The Erasmus programme started more than 25 years ago. In order to recognise the learning that takes place in the framework of these mobilities, institutions paid a lot of attention to interchangeable subject related credit systems and to the level of the courses offered in the partner organisations. Still, very few organisations have paid attention to the hidden added value of European mobility: the personal and social key competences developed abroad in a different educational, social and cultural context for a considerable period of time.

In this context the recommendation 2006/962/EC of the EP and of the Council on key competences for lifelong learning states that: „Key competences are essential in a knowledge society and guarantee more flexibility in the labour force, allowing it to adapt more quickly to constant changes in an increasingly interconnected world. They are a major factor in innovation, productivity and competitiveness, and they contribute to the motivation and satisfaction of workers and the quality of work.“

PROMOTE aims at setting up holistic, needs driven and competence oriented open learning environments to promote and validate key competences at the interface of academic education and learning in practice business contexts. The project will focus on the following key competences (KC) relevant in students’ mobility and traineeships and continuous professional development (CPD) of employees in parallel:

• KC6: social and civic competences
• KC7: sense of initiative and entrepreneurship and
• KC5: learning to learn

Reference frameworks are inexistent when it comes to validate mayor key competences, even though they are essential for our societies. PROMOTE aims at closing this gap by using one of the most effective ways of learning – learning in mobility – and validate the learning outcomes in regard to those key competences.