Commissioners Schmit and Breton have officially launched the Pact for Skills, a central element of the European Skills Agenda. They have also announced the first European skills partnerships in key industrial ecosystems – automotive, microelectronics, and aerospace and defense industries. Skills are central to our recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and for mastering the digital and green transitions. Businesses, large and small, need skilled people to innovate and grow. Yet, mismatches and shortages in skills are increasing, while a large number of people are at risk of unemployment. Only by joining the forces of all relevant partners can we make substantial progress in meeting Europe's skills needs.

As we have already informed you, the platform for motivational and psychological help under the CODE project / Competent Opportunities for Digital Employment / - https://self-trainer.eu/, available in Bulgarian and English, is ready and launched. The online tool for psychological support was developed especially for CODE project by the famous psychiatrist Dr. Plamen Panayotov and his team from Solutions Brief Therapy and Counselling Centre – Ruse and Master of Psychology Boyan Strahilov from PIK Center Sofia.

On 27.11.2020 Solutions took part in an online session, part of the training on 3D Max and Maya, organized by the lead partner, Human Resources Development Agency. Dr. Plamen Panayotov and Mr Boyan Strahilov presented the main functionalities, opportunities and advantages of the motivational platform in the conditions of distance work and training, caused by the crisis with COVID-19.

On, 12 November 2020, the European Commission published its annual Education and Training Monitor. The Monitor analyses how education and training is evolving in the EU and its Member States. This year, the 2020 Monitor has a special focus on teaching and learning in the digital age. The coronavirus crisis demonstrated the importance of digital solutions for teaching and learning and highlighted existing weaknesses. The report was presented during the Digital Education Hackathon.

Today we were featured on Õpetajate Leht (Teachers' Newspaper), where our school's project coordinator Piret Paluteder discussed youth unemployment matters, project CODE and TAS contribution to the project. It also includes our teachers' and students' insight about the graphic design course that launched under the project. As we are preparing to take in new students for the 3D course at Tartu Art School, it is the most prime time to share some students and teachers' feedback from the article. To whom is the course aimed? Why did they apply for the course? What did they experience? What are they up to now? Read more below!

Loviisa (student): One of the greatest things were the discussion groups that were held every two weeks by our school social pedagogue. It was the first time for me to experience such thing, opportunity to speak openly should be practised more at schools. It was a place to talk about worries and joys and learn social skills. At times it was scary and uncomfortable also. As our social pedagogue said, some discomforts aren't certainly bad in learning, otherwise you wouldn't know whether you have learned anything at all. 

Rainis (student): I really liked that at the beginning of the course, we retreated into nature for few days. That enabled us to get more acquainted with each other as we were hiking, doing farm work, cooking and playing games. I got some really good memories from that in comparison to experiences from other schools. Usually, when the first days are bad, it stays like that. Here on the other hand, we were supposed to make contact. If you can't get on with your classmates, then it is more difficult to focus on school work. In contrast to middle school, my experience here was better. 

Karl (student): I had just finished my previous job and I felt that I had more potential. General art subjects brought me back to art subtly. At current moment, I am making design works for some customers and I am finishing up at my previous school - my diploma from graphic design course has been beneficial already in that area as well. I am gradually updating my portfolio as well. Creatively I didn't put everything of me out there, some things remained inside. 

Grete (student): After the course ended, I went on to study graphic design at Tartu Art School. Thanks to CODE course, the adjusting was a lot more easier. Previously, I had acquired Bachelor's degree in arts and music field, but after that I got confused and didn't know what to do. After university I was lost and worked as a wardrobe attendant. I wasn't actively searching either, the course just drifted into my life. Thanks to that, I got back on track and figured my direction out - for six months I got to try out new skills and now I have the courage to take on 2,5 years of thorough studies. 

Rainis (student): Our mentor, Toomas, called us every morning if he hadn't heard from us. He always called. Sometimes it was annoying, but now in retrospect I can say it was really good and even necessary. Thank you, Toomas, for calling!

Eleri (student): At the moment I am studying stylistics at Tartu Art School. Without CODE course, I wouldn't have applied here at all. I had developed resentment and didn't want to study anything at all, because I had been rejected from some other schools. I had given up, but this year I was accepted into various schools. After I finish up here, I plan on going to Tallinn to learn fashion technology.

Elisabet (student): What was really encouraging, was the meeting that we had with a tattoo artist and a creative entrepreneur Rainer Lillo. We also had an inspiring meeting with Sirla Cool, who leads silk printing studio called Mäshroom that focuses on printing underground art. We talked about aspects of making your own studio and the street art festival Stencibility that Sirla has organized for 11 years now. We even got the opportunity to make designs for T-shirts and Loviisa's designs were chosen for printing. 

About candidates and selection: Marta (teacher): It is plenty if potential students for instance show their photographs from their phones or during the entrance interview talk about what it feels like to draw or create something. There are two rounds: questions round and answers round. There are two motivation questions: 1) Current motivation which means why would you want to study here; 2) Future motivation which means how can you apply your new skills in future endeavours. We are looking for young people who are not working or studying - whose plans for the future are hazy, but who want to figure it out and participate in the course. Life school is not a obstacle. We are scouting for people who are uncertain, so that during the course they could become more brave and confident through team work. In Estonia the knowledge is very accessible, but it's hard to operate in the pool of vast opportunities and flexibility. 

Anton (social pedagogue): Learning human relations in school is fundamental. Skills and knowledge only support it. It is essential to become more confident, secure group supports it. In such groups you can start building up confidence. It is important to keep in touch after the course ends as well. Very common thing is to go to class reunions only if everything is going well in your life. There is no need to skip gatherings, even if everything is not going positively. 

We are pleased to inform you that despite all the difficulties on 13.11.2020 Human Resourses Development Agency begins its first training course in 3D MAX and MAYA under CODE project. Due to the complicated epidemiological situation, the course will be held entirely online. For this purpose, the experts from the organization have developed and uploaded online training modules on Moodle platform, the lectures will be conducted through Zoom platform. 15 young people selected by Facebook group Creative Ruse will took part in the training course. The classes will be led by highly qualified teachers and experts in the field.