Today, young people change their mind very often. Due to the rapid shift in today’s society, it is very common to see a young person change the way they think as well as their priorities, in a matter of days. Unfortunately, this has a great impact on their decision when it comes to employment. People want to know that they are going to be successful at what they do and they are not willing to take risks.

This has created the need for two different things in the world of businesses. The first one is the way people learn. No one like to use books to learn nowadays. People want more. They want interaction, images, colors, music. Anything that will keep them interested and wanting more.

This is why e-learning platforms and growing more and more popular. People learning, using the internet have more chances of succeeding in finding what their passion is. At the same time, people do not want to take risks. They want to make sure that, whatever they do, will bring them to profit no matter what.

This is why simulation is so important. When people are able to see what it will be like to be part of the labor market, doing a particular job, even during a simulation process, it will be a lot easier for them to actually try their luck and aim for a position like that.

Nowadays, the European Union is a firm believer of young people and their importance for the European society and the evolution of the European market and economy. As a young person, you are given many opportunities to show who you really are and what you can really do. If you do have the opportunity to simulate a particular job then you already know that it will be a lot easier for you to actually make the right decision.

European project like the GEM: Gamification Methods for Educational Management are able to provide young people with what they are looking for. Gamification is the use of game design and mechanics to enhance non-game contexts by increasing participation, engagement, loyalty and competition. These methods can include points, leaderboards, direct competitions, and stickers or badges, and can be found in industries as varied as personal healthcare, retail—and, of course, education.

The specific context of this project “GEM – Gamification Methods for Educational Management” is related to the lack of capacity of the formal educational systems to develop learning methods that prove to be attractive for young people and also to the opportunity non-formal education conveys in order to explore innovative and tailored methodologies for youth education, methods that could be transversal, and extend to formal education as well.

In the past 4 years, the European Commission has supported various initiatives and projects exploring the field of gaming and gamification as a support methodology for education or other fields. In 2016 the European Commission launched three H2020 ICT Calls for proposals: supporting ICT transfer to the European creative industries, boosting synergies between artists, creative people and technologists and Gamification in different areas.

GEM offers participant, the best role-playing game for educational management purposes. The general aim of the project is to develop gamification non-formal education methodologies and instruments for young people aged 18-23. The project objectives which are planned to be achieved in a 2-year duration are:

• Creation of 5 new instruments and methodologies using gamification which will be tested by 25 youth workers in their activities with 100 young people over the course of a two-year period.
• Improving the professional skills of 25 youth workers by their participation in the creation of gamification educational methodologies and by testing them with 100 young people throughout the project period.
• Support the capacity building of youth workers and in youth work.
• Promoting empowerment.
• Testing the transversal educational impact of the methodologies developed in the project in 5 formal education contexts.

GEM offers innovative techniques for managerial education. It is the best game, putting people in the position they want, giving them the opportunity to roleplay and to know what it is like to be part of the workforce. For more information, you can visit the project website today!