Author name: Barbara

On 20 December 2022, the third MORE co-creation event organised by partner ITSFA. At the event, 8 VET trainers with several years of experience both in training and digital skills fostering with similar targets, gathered at ITSFA’s premises to participate on this session organised to extract valuable insights. Firstly, the current status of the project was presented to the attendees, as well as the different points that would be discussed during the session, with the following main objectives: •             Collect cocreation inputs on training material developed and uploaded •             Evaluate training contents and structure developed and its suitability for the user •             Test the user experience in the training section •             Confirm that learning deliverables to target needs •             Check that training solutions are effectively based on trainees Subsequently, the co-creation team has provided valuable feedbacks on the material uploaded on the Project platform and presented to the user, confirming that it is appropriate and useful for training needs of the target represented by Rural women entrepreneurs who have not much time for training, yet they need effective upskilling. The MORE project “Multifunctional role of women as a key driver for rural development” aims to improve the access to, and the quality of, training opportunities and qualifications of rural EU women, in today’s society where women assume a “multifunctional role” in the multi-faced context of their families and social and labour ties. For more information about the MORE project: https://www.moreproject.eu/ https://www.facebook.com/MORE-Project-112021021533837/  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuQGwsLFT6RiOurR8regdw

As an international initiative co-financed by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission, the DISK project aims at nurturing seniors’ digital skills as leverage for social inclusion, emancipation and active aging. Towards the end of the project, participating organizations compiled and consolidated detailed Policy Recommendations stemming from the implementation’s experience and conceived to support policy makers in operationalizing new interventions addressing from a policy perspective challenge and opportunities in the same fields addressed by the project. Although the share of older people who use the internet has increased steadily, older people are still among the largest group affected by digital inequalities: digital inclusion of older people has been recognized as a pressing issue on many fronts, and has to go beyond merely providing the technological infrastructure. Strengthening digital skills has therefore become an integral part of national digital transformation strategies. Special attention should be paid to the development of digital skills as one of the main factors for accelerating economic growth. To this extent, in finalization of this deliverable, partners putted together 9 policy recommendations that tackles actions needed to scale up the multiplier effect of the project, and support the long term sustainability of its outcomes. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital development through digital transformation has become ever more important. Enhancing the availability of products and services and empowering citizens, workers, and students in their daily affairs and needs during the lockdown has become a clear priority for all countries, and the ability to take advantage of the progress made in the digital sphere has become an important factor in determining sustainability. This predominantly concerns older persons who are less digitally connected than youth who were born into the digital age. The accelerated digitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic has further emphasized these inequalities, as many older persons struggled to access essential goods and services – from online vaccination appointment registrations, to pensions, food and medication during lockdowns – if they could not access them online. Our dependence on digital technologies during the pandemic has therefore focused policy attention on the importance of digital inclusion. All deliverables and project results are available for free, in open access format and in Multilanguage version via the official Open Education Resource Platform of the project: https://diskproject.eu/toolkit/

As an international initiative co-financed by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission, the DISK project aims at nurturing seniors’ digital skills as leverage for social inclusion, emancipation and active aging. Towards the end of the project, participating organizations compiled and consolidated detailed Guidelines stemming from the implementation’s experience and conceived to support professionals, Adult Education organizations and other representatives of the lifelong learning ecosystem in replicating and implementing DISK-inspired initiatives within their ecosystem of practice and in similar learning environments tackled by the project. The guidelines represent a sort of operational legacy of the project, while facilitating the use (and usability) of the training deliverables produced at project level by other organizations interested in replicating DISK-like training practices and programmes. DISK Training resources are stored in the DISK Training platform, which is accessible from PCs and laptops, tablets, smart phones. The platform includes all the materials developed by the different partners within DISK project, organized in section and subsection (i.e., modules and units) from which users can access to content, download the material, links to electronic resources, questionnaires, multimedia content and other relevant content. The ultimate aim of this guidelines is to provide for experience-based coordinates that professionals, STKHs and groups of interest can rely on to take inspirations for similar actions targeted to their cohort of reference. Given that DISK e-resources can be used in different learning ways, the participants, educators and trainers will be able to decide which method is most appropriate in accordance with the characteristics of the target group, technical options and the level of language and ICT skills possessed by seniors. Guidelines are offered to the project target group as a tool on how to get the most of the DISK training along with OER functionalities and recommendations provided by the trainers, educators. This document refers both to practical and organizational aspects and to purely pedagogical issues, such as guidelines for trainers, students, structure and content of the workshops, etc. All deliverables and project results are available for free, in open access format and in Multilanguage version via the official Open Education Resource Platform of the project: https://diskproject.eu/toolkit/

