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BACKGROUND

OUTPUTS

PARTNERS

ACADEMIA NETWORK

EVENTS

IO1 C-STEP 1 ‘Counselling migrants and refugees’ >> – didactical framework, units and training resources

In IO1,  the didactical framework, the training week (including training structure, content and methods) and training resources for the one week C-STEP relating to the topic ‘Counselling migrants and refugees’ will be developed.


Due to the COVID-19 crises, the first face-to-face Counsellors´ Study and Training exchange Programme had to be changed into an online training >>

Unit 1: Intercultural Awareness

  • challenges arising from knowledge gaps between the educational and employment systems in clients’ country of origin and their new host country
  • background about the causes of migration and the situation of migrants and refugees in receiving countries
  • methods and resources for detecting and dealing with misunderstanding in counselling communication, working with groups
  • challenges arising from learning and using a second language in education and work as well as within the career counselling environment
  • intercultural awareness

Unit 2: Recognition and access to labour market

  • challenges arising from both the residence status and the recognition of foreign vocational and academic qualifications
  • access to the labour market

Unit 3: Potential analysis and empowerment

  • challenges arising in the framework of assessing clients` potential and in empowerment (being driven by all challenges named before)
  • methods of assessing competences
  • methods of empowering migrants and refugees

Unit 4: Specific supportive measures

  • challenges arising for access to and designing and handling of supportive measures and labour market schemes
  • language acquisition in supportive measures and labour market schemes
  • training measures for the adaptation of vocational skills for refugees and migrants
  • legal aspects of support measures

Each unit description will include instructions and a didactical framework.  Furthermore, all units include sections that provide state-of-the art and research-based background information, activities for participants as well as material and resources to be used (O4).

The units will include recommendations on how to bridge the gap from theory to practice, i.e. in the form of study visits – for example to employment agencies, relevant companies etc. in the form of lectures, workshops etc. and/or  immersive experiences where participants engage with target groups and carry out a learning/guidance activity together.

While some units can be used at a transnational level and perhaps need only slight adaptations, others might need an overall adaption to the national background, framework, and legislation.

The resources for ‘C-STEP 1’ will be made available in a digital format. The material will be provided as Open Educational Resources (OER)

IO2 C-STEP 2 ‘Future jobs’ – didactical framework, units and training resources

In IO2, the didactical framework, the training week (including training structure, content and methods) and training resources for C-STEP 2 relating to the topic ‘Future jobs’ will be developed.

 

For IO2 (as well as IO3) the working process will start with a  comprehensive review of literature, media and resources and a needs analysis. The partners from Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and the UK will summarise the state of research and development in terms of publications, existing approaches, research initiatives, studies, projects, media, material and experience in the form of national reports. A transnational synthesis will provide an overview about similarities and specifics of the partner countries and will serve as a starting point to a research-based and practical oriented development of the project’s training programmes. The reports will be published on the project’s web portal.

Relevant existing resources from this research may be included in the media centre.

Key challenges were identified when writing the project proposal which resulted in the identification of the following 4 units:

Unit 1: Industry 4.0 and the impact on labour

  • the 4th Industrial Revolution – Historical context of Industry 4.0
  • industry 4.0 and the consequences for the labour market and economy
  • drivers promoting the change of professions – the evolution of the labour market in the technological context
  • work and Industry 4.0 – The Age of the Intellectual Worker

Unit 2: Challenges and opportunities for companies within Industry 4.0

  • Segment of enterprises in Industry 4.0 – Industry profiles
  • Preparation towards Industry 4.0
  • Barriers to change
  • The Industry gender gap

Unit 3: Upcoming trends

  • Work and virtual technologies: new trends in the labour market and potential impact on employment demographics
  • New technologies: 3D Printing, Smart Coins, Cards and Payments, IT Security, Big Data, Analytics etc.
  • New business models and new approaches for emerging Markets
  • New professions and working condition
  • New job and skill demands
  • The most emerging and declining occupations and skills

Unit 4: New skills and competences

  • Challenges arising from developing future-proof skills for Industry 4.0
  • Hard skills on Industry 4.0 (technological skills)
  • Soft skills on Industry 4.0 (interdisciplinary skills for future workers)
  • News ways of learning

Each unit description will include instructions and a didactical framework. The units will include recommendations on how to link theory with practice, i.e. in the form of study visits – for example to employment agencies, relevant companies etc. in the form of lectures, workshops etc. with target groups and carry out a learning/guidance activity together.

While some units can be used at a transnational level and perhaps need only slight adaptations, others might need an overall adaption to the national background, framework, and legislation.

The resources for the ‘C-STEP 2’ will be made available in a digital format. The material will be provided as Open Educational Resources (OER).

IO3  C-STEP 3 ‘Demographic change’ – didactical framework, units and training resources

In IO3, the didactical framework, the training week (including training structure, content and methods) and training resources for C-STEP 3 relating to the topic ‘Demographic change’ will be developed.

