More detailed information about the project and the results of the project can be found at- the project website https://www.spidw.eu/ - the project Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SPIDW-1212175895601506?locale=de_DE- in the e-book Including older people into the digital world https://www.spidw.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/SPIDW-E-book-21.12.2020_FINAL.pdf