Conclusion of SoftSkills4EU project (Promote your Soft Skills with Open Badges)

In September, the two-year SoftSkills4EU project, funded under Erasmus+ KA2 Strategic Partnerships, has ended. As part of the project, we have developed a platform for the evaluation and upgrading of soft skills available on https://academy-softskills4.eu/.

The central objectives that we followed throughout the project were:

• To identify the key soft skills needed in Europe,
• To develop new e-tools for assessment and learning, using “open badges“ and
• Develop an evaluation strategy that can also be used by employers, consultants and other relevant stakeholders.

The final events and international conference of the project have helped to disseminate information and we have received interesting feedback on the potential of using our project results.

The final event was held at the Novo mesto AEC on 9th September. In the plenary part, we presented project results. The lecture on the importance of interpersonal relations in everyday life by psychiatrist Damijan Perne followed. Before that, three parallel workshops were held as part of an event. The first two workshops were aimed at getting to know the platform and the last one was intended for anyone, who would like to use an effective tool for evaluating and upgrading soft skills for their work.

The platform provides the e-learning material on five thematic modules. You can also find the collection of best practices. In addition to theoretical testing, based on which participants receive “badges”, the project also developed a system of validation of acquired knowledge, skills, competences in practice by obtaining a “good employee” badge.

The final international conference of the project was held virtually on 23rd September. It was organised by the Dutch partner and everyone else participated in the implementation and presentation of the project results. The conference was attended by 35 experts from various career advice organizations, entrepreneurs from all 5 partner countries and from other EU countries. It has provided an insight into the usefulness of the project results. Opinions are positive and the possibility of using the results is seen by everyone as multifaceted, namely:

• Raising awareness among jobseekers and employees about the importance of soft skills and their impact on motivation, career development and personal growth,
• Preparation of better CVs using results and Europass tools,
• Supporting career advisors,
• The use of tools in formal and non-formal adult and youth educational programs and
• The use of tools in companies for the education of staff, in the recruitment of new staff or in the preparation of a staff development plan, in monitoring it and in relocating employees to another workplace more appropriate to their competences.

You can read more about the project on our website and on the project website.

Mateja Kopina (Mateja.Kopina@ric-nm.si), Novo mesto AEC