 

C-STEP 3, like C-STEP 2, will also be developed based on the findings of the literature review and needs analysis. Key challenges were identified when writing the project proposal which resulted in the identification of the following 4 units:

Unit 1: The challenges of an older workforce

  • health and access issues
  • combatting a loss of motivation to work
  • advisors’ knowledge gaps and how guidance changes when dealing with an older client looking for work or a change of career
  • labour market trends vs demographic trends
  • barriers and stereotypes facing an older worker
  • the digital divide: support and training to increase the digital skill of older workers

Unit 2: Retraining in later life

  • challenges arising from skills mismatches and a reluctance to retrain
  • how to make training attractive for older people
  • work-based learning for the older generation

Unit 3: Realigning the expectations of the labour market

  • challenges for businesses in employing older people – stereotypes and misconceptions
  • how to adapt recruitment and facilities to an older workforce
  • jobs and skills gaps where older people can add value

Unit 4: Multigenerational collaboration

  • the value of life experience and knowledge of older people in training provided to young people
  • developing multigenerational learning and work spaces
  • the role of mentors

The units will include recommendations on how to link theory with practice, i.e. in the form of study visits – for example to employment agencies, relevant companies etc. in the form of lectures, workshops etc. with target groups and carry out a learning/guidance activity together.

All units include sections that provide state-of-the art and research-based background information, activities for participants as well as material and resources to be used (IO4). 

The C-STEP 3 will be made available in a digital format. The material will be provided as Open Educational Resources (OER).

IO4 Media Centre and learning environment – Complementary Content, Material and Resources

IO4 will provide complimentary content, material and resources to the C-STEPS and will be available in the Academia+ media centre and interactive learning environment. This additional material will be based on the literature reviews and resources developed in IO2 and IO3. 

Based on the review of literature, media and resources and the units developed in IO2 and IO3, Output 4 focuses on providing complementary content, material and resources that will be made available in the Academia+ media centre as well as the interactive learning environment.

This complementary material will be applied in the piloting of the study and training exchange programme (C-STEPs) in the different countries. The resources will be continually updated during the project’s lifetime and beyond. The media centre will also provide the basis for organising further training in the future.

The media centre will provide a variety of resources and material such as videos, activities, exercises, ideas and examples for field visits and short workshadowing for guidance practitioners, counsellors and lecturers. It will combine the didactical framework of IO1, IO2 and IO3 with additional working material to be used in the piloting implementation of the C-STEPs. 

Moreover, it aims to equip practitioners with practical tools for their work in the field of labour market integration and job placement. The content, material and resources aim to provide guidance practitioners and counsellors, but also lecturers and experts with additional working material in order to organise and shape their practical working process.

The starting point will be made by including the outcomes of IOs 1 , 2 and 3. The most relevant resources will be selected, categorised and tagged/indexed. Through the project the media centre’s database will be extended, e.g. by means of scripts for STEPs, outcomes of group work of guidance practitioners, further videos provided by the partners and participants etc.

The interactive online learning environment –  Moodle will be one component of the project’s blended learning concept that complements the face-to-face C-STEPs. In the interactive online learning environment participants, lecturers and organisers can find additional and more detailed information related to each unit as well as further resources (e.g. practical oriented tools and resources, fact sheets, videos etc.). 

Academia+ C-STEP participants will have access to all materials and resources used in the training as well as additional resources which will help to deepen their knowledge. These resources can then be incorporated into a guidance practitioners everyday work. Such resources could also act as stand alone resources that can be used by guidance practitioners that have not participated the training itself and thus would contribute to opening up Academia to a wider target group.

The media centre together with the webportal will provide an infrastructure in a technical and content perspective. They will guarantee that the effort, knowledge and experiences that have been participated in the training opening up academia+ by the organisers of the training as well as the participants will be made available for future purposes. By this the Academia+ implements a long-term, sustainable strategy.

 

IO5  Web Portal for participants, counsellors and guidance practitioners and lecturers

The project’s web portal, which will act as a gateway and front end for the media centre (IO4) will be developed, tested and implemented in IO5. This web portal will be the location where the project’s main target groups can access the project’s main outputs and components.  

Intellectual Output 5 (IO5) will develop, test and implement  the project’s web portal, which will act as a gateway and front end for the media centre (IO4). This web portal will be the location where the project’s main target groups can access the project’s main outputs and components.

The portal consists of three main target group oriented sections:

  • The participants section
  • The lecturers sectio
  • The counsellors and guidance practitioners section

 In terms of the technical infrastructure, the web portal contains the following elements:

  • The web portal itself as an overlaying framework that provides access to target group oriented sections
  • The media centre that will be implemented in form of a database 
  • A content management system (CMS) that will be used as a learning environment by participants, guidance practitioners, counsellors and lecturers

The work and outputs within IO5 include the development of the concept, structure and layout of the online platform, the technical realisation as well as the implementation of three target group oriented sections as well as the implementation of the web portal in all partners’ languages.