TOURBiNE - Support young people with fewer opportunities (NEET) develop entrepreneurial mindsets with transversal key competences and digital skills to secure (self-)employment through community-based tourism

The 4th Industrial Revolution has required the workforce to adapt and learn new skills in a fast-moving technological pace. However, it was the lock down of the economy in 2020 that ignited remote working and new types of productivity and innovation, demonstrating that only those adepts at lifelong and self-directed learning, and learning from the experience of others will be at advantage. To assist NEET communities (young people not in employment, education and training) apply the technology-intense-experience along with transversal skills and an entrepreneurial mindset, TOURBiNE investigates the future of work in the tourism sector as per the 2021-2017 EU Education Area and Digital Strategy and the 11 European Youth Goals 2019-2027 and suggests strategies to link training with portfolios of demonstrable evidence of transversal skills, micro-credentials, and validation methods in the community of practice. TOURBiNE establishes long lasting partnerships in Turkey, Netherlands, Greece, Jordan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Egypt and Tunisia in order to: a) mitigate skills gaps in education/training caused by rapids shifts in technology and society; b) promote transversal key competences and rewind the tourism service design; d) assist employers recruit and retain talents. Το boost innovation and connect teaching and learning practice to the world of work, the Partnership is launching an industry-related and praxis-validated SKILLS INFRASTRUCTURE for low-carbon i-tourism services. Youth empowerment is ensured through novel qualifications/competences and the industry-related OPEN DIGITAL BADGE certification, acquired in non-formal and informal settings and the direct participation in 32 OER, Training, Teaching, Crash Courses and Digital Skilling Tools and the design and delivery of 6 i-tourism services: the Experience-Based Tourism Route; 6 Heritage Games; the Community-based Tourism App presented to industry players at the World Tourism and Travel Fair ITB Berlin 2025.