Life skills are defined as psychosocial abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. Life skills
can be fostered and are fundamental for a person’s progression in life, both personal and
professional. Some of those skills are creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, effective
communication and collaboration skills, cultivation of responsibility, development of healthy
relationships and decision- making. These skills can be acquired through life experience but can
be further developed through constant training and engagement.
Life skills are particularly important for adolescents and young people. Adolescents and
young people leave behind the dependence and the safety that childhood is associated with and
enter adulthood with all its opportunities and freedoms but also with all its insecurities and
anxieties. Life skills can help adolescents and young people strengthen their self-confidence,
interpersonal skills, learn how to use them in assessing knowledge, use resources for their benefit, and make the proper decisions in order to promote their wellbeing2. This way life skills can help
young people anticipate with all the difficulties that might occur in adulthood and be involved in
the society. In other words, life skills can equip young people with all the necessary qualities in
order to become resilient individuals and active citizens.
The University of Gloucestershire (UK), Play
Gloucestershire (UK), Rogers Személyközpontú Oktatásért Alapítvány (HU), KENTRO MERIMNAS
OIKOGENEIAS KAI PAIDIOU(GR), CESIE (IT) and CLAVIS sprog & competence (DK) are implementing
the 2 year Erasmus+ project entitled: PAClife – Physical and Cultural Activity for Life Skills
Development (2020-2021). The project aims to support disadvantaged and migrant young people in building
resilience through acquiring and developing life skills and key competences by participating in a
programme of physical and cultural activity. This report presents the findings of a desk-based comparison of domestic projects that will inform the future development of the PAClife training tool to low-skilled/low qualified migrant and disadvantaged young people