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NEF 2018 recommendations (1) – reaching out to youth. There is no risk free environment. When bringing up youth we should let them experience stress in safe surroundings. Early age integration for young minors (under 14) is upcoming important European effort for more equal start in life (to be addressed within European Social Fund). Young persons need to perceive education as an attractive opportunity and that they receive support throughout their learning pathway. To engage a young person it is about building trust. Community is very important in this process. Only through trust we can change how the youth perceive past, reduce set backs and build on future. This is a long term commitment.

NEF 2018 recommendations (2) – working with youth. Working with youth holistically, being interested in their environment, background secures success in learning process. NEETs (youth not in employment, education or training) are our common challenge => to successfully address it we need to cooperate on trans-sectorial, community and parents involving basis. Rethinking VET means also reengaging NEETs but this can only be done through well prepared teachers.

NEF 2018 recommendations (3) – learning for future jobs. Reality-based learning – engaging real enterprises strengthens not only professional skills, which may be out-dated in 5 years but also transversal competencies which will last. Employees’ shortages are even deeper due to mismatches therefore any models addressed to youth should help them strengthen their transversal competencies so that they are more self aware and self motivated. The challenge is how shorter curricula can receive acknowledgment in the legal environment of the Member States and EU. The reaching out of the European programmes is still not wide enough and works better where local institutions receive direct information from the EU institutions to help scale up the EU programmes.

NEF 2018 recommendations (4) – digital competencies. Working on preliminary conditions of youth, strengthening soft skills and digital competencies is the best way to motivate young people to be life-long learners. It is important that the teachers are technology advanced so they are not afraid of using digital media and other tools in the class. When learning digital skills teachers should also benefit from gamification so their self motivation is strengthened. New generation uses new technologies on daily basis but never learnt how to use it safely. We need to change this.

NEF 2018 recommendations (5) – digital learning. Nowadays students are less focused, less concentrated – digital learning enables change of educational curricula so learning process is more effective. The IT world is often solitary one. We should make it possible for the learning process to allow one-on-one meetings, peer cooperation and team work so students can speak up, receive support when finding their strengths and strengthen transversal competencies. Digital technologies should allow to build open platforms to which others can contribute and benefit from. During educational process, e-learning is most effective in knowledge transfer. Virtual world can make this part of education become accessible even from inside private houses.

NEF 2018 recommendations (6) – flexible learning pathways. Flexibility – we cannot build on one-size-fits-all educational curricula because everyone has different skills and needs. Flexible learning pathways are important alternative for rural, depopulated areas. Education should be flexible, taking to account changing population, smaller classes, adapting to the fact that young people get discouraged and employers need learning to change quickly to match their expectations. Tailoring the shorter courses following labour market makes it possible for persons to find jobs in several places. However social behaviour is an important part of educational process and 2 years learning curriculum is minimum for youngsters. Structure is needed for flexible learning pathway.

Please feel invited to our next, regional New Education Forums: Santander, Spain: December 13th – 14th, 2018 Limerick, Ireland: February 28th – March 1st, 2019 To all NEF 2018 participants: thank you for your contribution. Joanna Bochniarz, Center for Innovative Education www.ciedu.eu jbochniarz@ciedu.eu