Engaging unemployed low-skilled adults over 45 years old in training opportunities through collaboration schemes among CSOs, employers and training providers Erasmus Project

Project Title

Engaging unemployed low-skilled adults over 45 years old in training opportunities through collaboration schemes among CSOs, employers and training providers

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Cooperation between educational institutions and business

Project Summary

CONTEXT
Almost 60% of Europe’s 74 million low-skilled citizens are over 45 years old and are the most hard to reach to participate in training, even though they need lifelong learning most. Efforts to reach out particularly to low-skilled adults over 45 years old, who need special motivation to participate in training are essential to reduce risk of social exclusion. CSOs that already work with low-skilled people living in poverty, have to play an important role in engaging them in training, and thus need methodologies and tailor-made strategies to involve the various stakeholders required. On the other side employers’ involvement in training programs for unemployed low-skilled older adults is essential to increase perception of benefits of upskilling and connection to employment.

OBJECTIVES
1 Establish effective local ecosystems that encourage participation of unemployed low-skilled adults over 45 years old in training opportunities.
2 Increase collaboration among CSOs, employers and trainers.
3 Produce recommendations for employers to increase their involvement in training initiatives for low-skilled older adults.
4 Improve socio-labour inclusion of unemployed low-skilled adults over 45 years old.

THE PARTNERSHIP
The Ac+45 project comprises 5 organisations from 4 EU countries representing the worlds of civil society, adult education, labour, policy and regional development. ActionAid Hellas is an affiliate of ActionAid International experienced in empowering vulnerable groups of people, provision of personalised guidance and delivering training on basic skills. The Labour Institute of Greek Confederation of Labour provides scientific justification about interventions related to labour, and training to socially vulnerable groups. Action Against Hunger is a large CSO in Spain working on the empowerment, training and employability of 10000 vulnerable people in 10 regions. RETE NGO in Italy works on social and labour inclusion of disadvantaged and delivers digital skills courses adjusted to low-skilled older adults. Stara Zagora Regional Economic Development Agency in Bulgaria works with businesses, authorities and civil society towards the regional economic development. The Confederation of Danish Employers (associated partner) represents 14 employers’ organisations and has 28,000 private companies as members.

ACTIVITIES & METHODOLOGY
1 Desk research, interviews with low-skilled older adults and focus groups with employers to define the requirements for engaging unemployed low-skilled adults over 45 years old in training.
2 Development of a collaboration framework among CSOs, employers and trainers in adult education, an implementation guide and experiential training material to establish effective local ecosystems/learning and employability centres.
3 Collection of successful practices to produce knowledge resources for employers and encourage their involvement in training initiatives for low-skilled older adults.
4 Training of the partnership on the use of Ac+45 collaboration framework and tools.
5 Pilot testing and impact assessment of Ac+45 outputs through establishment of local collaboration schemes.
6 Creation of a network of Ac+45 adopters to facilitate stakeholders’ collaboration and sustainability of results.
7 Promotion of the Ac+45 outputs through multiplier events.

RESULTS & IMPACT
1 Requirements and influential factors for engaging unemployed low-skilled older adults in training to provide CSOs and trainers with greater understanding on the needs of this group, and support them in designing more attractive training and empowerment programmes (400 CSOs, 200 Training providers to be reached).
2 An integrated collaboration framework and tools to empower CSOs staff to establish effective collaborations with employers and training providers, and motivate potential learners (4000 professionals, 1500 learners to be reached).
3 Guidelines for employers to support their involvement in training initiatives for unemployed low-skilled older adults (500 employers to be reached).
4 A network of Ac+45 adopters and repository of impact assessment results to promote adoption of project outputs, and support policy makers in the design of employability and upskilling measures for unemployed low-skilled older adults (40 adopters during project, 35 key policy makers to be reached).
5 A European conference and four national infodays to reach and involve target groups (285 participants).

LONG TERM BENEFITS
1 Integration of the Ac+45 collaboration framework, tools and knowledge resources by CSOs, training providers, employers and chambers of commerce in EU, adjusting them in their contexts.
2 Uptake and adaptation of the Ac+45 collaboration framework from policy makers in EU, with the aim to improve the impact of current policy measures.
3 Participation of a growing number of unemployed low-skilled adults over 45 years old in training programmes on basic and soft skills, promoting their socio-labour inclusion.

Project Website

http://act45.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 241487,4 Eur

Project Coordinator

ACTIONAID HELLAS ASTIKI MI KERDOSKOPIKI ETAIRIA & Country: EL

Project Partners

• AGENTSIYA ZA REGIONALNO IKONOMICHESKO RAZVITIE
• ASSOCIAZIONE DI TECNICI PER LA SOLIDARIETA E COOPERAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE
• INSTITOUTO ERGASIAS
• FUNDACION ACCION CONTRA EL HAMBRE