Based on demographic trends the necessity of 24-hour caregivers, who are not educated nurses, is strongly increasing. With respect to the allowed caring activities performed by the staff, both sides, the staff itself as well as the affected families, have very limited knowledge. Moreover, the 24-hour caring staff is not required to have any specific education. Besides, they usually have insuffiecient knowledge of the cultural background of the person to be cared. The present project pursued to guarantee a coherent set of required qualifications of the home care givers and consequently the proper execution of the assigned tasks in the partner countries. Induced by an increased intercultural sensitivity, the project also targets to strenghten the awareness of the caring staff towards the person in need of care. In order to achieve this goal, the project partners organised information events for the affected family members and elaborated a practical guide/manual for them. The project has also outlined a curriculum exisiting of 4 modules consisting of an intercultural part, an outline of assigned home activities and the assistence in care and empowerment of the person in need of care. To boost interest in this profession a coherent set of required qualification is necessary, at first on a regional and in the longterm on a national and european level. Besides, the collaboration with professional staff should be facilitated. A consistent and approved framework related to educational requirements is at first pursued on a regional level. Later on, a national and even european appraoch is intended. On the one hand, the four project partners, as education providers (TTG, Eurocultura and BFI Tirol), have the opportunity to implement the developed curriculum and learning materials in their region and, on the other hand, they have the political power (AK Tirol) to support the results of the project and the requirements of a uniform qualification in the public, and the structure to make the guide/manual accessible to a broader population.

"Central to the project was the question of how to reach those remote from education – i.e., people who for whatever reason have had little or no formal adult education - to improve their participation in further education and to design and provide low-threshold learning opportunities. Studies show that only about 10% of the low-qualified participate in further education – among graduates of universities, the participation quote is four times as high. Education experts agree that being remote from education is not due solely to the individuals themselves. Often the institutions, too, are distant from the target audience. This is why experts suggest outreach educational guidance/counselling as well as further alternative approaches to increase participation in further education.Our project ON THE MOVE had its foundations in European Policies like the Europe 2020 strategy with its goals of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Lifelong learning and the development of skills are important factors in this strategy.Aims/ObjectivesThe goals of this project has been to identifying and disseminating successful approaches improving the integration and support of the educationally remote. With this project, staff in guidance/counselling and educational institutions in Europe learned about alternative approaches (predominantly of the outreach kind) bringing educationally remote and low-qualified people to further education and will implement these in their countries. This project and its results increase the chances of the educationally remote to find (better) work, as this is directly correlated with the level of qualification. Results/Outcomes and impact- Research from all project partners on suitable best practice examples in Europe for reaching educationally remote people. This also includes previously conducted European projects, whose results we will disseminate further. - Assessment matrix which was used to evaluate the identified guidance/counselling or education projects. - Website including an Open Educational Resource with 32 projects of low threshold learning possibilities and outreach approaches from different European countries. The site is available in all partner languages except Swedish. - A professional publication which contains 32 descriptions of the identified best practice examples. The portraits include hints which enable the implementation of low-threshold learning possibilities and outreach educational guidance or other alternative approaches to reaching the educationally remote at other institutions, too. - 6 Videos in which we give an insight in selected best practice projects.- In our main product, the best practice publication, we also included general recommendations for the implementation of the outreach approach and the use of ""easy language"".- For internal use we produced and regularly updated a dissemination and a quality plan, draft a project management handbook and a project agreement.The dissemination and implementation of our identified best practice examples in outreach educational guidance and low-threshold learning opportunities increase the possibility for more organisations and professionals to adopt these strategies in their services and therefore our target groups - those remote from education - profit from better access to learning opportunities and guidance/counselling.ActivitiesDesk research in 19 European countries to identify appropriate projects + assessment groups consisting of approx. 5 people active in the area of further education, who contributed to the evaluation of the project examples using an assessment matrix. Selection of 32 best practice projects from more than 100 identified projects. Writing portraits and collecting all projects in a professional publication.Towards the end of the project, each partner organised a public event and invited educational institutions, representatives of charities, those active in adult and further education, representatives of umbrella organisations, political decision-makers, representatives of the press, and everyone who is interested in the subject. Each event reached at least 30 people resulting in 200+ participants. During these events, the best practice approaches that were identified and developed were presented and the publication was distributed.Participating organisations:team training (coordinator), Germany: provider of adult education and social work, mainly for unemployedVytautas Magnus University, LithuaniaStichting De Regenboog Groep, The Netherlands: NGO committed to people with social problemsSuperact, United Kingdom: Community Interest Company with key areas in community development, health & wellbeing and employability & skills developmentPromidea, Italy: Social Cooperative of services for people at risk of marginalizationNorrköpings stadsmuseum, Sweden: historical museum run by the municipality of NorrköpingBFI Tirol Bildungs GmbH, Austria: vocational training institute"

