Customising training actions by learning from the territory through an applied methodology to improve green and smart competences in vulnerable target groups of European rural areas

Background: Tailoring the training actions for the green and digital transition in Europe’s rural areas necessitates evidence-based and context-sensitive methodologies. Objective: Grounded on the NewEcoSmart (NES) project’s pilot studies in Italy, Portugal and Spain, this article presents a structured, place-based approach to improve green and digital competences among adults over 45 years of age from rural areas, to promote job reintegration and accessibility to services in three pilot sites. Methodology: mixed-methods design has been employed, integrating multi-layered territorial diagnostics using GIS mapping, demographic and labour market data and environmental asset inventories with stakeholder mapping, co-design workshops and recurrent validation loops. Results: Diagnostic analyses across the three pilot sites revealed site-specific assets and challenges, enabling the co-creation of tailored training modules that embed GreenComp sustainability capacities and DigComp digital skills within local case studies. Initial findings display improved liaison between training content and participants’ needs, reinforcing inclusive engagement and practical uptake of green-smart practices. Conclusion: The methodology’s highlight on learning from territory ensures measurability and potential to transfer to other rural contexts, offering policymakers and practitioners an adaptable framework to inform EU rural development and lifelong learning initiatives. By linking policy imperatives with grounded territorial insights, this approach supports sustainable, locally owned pathways for adult upskilling in the habitat sector.