From 31 March to 1 April, GISIG took part in the Kick-off Meeting of the ROOT (Resources for Orientation and Occupational Transition) project in Coimbra (Portugal). Hosted by the Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN), members of the consortium exchanged on the main objectives of the project and started its implementation phase.  

The project is funded by Erasmus+ as part of its Key Action 2 (Forward-looking projects) and aims to support career guidance, upskilling and reskilling of adults with a focus on the Earth Observation Sector.  

In a rapidly evolving labour market that underlines the urgent need to upskill and reskill workers, ROOT aims to address the needs of employees, as well as employers in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and career counsellors, in order to create the conditions for innovation and growth.  

Most importantly, ROOT focuses on empowering individuals to take informed decisions on their career, supporting their development and adaptability. The project will involve stakeholders from the quadruple helix – i.e. industry, academia, government and civil society – to create solutions applicable to the downstream Earth Observation (EO) sector, which supports fields such as climate monitoring, agriculture, urban planning and disaster management: growing areas that create new skills needs and career opportunities.