Background and objectives:The most important aim of the project was and still is the better integration of disadvantaged persons (low-skilled, migrants, ethnic minorities, long-term unemployed etc.) into education, training and the labour market through more client-oriented guidance and counselling offers that consider diversity issues. Therefore more qualified counsellors in the field of VET are needed who will be aware of various kinds of disparities and sensitised and prepared for equity, diversity and inclusion challenges. This is crucial in order to reach the disadvantaged persons in the first place and to respond as a counsellor adequately to their needs and particular circumstances. Thus, the project facilitates through its outcomes not only the access to guidance services but also the transition to further education, training and the world of work.In Bulgaria and Romania there are huge economic and especially ethnic disparities which counsellors have to deal with. We tackled these facettes with a diversity and human rights oriented approach. Also in Germany we need innovative approaches to deal on the one hand adequately with the increasing number of migrants and refugees but also to close the gap between low-skilled and high-qualified persons. Counsellors need appropriate tools, methods and knowledge how they can reach and counsel them appropriately and individually.To reach this aim all partners identified, developed (further), compiled and disseminated successful methods and approaches to improving the integration into society and the labour market and support of unemployed people and those who have only little or no access to further education. The main focus was on the analysis of methods and approaches and to establish new counselling and guidance offers by developing a modular training course for counsellors that we started to establish in the partner countries. Central focus of the project was to support the target groups in their home countries and to foster the national economy by counselling and qualifying disadvantaged persons. This project increased the chances of disadvantaged persons to find (better) work, as this is directly correlated with the level of qualification.Direct target groups of the project: counsellours and guidance practitioners, social and community workers, staff of churches and other aid organisations, advisors of the public employment services and the chambers of commerce, adult education providers, universities.Activities and methodology:- Compiling country reports that describe the VET system and the possibilities for further training and counselling/guidance in each partner country- Presentations from all project partners about suitable best practice examples in their countries for reaching and counselling disadvantaged people- Development of a training course handbook including a curriculum for both trainers (who want to train counsellors) and for counsellors as a reference guide to improve their knowledge and skills. Topics/chapters:• General basics for counselling and guidance in order to support disadvantaged persons• Career guidance according to the special needs of disadvantaged persons• Diversity and human rights• Business foundation coaching / Entrepreneurship• Mobile guidance to reach disadvantaged persons• Quality standards in guidance• Guidance for volunteer work and internships- The training course modules are carried out in the participating countries- Website in all partner languages + English- e-learning platform in all partner languages + English - Dissemination events in each partner country to disseminate the project resultsResults, impact and long-term benefits:- Through the training course counsellors can provide more individualised guidance to disadvantaged clients. They gained deeper understanding on their special needs, are aware of the necessity in being mobile as a counsellor and as an institution and they increased the effectiveness of their guidance and counselling services as they incorporate new knowledge and methods and a deeper understanding of diversity and fairness in their professional processes.- Organisations gained information on how to design their offerings and services to meet the needs of disadvantaged target groups and offer suitable support and how to modify their mission statements in regard of diversity.- Disadvantaged persons profit from more professional client-centered counselling and guidance offers and better access to learning opportunities.Project partners:Germany: ttg team training GmbH (ttg) and Ministerium für Kultus, Jugend und Sport Baden-WürttembergRomania: Asociatia Multifunctionala Filantropica Sfantul Spiridon (AMFSS), Asociatia Ecumenica a Bisericilor din Romania (AIDRom) andAGENTIA JUDETEANA PENTRU OCUPAREA FORTEI DE MUNCA GALATI (AJOFM)Bulgaria: SDRUZHENIE TERITORIALNA ORGANIZATSIA NA NAUCHNO-TEHNICHESKITE SPETSIALISTI (TOR) and University of Ruse Angel Kanchev

The development of guidance services for adults within the workforce is a topical concern. Dramatic changes in work structures and social organization have occurred that are placing demands on adults to rethink their careers on an on-going basis. Added to this, are current EU policies that emphasise the need for continuous education for future economic and social mobility in an increasingly competitive global environment. The ACUMEN project consortium are of the opinion that traditional career guidance, although still relevant and important as a school-based or institution-based service, is wholly unsuitable to meet the needs of adults already in the workforce and that there is a considerable gap in the market for freely available and easily accessible career management training resources to help adults take control of their own career trajectory. Career management is a continuous process that occurs throughout one's career and not just at discrete times. It may be helpful to think of career management as a philosophy and set of habits that enable adults achieve career goals and develop career resiliency. Career management skills are like 'labour market literacy'. Adults in the workforce who have developed the necessary skills should be able to assess where the labour market is going; consider new skill areas that are appropriate to their own strengths and preferences; develop a personalized learning plan and map-out their career pathway to sustainable and rewarding work based on an understanding of potential future skill needs. Successful career management is accomplished through regular habits of building relationships, engaging in career development conversations, updating your career development plan, and setting new goals as life and career needs change. Being proficient at career management also means possessing basic skills related to job searching and managing change in a resilient manner.The Career Management Skills Framework for Scotland, published in July 2012, describes career management skills set around 4 themes of Self; Strengths; Horizons; Networks. This framework will be the basis for the ACUMEN project and consortium partners will develop a complete suite of tools and resources that address each of the above themes and support adults within the workforce or those seeking employment to identify an appropriate career progression pathway. The ACUMEN project will develop these new resources for adult learners in the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany and Finland. It will be the first project to comprehensively address career management skills in a European context and will provide tools and resources that are localized to meet the needs of adult learners in each partner country. Furthermore, ACUMEN will provide free on-line access through the most popular on-line platforms to all tools and resources developed. All resources and on-line platforms will be available in partner languages.