27/10/2023

SPECIAL aims to strengthen, reignite and nurture “life” and “soft” skills of EU NEETs so as to sustain them in (re)integrating in post-COVID societies and labour markets. The project targets the design, provision and exploitation of innovative training content that embeds agile thinking as an umbrella framework for soft skill development. SPECIAL is a Project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission, Key Action 2, Strategic Partnerships for VET - Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training. SPECIAL involves seven organisations from six European countries (Romania, Spain, Belgium, Iceland, Sweden, Italy) According to ‘21 data from EUROSTAT, in Nov ‘20, nearly 3.2 Million people < 25 y/o were unemployed. Compared to Nov 19, youth unemployment increased by 456.000 units with 9.3 Million of people “not in employment, education or training”, the number of NEETs is on the rise: COVID-19 outbreak exacerbated the conditions of many young Europeans already facing the risk of socio-economic marginalisation with serious repercussions for their mental health and well-being (EUROFOUND, May ‘21) Some of determinants that result in a high proportion of young people who are not in employment, education, or training are: the inability to study at a higher institution for financial or other reasons, living in a rural or remote areas care for family members (this applies especially to women) adverse childhood experiences like domestic violence or divorce illness, disability loss of motivation due to a long period of job search and/or numerous rejections In such context, SPECIAL has identified training and educations areas that can nurture and trigger NEET’s sense of initiative so as to motivate them in overcoming their condition of isolation. The project targets the design, provision and exploitation of innovative training content that embeds agile thinking as an umbrella framework for soft skill development. As the project nears its formal conclusion, partners are now in the process of finalizing the last two major deliverables; the development of PR4 Operational Guidelines and Policy Recommendation. The 2 deliverables are strategically relevant for the uptake of the project and its sustainability. A set of operational and theoretical guidelines to promote the uptake of project results and deliverables beyond the scope of the partnership and the scale of the project. This document serves as the “digital legacy” of the SPECIAL project. It is a compilation of critical information and key findings and results that have emerged during the project’s implementation. However, it is much more than a mere archive; it stands as a fundamental guide for anyone looking to fully harness the results and experiences gained throughout the SPECIAL journey: It offers guidance to those seeking to incorporate the SPECIAL training curriculum into their professional practices and operational environments; This document could represent a valuable asset for organisations and individuals that want to transfer and replicate the SPECIAL project and its training in various contexts. Those wishing to develop initiatives inspired by SPECIAL will find this document as a wellspring of inspiration and guidance. Policy recommendations that inform policy makers and relevant stakeholders on the dynamics of engagement and inclusion of NEETs to nurture their sense of initiative and proactivity. It uses the experience and results of the project as elements and recommendations for the “policy and practice” and establishes clear operational and policy linkages between the project and the public policy level. This document, the SPECIAL policy recommendations, are a good, timely and reliable reference for new governance actions aimed at sustaining new policy “triggers” for youth empowerment, development of sense of initiative and entrepreneurial attitude among youth. The SPECIAL policy recommendations: provide for evidence on key areas of interest that should be tackled by policy makers to enhance and increase better opportunities for socio-economic emancipation of people at risk of marginalisation (NEETs). indicate a concise and comprehensive overview of the most relevant EU pieces of legislation / policy & programme actions in the field of education & training, to which local and regional policy makers should adequate to, and embed into their governance framework. highlight those strategic interventions that not only benefit NEETs, but the entire ecosystem of practitioners and stakeholders involved (vet providers, employment centres, etc), and their reactiveness / responsiveness to the phenomenon of youth unemployment & social disengagement. Both documents will be accessible in the free version in six languages (English, Spanish, Italian, Icelandic, Romanian and Swedish) for viewing in October 2023 on the official Open Education resource Platform of the project.: https://projectspecial.eu Stay tuned on the news of the SPECIAL project through the platform and the social nerworks Facebook and Youtube!

