The main goal of the project is to create, within the framework of transnational cooperation, within 24 months of project implementation, a new methodology for teaching adults in the context of non-professional education and to create tools necessary to implement this methodology (course programs and educational platform), thereby creating paths for improvement skills and effective encouragement of adults from the target group to develop and improve digital and social competences.The target group of the project are adults over 30 who are low-skilled or low-qualified. The project will also affect organizations working for the above-mentioned persons, including those providing development services, labor market institutions, entities providing social care, non-governmental organizations, etc.Directly in the activities of the project will be involved min. 45 people from the target group (on average 10-20 people from the country of each partner) and min. 7 from the above organization (on average 2-3 organizations from the country of each partner).The project was developed jointly by the participating organizations, and its management and process of achieving results will be based on the cooperation of these organizations, which will lead, among others, to down: - development of a new methodology for teaching people over 30 in the context of adult education- development of three detailed course programs - development and launch of an education platform.The results generated within the framework of the project will be disseminated free of charge, under an open license. The project will affect many levels, including at the organizational (partner organization), local, regional and European level.

Migrant youths are at risk of low employability potential due to local prejudice, linguistic barriers, cultural differences and lack of recognition of their skills/ experience/ qualifications from back home. Our project will reverse these trends by creating resources for youth workers to help migrant youths utilise social media for personal branding: presenting themselves in a professional manner to potential employers, creating videos of them describing their competences (to add to their CVs) using Google Tools present on their smart phones (Google Docs, etc) which can help them enhance their employability. Google Docs and Drive can help them keep their CV updated, rather than depending on others to draft one for them. Including a URL to a YouTube video of themselves, migrant youths can help overcome potential stigmas and stereotypes before having an interview, by being able to present themselves and their linguistic skills through video. Youth Workers need to be equipped to promote migrant youths' employability since this is one of the ways to promote their overall social inclusion and integration in society. PROJECT OBJECTIVES •Equipping at least 12 youth workers with competences & resources to promote migrant youth employability •Enabling 80 migrant youths to use social media and mobile apps to enhance their own employability through personal branding •Promoting migrant youths' social inclusion In order to manage and Implement UpGrad_Me, we will conduct various activities in Malta, Spain and Italy, roping in at least 9 youth workers to train 80 migrant youths by the time the project is concluded. Youth workers will help us to pilot the training course and manual during the project. The training course and manual developed will be piloted with the support of youth workers who regularly work with migrant youths, but who were not directly involved in developing the training course. Below are the project activities in chronological order: -1st Transnational Project Meeting kick-off meeting in Malta with the partners -Needs analysis conducted with local associated partners and stakeholders -Developing the training course and manual Cooperation among all partner organisations -Piloting of the training course and manual This will be done with groups of youth workers and migrant youths youth workers delivering training and migrant youths receiving it. A total of 15 hours of training by each partner organisations, to 80 youths collectively. These will be spread over 5 days of 3 hours per day (the specific dates and format will be flexible, and personalized in order to meet particular request from participants) -Evaluation of the effectiveness of training course and manual Questionnaires handed to youth workers and migrants who participated in the training course piloting, as well as focus groups in each country with potential employers from different labour market sectors for feedback and input -2nd transnational meeting Held in Spain to discuss feedback of participants, including feedback from the focus groups and feedback about project management from all the partners. -Local dissemination activities in each country Held with associate partners and stakeholders to promote the training course and manual, Erasmus+ funding, how to use the resources developed and encouraging them to make use of the resources developed through the project. -Conclusion of project Final project evaluation and submission of final report to EUPA.(National Agency) Impact: The training course and manual will be developed to be used by youth workers to teach 80 migrant youths the potential of their smartphone (20 in Malta, 20 in Italy and 40 in Spain). At least 12 youth workers will help us to pilot the training course and give us their feedback. At least 60 more will be reached through the local multiplier activities in each country and dozens more will be reached indirectly through the project dissemination plan. Youth workers will have resources at their fingertips to promote the employability of migrant youths in a fun and innovative way. Personal branding is also a relatively new approach to enhancing employability, since it empowers individuals to take charge of their situation and work to improve it. Through personal branding, we will be including migrant youths of working age (18-30) who might be at a disadvantage to find work. We will help them gain necessary skills to be independently able to apply to as many job vacancies as possible; sending a CV from their email and exercising themselves in the creation of a YouTube CV, which will open them to an active mock interview where they will learn to sell themselves in 10 to 30 seconds to a potential employer. We will do so by introducing them to the very useful, available and free functionalities of their mobile phones. Mobile phones are proven to reduce the need for physical travel, they ease access to information about job openings and give access to potential employers.

