📍 What is the ᴱGROW Index?

In today’s job market, it takes more than qualifications to get ahead. People need the right mix of skills, mindset, and support to navigate a changing world of work.

That’s where the ᴱGROW Index comes in.

This tool ~ developed by DIAMOND Empower ~ is designed to help people identify the skills they already have, discover the ones they need, and build a path toward meaningful employment. It especially supports those facing economic, social, or educational barriers.

How it’s being developed:

• First, Universität Wien led the review of existing research on employability and inclusion, supported by Aarhus Universitet, Universidad de Burgos, and Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen.
• Then, Aarhus Universitet and project partners designed a structure based on key factors like motivation, opportunity, and access to learning.

🧪 A first prototype of the ᴱGROW Index has already been developed by Aarhus Universitet,
CETIC, Immersion and Universität Wien.

It maps out different factors that influence employability, such as:

• motivation and self-efficacy
• digital readiness
• access to support services
• learning or work experience

On July 3rd, grassroots organizations and experts met to test and simplify the prototype, ensuring it’s easy to use, accessible, and aligned with real-world needs, including green and digital skills.

→ The next steps will focus on refining and finalizing the index, making sure it’s ready to support people across Europe.

DIAMOND Empower supports inclusive, community-driven innovation for the future of work and learning.

📍 What is the Grassroot Living Lab in DIAMOND Empower?

A central feature of DIAMOND Empower, the Grassroot Living Lab serves as a dynamic research, innovation, and engagement environment ~ designed to support inclusive, bottom-up transformation across the project.

• Living Lab = co-creation space where stakeholders test and shape new tools, technologies, and services in real-life settings
  • Agile, iterative process → real-time feedback, adaptation, and improvement
  • ‘Grassroot’ = human-centric and community-driven, involving vulnerable groups directly in research and innovation
  • Embedded across the project, closely connected to the development of the ᴱGROW Index and MOVEᴱ tools

The Grassroot Living Lab is one of the 4 Key Exploitable results (KERs) of the DIAMOND Empower project: a transferable and scalable model of inclusive engagement for future labor market innovation

By engaging the very communities it aims to empower, the Grassroot Living Lab ensures DIAMOND’s impact is lived, not just designed. 💎

🔗 Learn more: https://diamond-empower.eu/about/

📢 WP7 → Dissemination, Exploitation, and Communication

This work package plays a central role in making DIAMOND Empower known, understood, and adopted across Europe.

Here’s how WP7, led by Evolutionary Archetypes Consulting SL, promotes, communicates, and disseminates the DIAMOND Empower project:

1️⃣ Establishment and maintenance of DIAMOND’s communication and dissemination tools
The team has developed key digital tools, such as the project website, social media channel presence, visual identity, and social media presence. Now, we are maintaining DIAMOND’s virtual presence and ensure unified messaging and outreach throughout the project lifecycle.

2️⃣ Target group mapping and engagement strategy
Through in-depth analysis, WP7 identifies key audiences, from vulnerable groups to policymakers, and develops targeted engagement strategies that speak directly to their needs and contexts.

3️⃣ Plan for Dissemination, Exploitation, and Communication (PDEC)
WP7 oversees the creation, implementation, and adaptation of the PDEC, aligning DIAMOND’s communication efforts with EU priorities while supporting visibility, sustainability, and stakeholder impact.

4️⃣ Develop content and material for DIAMOND Empower dissemination and communication
From policy briefs and social media campaigns to project factsheets and visual assets, WP7 produces a full suite of tailored content to enhance the project’s visibility and relevance.

5️⃣ Organize and participate in events
This includes presenting at conferences, workshops, and stakeholder meetings to ensure continuous knowledge exchange, awareness-raising, and community building around DIAMOND’s digital ecosystem for personalized skills development.

✨ DIAMOND’s tools like the ᴱGROW Index, MOVEᴱ, and the Grassroot Living Lab are promoted through strategic communication grounded in clarity, inclusivity, and long-term impact.

