Low skilled adults are one of the groups that is strongly influenced since the beginning of the EU financial crisis as the EU Labour Force Survey data clearly indicates. Low-skilled workers were more severely hit as their employment rates strongly decreased (ECB Report 138). One of the problems that prevent the integration of low-skilled adults in labor market is their lack of proper training. Furthermore, as the MLP programme reports, although on-the-job training is valuable for many trainees, the most low-skilled jobseekers need additional basic skills training. As EEPO admits in its review for upskilling unemployed adults, there are relatively few national policies that focus explicitly on training for low-skilled unemployed adults. Additionally a large survey carried out by OECD on a large sample of adults from all EU countries (OECD2013) The Survey of Adult Skills) indicates that adults with low literacy, numeracy and digital skills report poorer health, lower income, lower civic engagement, less trust and are threatened with social exclusion. The proposed project aims to fill the gap by suggesting integrated approaches and providing a mix of skills for numeracy and digital literacy therefore responding to the exact needs of the target group. IntoDIGITS suggests the empowerment of low skilled adults by developing 42 trainer’s digital tools for the implementation of innovative workshops/activities that develop the numeracy and digital skills. This project builds upon a successfully completed project, EMKIT. The objective of EMKIT was to tailor a trainer’s empowerment online tool in order to empower low skilled adults to reach active citizenship (AC). EMKIT was based on the AC ladder (scale), an innovation introduced in EMKIT.This scale suggests that an adult who is living in isolation (stage1) must progress through all stages in order to achieve AC. These stages are: *Isolation *Going Outside *Joining In *Voluntary Work *Working on Professional Qualifications *Active Citizenship For each of these stages EMKIT online provides: *information on the challenges of that stage *actions to be taken to empower low skilled adults to progress to the next stage *suggested mentoring activities/workshops and expected outcomes Via the EMKIT toolkit a trainer can access 35 digital interactive tools (i.e 35 activities/short workshops) that can be implemented to progress from one level/stage to the next higher level. For each activity/workshop, the digital tool (which is in fact a digital interactive methodology guide) describes the activity, resources needed and step by step instructions for the preparation and implementation of the activity etc. The project’s main output is being used until today in Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, Greece, Cyprus. The concept of the AC scale has been adopted in various occasions by both EMKIT partners and new and the combination of short mentoring activities and workshops to progress on the AC scale although a long process, has been proven effective when dealing with low-skilled adults or groups who are disengaged from the learning process. IntoDIGITS aims to: -Develop 2 Qualification Frameworks for the Numeracy and Digital Competence(NDC) tailored for the specific target group in a specific context (see innovation elements) -Based on the Learning Outcomes (expressed in knowledge, skills and competences -KSCs) of these QFs enrich activities offered at each stage by designing 42 new workshops for the development of the NDC. The activities developed in EMKIT did not tackle the numeracy and digital skills of the adults which are vital for the succession from one stage to the next on the AC ladder. -Develop 42 online digital tools for the newly developed workshops for trainers for the development of the NDC and incorporate then in a new online tool (IntoDIGITS) -Develop a digital assessment tool that will assess the numeracy and digital skills in link to the adult’s current position on the AC scale. Based on the results, the trainer/mentor can choose the appropriate workshops/activities for the trainee to a) eliminate any gaps identified on KSCs and b)facilitate his/her accession to the next level of the AC scale The direct target group is trainers/mentors who work with low-skilled adults (i.e trainers/mentors in Adult/VET Education and mentors at Public Employment Services). Trainers will benefit by a more complete new tool that also develops 2 important context specific competences (i.e. ND Competences for low skilled adults to progress on the AC scale) Also, low-skilled adults will benefit by provisioning a high-quality tool that encompasses activities enabling them to access/improve their position in the labour market and become active citizens. The outcomes of the project are of transnational value since a)all partners contribute to the development of outputs and therefore the European dimension is reflected on the results and b)the financial crisis has affected all EU28 members
