Intergenerational Learning Partnership Over 55 Erasmus Project

Project Title

Intergenerational Learning Partnership Over 55

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); Recognition, transparency, certification; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

Context
The Lisbon Strategy of March 2000, takes note of the relationship between demographic factors, employment and economic growth in the European countries. The ageing population in Europe is associated with profound structural changes in the economy and labor market. To overcome the unemployment crisis, begun in the early 80’s, many European countries have used early retirement as a tool that has brought hundreds of thousands of workers over 55 at the exit from the labour market. In particular, the European banking sector was heavily affected by these processes, starting from the mid 90’s. To improve the employability of the over 55 workers, the focus should be both on promoting training measures for older unemployed and employed individuals, directly linked to specific jobs.

Project aim and objectives
The aim of this project was to create an Intergenerational Learning Partnership – ILPO55 (involving education & training providers, employers and employees) that will support the employability and will reduce the skills mismatch of the over 55 employees from the Financial Services Sector (FSS), and also new/existing employees. The project set-up the ILPO55 Reference Framework which addresses the over 55 individual needs with a 360° perspective:
a. analyse education & training and work experiences;
b. assess individual competencies (knowledge, skills and competencies);
c. identify personal and professional objectives (e.g. Professional Consultant);
d. support over 55 individuals in planning their future career/work experiences; give advice regarding the existing opportunities for e. validation of competencies and recognition of prior learning;
f. provide support for further education and training of the over 55 individuals (based on the training needs identified in relation to the personal and professional career development objectives).

Moreover, the project aspired at creating two professional qualifications (Adult Trainer and Social Responsibility Facilitator) and training programmes that can be valorised by the over 55 both within the FSS and in other business sectors).

Partnership
The project brought together 10 partners from 6 European countries, forming a transnational cooperation partnership with a balanced regional geographical representation of the Erasmus+ area and with qualitative representation for Malta. Moreover, the project was highly supported by the European Banking Federation.

Methodological approach and key outputs
Since the initial phases of the project partners defined the concrete methodological strategies and approaches for managing the evaluation process during the lifetime of the project. The consortium designed and launched the project official website. Then, Partners identified existing needs and gaps in the field of age management and intergenerational cooperation and collected and analysed examples of good practices in the field. The next step was to define the Courses curricula for the two ILPO55 Qualifications (Adult Trainer and Social Responsibility Facilitator). Partners developed the ILPO55 Reference Framework, for developing methods and tools for competence evaluation and designing methodologies for supporting the professional development. The results were piloted and validated during the project piloting phase and were made available online, on the website. These results were also included in the final publication of the Project and will be further exploited with open licence.

Impact and long term benefits
The project results were and will continue to be disseminated in the Partner countries (Malta, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and Romania). In addition, Partners also advertised them at international level, valorizing Partners’ Networks and collaborations. In the beginning of the project Partners agreed on the dissemination and exploitation concrete plan. This will include definitions, information and guidelines about. The main key project result were made available to the public through the project website and also using Partners’ websites and communications channels (Magazines, Newsletters, learning ICT eco-systems).
Moreover, the Reference Framework, the two Qualifications, the description of course curricula, assessment procedure and training programmes were also included in the Final Project Publication that was distributed through ICT channels and in the final conference to the most relevant national and European stakeholders.
The goal for the partnership was to be able to use the materials within their own activities and to promote its usage within their networks (at national and European level).

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 445004 Eur

Project Coordinator

MALTA COLLEGE OF ARTS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY & Country: MT

Project Partners

• Finance & Banking, Associazione per lo Sviluppo Organizzativo e delle Risorse Umane
• ANUP-International
• NIBE-SVV
• Malta Union of Bank Employees
• Mediterranean Bank Network
• Institut bankoveho vzdelavania NBS, n.o.
• UNIVERSITA TELEMATICA INTERNAZIONALE-UNINETTUNO