✅ Evolutionary Archetypes Consulting SL leads all WP7 tasks.
All partners, including Aarhus Universitet, Freie Universität Berlin, Universidad de Burgos, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Universität Wien, CETIC, Immersion, European Centre for Economic and Policy Analysis and Affairs, Evolutionary Archetypes Consulting SL, Proportional Message Associacao, Ente Morale Giacomo Feltrinelli per l’incremento Dell’Istruzione Tecnica, Deinde Spolka Z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnoscia, Fundacja Obiektywna, Youth Power Germany EV & Fundación Miradas will be involved in all tasks.

Learn more: https://diamond-empower.eu/

Reskilling Isn’t Easy – But Smarter Tools Can Help 

Across Europe, labor markets are transforming rapidly under the twin pressures of the green and digital transitions. As the Brussels Forum points out, these shifts are not just technological or environmental – they are deeply social and economic, disrupting traditional job structures and creating a pressing need for adaptive, future-proof skills (Source: Brussels Forum).

That’s why DIAMOND is developing a unique Stochastic Life-Cycle Model, a decision-making simulation that reflects how people really weigh risks, costs, and benefits over their lifetime when it comes to reskilling and upskilling.

Why is this important?

For individuals, lifelong learning comes with uncertainty. The payoff from training is not guaranteed – benefits often come later, while risks like job loss or automation are immediate. These challenges especially affect vulnerable groups and sectors in transition.

🎯 DIAMOND’s Objective 3 tackles this by:

• Creating a life-cycle simulation to mirror real-world career decisions
• Personalizing the model with gender, skills, job type, and income
• Integrating cost-benefit analysis using data from ᴱGROW Index, MOVEᴱ & WP6 pilots
• Evaluating long-term effectiveness of ALPM (Adult Learning & Professional Mobility) programs

By simulating real-life uncertainty and transitions, this tool helps policymakers and education providers design smarter lifelong learning strategies, tailored to actual risks, needs, and life situations.

Want to learn more?
🔗 https://diamond-empower.eu

🤝 Advancing the MOVEᴱ Ecosystem: DIAMOND Partners Align in WP5 Meeting

On 3rd June 2025, DIAMOND partners gathered online for a dedicated WP5 partner meeting, focused on advancing the project’s core innovation: the MOVEᴱ ecosystem.

MOVEᴱ (Modular and Open Virtual Empowerment Ecosystem) is a cutting-edge, AI-supported learning and empowerment platform being developed within DIAMOND. It offers personalised, modular learning pathways for unemployed, inactive, and vulnerable individuals. These pathways help them build skills and capabilities aligned with Europe’s green and digital transition.digital transition.

During the meeting, partners:

• Discussed WP5 tasks and progress
• Clarified roles and next steps for developing the MOVEᴱ platform
• Strengthened alignment across the team to ensure effective co-creation and testing of the ecosystem.

MOVEᴱ will integrate tools such as:

🔸 The ᴱGROW Index for assessing individual needs and strengths
🔸 Personalised learning pathways, modules, and micro-credentials
🔸 A dynamic AI-supported system that adapts to each learner’s journey.

This meeting reinforced the collaborative momentum driving DIAMOND forward!

Stay tuned as we continue shaping MOVEᴱ to foster inclusive empowerment and employability across Europe.

🌐 Learn more: https://diamond-empower.eu

Who Are We Empowering? Meet DIAMOND’s Target Groups

In today’s rapidly evolving job market, many individuals face significant challenges in securing stable employment. At DIAMOND, our mission is to empower:

• Unemployed individuals
• Employed individuals at risk of job loss
• Inactive individuals aiming to re-enter the workforce, particularly those from vulnerable socio-economic backgrounds.

Understanding the Challenges

These groups often encounter:

• Limited access to upskilling and reskilling opportunities
• Lack of recognition for existing skills and experiences
• Uncertainty about viable career pathways
• Discrimination and systemic barriers in the labor market

DIAMOND’s Innovative Approach

To address these challenges, DIAMOND is developing:

• ᴱGROW Index: A comprehensive tool to assess and enhance individual employability, focusing on empowerment and transformative capabilities.
• MOVEᴱ Platform: An AI-supported, modular learning ecosystem offering personalized micro-credentials and skill development pathways.
• Grassroots Living Lab: A collaborative environment for co-creating solutions with stakeholders, ensuring relevance and effectiveness.

