YOUnique4Europe – Mapping and presenting your unique personal and social competences for better employability in a digital world

(Project nº 2019-1-DE02-KA202-006119)

Soft skills, namely social and personal competences, are what sustainably distinguish us from machines and artificial intelligence and make us unique as human beings. Employees will have to have the right combination of soft and technical skills to succeed. Several studies show that “Future Hot Skills” such as empathy, creativity and complex problem solving are highly demanded on the labour market (OECD 2016: Skills for a Digital World).

Because VET is still one of the key paths to enter the labour market, we concentrate on learners conducting or finishing initial VET programmes and applying for an internship or job – nationally or abroad.  VET learners often miss the capacity to reflect on their already existing personal and social competences gained mostly from informal and non-formal learning settings. They maintain to perceive themselves through the “glasses” of formal learning and thus lack an understanding of what they can offer. This project wants to teach VET learners on how to map their social and personal capacities and illustrate those in the application process.

What results are expected?

• IO1 “YOUnique soft skills mapping” tool kit for VET learners Intellectual output No. 1 will consist of a tool kit for VET learners facing the application process for an international learning mobility or job abroad. By using the given tools VET students shall be enabled to identify a strategy on how to meet the host companies’ needs and expectations, be aware of what soft skills to present and how to communicate those convincingly as part of their entire set of talents.
• IO2 “YOUnique application “ curriculum and training platform for VET learners This IO has two complementary features: the two main outputs will consist of a training curriculum addressed to VET learners and a complementary training and information platform. IO2 will be an output that endows VET learners with the necessary competences to demonstrate their individual set of soft and technical skills with the help of digital applications and platforms (e-portfolio, social media, etc.) and know how to approach companies/apply for an European internship or job position online.
• IO3 “YOUnique talent management 4.0” handbook for VET staff The YOUnique talent management handbook 4.0 addresses VET trainers in companies (work-based learning) as well as VET staff at school. Basically it provides information and guidance to VET staff with the aim to a) strengthen mentors in their role as guide of VET students in their application process and enable them to better understand the needs of “generation Z”, promote the students’ soft skills development and support them in the application phase; and b) equip VET staff, especially in SMEs, with the necessary know-how on modern recruitment strategies, for example by using modern media in the acquisition process.

Every person is different.

But if this is true, why do so many of us do exactly what the person next to us is doing?

• express our uniqueness with remarkable work that no-one else can do,
• build connections that no-one else can build,
• create innovative solutions that no-one else has thought of,
• help those around us by bringing joy, wisdom and compassion in distinct ways that no-one else can replicate,
• make a positive difference in the world in ways that no-one else can.

You are unique and that matters!

Coordinated by IHK (Germany, the consortium integrates 4 other organizations, namely Mentortec (Portugal), Reattiva (Italy), SMEBOX (Sweden) and University of Rostock (Germany).

For further information, please contact: rita.sousa@mentortec.eu