employees in the labour market 2010-1-BG1-LEO05-03085 1
Project Information Title: Project Number: Validation of skills and knowledge for strengthening the positions of low-qualified employees in the labour market 2010-1-BG1-LEO05-03085 Year: 2010 Project Type: Status: Marketing Text: Summary: Transfer of Innovation completed BG-Bulgaria The main assumption underlying the development of this project is the notion that the workplace is a learning environment. The project aims at developing methods and tools for identifying and validating competences in the workplace and opening gateways to education and training to make it easier for lowqualified individuals to develop their competences, and by that secure their position on the labour market. For the individual, recognition of nonformal & informal competences can be a strong motivational factor towards an active participation in lifelong learning. Through the identification of competences, the company may find it easier to develop more appropriate educational plans. This project will be examining methods of validation in workplaces based on occupationalstandards. The target group is lowqualified employees, who have not completed upper secondary education. Seven countries will develop a Validation kit in a given sector in cooperation with different companies. The main assumption underlying the development of this project is the notion that the workplace is a learning environment. In the fast changing working world it is important to find ways to identify useful competences that can be built upon both in work and further education and training. It is important that the competences which an individual develops outside the formal school system are transparent, documented and recognized. This project aims at developing methods and tools for identifying and validating competences in the workplace and opening gateways to education and training to make it easier for lowqualified individuals to develop their competences, and by that secure their position on the labour market. For the individual, an accreditation/recognition of nonformal/informal competences can be a strong motivational factor towards an active participation in lifelonglearning. Through the identification of competences, the company may find it easier to develop more appropriate educational plans. So far, many countries have focused on validation based on curriculum in the formal school system. This project will be examining methods of validation in workplaces based on occupationalstandards. The target group is lowqualified employees, who have not completed upper secondary education. Seven countries will develop a Validation kit in a given sector in cooperation with companies. Methods and tools of confirmation and validation of competences will be developed. Transferability of the methods and tools into other companies/sectors will be tested. The Common European principles for validation of nonformal and informal learning as in a final draft proposal from February 2004, the European Inventory on Validation and the European Qualification Framework will be used as a guide and reference point for the development and implementation of methods and systems for validation in the project. Description: The project aim was to develop methods and tools which can assists in the process of validating competencies in the workplace as well as to identify competence achieve during the daily work. Its main goal was the developed under the project standards, methods and instruments to improve the link between VET and labour market through involvement all key players together. In this way the low-qualified employees, the employers, the counsellors and trade unions will recognise similar competencies achieved at the working place or trough informal education. The project main aims were: - to make the competencies more visible for the individual low-qualified people and they to become a tool for better placement of the labour market; - to make the competencies more recognizable for the employers and to facilitate 2
Project Information their efforts in the process of appointment, training and qualifying new and current employees; - to transform the competencies in a fast and very efficient instrument for the counsellors in the career guidances; - to simplify the process of validation between the systems from the vocational and education schools and modern labour market; - to make more strong impact over policy makers in order to introduces the validation as a official process. The ValidAid outcomes were accepted by the banks and big retail shops very well. Now several financial institutions and commercial chains are considering the opportunities to start using the ValidAid philosophy immediately in their Human Recourses Departments. The successful implementation of the project identify a trace path for enlarging and enrichment the sectors for validation of competencies including office secretary and manager, tax and custom expert, financial and insurance expert, construction worker, etc. ValidAid was presented at several conferences and events, which took place in all partner countries. This brought a wide interest from many VET institutions and organizations. As a result there were three requests up to now for further development of the ValidAid idea and products from Italy, Hungary and Poland. Themes: Sectors: Product Types: Product information: Projecthomepage: *** Recognition, transparency, certification *** Enterprise, SME *** Continuous training ** Labor market ** Sustainability ** ICT ** Lifelong learning ** Vocational guidance * Equal opportunities *** Administrative and Support Service Activities *** Financial and Insurance Activities *** Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles *** Information and Communication *** Education transparency and certification others DVD evaluation methods open and distance learning website teaching material Validation kit - Developed Validation Kit for the following three sectors: Finance, Trade and Information technologies, Developed standard for recognition, Developed methods, Interactive tests, Guidelines for Enterprises. www.validaid.eu 3