By integrating these tools, DIAMOND aims to foster inclusive growth, reduce vulnerabilities, and strengthen economic resilience.

🔗 Learn more about our initiatives: https://diamond-empower.eu

💎Bringing Innovation to Life: Introducing WP6 – Grassroots Living Lab & Social Innovation Experiments 

WP6 of DIAMOND Empower is where our vision meets real communities. Led by Universidad de Burgos 🇪🇸, WP6 is building a Grassroots Living Lab that brings AI-powered tools and innovative learning pathways directly into local settings, empowering people through social innovation and participatory experimentation.

This work package connects closely with WP1-5 to test, adapt, and validate the MOVEᴱ AI system in real-life environments, focusing on inclusive upskilling and reskilling for vulnerable groups and those at risk of exclusion.

Here’s how WP6 is shaping future learning and employment pathways:

1️⃣ Stakeholder Mapping & Advisory Board Setup
Led by Evolutionary Archetypes Consulting SL 🇪🇸, this first step identifies key local actors and forms a Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB) to guide engagement, validation, and dissemination activities.
Partners: All

2️⃣ Envision – Infrastructure & Social Innovation Plan
Universidad de Burgos leads the creation of the physical and social infrastructure for the living lab. This includes preparing the innovation framework to host the AI tools and social experiments derived from WP1-3 insights.
Partners: All

3️⃣ Social Innovation Experiments & Cohort Engagement
WP6 conducts targeted experiments with real-life cohorts, piloting MOVEᴱ AI components, micro-credentials, and new learning formats, refining them through iterative feedback and collaboration.
Partners: Aarhus University, CETIC, Proportional Message, EMiT Feltrinelli, Deinde Sp. z o. o., Fundacja Obiektywna, Youth Power Germany e.V., Fundación Miradas

4️⃣ Large-Scale Validation Experiment
A validation experiment with 300 participants compares AI-guided upskilling pathways to traditional municipal approaches, demonstrating MOVEᴱ’s impact on learning, employment, and social inclusion.
Partners: Universidad de Burgos, DIAMOND partners

Led by Universidad de Burgos, with crucial support from Evolutionary Archetypes Consulting and our wider consortium, WP6 ensures our AI-driven solutions are not just smart, but socially relevant and inclusive.

🌍 Join us on this exciting journey to transform grassroots innovation for future-ready learning and employment.

🔗 Learn more: https://diamond-empower.eu/about/

🌟 The European Union is driving a crucial transformation in skills development to navigate the evolving digital and green economies. At the heart of this vision is the strategic push for micro-credentials, flexible, targeted learning opportunities designed to meet immediate skill needs.

A cornerstone of this effort is the EU Council Recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability, adopted on June 16, 2022. This landmark recommendation aims to standardize and boost the uptake of micro-credentials across Europe, emphasizing their role in:

• Helping individuals gain and update skills for changing job markets and green & digital transitions.
• Promoting inclusiveness, equal access, and social fairness.
• Encouraging all learning providers to improve the quality and flexibility of education.

Source: European Commission

This is precisely where DIAMOND Empower comes in! We are directly implementing these EU-level ambitions by developing and testing micro-credentials focused on essential transformative digital and green skills.

DIAMOND’s approach is deeply rooted in collaboration with diverse partners, including grassroots organizations, VET providers, and universities. Our innovative Modular & Versatile Platform for Engagement & Employability (MOVEᴱ) will serve as a dynamic ecosystem, offering tailored micro-credentials designed to foster these critical capabilities.

We are committed to:

• Improving reskilling and upskilling with focused micro-credentials.
• Including vulnerable groups to promote fairness and resilience.
• Preventing unemployment by providing timely, relevant skills to boost employability.

