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On 15th and 16th of May 2025, the fifth Istanbul transnational partners’ meeting took place with the participation by all partners. Core aspects discussed were about the status of the realisation of the pilot implementation phase in Spain, Bulgaria and Turkiye as well as the new versions of the game for mobile devices – Android and iOS.

The partners reviewed the preliminary results from the feedback gathering tool based on Kirckpatrick’s methodology. Overall we have very good results towards validation of the pre-employment skills of marginalised students in the partners’ countries – students with Roma origin, refugees as well as students with learning difficulties and disabilities.

The partners also discussed the preparation of common articles and presentations during EU and international conferences as well as discussed the organisation of the final multiplier events in September-October 2025.

Common workshop for recent and future teachers was organised as part of the First CITEM International congress organised by UAM in cooperation with AMPAT, BIST and 94 SU (project partners). During the workshop session, we have presented the project deliverables and trained the participants how to use them in their daily practices. We were able to collect feedback as well as to negotiate future participation in dissemination and exploitation activities.

On 21st and 22nd April 2025, the fourth transnational partners’ meeting were held in Madrid, Spain. It was hosted by both UAM (project coordinator) and AMPAT (local partner).

The partner went through all work packages, where they have discussed the progress and planned the next steps. Special attention was put on the new version of the serious educational game for validation of pre-employment skills of marginalised countries. The partners took into account the feedback provided by both teachers and marginalised students aged 14-18 in Spain, Bulgaria and Turkiye, which were implemented into the new version.

The partners presented their involvement in recent dissemination and exploitation activities as well as discussed future plans.

Marginalised students aged 15-18 from Bulgaria are continuing their pre-employment preparation via individual and group sessions with their teachers and pedagogical counsellor as well as by exploring the 4 levels of the serious game produced by the project. In total 60 students so far participated from 94 SU “Dimitar Strashimirov”.

The team of AMPAT was invited to deliver special training for future teachers (recent students at Pedagogical and Social studies programmes) at the Catholic University of Paraguay. The training event was held on 4th and 5th of April and was delivered by Prof. PhD Pilar Gutiez Cuevas and Prof. PhD Castellar Lopez Guinea from AMPAT. They have presented the serious educational game as well as the Pre-employment toolkit. Exploitation agreement was signed between AMPAT and the organisers.

The project was presented as best practice example during International conference organised by National agency of Republic of North Macedonia. The conference was held in the period 5-7.03.2025 in Ohrid. The aim of the event was to bring together career counselors from across the educational spectrum — from primary education to universities — who are actively working on issues of career guidance, inclusion and support of vulnerable groups in the educational process. The discussions focused on new trends in career counseling, the specifics of approaches for different professional and social groups, good practices and ways for sustainable inclusion of vulnerable groups.

Special focus was done on the presentation of the Pre-employment supportive handbook and the serious educational game.

The piloting and pre-employment validation sessions through the serious game are progressing very successfully. Students from Roma community as well as those with mild disabilities and special educational needs are motivated and engaged in the game scenarios. Listen above video testimonial of one of them as well as photos from different sessions.

The pilot implementation phase is progressing well in Bulgaria. This is evdient from the teachers’ workshop, which was held at 94 SU “Dimitar Strashimirov” in Sofia, Bulgaria on 27 February 2025. The workshop was opened by the Principal of 94 SU, Mrs. Lidiya Yarnova and Mr. Andrean Lazarov from Bulgarian Inclusion Support Team, who was the moderator of the workshop.

The main aim of the workshop was to share feedback from the pilot career guidance sessions with students with special needs (students from marginalised communities and those with learning difficulties). For the time being 60 students are involved in 6 groups aged between 14 and 18. During each of the sessions, the students are receiving career guidance tips by the teachers and the pedagogical counsellor as well as they are validating their pre-employment skills via the serious educationa game of the project.

The piloting phase will continue in the next months, where each of the students will complete the four stages of the game. The participants also discussed the Star outcome star model of Kirckpatrick, which is used to record the student progress in soft and transversal skills. Follow us for more information in the next months.

On 10-11 February 2025, the third transnational partners meeting was held in Istanbul, Turkiye. The meeting was hosted by World Innovative Sustainable Solutions – Istanbul, Turkiye. The meeting was dedicated to the finalisation of the beta version of the serious game “I am ready to work” and to the planning of the pilot testing phase.

The partners reviewed and reported also all realised activities in all work packages including planning the next project steps.

On 22 and 23 May 2024, in Sankt Pölten, Austria, the 33rd Annual conference by EURASHE on the theme: “Stronger together: Promoting transnational cooperation” took place. Mr. Andrean Lazarov, the CEO of the Bulgarian Inclusion Support Team was among the key panelists together with Mrs. Sophia Eriksson Waterschoot – the General Director for Youth, Education and Erasmus+ at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture as well as representatives of Šiauliai State UAS, Thomas More UAS, Burgenland UAS, under the moderation of Mr. Michal Karpišek – member of the European Alliance E³UDRES².

Mr. Andrean Lazarov with Mrs. Sophia Eriksson Waterschoot – the General Director for Youth, Education and Erasmus+ at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture

During his speech, Mr. Lazarov presented the advantages of the Erasmus+ programme towards transnational cooperation and gave particular examples with different EU projects, where BIST is involved.

Mr. Andrean Lazarov with Mr. Hannes Raffaseder – President of EURASHE