We wanted to increase the number of trainers skilled in digital content creation for refugees. We aimed to develop accessible digital educational materials that Ukrainian refugees could easily access online to learn simple sewing techniques, make household items for their shelters, and create souvenirs they could sell. We also sought to increase both the number of refugees participating in vocational digital education and those finding employment as a result. Additionally, we wanted to support Ukrainian refugee students by involving their professors in the project, enabling them to enhance their digital skills and directly share project results with students. Ultimately, we aimed to help refugees adapt to host societies, gain financial independence, and contribute to Europe’s digitalisation process in adult education.
We applied for the project to respond to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian-Ukraine conflict, which forced many refugees to seek safety in Europe. They faced urgent challenges, e.g., unemployment, social isolation, and a lack of practical skills to support themselves in host countries. Adult educators across Europe lacked the digital competencies needed to provide accessible, asynchronous training to refugees spread across different regions. Many institutions lacked quality digital content tailored to the specific needs of Ukrainian refugees. In Slovakia, Ukrainian refugee students began studying at universities, highlighting the need to support both students and their educators. We included professors from our universities as project participants. They enhanced their digital skills through the project and actively contributed to creating digital content, enabling them to directly disseminate project results among Ukrainian students. Our project addressed these gaps by equipping educators with digital content creation skills and developing practical, easy-to-access online training materials that helped refugees gain useful hand skills, improve their employability, and integrate smoothly into European societies.