Project Contractor THE INSTITUTE FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDIES DIVISION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NATIONAL AND WORLD ECONOMY - SOFIA Sofia Sofia Stolitsa BG-Bulgaria continuing training institution http://www.ips.bg Contact Person Address: Telephone: Fax: E-mail: Elka Vassileva Sofia, Kliment Ohridski Blvd 2 Sofia BG-Bulgaria +359 2/8627613 +359 2/8627447 E.Vasileva@ips.bg http://www.ips.bg 4
Coordinator European center for quality Ltd. Sofia Sofia Stolitsa BG-Bulgaria SME - small and medium-sized enterprise (up to 250 employees) http://www.ecq-bg.com Contact Person Address: Telephone: Fax: E-mail: Anelia Haradinova 8 Racho Petkov Kazandzhiyata Str., ADORA Business Center Sofia BG-Bulgaria +359 2 9718930 office@ecq-bg.com http://www.ecq-bg.com 5
Partner Partner 1 EDUCATION AND TRAINING SERVICE CENTRE REYKJAVIK Ísland IS-Iceland others http://www.frae.is Partner 2 IEBA Centro de Iniciativas Empresariais Beira Aguieira Mortágua Lisboa PT-Portugal others http://www.ieba.org.pt Partner 3 Institut Supérieur d Electronique de Paris (I.S.E.P) Paris Ile De France FR-France others http://www.isep.fr Partner 4 Multidisciplinary European Research Institute Graz Graz others www.merig.org 6
Partner Partner 5 VILNIUS COLLEGE OF HIGHER EDUCATION Vilnius Lietuva LT-Lithuania others http://www.viko.lt Partner 6 European Center for Quality Ltd. Sofia Sofia Stolitsa BG-Bulgaria SME - small and medium-sized enterprise (up to 250 employees) http://www.ecq-bg.com 7
Project Files Assessors.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/assessors.pdf TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR EVALUATORS (ASSESSORS). Bulettin_1_KickOff_Meeting.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/bulettin_1_kickoff_meeting.pdf Project Bulletin 1 Bulletin_2_Portugal_Meeting.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/bulletin_2_portugal_meeting.pdf Project Bulletin 2 Bulletin_3_Paris_Meeting.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/bulletin_3_paris_meeting.pdf Project Bulletin 3 Bulletin_4_Vilnius_Meeting.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/bulletin_4_vilnius_meeting.pdf Project Bulletin 4 Certificates.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/certificates.pdf Certificate for recognition of competence Evaluators training.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/evaluators%20training.pdf Training programme. Focus Group Interview Report.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/focus%20group%20interview%20report.pdf Focus groups Report Good Practises.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/good%20practises.pdf List of good practises in validation Interactive test.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/interactive%20test.pdf Interactive tests - uploaded on the project's web-site: www.validaid.eu for preparation and training for validation of low qualified employees. List of Stakeholders.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/list%20of%20stakeholders.pdf List of validation stakeholders in partners countries 8
Project Files Methods and tools.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/methods%20and%20tools.pdf Methods and tools for evaluation of the low-qualified employees who will take part in the validation procedures in sector Trade, IT and Communications and sector Finance. Normative base Review.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/normative%20base%20review.pdf General review of the normative base in the partners' countries regarding validation Power point assessors.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/power%20point%20assessors.pdf ASSESSORS OF COMPETENCES VALIDATION PROCESSES Standards.pdf http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/9045/prj/standards.pdf Standards for recognition and validation of informal and non-formal competencies in sector Trade, IT and Communications and sector Finance 9
Products 1 2 3 Validation Kit Guideline for enetrprises Project website: www.validaid.eu 10
Product 'Validation Kit' Title: Validation Kit Validation of skills and knowledge for strengthening the positions of low-qualified Product Type: transparency and certification Marketing Text: The Validation kit is the main product of the ValidAid project, aiming at developing methods and tools which can assist in the process of validating competences in workplaces. The emphasis of the developed kit is on transferability between sectors, the role of companies, counsellors and trade unions in the process. Description: The ValidAid Kit consists of: -STANDARDS for recognition and validation of informal and non-formal competencies -METHODS AND TOOLS for evaluation of the low-qualified employees who will take part in the validation procedures -INTERACTIVE TESTS uploaded on the project's website for preparation and training for validation of low qualified employees -METHODOLOGY for implementing knowledge testing as a competence validation tool TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR EVALUATORS (ASSESSORS) -Programme of Training Course -Planning of Training Course -PowerPoint Presentations of Training Course Target group: Low-qualified employees, employers, vocational trainers, counselors, social partners, unemployed Result: Developed Validation Kit for the following three sectors: Finance, Trade and Information technologies, Developed standard for recognition, Developed methods, Interactive tests, Guidelines for Enterprises. This was the main project result and it has the main