Data and facts across Europe indicate that young people in particular are hit by the crisis when they enter the training and professional world. There are many indications that this is not a short-term effect.

The strategic partnership “Simply Digi” is addressing this challenge. Against the background of difficult access for young people from school to training and companies, due to restrictions on opportunities to real contact with the world of work, innovative approaches, methods and procedures are developed, piloted and implemented that enable the possibility of realistic, practice-oriented experience with professional world of work even under restricted conditions.

The project pursues these goals in particular:

• To enable young people to gain insight into occupations and the world of work using digital tools, even under restricted distance conditions
• To develop, test and use innovative approaches to virtual and distance contacts between young people, consultants, companies, trainers, parents and teachers
• Create "bridges" between schools and companies that enable young people and companies to articulate and present one another in an authentic digital and personal manner

The innovative developments in the “Simply Digi” project are therefore aimed to create as realistic experiences as possible for young people at the transition from school to vocational training and world of work, even under difficult conditions, using digital and virtual, also combined and hybrid innovative methods and processes.

This is done in several ways during the phases of the project:

1. First, a short phase of survey concerning status quo in the countries, with regard to digitization and career transition, based on the preparatory research;
2. In the second phase, existing real and digital methods are new and innovatively combined, adapted to the several different conditions, and new approaches are developed where they are missing;
3. In the third phase, manuals for the methods and procedures and their use and implementation are developed under different framework conditions, together with teachers in school, with trainers and responsible persons in companies;
4. In the fourth phase, a modular training concept for teachers in schools as well as for trainers and responsible persons in companies will be created and implemented.

Results and effects are expected from this in several ways:

• Improved opportunities for a successful transition from school to training and world of work, even under difficult conditions, using digital and virtual opportunities for real work experiences
• Support of school and teachers in the preparation and transition of students from school to vocational training in companies and world of work
• Support of companies in contacting and addressing young people who might be interested in training in companies,
• Avoidance of economic and social problems caused by unsuccessful transition processes from school to vocational training and world of work for young people, companies and society.