Youth unemployment is one of the most important problems that have been facing European countries in recent years. While the general unemployment rate is 13,6% in Spain, 3,3% in Malta, 9,7% in Italy and 5,8% in Cyprus, youth unemployment rate is 30,9%, 10%, 29,6% and 15,2, respectively. At the European level, general unemployment in EU27 is 6,5%, while youth unemployment rises until 15%. (Data: February 2020, Eurostat).The situation is especially hard for young Migrants, Newcomers, Asylum seekers and Refugees. According to Eurostat, the youth unemployment rate for people that were born outside the European Union is always higher than people born in the EU. In 2018, the EU-28 youth unemployment rate for the native-born population was 14.6%, while the rates for foreign-born persons were higher: 23.5 % for those born outside the EU). In this context, UpGrad_Me 2.0 project pursues the following general objective:improve the employability of migrant youth, newcomers, asylum seekers and refugees at the European Union, through the promotion of labour orientation and career counselling, by using Video Games and gamification methodologies.To achieve this objective, the project will work with the following target groups:1. Young Migrants, Newcomers, Asylum seekers and Refugees from 16 to 30 years old (young MNAR)2. Professionals dealing with young Migrants, Newcomers, Asylum seekers in the career guidance and labour orientation field (career counsellors, educational advisors, youth workers, job counsellors and other related staff).The consortium of the UpGrad_Me 2.0 project is formed by four partner organizations from Malta (AMAM), Spain (SSF), Italy (Arciragazzi) and Cyprus (CARDET). These organizations work daily with young MNAR in different projects, providing labour orientation and career counselling as well as promoting their empowerment and supporting and upskilling them with different programs, some of them related with digital technologies. Partner organizations will actively involve their staff professionals and beneficiary target groups in the project.It is planned that the project will involve a total of 200 young MNAR and over 128 professionals in total, in its different activities. Also, we aim to reach at least 400 stakeholders and 18 associated partners among them. The estimated number of people reached through the multiplier events is 170 and through the various dissemination activities implemented is 1.000.To achieve its objectives, the partnership will develop the following intellectual outputs:IO1: UpGrad_Me 2.0 Research. Research will take place in order to discover the different skills and competencies associated with professional families, based on the European NACE system. The final aim is to elaborate a unified classification of professional families and the skills and competencies associated with them, to have a simplified structure that can improve career and job counselling by professionals and be easily understood by young MNAR.IO2: UpGrad_Me 2.0 Gamification Experience. The UpGrad_Me 2.0 Gamification Experience will be an online “Escape Room”. The contents will be created with the results of the Research (IO1). This Output will allow young MNAR to deeper know their different skills and competences, identifying possible vocations and professionals fields of interest. It will be directly accessed on smart-phones and other mobile devices, significantly increasing the chances of making a lasting impact on the target group and fostering self-awareness of own skills, competences and job preferences, and autonomy.IO3: UpGrad_Me 2.0 Career Guidance Handbook. Partners will develop a compilation of good practices and innovative methodologies about employability using gamification techniques. It will enable a holistic and transversal intervention of professionals with young MNAR improving their employability.The methodology addresses the needs of participants and introduces an innovative approach, the promotion of labour orientation and career counselling by using Video Games and gamification methodologies, that can be useful to avoid lack of motivation and encourage autonomy in the active search of employment in the labour market.The project expected to achieve different results:- Provide an unite analysis of the different professional families and the associated competencesand skills.- Improve career and labour guidance by professionals dealing with young MNAR- Increase of self-knowledge and self-awareness of the own skills and competencies of young MNAR- Promote empowerment, participation and exchange of experiences of young MNAR and professionals.The dissemination and exploitation activities and multiplier events will ensure that the project is promoted and socialize with relevant stakeholders and professionals, in order to point out the importance of keeping working to promote social inclusion of young MNAR and promoting quality and innovation of youth work

The A PART OF EU 2.0 project focuses on one of the EU's greatest challenges for the future: achieving the integration of migrant and minority youth (MMY) into society through their participation. As the proportion of migrant and/or minority youth in Europe has increased, the problems and difficulties in terms of their participation have also become more complex, with high barriers to their effective participation.OBJECTIVESA PART OF EU 2.0 aims to promote the participation of migrant and minority youth in EU society through:•Providing professionals with innovative methods to encourage the participation of MMY in 5 areas (social and political participation, participation through volunteering and associations, sport and culture, training and access to employment and through the family).•Increasing the social, civic and digital competences of the MMY through training for participation.•Providing tools to professionals from social organizations, public administrations and the private sector to create structures, procedures and synergies to improve MMY participation.•Offering practical solutions and policy recommendations to institutions, civil society and the local, regional, national and European private sector, in order to improve MMY participation.The target groups of A PART OF EU 2.0 will be:•Professionals working with migrant and minority youth (youth workers, social workers, trainers, mentors, counsellors, mediators, counsellors, etc.)•Migrant and Minority Youth (MYMY): migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers and minorities aged 16 to 30•Professionals from local, regional, national and European public administrations working in the fields of social inclusion (social services, employment, etc.).