01/09/2023

SPECIAL aims to strengthen, reignite and nurture “life” and “soft” skills of EU NEETs so as to sustain them in (re)integrating in post-COVID societies and labour markets. The project targets the design, provision and exploitation of innovative training content that embeds agile thinking as an umbrella framework for soft skill development. SPECIAL is a Project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission, Key Action 2, Strategic Partnerships for VET - Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training. SPECIAL involves seven organisations from six European countries (Romania, Spain, Belgium, Iceland, Sweden, Italy). The Multiplier Event of the ERASMUS+ SPECIAL-Supporting and Promotion EntreComp through Innovative Advanced Learning - 2021-1-IS01-KA220-VET-000027983 project was organized by ISJ Neamț, according to the schedule, on September 1, 2023, at Grand Hotel Ceahlău in Piatra Neamț. The following were involved in the organization of the ME: the project manager, the project team. Among the invited people there were representatives of educational institutions from the Neamț county, principals of middle schools and high schools, representatives of CCD Neamț, Neamţ County Council, teachers, guiding teachers and VET trainers -82 persons. Within this event there were eight speakers, who interactively presented and explained the following points: project objectives, partners, work logistics, all the sections of the SPECIAL platform, the toolkit, etc. All participants in the Multiplier Event received a presentation folder that included the presentation of the project, the SPECIAL platform, the intellectual products (PR) and some objects engraved with the project logo: pens, keychains, notebooks, posters. A positive aspect was the fact that the project team of ISJ Neamț carried out an interactive work session with the participants who used different gadgets, regarding how to use the SPECIAL platform, how to complete the training modules, how to obtain feedback by testing the acquired knowledge and how to obtain the electronic certificate. The project team of ISJ Neamț delivered Feedback Questionnaires to all ME participants in order to collect useful data and information for the improvement of the project. After the analysis and centralization of the responses of the ME participants to the applied questionnaires-with reference to the organization of the event, the following conclusions can be drawn: participants appreciated the SPECIAL platform as: interactive, innovative, well organized, accessible, very well structured, attractive, with innovative IT elements. participants also appreciated the SPECIAL platform for the quality and diversity of fields in which it can be used, having a cross-field and adaptable character. participants also noticed the fact that the materials and contents of the platform can be accessed at any time, free of charge, at a multilingual level and at their own pace, not being time-limited. representatives of the authorities consider the deliverables on the SPECIAL platform relevant and very useful and believe that they are some good sources to use for increasing the involvement of NEETs in learning sessions, training, initiative and insertion on the labour market. The SPECIAL team of ISJ Neamț - Romania invited the participants to become members of the SPECIAL community and also used ME as an opportunity to ensure the dissemination, promotion and visibility of the project. Stay tuned on the news of the SPECIAL project through the platform and the social nerworks Facebook and Youtube!

15/06/2023

The SPECIAL project has embarked on a mission to empower EU NEETs (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) by reigniting and nurturing their essential “life” and “soft” skills. With the ultimate goal of facilitating their successful (re)integration into post-COVID societies and labour markets, SPECIAL is focused on designing, developing, testing, and validating a comprehensive training framework for VET operators. The project, which brings together six partners from six countries (Iceland, Sweden, Romania Spain, Italy, and Belgium) aims at reigniting lifelong learning skills of NEETs in Europe (mainly those from non-urban areas). The SPECIAL project aims to assist EU NEETs by providing comprehensive support and resources, helping them establish sustainable and fulfilling futures. Combining innovation, collaboration, and a dedication to skills enhancement, SPECIAL aims to reshape the lives and opportunities of NEETs, enabling them to thrive in the post-COVID era. The consortium has successfully conducted its Test and Validation activities. The partners involved in the project have provided valuable insights and feedback based on the results of these activities, shedding light on the effectiveness and impact of the training framework. The feedback from trainees regarding the SPECIAL toolkit has shown positive outcomes and numerous benefits. They found the toolkit user-friendly and practical, allowing them to acquire new skills and knowledge. The training content was highly praised for its usefulness and relevance, encouraging reflection on society, social media risks, and opportunities. Trainees also appreciated the information on digital entrepreneurship, which provided valuable tips. They suggested that the module completion time could range from 4 to 8 hours, indicating a manageable and flexible learning experience. Additionally, the inclusion of tools for web design, graphics, and SEO within the toolkit was greatly appreciated. Insights and recommendations from partners based on their Test and Validation experiences have further contributed to the SPECIAL project’s development. Trainers reported positive sessions, with active engagement from participants. The courses were tailored to specific groups, including those familiar with social networks and teachers addressing social media challenges in their classrooms. Discussions covered dependency on social networks, emerging job opportunities, risks of online platforms, and the impact on real-life interactions. The module focusing on social media received significant attention, particularly regarding time spent on applications and the potential distortion of reality. Teachers expressed concerns about excessive mobile phone use among students. The digital entrepreneurship module was praised for introducing practical tools like Canva and WordPress, as well as providing guidance on SEO/SEM. Trainers emphasized its relevance for individuals interested in starting businesses, offering valuable insights into various aspects of entrepreneurship. Feedback from trainers and students from other partner organizations echoed the positive results obtained during Test and Validation activities. Trainers appreciated the toolkit’s accessibility and practicality, highlighting its inclusivity and adaptability. Students reported significant learning outcomes, praising the toolkit’s practicality and ease of use. The training content was considered valuable and up-to-date, inspiring students to explore possibilities within the Fablab domain. The toolkit was recognized as a helpful resource that motivated students to continue their independent learning journeys. The feedback and recommendations gathered from Test and Validation activities serve as evidence of the SPECIAL project’s effective training framework. The positive results and valuable insights provided by partners contribute to continuous improvement and the identification of potential areas for further exploration. SPECIAL stands as an innovative initiative dedicated to empowering EU NEETs, equipping them with practical skills and knowledge to successfully navigate the challenges of the post-COVID era. For more information about the SPECIAL project and its ongoing initiatives,please visit our website: https://projectspecial.eu Stay tuned on the news of the SPECIAL project through the platform and the social nerworks Facebook and Youtube!