Loneliness, isolation and social exclusion are important risk factors that can lead to poor health in older people, especially in the absence of family networks or insufficient family support. The DISK project (Digital Skills for an Ageing Europe) aims to address these problems through the promotion of active ageing, encouraging seniors to adopt a range of good practices to preserve their health through the use of new technologies. DISK is a transnational initiative carried out by eight different organisation and support thanks to the co-financing of the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission. One of the key major output delivered by the project is training toolkit compiled and delivered by partners designed to help seniors in strengthening their memory and cognitive capacities. The toolkit is available in six languages and it is accessible for free, in open access format and with no need of log-in registration. The structure of the toolkit is as follows: Training Area 1: Memory Training Area 2: Executive functions Training Area 3: Perception Training Area 4: Attention The content per each training area is further breakdown into sub-didactic units and training modules, each of which with their own learning outcomes, recommendation and support references so as to provide for a comprehensive learning experience. In a later stage of implementation, the training material has been piloted with representatives of target groups (i.e., senior learners and adult education providers) so as to test and validated the pedagogical relevance and reliability of the content within. To access the training deliverables produced by partners, please consult: https://diskproject.eu/toolkit/

On November 10, 2022, IT Solutions for all joined the second transnational meeting of MORE, a Project co-funded by the Erasmus Plus Programme of the European Commission, which brings together eight Partners from six different countries (Spain, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Romania and Spain). The meeting was held in hybrid mode and hosted by IHF in Brussels. Partners gathered in a crucial phase of the project. The MORE consortium is completing the study on the multifunctionality of rural women as a new paradigm for rural development and regeneration, culminating in the delivery of final guidelines and recommendations. Partners also discussed the status of the implementation of co-creation events and the delivery of training courses. In the co-creation events, primary stakeholders have been involved in the activities, enabling the collection of crucial inputs to design training & educational tools responding to the stakeholders’ needs. The project management and methodology involve developing personalised project management, quality assurance and dissemination plans, and monitoring/evaluation tools. Thanks to the presence of Partners with a high level of experience and multiplication potential, the project will benefit from increased visibility and impact at the national and European levels. The MORE project aims to improve access to and quality training opportunities and qualifications for rural EU women. Some of the critical skills needed for rural women empowerment include digital literacy, entrepreneurial mindset to be social entrepreneurs or self-employees, multilingual competencies, adaptation to climate change and ways to promote rural sustainability, work-life balance, and flexibility to adapt to radical changes such as the ones imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on our societies and economies. MORE will improve access to these qualifications by developing high-quality educational content, easily replicable in other EU countries. The MORE OER platform is available at https://www.moreproject.eu/, providing specific info on project aims, activities and results.  In the project, IT Solutions For All is the technological partner of the project, especially in charge of the development of the REA Platform, the project website, as well as the BackOffice for the management of the project content, its maintenance and updating during all phases of the MORE implementation, and even two years after its completion. For further information on MORE and other IT Solutions for all initiatives: Website: https://www.moreproject.eu/ https://www.facebook.com/MORE-Project-112021021533837/?ref=page_interna https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuQGwsLFT6RiOurR8regdw

