The main objective of the SMARTY project was to improve the quality of assessment and guidance processes addressed to adult migrants by strengthening the competences of professionals and providing more effective, accessible and inclusive tools. The project aimed to support the recognition and validation of migrants’ European key competences, particularly those acquired in informal and non-formal contexts. Another important objective was to increase adult migrants’ awareness of their personal, social and professional resources, thereby enhancing their self-confidence and motivation to engage in more appropriate education and employment pathways. Through a digital approach based on practical and context-based activities, the project sought to make assessment processes more understandable, participatory and less formal. The project also promoted innovation in adult education guidance practices by encouraging the use of digital tools and shared methodologies at European level, while strengthening cooperation among partner organisations.
The SMARTY project was developed based on the experience of the partner organisations working in guidance, training and reception services for adult migrants. In these contexts, a recurring challenge emerged: the difficulty of recognising and assessing migrants’ competences in a structured way, particularly those acquired in informal and non-formal settings. This gap affects the quality of guidance processes, which often remain insufficiently personalised and less effective in supporting social and labour market integration. Furthermore, many adult migrants show limited awareness of their own competences, low self-confidence, and face linguistic, cultural and digital barriers that restrict their access to services and learning opportunities. Existing tools are often fragmented or not sufficiently accessible to meet the needs of a heterogeneous and vulnerable target group. The SMARTY project was therefore submitted to address these needs by developing a digital tool to support competence assessment and guidance processes, with the aim of improving existing practices and promoting more effective pathways towards social and labour integration.