13/06/2023

On 13 June 2023, the consortium joined in Húsavík, Iceland for the 4th and final transnational meeting of the SPECIAL project. SPECIAL project that started in 2021, brings together seven partners from six European countries (Sweden, Italy, Iceland, Belgium, Spain and Romania) and is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission, aims to strengthen, reignite and nurture the “life” and “soft” skills of young people who are neither studying nor working in the European Union (NEETs) to help them (re)integrate into post-COVID societies and labour markets. During the meeting, the partners were able to discuss the status of the projects deliverables and the work ahead in the the final stretch. Meeting face2face was an important chance to go into depth matters such as evaluation, administrative aspects as well as communication of the products of the project. In the last weeks of the project the partners will work on the development of PR4 Operational Guidelines and Policy Recommendation, the 2 deliverables that are strategically relevant for the uptake of the project and its sustainability. The SPECIAL Training Toolkit (PR3) is ready and uploaded on the platform.  Accessable, attractive and effective content for young people not in education nor in employment. The OER platform, hosts the products resulting from the project (reports, training, guidelines and recommendations) and is now available at www.projectspecial.eu in six languages (English, Spanish, Italian, Icelandic, Romanian and Swedish) The meeting was a great chance to learn from our work and to strengthen the bonds for further collaboration. Stay tuned on the news of the SPECIAL project through the platform and the social nerworks Facebook and Youtube!

03/03/2023

On 3 March 2023, SPECIAL's Spanish partner, Internet Web Solutions, held a project multiplier event in Malaga, thanks to the collaboration of the associated partner Arrabal AID. The event, entitled "Igniting NEETs participation in societies and labour market: what lessons learning from the SPECIAL project?", was attended by 14 international participants from VET ecosystem. During the event, a presentation of the SPECIAL project was given, showing its objectives, partners, associates, as well as the different results, among which the Open Educational Resources platform, available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, free of charge, was highlighted together with the advantages of making use of the project results. The multiplier event allowed participants to expand their perspectives and learn about the project results, mainly innovative training content that incorporates agile thinking as a framework for soft skills development in a flexible, demand-driven and customised way, specifically addressed to target needs and learner-centred. SPECIAL – Supporting and Promotion EntreComp through Innovative Advanced Learning is a Key Action 2 cooperation project co-funded by the European Union, in the framework of the Erasmus+ Programme, which brings together 7 partners from 6 countries (Iceland, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Romania and Sweden) with the objective of provide a new training framework for VET operators that is instrumental to reignite NEETs’ sense of iniative, nurture NEETs’ perception of self-awareness and self-efficacy, strengthen NEETs’ flexibility and adaptation to social and market labour dynamics as well as empower their social and life skills while enhancing employability opportunities and entrepreneurial spirits.

