PACETRAINING Erasmus Project

Project Title

PACETRAINING

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Disabilities – special needs; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

Based on various authoritative researches approx. 1% of the EU population is affected by learning limitations that may prevent proper administration of education and training and inclusion in the labour market.

Among others, Down Syndrome as well as other cognitive genetic related constrains targeted by the project, may suffer from marginalization and financial difficulties. Down Syndrome people can, in fact, count pretty much on their family to fulfil their personal needs and to get financial resourses, as employment opportunities are very seldom provided to them and families show doubts and concerns about the future of their children while growing older themselves.

Although some practices of specialised training for SN do exist across Eurpe and some employment case study are well documented, SN are not regularly enrolled into education or VET and just few are employed.

Such a situation has an impact on the overall EU GDP growth and impose social costs for heath care that must be granted.

The PACETRAINING initiative aims therefore at the design of an ad hoc training programme targeted at SN people aiming at providing them with the minimum required skills to be employed.

The project will pilot the initiative in the Tourism and Culinary Arts industry, building upon previous SN training experience of the Applicant and the transnational partners that proved affectivness in the labour market, although the model will be designed in such a manner to facilitate its replication in other VET sectors and other contexts.

To achieve such goal a number of activities will be carried out:

1) Identification of Learning outcomes and grouping into Units suitable to equip SN with the necessary skills to be employed in the Hotel management and Culinary Arts Industry. Such activity will end up with the design of a short version of the regular qualification path, based on shared Units of learning outcomes, tailored on SN learning needs, potentials and timing, including the necessary assessment based on Rating Scales that will also investigate the “emotional reactions” of the participants. Such tasks will involve a double piloting of the training model: to put into practice the training contents and methodology at first and to provide the final version of the overall model after an adequate evaluation of the learning results and the employment potential.

2) The creation of the necessary conditions that will provide VET centres with the skills required to perform with SN and administer them the pilot: such activity will involve the design of a Train the Trainers module of approx. 35 hours that will provide the training workforce of the partners with the correct methodology and the minimum scientific background to effectively approaching SN training. The Train the Trainers Module will include, among others, the clear identification of the work sequences and the toos to teach SN students, especially via audio and video equipments, role playing activities to simulate work environment and to place themselves into SN shoes, the use of the rating scales to assess SN performance and the acquisition of skills and abilities.

3) The design of a communication strategy addressed to the labour market: employing SN can be both a benefit and a challenge for companies whereby the lack of information and fears are to be taken apart. Communication with employers will therefore provide them with evidence based information of the benefits arising from employing SN and the reduction of the connected social costs as well as the natural “team building” that empoying SN represent.

4) The identification of other profession suitable for a replication of the model in other fields of training and other georgraphical context. Such activity is planned to futher support the project sustainability and to provide the wider community of VET practitioners with an opportunity to widen up their social inclusive training supply.

Based on the above described main activities, the project targets the following groups:

A) SN people and their caregivers

B) Trainers at a European level

C) Employers

D) VET authorities and decision makers at the local, national and European level

Dissemination activities will be addressed to all these groups at different stages of the project implementation in a double manner: gathering them altogether at time of sharing project results and indivually at time of raising awareness.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 371089,67 Eur

Project Coordinator

AGENZIA DI FORMAZIONE PROFESSIONALE DELLE COLLINE ASTIGIANE SCARL & Country: IT

Project Partners

• CONFEDERACION ESPANOLA DE CENTROS DE ENSENANZA ASOCIACION C.E.C.E.
• Biedriba “Malpils tautskola”
• VOLKSHOCHSCHULE IM LANDKREIS CHAM EV
• Invalidisäätiö
• CIFASA