Competitive Regions and Employability of Adults through Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Competitive Regions and Employability of Adults through Education

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 adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Regional dimension and cooperation; Economic and financial affairs (incl. funding issues); Reaching the policy level/dialogue with decision makers

Project Summary

The project CREATE was inspired by the results of a previous project REGIONAL, which found that regional and local adult education did not necessarily only suffer from lack of funding, but also from a disconnect between AE policies and local economic development, resulting in inefficient use of funds. CREATE aimed and still aims to enhance performance and efficiency in adult education by addressing the gap between EU/national strategies and local/regional implementation as well as the challenge of formulating appropriate AE policy. The goal is to enable policy makers to better coordinate and plan policy, share experiences and enhance inter-regional and cross-border cooperation. To that aim the CREATE consortium created an open resource Toolbox containing useful tools, best practice cases as well as networks. The Toolbox is accompanied by an Implementation Package containing documents and templates that enable users to directly apply the content of the Toolbox alongside instructions on how to join the Virtual Community and how to propose new tools for the Toolbox. Documents include a memorandum of understanding, letter of intent, invitation for consultation and open call for proposals and there are examples and instructions alongside templates. The consortium was keen to make all resources as easily accessible and as directly applicable as possible so users could reap immediate benefits.
the consortium itself represented different perspectives and agents of the AE sector: providers and practitioners to strengthen practical relevance and applicability, government administration and umbrella organisations to provide the link to the policy level and an academic partner to guarantee methodological accuracy.

Partners started by mapping the ‘tool landscape’ of the AE sectors in their countries and regions. A survey sent to central stakeholders in AE helped map current practices on policy tools, measures and strategies by asking recipients to recommend and rate the efficiency of tools and networks known to and used by them. This was crucial information for the creation of the repository (the Toolbox) but also allowed partners to identify needs and opportunities for further development along the way. Participants were also asked to point out gaps where they would like to see tools and useful resources to help them navigate the area. The results of the survey were published in a report which also contextualises them through country reports outlining the AE systems in partners’ countries and regions. This presents a useful framework for readers which allows them to compare their own systems and strategies and helps them identify useful tools and approaches for their specific context. Through the mapping process and their own analyses partners identified “policy tools” available within partners’ regions and territories and beyond. The tools proposed were vetted for inclusion in the Toolbox as partners were keen to only include items of high value, accessibility and applicability. The Toolbox currently contains 60 tools and will be extended over the coming years; every user can suggest new additions. It is searchable by keyword, category or phase of the policy cycle.
To help users implement new ideas and strategies directly, the consortium created an Implementation Package containing useful documents that can be adjusted to the users’ specific needs.

The Toolbox and Virtual Community offer a framework for enhanced cooperation and exchange among policy makers as well as other agents in the AE sector. As such it is a novelty and addresses a real need for sharing and exchanging experiences, good practices and strategies instead of every agency going it alone. The cooperative approach, which stresses communication and inclusion of practice, will make these processes much more sustainable, time-efficient and create programmes much better informed by the real needs of the sector.
The website, including the Virtual Community, the Toolbox and Implementation Package all come in the seven languages represented in the consortium. Partners welcome suggestions for further translations if new members would like to volunteer their services. The website, Community and Toolbox will be active for four years beyond the project lifetime and will be kept up to date by the original partnership. Partners have started to grow the Virtual Community during the project lifetime and will continue the promote it in the years to come with the goal of creating a thriving international community of exchange and cooperation consisting of agents active in strategic policy processes for adult education.

Main results:
– Project Website feat. the Virtual Community Platform (http://www.projectcreate.eu/)
– Report on Mapping and Assessment of Policy Tools
– Toolbox as a searchable repository of tools useful for the AE policy process
– Implementation Package containing useful documents and templates to facilitate uptake

Project Website

http://www.projectcreate.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 299937,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

Niedersächischer Bund für freie Erwachsenenbildung e.V. & Country: DE

Project Partners

• INTERNET WEB SOLUTIONS SL
• Vysocina Education
• VIDZEMES PLANOSANAS REGIONS
• INSTITUT DE HAUTE FORMATION AUX POLITIQUES COMMUNAUTAIRES
• NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND MAYNOOTH
• Jadransko jonska euroregija
• MINISTERIUM FUR KULTUS, JUGEN UND SPORT BADEN-WURTTEMBERG