The IntoDIGITS project aim was to create practical innovative tools supporting the development of key competences for people at the risk of social exclusion (low-skilled adults), including development of digital tools for VET trainers. Specific objectives of the project were oriented towards an increase of the numeracy and digital competence of low-skilled people through improvement of the quality of competence of teachers, trainers working with the low-skilled adults what will contribute to an increase in their competitiveness on the labour market. IntoDIGITS project has been based on the scale which was developed to Qualification Framework for competence Digital and Numeracy Competence. In each QF the partnership expressed the Learning Outcomes that should be achieved at each stage on the AC Scale. It is a fact that digital and numeracy competences play a major role in social, economic and the labour market for an individual to thrive. Digital skills are essential for someone to survive in today’s socioeconomic environment. These skills are crucial for the social life for the professional life as well as functioning in a digital community. The project accomplished in cooperation with the partners from Cyprus, Poland, Greece, Spain, Italy and Germany was dedicated to low-skilled people to help them in competence acquisition and to improve their abilities and regain confidence in their skills through the set of the prepared results: 1. A Context Specific Qualifications Framework/ Profiles for the Numeracy and as well for the Digital Competence Linked to the Active Citizenship ladder 2. 42 Experiential & Innovative Workshops for the Numeracy and Digital Competences 3. A Digital Assessment Tool for the Numeracy and Digital Competences 4. IntoDIGITS: 42 Digital Tools in 6 Languages incorporated in a new IntoDIGITS online toolkit 5. Publication on good practices and outcomes of the project. The Profile for the Numeracy Competence (IO1) and for Digital Competence (IO2) were prepared on the basis of desk research in each partner country regarding numeracy competence. In IO3 were designed and developed 42 experiential and innovative workshops and activities - 21 for the numeracy competence and 21 for the digital competence. The methodology guides has created a total of 350 exercises which have been converted into 42 online interactive quizzes in 6 languages (2100 exercises in total). A Digital Assessment Tool for the Numeracy and Digital Competences (IO4) is an online digital assessment tool to assess the Numeracy and Digital Skills of low-skilled adults. Based on the results of this assessment the trainer will be able to choose the appropriate workshops for the required Learning Outcomes that must be addressed so as to eliminate the gap. In order to make the project results more visible and to sustain them after the project has been finished, the partnership prepared the scientific publication: “An innovative toolkit for the development of the digital & numeracy competence for low skilled adults.” (IO6). During the development of the project results, partners cooperated with strategic experts in the field, potential associate partners and with members of professional networks. In context of their ongoing activities several partners are linked with business enterprises having a permanent collaboration with employers and trainers. This made a contribution to achieve a better quality of cooperation between the relevant actors of the VET system and to adapt concepts related to the education needs for labour market and educational integration of low-skilled adults. During the project realisation different target group was involved in order to gain the high quality of outputs. There were activities needed to ensure that the people involved in the development of the outputs have the right skills, experiences and expertise in order to deliver an output of high value. The engagement of low-skilled adults in the pilot activities entails some level of difficulty since in many cases they are disconnected from the society and the learning process and therefore special measures have been taken to ensure their participation. Targeting low-skilled and unemployed adults were crucial to gain their trust before they commit to any activities, provide incentives and eliminate any psychological barriers that would prevent them from participating. The aim was to promote the complete IntoDIGITS (toolkit and assessment tool) to trainers working with our target group. It was done through the trainers' workshops in all partner countries where more than 60 trainers took part. To engage the trainers/organizations to participate in these 2 activities, dissemination activities started early on therefore building an interest on the tool and the project in general. The associated partners also had well developed networks of trainers who focus on social and labour integration and they have shown an interest to support the projects' activities. There were organized 8 Multiplier Events in 6 countries where participated 286 participants, including the final conference with 105 quests. Due to Open Educational Resources the project outcomes are available across the EU and worldwide of a definitive interactive toolkit for low-skilled people. The consortium expects, that in long-term there will be the increase of the educational quality in the education and training of low-skilled adults via using the workshops on the Numeric and Digital competences of the IntoDIGITS toolkit.