On 13 October 2022, the second MORE co-creation event organised by partner ITSFA took place, in which 11 VET trainers participated. During the event, the current status of the project was presented to the attendees, as well as the different points that would be discussed during the session, with the aim of obtaining feedback on the training developed so far according to the needs of the target group. After an introductory brainstorming session, participants provided suggestions as well as positive feedback on the training that will soon be available on the OER platform. Discussions on the critical points that the training should cover acted as a guiding thread for the further development of the developed training module. Among the key points discussed was the importance of providing the necessary tools for the target group to enhance their skills, with an emphasis on fostering independence in the search for new resources. It is about giving wings to rural women so that they can fly on their own. All comments and inputs were collected in a second co-creation report that will serve as inspiration for the partnership and for future projects. The MORE project “Multifunctional role of women as a key driver for rural development” aims to improve the access to, and the quality of, training opportunities and qualifications of rural EU women, in today’s society where women assume a “multifunctional role” in the multi-faced context of their families and social and labour ties. Obtain more information about the MORE project: https://www.moreproject.eu/ https://www.facebook.com/MORE-Project-112021021533837/  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuQGwsLFT6RiOurR8regdw

  On June 28th 2022, Paula Rodríguez Chirino from Radio ECCA, Canary Island (Spain), was interviewed about Radio ECCA’s role in the MORE project and the objectives pursued within it. Paula is responsible for the projects and international cooperation area of Radio ECCA, which is a distance education centre for adults and the coordinator of this project. In addition to its general coordination role, Radio ECCA is responsible for the creation of 10 free access courses. The contents of these courses are aimed at expanding the opportunities of women in vulnerable situations with difficulties accessing the labour market, promoting their multifunctionality by developing skills and competences. The aim of the MORE project is to promote the empowerment of women in rural areas through the development of new skills and competences that enable them to participate more in local rural ecosystems. The objective is thus to support women in a process of acquiring the necessary means for their personal and professional development and to reduce the gender gap in rural areas. For more information about MORE Project:  https://www.moreproject.eu/  https://www.facebook.com/MORE-Project-112021021533837/?ref=page_internal  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuQGwsLFT6RiOurR8regdw

On June 15th 2022, Fran, the CEO of IT Solutions For All, Málaga (Spain), was interviewed about ITSFA’s role in the MORE project and the objectives pursued within it. ITSFA is a social NGO that seeks training in ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) for those people who lack the necessary knowledge to function comfortably in our technological world.  Within the project, ITSFA is the technology partner responsible for the development of an OER (Open educational resources) platform where all materials that will be created during the two years of the project will be uploaded. The platform can be accessed completely anonymously without the need to register. The project is aimed at women in rural contexts, who take on a multidisciplinary role to improve the quality of life of their families. The aim is therefore to promote their multifunctionality, increasing their knowledge and skills, and consequently reduce the gender gap present in rural contexts and improve the quality of life of these women and their families. For more information about MORE Project: https://www.moreproject.eu/  https://www.facebook.com/MORE-Project-112021021533837/?ref=page_internal  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuQGwsLFT6RiOurR8regdw 

On June 15th 2022, Roberta Albertazzi from IT Solutions For All, Málaga (Spain), was interviewed about ITSFA’s role in the MORE project and the objectives pursued within it. ITSFA is a social NGO that seeks training in ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) for those people who lack the necessary knowledge to function comfortably in our technological world.  Within the project, ITSFA is the technology partner responsible for the development of an OER (Open educational resources) platform aimed at improving the status of women in rural areas. A series of courses, designed to improve the skills of rural women, will be uploaded onto the platform in order to promote their multifunctionality. The project addresses the concept of the multifunctionality of women, particularly women in rural settings, who cover different roles within the society. Despite the fundamental role of women in the economic development of the community, there is still a gender gap in access to training and employment. The aim of the project is therefore to empower these women by giving them the opportunity to improve their skills and the quality of their personal and professional lives. For more information about MORE Project: https://www.moreproject.eu/  https://www.facebook.com/MORE-Project-112021021533837/?ref=page_internal  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuQGwsLFT6RiOurR8regdw