SignMedia Vocational Training Erasmus Project

Project Title

SignMedia 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 2017

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

The SignMedia Vocational Training (SMVT) project aimed to address some of the issues across the partner countries in relation to providing VET based resources for deaf people in the media sector and those wanting to work in the sector. It extended the reach of the SignMedia SMART media glossary for French sign language users and created and delivered a training course for the target audience.

The project aimed to empower deaf people in the media sector by facilitating peer learning, up-skilling, knowledge exchange, European mobility and further facilitating communication and collaboration between deaf and hearing media professionals and crews.

The key target groups for the project were deaf media professionals and those who want to work in the sector. Other beneficiaries were media VET providers, policy makers, employers and enterprise agencies, sign language interpreters, media students, hearing business professionals, teachers/trainers of the deaf, sign language students and policy makers. The project aimed to not only support deaf people who are already working in the media sector, but also those with ambition to work in the sector. These target groups, therefore influenced who we engaged with. Participants were selected through contact with the target groups and providers of relevant VET provision.

The consortium consisted of 6 partners. University of Wolverhampton (UK) as lead partner, Bellyfeel Media Limited (UK) , University of Klagenfurt (Austria), Istituto dei Sordi di Torino (Italy), Alba Società Cooperativa Sociale (Italy) and University of Rennes 2 (France).

The methodology and results of the project were based around 2 key Intellectual Outputs (O1 French Glossary Version and O3 Training Course), 4 project meetings, management activities, dissemination and a multiplier event.

The French glossary can be accessed here and is free to access. http://www.signmediasmart.com/?lang=fr . It contains 500 media terms which are defined with a written definition, signed video and illustration. A group of relevant individuals from the target groups tested and piloted the app at various stages. In addition, other relevant stakeholders and internal partner staff formed part of the testing. The French glossary was launched at the Clin O’eil Festival in Reims in 2019. The event attracted a significant number of target groups from France, and also from across Europe and the world.

Due to COVID travel restrictions, the planned face to face training course could not take place, and instead, an online course was created and delivered via Zoom. The course ran for 4 days and consisted of live sessions, pre-recorded videos and other supporting resources. The course was delivered 3 times in total (to UK participants, to Austrian participants and jointly to French and Italian participants). In total 35 people attended the course. The full course can be accessed here http://www.signmediasmart.com/smvt-course/ It is available in all languages of the project partners (Italian sign language, BSL, Austrian sign language and French sign language along with international sign). The suite of resources are now available for all to access for free and this has created sustainability for the project. A user guide for trainers was also created in all partner languages to support use and delivery of the online course in the future.

It was envisaged that 750 people would be reached directly and indirectly through project activities and outcomes and this was far exceeded through extensive dissemination activity, a Multiplier Event at the Clin D’Oeil Festival 2019, in Reims and social media.

SignMedia Vocational Training’s online course, glossary, websites and social media were joined in an intelligent way with other online Sign Media properties to maximise interest from the target groups and cross fertilise traffic from each project’s activity. This worked extremely well with some very busy periods surrounding events and online courses.

The project has positively impacted across the partner countries in relation to the availability of VET based resources for deaf people in the media sector and those who want to work in the sector. Feedback from piloting and testing has been positive and the evaluation of the course by participants demonstrated the need and demand for such training. A wide range of individuals and organisations outside of the consortium were engaged with. This engagement increased throughout the project, and in particular when the French glossary version and training course content were ready.

All project outputs are available free of charge to all and will continue to be available for the foreseeable future. There is potential for the glossary and training course to be replicated in other languages and topic areas.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 250450 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Alba Società Cooperativa Sociale a r.l.
• UNIVERSITE RENNES II
• UNIVERSITAET KLAGENFURT
• Bellyfeel Media Limited
• ISTITUTO DEI SORDI DI TORINO