•Private sector professionals•Local, regional, national and European policy-makersMore than 2,790 people will benefit from this projectAPOFEU 2.0 uses an innovative methodological approach, which analyzes the different areas of participation related to each other and whose relationship influences the level of social inclusion of young immigrants. The 5 areas of participation are1.Political and social participation2.Participation through associationism and volunteering3.Participation through training and access to employment4.Participation through culture and sport5.Participation through the familyOUTPUTS1.The European Training and Participation Platform for migrant and minority youth and professionals will make available a training platform for the MMY with MOOC courses in the 5 dimensions of participation, to improve their social, civic and digital skills, and a participation space for these groups, as well as a learning area for professionals.2.The Innovative Intervention Tools Manual is aimed at professionals who work with MMY to improve their skills, so that they can carry out an integral and transversal intervention with MMY and promote the participation of MMY in the 5 areas of participation. The Manual will be composed of 7 intervention zones, conceived as learning modules.3.The APOFEU 2.0 Guide, with innovative methods and tools to promote synergies and cooperation between social organizations, public administrations and private sector to promote MMY participation, addressing the need to involve and engage these 3 and the means to do so.4.The APOFEU 2.0 Policy Recommendations report will enable policy makers and decision-makers at all levels to develop policy changes with regard to MMY participation and social inclusion, responding to several of the major current policy issues across the EU.The overall medium and long term impacts that APOFEU 2.0 wants to achieve are:-To produce a positive impact on the pedagogy for MMY thanks to the products developed in the project.-To make the difference in the daily work of the professionals that with MMY.-To have an impact on the political agenda, as well as on the direct political changes to improve the social inclusion and participation of the MMY.-To cause tangible effects on MMY, by improving their qualifications to have more options to improve their civic engagement-To contribute to generate social impacts, providing an innovative way to improve the social participation of the MMY in the EU and in the countries of the consortium.-To provide an innovative Platform and educational resources that will be a reference in the EU in the field of social participation and inclusion.The consortium is led by SSF (Spain), with UCBR (Italy), IASIS (Greece) and Guaraní (Spain).

Psychosocial health is critical to fostering students’ ability and motivation to perform well at school. Especially, poor body image and appearance concerns are important aspects of adolescent psychosocial health and development. An estimated 50-70% of students in Western societies are dissatisfied with some aspect of their appearance (McCabe & Ricciardelli, 2004). Further, a large-scale study of 47 schools across Europe found that the most common reason for teasing/bullying was differences in physical appearance (British Council, 2008). Migrant populations are also at risk for poor body image, with increased social pressure to conform to Western ideals of beauty, dress and appearance during the acculturation and social integration process. Poor body image and appearance-related discrimination is a significant concern for the education sector as they both have been associated with poor school performance and psychological and physical health problems including eating disorders, drug and alcohol use, suicidal ideation, low self-esteem, depression and difficulties to integrate into society. Moreover, students who are concerned about their appearance or experience appearance-related bullying are less likely to attend school. One of the main reasons for drop out is psychological health issues (School dropout and completion, Markussen 2011). The objectives are: Develop, implement and evaluate a training package for Youth workers in education who deal with refugees and migrants to: Increase awareness of appearance issues, including; body image, appearance concerns, TABU, and appearance-related teasing, bullying and discrimination and its impact on integration for migrants/refugees. The participants will mainly consist of youth workers and potential youth workers, but some trainers will be involved in each organisation for curriculum development and testing. The project foresees 5 transnational meetings, a national report, a pedagogic report, course development, piloting, finalizing the training materials, joint short time training event, blended mobility week and multiplier events. We will develop a course with 5 modules: 1- Social determinants, 2- Interventions, 3- Cultural and gender issues, 4- Psychological issues on body image, 5- Specific issues for Migrants/refugees. In addition there will be a theoretical report from each country about situation and a pedagocical report as a basis for the course.Methodology will be desk top research, development, testing, evaluation, training staff, implementation and multiplying.Impact foreseen: -Improved competences, linked to their professional youth work: the trainings aim to create an active and inclusive youth work base and enhance their exploring possibilities for inclusion of refugees and migrant youth. This is in line with the study of the European Commission “Working with young people: the value of youth work in the EU” , that identifies the factors that lead to successful youth work outcomes and describes the following as elements of quality youth work: “The youth worker’s relationship with young people; Active outreach to young people in need of help and support; Flexibility, accessibility and adapting to the needs of young people; Learning opportunities, goal setting and recognition of achievements;- Broader understanding of practices, policies and research in relation to young people with refugee/migrant background or those at risk of marginalization and their body image and TABU concerns..- Increased capacity to trigger changes in terms of inclusion of new groups and understand their concerns within their organisations: Youth workers will learn how to work evidence based towards young people with refugee/migrant background with body image and TABU concerns- Greater understanding and responsiveness to social and cultural diversity; Long term benefits: Enhanced quality provision in youth workers ability to deal with the psychosocial issues migrants/refugees have.New youth organisations use our training materials and improve their staff competence in this field.