The piloting phase
Expression of interest for participation
Expression of interest for participation
This section brings together information relating to the pilot phase of the S.M.I.L.E. – Skill Match in an Intelligent Learning Environment project,
the involvement of participants, and the application procedures.
Information
Participant involvement
Application procedures
The piloting phase of the SMILE project is intended to provide Higher Education Institutions with a shared technological and methodological toolkit capable of supporting the analysis and assessment of educational and professional needs in a personalised, targeted, selective, proactive, and predictive manner, in line with the green transition, the digital transition, and internationalisation process.
The pilot will involve 36 participants, including lecturers, career guidance counsellors, and placement experts, across three EU countries and one non-EU country: 9 in Italy, 9 in Spain, 9 in Poland, and 9 in North Macedonia.
The piloting pathway will enable participants to test the SMILE model, the tools available on the TaiLENT platform, and the training resources developed by the project to verify the effectiveness, applicability, and transferability of the approach in real Higher Education settings. The piloting phase also supports validation and improvement by collecting structured feedback on satisfaction, learning, innovation, usefulness, and usability.
The piloting phase will provide free access to:
- microlearning modules;
- video tutorials;
- the SMILE model tools available on the TaiLENT platform;
- the guidance tools available on the Guide to the Future platform, accessible via the SMILE section of the TaiLENT environment.
The programme will allow participants to work on:
- self-assessment activities based on the European DigComp, GreenComp, and EntreComp frameworks;
- self-assessment activities relating to the six soft skills selected by the partnership: collaboration, communication, negotiation, organisational culture, problem-solving, and project management;
- the creation of AI-based questionnaires linked to ESCO profiles;
- analysis of students’ CVs against ESCO occupational profiles;
- the creation of third-party assessment quizzes, either manually and/or through the AI Generator.
Participant involvement
Selected candidates will take part in a multi-stage pilot pathway designed to test the tools, training resources, and career guidance solutions developed within the SMILE project.
01
Training through educational resources – Participants will be required to:
- access and complete the microlearning modules;
- access and complete the video tutorials.
02
Testing the SMILE model’s analysis tools – Participants will be required to test the SMILE model tools available at smile.tailent.it through:
- administration of the three self-assessment questionnaires based on the European DigComp, GreenComp, and EntreComp frameworks;
- use of the six self-assessment questionnaires on soft skills, in both ex ante and ex post modes;
- creation of at least one AI-based questionnaire relating to a profile selected from the ESCO platform;
- analysis of at least one student CV using the SMILE model’s analysis tool;
- creation of at least one third-party assessment quiz on digital, green, entrepreneurial, professional, or transversal competences.
The activities will be carried out with the involvement of at least five students from each participating university.
03
Testing of the Guide to the Future – section of the TaiLENT platform – Participants will be required to apply at least three of the following tools of the Guide with students:
- Skills Assessment;
- Personal SWOT Analysis;
- Compass of Aspirations, based on the RIASEC model;
- Focus on Soft Skills;
- Business Orientation.
This dimension of the pilot enables students to be guided from self-awareness to the development of a professionally marketable profile, through the exploration of their competences, interests, planning abilities, and understanding of market and business dynamics.
Application procedures – The call for expressions of interest is addressed to:
- lecturers
- career guidance counsellors
- placement experts
working within the partner universities.
The selection process will be carried out by each partner in a transparent, fair, and inclusive manner, on the basis of criteria agreed at partnership level. Particular consideration will be given to the relevance of the applicant’s professional profile, motivation, willingness to participate in the entire pathway, and capacity to contribute actively to both the pilot phase and the collection of feedback. Criteria relating to balance and inclusiveness, including gender and age groups, will also be taken into account.
Applications will be open from 1st May 2026 to 31st May 2026
Applicants will be informed of the outcome of the selection process by email within seven days of the closing date of the call.
Selected candidates will be granted access to the e-learning platform, which contains the OERs and additional tools.
The application form must be completed online via the following link.
At the end of the training experience, scheduled to be completed by 30th September 2026, participants will receive a certificate of participation. The aforementioned programme may be subject to minor changes in its dates.
The training will be provided entirely free of charge and delivered in e-learning format.
