Achieving work-family balance for single parents Erasmus Project

Project Title

Achieving work-family balance for single parents

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Gender equality / equal opportunities

Project Summary

Context of project:Across Europe single parents are being activated into the labour market. The project was created in response to the European-wide growing need to integrate single parents into the job market more effectively, lowering the risk of poverty in single parent households and allowing this target group to unlock its full potential. Single parents often experience in-work poverty. The necessity to balance employment with parenting and the covert discrimination they face at the labour market leads single parents to seek less qualified, lower paying precarious employment. What is needed are easily accessible learning tools for both employers (HR specialists, small business owners etc.) and single parents to help them to work more efficiently together and help achieve the considerable potential of single parents in the workplace. Objectives of project:This project aims to support single parents to stay employed and to engage with employers and HR specialists to achieve this. Experiences of APERIO and W&L show that employers welcome activities that contribute to employee satisfaction, and thus to increased profit. This project aimed to significantly contribute to sustainable employment of single parents, reduce their risk of poverty, and prevent further social risks to single parents and their children.The project will also explore ways to involve parents and employers more intensively in online learning, and maximise their long-term learning outcomes. Description of activities:Two outputs focus on both single parents and employers:O1. Single parents in employment who struggle to keep and progress in their job and O2. HR specialists, managers and small business owners who want to use the professional potential of single parents and avoid fluctuation of experienced staff. Our project developed practical online educational modules both for single parents and HR specialists from a variety of organizations.-These modules combine experience and best training practices from all partners. We achieved a wider accessibility of the modules by making them available online.Number and profile of participants: The project will benefit approximately 2240 people in total; 50 persons employed at all partners, 14 persons attending the dissemination event, at least 100 persons (stakeholders) from each country who will watch the dissemination event materials, 32 persons at piloting stage of both programmes in each country. The programmes are still being transferred to partner’s own organisation websites but once complete we aim that 100 single parents from each country will participate in the single parents programme by 2020, 25 HR experts/small business owners who have participated in the programme for employers in each country by 2020, 600 stakeholders (NGOs, civil servants, social workers, charities etc.) who will have heard about the project and its activities during the project and 12 months after its conclusion, will understand more deeply the situation and needs of single parents, and have access to good practices in helping them stay in employment. Methodology used in carrying out the project:Application of participatory, blended and evidence based methodology. Website development using online learning methodologies to facilitate life-long learning and support professionals’ development. Evidence-based design applied in Preparation phase and partners’ experiences ensure a systematic and empirically informed approach. Qualitative and quantitative surveys of participants’ experience during the piloting has formed an integral part of programme development. Collaboration in transnational teams to ensure intercultural relevance and experience transfer. Results and impact:Parents will gain free access to online learning modules built on tested methodologies, learn new ways to enter and stay in the labour market;- plan a career path and continued progression; – know the key components to finding and keeping meaningful, balanced and sustainable employment and understanding supports – increase crucial intra-personal and inter-personal skills associated with personal empowerment and professional success. Employers will gain free access to online learning modules built on tested methodologies; learn to support single parents in the workplace- identify positive aspects to having single parent employees – gain knowledge on diversity in families in society and create intercultural sensitivity, so as to work with, and employ, all parents and families without judgment. Longer term impact and benefits:Single parents: prevention of or progress out of social exclusion, poverty and exhaustion. Improved employment rates for single parents and better collaboration between single parents and employers. Employers and other stakeholders: increased awareness and ability to serve and work with diverse families. Society as a whole: increased awareness of needs of single parents and fragile families via dissemination activities

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 172081 Eur

Project Coordinator

Cherish t/a One Family & Country: IE

Project Partners

• INTERMEDIA CONSULTING ASSOCIAZIONE
• One Parent Families Scotland
• APERIO – Spolecnost pro zdrave rodicovstvi, z.s.
• berufundfamilie Service GmbH