Inclutrain connect – Inclusive exchange and cooperation on concepts of person-centred vocational training Erasmus Project

Project Title

Inclutrain connect – Inclusive exchange and cooperation on concepts of person-centred vocational training

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Inclusion – equity; Disabilities – special needs

Project Summary

Inclutrain connect is a strategic partnership for the exchange of good practice. The aim of the project is to create a European experience base of practiced inclusion. The project builds capacity of partners employees in methodological competence with a focus on vocational training. The participants improve their ability to see the individual quality of a person, to connect and develop their impulse of action. In the specific working environment, both care givers and those who are looked after learn to develop their personal qualities into professional skills. With such a holistic approach, inclusion and participation are practiced and directly tangible. The project is building a transnational network of communities in which active participation of all people in social and professional everyday life is lived in an inclusive way.

The participating partners Weide Hardebek, Loidholdhof, Birkenhof, Casa de Santa Isabell, Albert de Vries Onderzoek in eigen werk and Urtica de Vijfsprong are pioneers as living communities for people with needs for special care. They have many years of experience with different approaches to vocational training for people in need of support. Some partners, including the project applicant organisation merckens development support gmbh, have already jointly developed an inclusive person-centred vocational training concept for people with support needs in the INCLUTRAIN project.

The target group includes care takers, care givers and support staff of the communities. All employees of the partner institutions as well as providers of vocational training for people with special needs are targets of the proposed project.

The core element of the project are five inclusive training activities. All participants (carte takers and care givers from different working areas) cooperate to identify and connect to individual qualities. Situation-specific, targeted support for other participants shall expand their professional skills. During the training activities individual process steps led to direct experiences of the inclusive approach for all participants. The basic experience of having already performed a certain activity or approach gives confidence and courage. This creates the prerequisites for the methods and experience of practiced inclusion. Such experiences will be passed on and implemented in one’s own institution. During the training activities continuous reflection about the learning process takes place. New forms of the cooperative approach, partnership and task distribution increase motivation and satisfaction at work. The individual abilities of each person are taken into account and inclusion is practised.

The training activities are supplemented by six transnational project meetings, with the participation of all partners, and four project meetings, with the purpose to deepen the individual project contents and prepare the training activities on site.

The project activities open up space for exchange and common learning activities for about 190 employees of the partner institutions. People in need of support will experience it as absolutely normal to be noticed and receive support in becoming self-initiative. Participation in the project enables them to achieve professionalism in their respective areas of responsibility, to develop professionally, to take initiative and to take responsibility. The responsible employees gain additional confidence in using methodical techniques to initiate, accompany and pass on this development process.

The results and experiences of the project create a picture of an inclusive society where participatory living and vocational training are an integral part of every person’s life. Uncertainties in the encounter with the unfamiliar are reduced by positive experiences and space for common development is opened. A change of perspective towards experiential learning, where quality in every activity is present and the connection to a personal individual impulse for action are central elements of the project. This is experienced by all people who are in contact with the project participants. A new basis of joint work is established and leads to that inclusion becomes reality. Exemplary and applied through international exchange on a European level.

Learning outcomes, perspectives and best practice approaches are collected, specified and processed in the form of a report of experience so that they can be referred to at any time. A translation into the languages of the partner countries, as well as English, will be provided. A handbook of all results will be published and is available online for interested institutions and stakeholders.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 168720 Eur

Project Coordinator

MERCKENS DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT GMBH & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Albert de Vries Onderzoek in eigen werk
• Casa de Santa Isabel
• Urtica
• Heimstätte Birkenhof, Sozialtherapeutische Lebens-, Bildungs- und Werkgemeinschaft
• Arge für anthroposophisches Heilwesen – Ita Wegman Therapeutikum
• Hofgemeinschaft Weide-Hardebek LBF gGmbH