21/11/2022

During the implementation of SPECIAL Project Result 2, Partners mapped what are the specific needs and challenges preventing NEETs from overcoming their situation of isolation/marginalisation from the world of education and/or labour market at local level. The Countries taken into consideration were those of the Consortium: Iceland, Spain, Italy, Romania and Sweden. IHF – SPECIAL’s partner operating at International Level – provided a general mapping of the phenomenon all over Europe. The main challenges seemed to be faced by young people without proper formal education, preventing them in accessing wide employability opportunities and, generally speaking, more long-term reliable occupations in the labour market. These trends are even more tangible within the socio-economic “texture” of rural, remote and isolated areas, which per se lack of the same opportunities provided by urban hubs and centralised territories. The results emerging from the analysis, partners will develop a training curricula which learning outcomes are informed by the specific dynamics stemming from literature review, namely: skills-gap at national and international level that seem recurrent and common among all countries. Training material and other education deliverables will match the training areas and related sub-competences of two of the most robust European Training and Education Frameworks for development of entrepreneurial attitude and sense of initiative (i.e., EntreComp); and learning to learn, personal and social competences (i.e., LifeComp). Based on our analysis, out of the framework there seem to be several training areas of interest that more than others match the skills-lag that projects partners wish to address through their education and training offer. These are: Spotting opportunities Identify and seize opportunities to create value by exploring the social, cultural and economic landscape Identify needs and challenges that need to be met Establish new connections and bring together scattered elements of the landscape to create opportunities to create value Valuing Idea Judge what value is in social, cultural and economic terms Recognise the potential an idea has for creating value and identify suitable ways of making the most out of it Self-awareness and self-efficacy Reflect on your needs, aspirations and wants in the short, medium and long term Identify and assess your individual and group strengths and weaknesses Believe in your ability to influence the course of events, despite uncertainty, setbacks and temporary failures Motivation & perseverance Be determined to turn ideas into action and satisfy your need to achieve Be prepared to be patient and keep trying to achieve your long-term individual or group aims Be resilient under pressure, adversity, and temporary failure Taking the initiative Initiate processes that create value Take up challenges Act and work independently to achieve goals, stick to intentions and carry out planned tasks Planning and Management Set long-, medium- and short-term goals Define priorities and action plans Adapt to unforeseen changes Working with others Work together and co-operate with others to develop ideas and turn them into action Network Solve conflicts and face up to competition positively when necessary Learning through experience Use any initiative for value creation as a learning opportunity Learn with others, including peers and mentors Reflect and learn from both success and failure (your own and other people’s)   The training material will is available for free and in open access format via the official Open Education Resources Platform of the project: https://projectspecial.eu/

01/11/2022

NEETs are a heterogeneous group that faces certain barriers in the labour market. For example, the transition phase of life, lack or limited work experience are just some of the obstacles that young people may face in the labour market. A significant problem facing young people in Europe today is the lack of professional opportunities for people without higher education. This refers to the fact that some of the lowest positions in the structure of the organization require higher education, although it is not relevant to the job itself. This can be a problem for young people who, cause of some reason, do not have the opportunity to study. Some young simply do not have the means to finance their studies or maybe live in rural or remote areas or are disabled or for some other reason have limited access to high-quality education and training and social services. They are more likely to have future unemployment or reduced levels of future earnings. Besides that, the problem can be a lack of information about opportunities available to young. While on the other hand, harmful childhood experiences such as parental mental illness, divorce, and domestic violence impact result in a loss of confidence in other people and limited opportunities for those young people. Loss of motivation is a problem that young people often face. Moreover, some individuals stop looking for work due to a long period of job search and/or numerous rejections. They, same as young people who have lost faith in institutions, are unable to use their potential to help society. The increase in the number of NEETs was led by the economic crisis of 2008-2013, as well as the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in an increase in the rate to 15.2% in 2020 compared to a 14% in 2019. Some of determinants that result in a high proportion of young people who are not in employment, education, or training are: the inability to study at a higher institution for financial or other reasons, living in a rural or remote areas care for family members (this applies especially to women) adverse childhood experiences like domestic violence or divorce illness, disability loss of motivation due to a long period of job search and/or numerous rejections Based on all of the above, the SPECIAL project (an international initiative co-financed by the E+ programme of the European Commission) aims at developing new education and teaching tools available to professional of the education and training ecosystem to better engage young people while supporting and sustaining their (re)integration in the labour market and in society in general. The full report is available for free and in multilanguage version via the official Open Education Resource Platform of the project: https://projectspecial.eu/

