Age-diverse workforce management for HR managers Erasmus Project

Project Title

Age-diverse workforce management for HR managers

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

BACKGROUND & NEEDSThe European workforce is ageing. The number of working age individuals aged 65 and over is predicted to increase by 20% by 2020. For the first time there will be more than five generations working together in organisations, enriching the diversity of experiences, perspectives, personal values and ideas and creating challenges and opportunities which HR managers need to be reflective to address. Within this context, HR managers and people managers need to develop key competences such as understanding the age-dynamics at the workplace; fostering multigenerational teamwork; dealing with age related stereotypes; culturing emotional intelligence; dealing with the intergroup conflict and underlying anxiety; and promoting intergenerational learning in the workplace. This is why the adoption of new management approaches with regards to age-related demographic changes in the workplace poses new challenges for the continuous training provision (CVET) for HR managers and people managers enriching existing training offerings, beyond the focus of just how to manage, keep employed and lead older workers. AIMThe project aims to support VET provision for HR managers in age diversity in the workplace addressing the needs of VET providers and learners by building upon previous projects and training programmes to: a) enrich knowledge, skills and competences regarding age-diverse working conditions in the form of up-to-date learning outcomes, b) develop Open Educational Resources that ensure easy and free access to on-line educational material, and c) work towards an educational framework for the mutual exploitation of the updated learning outcomes for HR managers in Europe.OBJ-1. Develop appropriate learning outcomes to support VET provision on key competences in age-diverse workforce management for HR managers.OBJ-2. Enhance access of learners to VET provision that support key competences on age diverse workforce management via original OERs and game based pedagogy.OBJ-3. Facilitate mutual recognition of the developed learning outcomes across EU.THE HR4AD PARTNERSHIPThe partnership comprises 5 organisations from 5 countries from the world of VET, the sector, and field experts. EXELIA has delivered training on communication / negotiation / management skills and is an expert in the development of innovative ICT-based training, and game based pedagogies. PRIZMA, GIP-FCIP and KERIGMA bring significant experience on post-secondary VET courses, hold a long field expertise and present strong networking and dissemination capacities. BAPM is representative of the HR managers’ needs at national and EU level. ACTIVITIES & METHODOLOGY1. Development of learning outcomes, based on evidence collected from VET providers, field experts and the HR managers’ industry via original desk and field research on skills requirements, leading to specific definitions of knowledge, skills and competences following EQF and ECVET standards. 2. Development of a modular course (in the form of OERs and training game) and VET guidelines for the integration of the HR4AD learning outcomes in current and future training programmes.3. Involvement of educational and VET provision authorities and institutions for the mutual recognition of the HR4AD learning outcomes, through the development and promotion of a strategic cooperation plan and a signed support statement. 5. Sharing and validation of outputs with multiplier events, inviting target groups to test and uptake HR4AD results acting as further disseminators.RESULTS 1. Evidence-based learning outcomes in key competences in age-diverse workforce management.2. VET learning units for a corresponding modular course. 3. VET guidelines for the integration of the developed learning outcomes into existing programmes. 4. Pedagogical resources and assessment tools offered as OERs.5. An HR4AD training game.6. EU pedagogic framework for the mutual recognition of the developed learning outcomes.7. Five demonstration workshops (SI, EL, FR, PT, BG) to promote results and validate learning materials.IMPACT AND POST-PROJECT SUSTAINABILITYThe HR4AD project is expected to have the following impact and longer term benefits:1. Promoting participation of a growing number of VET learners using the HR4AD OERs and training game via their availability and dissemination, exploitation and maintenance activities for three years after the project’s completion based on the partners own effort.2. Supporting at least 20 VET providers across the EU on enhancing new training programs by integrating the HR4AD outputs. 3. Further maturing of certification & accreditation policies, as a result of the developed by the project EU framework towards the development of an EU qualification on age diverse workforce needs for HR managers.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 253971 Eur

Project Coordinator

EXELIA E.E. & Country: EL

Project Partners

• Bulgarian Association for People Management
• GIP-FCIP de l’académie de Caen
• KERIGMA – INSTITUTO DE INOVACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO SOCIAL DE BARCELOS
• FUNDACIJA ZA IZBOLJSANJE ZAPOSLITVENIH MOZNOSTI PRIZMA, USTANOVA FOUNDATION FOR IMPROVEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT POSIBILITIES PRIZMA AN INSTITUTION