Through “co-creation workshops” with our partners, we are building a robust repository of micro-credentials that are not only high-quality but also directly responsive to individual and labor market demands. DIAMOND is paving the way for a more skilled, resilient, and inclusive European workforce!

This ambitious undertaking is powered by a strong consortium of leading European institutions. Coordinator Aarhus Universitet spearheads the project, working alongside esteemed academic partners like Freie Universität Berlin, Universidad de Burgos, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, and Universität Wien to develop the foundational learning content and micro-credential methodologies. Technical expertise from Centre d’Excellence en Technologies de l’Information (CETIC) and Immersion is crucial for building the MOVEᴱ platform that delivers these micro-credentials, while theEuropean Centre for Economic and Policy Analysis and Affairs (ECEPPA) ensures their strategic relevance and impact on the labor market.

✅Learn more: DIAMOND Empower

#DIAMONDProject #microcredentials #REA #DigitalSkills #GreenSkills

🧠 10 Mental Health Tips for Lifelong Learners & Job Seekers 💎

In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month

At DIAMOND, we know that upskilling, reskilling, and job searching can be emotionally challenging. Stress, self-doubt, and burnout are real – and they directly affect learning outcomes and employability.

To support you on your lifelong learning journey, we’ve gathered 10 practical, research-backed tips to help strengthen your mental well-being as you grow your skills:

10 Mental Health Tips for Lifelong Learners & Job Seekers

1️⃣ 🎯 Set achievable goals – Breaking tasks into manageable steps enhances motivation and reduces stress.

2️⃣ 📈 Track & celebrate progress – Acknowledge even small successes to boost confidence and build momentum.

3️⃣ ⏰ Maintain a routine – Consistent daily structure creates a sense of control and psychological stability.

4️⃣ 🤝 Stay connected – Engaging with peers or support groups fosters belonging and combats isolation.

5️⃣ 💖 Practice self-compassion & self-care – Be kind to yourself during setbacks; growth isn’t always linear.

6️⃣ 📚 Engage in meaningful learning – Choose learning that aligns with your interests and values for deeper motivation.

7️⃣ 🏃‍♀️ Incorporate physical activity – Movement supports mood regulation, focus, and stress reduction.

8️⃣ 💻 Use digital tools mindfully – Balance screen time with offline activities to avoid digital fatigue.

9️⃣ 🧭 Proactively seek guidance – Reach out to support services, mentors, or career counselors to navigate change.

🔟 🌱 Embrace a growth mindset – View challenges as opportunities; believe in your capacity to adapt and thrive.

📚 Sources & Resources on Mental Health:

European Commission: https://tinyurl.com/6d9ba3an 

Harvard Business Publishing: https://tinyurl.com/kwsdwpxm 

The Thrive Lab: https://tinyurl.com/yjdhpfmu 

Journal of Psychiatric Research: https://tinyurl.com/3mm4sma3 

WHO: https://tinyurl.com/3u6bau7r 

The British Psychological Society: https://tinyurl.com/yu6e9cpb 

ResearchGate: https://tinyurl.com/7kunesct 

ScienceDirect: https://tinyurl.com/5aukz8jr 

💡 At DIAMOND, we are committed to building not just skills, but also confidence and resilience, paving inclusive pathways into the green and digital future.

💎 Advancing ᴱGROW: DIAMOND Workshop Highlights 💡

On May 5, a DIAMOND workshop brought together researchers from the University of Vienna and Aarhus University to collaborate on the development of the ᴱGROW Index.

📌 ᴱGROW will serve as a measurement tool to classify and segment user groups based on their needs – guiding the content and format of future learning programs.

During the session, the group discussed:

🔹 The preliminary structure of the index

🔹 Potential drivers and outcomes for each indicator

🔹 Concepts for an engaging and intuitive graphical representation

This workshop marks a key step toward building a robust and user-friendly tool that supports inclusive learning pathways across Europe. 🇪🇺

Stay tuned as ᴱGROW evolves from concept to impact! 🚀

🔗 https://diamond-empower.eu/