contribution for the achievement of the project objective. Area of application: ValidAid final outcomes will have direct impact for the 3 project sectors financial, trade and information technologies. These sectors are from the most fast growing sectors in Europe and the demand of low and middle level of qualification people in the highest. The financial institutions and retail sector is opening new and new branches and they need more and more people. The IT industry is developing so rapidly that the sectors will appoint a lot of employees in the next decade. In long-term aspect the project impact is expected to lay out the basics of the systems for validation of competencies of low-educated employees in the partners countries with less developed national validation legislation and practical experience. Of course the impact of each of the six partner countries will be different and difficult for comparisons because of the different level of validation process and the national specifics. The impact of for the 3 project sectors will be very positive. The both employees and employers from these sectors will see the great benefits from the validation process in their personal development and corporate grow. Product Languages: English Bulgarian German French Icelandic Lithuanian Portuguese &prd=1 11
Product 'Guideline for enetrprises' Validation of skills and knowledge for strengthening the positions of low-qualified Title: Guideline for enetrprises Product Type: transparency and certification Marketing Text: The Guideline for Enterprises provides advice to companies on the validation of skills and knowledge for strengthening the positions of low-qualified employees in the labour market. Description: The objective of these Guidelines for Enterprises is to give instructions to enterprises in order to support them in organising information and documentation about their employees, facilitating the processes of recognition and validation of competences and of planning suitable education and training, within the enterprise. In other words, it will be possible for employers and human resource managers to have access to specific designed contents and tools to organise their employees processes, facilitate competence recognition and validation processes and establish adequate training and education plans. Target group: SME managers, HR Managers, employers, vocational trainers, counselors, social partners, unemployed Result: GUIDELINES FOR ENTERPRISES are preparing an enterprise to engage their employees in validation processes. Area of application: The Guidelines for Enterprises contents include: -> highlight about the importance of recognition, validation and certification of competences for enterprises; -> guidelines for enterprises, proposed by ValidAid project, -> benefits for employers and employees of being engaged in validation pro-cesses within enterprises. Product Languages: Bulgarian English French German Icelandic Lithuanian Portuguese &prd=2 12
Product 'Project website: www.validaid.eu' Validation of skills and knowledge for strengthening the positions of low-qualified Title: Project website: www.validaid.eu Product Type: website Marketing Text: The project website contains information about the main project outcomes as well as description of the implementation of the project step by step. Some intermediary products are also available on the website. Description: The website contains the following sections: The Project Project Objective Target Groups & Beneficiaries What is to happen during the project? Expected Outcomes Outcomes Validation Kit Promotional Materials Partners Meetings Project Deliverables Partners Project Bulletin Photo Gallery Partners Section Target group: The target groups of the project are: - low-qualified workers - employees with no university degree - employees with lower or no education - employers - VET centers; career guidance centers, etc. Result: Area of application: www.validaid.eu Product Languages: Bulgarian Icelandic German French English Portuguese Lithuanian &prd=3 13
Events Final Conference Date 20.09.2012 Description Target audience Public The final conference of the project was attended by more than 100 participants from different organizations such as training institutions, SMEs, financial bodies, social partners, vocational training institutions, etc. Closed event Contact Information Time and place The conference took place on 20 September 2012 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Fourth Partner Meeting Date 14.05.2012 Description Target audience Public The Forth Partnership Meeting was focused mainly on the results from the pilot testing in the partner countries and the planning of the final conference in Bulgaria. Detailed presentation of the collected feedback incl. main conclusions, recommendations, remarks, etc. following the evaluation criteria were made. Project Partners Closed event Contact Information Time and place Date: 14-15 May 2012 Place: Vilnius, Lithuania Third project meeting Date 28.11.2011 Description Target audience Public Third meeting of project partners to discuss the adopted validation kits in each partner country. As well as to plan the conduction of the testing process Project partners Closed event Contact Information Time and place 28-29.11.2011 Paris, France 14
Events First project meeting Date 01.11.2011 Description Target audience Public First meeting of project partners in Reykjavik, Iceland Project partners Closed event Contact Information Time and place Reykjavik, Iceland 01-02.12.2010 Second project meeting Date 13.06.2011 Description Target audience Public Second project meeting of project partners to discuss deliverables of work package 3 and to plan the development of the Validation kit Project partners Closed event Contact Information Time and place 13-14 June 2011 Mortagua/ Coimbra, Portugal 15