20/06/2022

On 20 June 2022, the consortium joined the second transnational meeting of the SPECIAL project, held in face-to-face format in Pescara, Italy. SPECIAL project, which brings together seven partners from six European countries (Sweden, Italy, Iceland, Belgium, Spain and Romania) and is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission, aims to strengthen, reignite and nurture the “life” and “soft” skills of young people who are neither studying nor working in the European Union (NEETs) to help them (re)integrate into post-COVID societies and labour markets. During the meeting, the partners were able to strengthen their partnership by having a face-to-face meeting for the first time, as well as to discuss the status of the project in its administrative aspects, and the ongoing deliverables: the OER platform (PR1) and the needs assessment of the target group in each country (PR2). The OER platform, as the main output that will host the products resulting from the project (reports, training, guidelines and recommendations), is now available at www.projectspecial.eu in six languages (English, Spanish, Italian, Icelandic, Romanian and Swedish) to ensure the visibility and transfer of the results, as well as the promotion of the training of European NEETs in a simple and intuitive way, free of charge and without login. Furthermore, the consortium started the definition of the next output, the SPECIAL Training Toolkit (PR3), taking into consideration the results of the training needs assessment and the European LifeComp and EntreComp frameworks for the creation of attractive and effective content for young people not in education nor in employment. In the coming months, partners will work on the development and peer reviewing of the training contents of SPECIAL, as well as on its subsequent uploading and implementation on the OER platform. Stay tuned on the news of the SPECIAL project through the platform and the social nerworks Facebook and Youtube!

09/02/2022

The Consortium is proud to announce that the official frontend of SPECIAL project is now available and open to the public in the link www.projectspecial.eu It will host all the project information, implementation, its objectives and background, as well as a specific section describing the partners involved. Here you will also find the OER platform where all the project results, contents, trainings and guidelines will be made freely available to the public. SPECIAL, a project co-funded by the European Commission, involves a Consortium of 7 partners from 6 European countries: Iceland, Belgium, Romania, Italy, Spain and Sweden. The objective of SPECIAL is to strengthen, reignite and nurture “life” and “soft” skills of EU NEETs so as to sustain them in (re)integrating in post-COVID societies and labour markets. With this purpose the Consortium will develop tailored training contents and toolkit to enhance soft and transversal skills for career development/employability/self-empowerment of NEETs.

11/11/2021

SPECIAL consortium met on ZOOM with 7 Partners from 6 European countries for an online KICK-Off Meeting in the a new Erasmus+ project: SPECIAL Supporting and Promotion EntreComp through Innovative Advanced Learning. SPECIAL is a project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, Key Action 2, Strategic Partnership for Vocational Education and Training. SPECIAL aims to strengthen, reignite and nurture “life” and “soft” skills of EU NEETs so as to sustain them in (re)integrating in post-COVID societies and labour markets. In SPECIAL the partners will design, develop and test training programmes that are flexible, demand-driven, tailored on targets’ needs and learners-centred. During this meeting, the Partners had the opportunity to get to know each other and discuss the work ahead. The Consortium kick-started the Project implementation by discussing the structure and design of the OER Platform under Project Result 1. Then, Partners outlined the work under Project Result 2, a transnational needs assessment where partners will map NEETs post-C19 dynamics and benchmark them against EntreComp + LifeComp. The Kick-Off Meeting also represented a great opportunity for Partners to agree upon the project logo and the web domain, in order to foster project visibility and to launch dissemination activities. For more information about SPECIAL and its partners:
https://projectspecial.eu/

01/11/2021

Approved SPECIAL Project to design, develop, test and validate a new training framework for VET operators that is instrumental to: reignite NEETs’ sense on initiative nurture NEETs’ perception of self-awareness and self-efficacy strengthen NEETs’ flexibility and adaptation to social and market labour dynamics empower NEETs’ social and life skills enhance NEETs’ employability opportunities and/or entrepreneurial spirits increase NEETs’ proficiency in critical and creative thinking for self-employability/job hunting/development of business ideas Stay Tuned!