Flipchart Number 2 June 2016 | Page 11

We started testing this badge system during with EVS trainers’ pool of SALTO Eastern European and Caucasus Resource Centre and other training of trainers projects. Both projects started in September 2015 and will last until the mid of 2017. The projects are co-funded by the EU Erasmus+ Youth in Action programme. We envision that when integrated with the SALTO Trainers online for Youth (TOY) profiles of trainers, Open Badges could function as an evidence-based reputations system for trainers to show their expertise and for organisations and institutions to access pool of verified experts. We also support the Badge Europe initiative which promotes the use of Open Badges in variety of learning contexts. This initiative is carried by number of adult and higher education institutions in Europe and it is co-funded through the Knowledge Alliance action of Erasmus+. In future, we plan to develop a dynamic CV online to enable better sharing of learning achievements by participants who learn in various contexts. The idea is to have tools which support young people and youth work professionals to create their CVs that includes all their achievements, formal, non-formal and even informal. You can stay up to date about the Open Badges initiatives in Europe by joining the Facebook group Open Badges Europe. We are always open for cooperation! We are committed to promote the use of Open Badges for recognition, meanwhile awaiting for the deeper integration with the existing European tools for recognition, e.g. Youthpass, European Youth Work Portfolio or SALTO TOY profiles. Currently our organisation is part of 2 strategic partnership projects which innovates with Open Badges in European youth work context. One project aims to promote fur ther the use of Open Badges to support and recognise learning within the European mobility projects. The project was set-up by the consortium of youth (work) organisations and networks active in European mobility. The other strategic partnership project ‘Trusted Badge Systems’ is focused on the cooperation with representatives of employment sector to achieve greater endorsement for badge systems developed and used by volunteering and youth work organisations. Nerijus and Laimonas, Association of Non-formal Education in Lithuania [http://www.neformaliai.lt] 11