Boosting the skills of youth to deal with stress at work Erasmus Project

Project Title

Boosting the skills of youth to deal with stress at work

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 youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)

Project Summary

CONTEXT
Work-related stress is often cited as a major concern for managers in health and social welfare. The legislation of the EU [Framework Directive, on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers] expresses the need of the systematic training and support for the new and young employees so they can perform their duties. According to European surveys on working conditions and scientific literature, particularly young professionals and workers are at risk from various forms physical and psychological hazards due to stress. As reported by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, stress due to work, are among the most commonly reported causes of illness workers, affecting more than 40 million people across the EU, with a great portion of it being young workers.

OBJECTIVES
In this context, BooStress developed a vocational training package to equip current and prospect young workers with stress management skills, in the context of health and safety framework, and build their capacity to address relevant challenges in their work environment. The project overall aim was to upgrade and multiply the opportunities for up-skilling and re-skilling young workers in managing work related stress, via innovative VET tools and pedagogies, accompanied by skills acquisition assessment, recognition and validation methods. More specifically, the project objectives were to: combat low levels of stress management skills among young workers through open and inclusive digital tools, resources and practices; empower young workers to become creators of their own career via soft skills acquisition and maximize their employability opportunities; enhance the development of critical media literacy skills and competences in VET; provide innovative youth and VET pedagogical methods, best practice guidelines, and strategies towards the use of digital tools and innovative learning environments; empower all stakeholders to use innovative ICT-based VET practices and resources in enhancing new skills for youth; provide contemporary methods and tools for assessment of skills acquisition, recognition and validation

PARTICIPANTS
The consortium consisted of 3 partners from 3 EU countries:
1. CARDET – Centre for the Advancement of Research and Development in Educational Technology (Cyprus): It is one of the leading research and development center in the Mediterranean region with global expertise in project design and implementation, capacity building, and e-learning.
2. FIPL – Future in Perspective (Ireland): It is a private company working in the field of vocational training, adult education, e-learning, digital media and social inclusion.
3. Caminos – Asociación Caminos (Spain): It is a Spanish non-profit association located in Andalucía, which is dedicated to the field of education through opportunities of exchange, development and social inclusion.

MAIN ACTIVITIES
The BooStress project consisted of 5 main outputs, around which the main activities of the project revolved:
1. Development of the health and safety Skills – youth training Ecosystem and Methodological Framework (eBook)
2. BooStress Curriculum and Toolbox of Key Skills Acquisition Resources
3. BooStress Multifunctional and Interactive Platform – Open educational & training e-resource and Mobile Application
4. BooStress Skills Assessment, Validation and Recognition Tools
5. Infusion of the BooStress Package in the labor market – Adaptation and Policy Package

RESULTS AND IMPACT
The partners secured the design, development, implementation and multiplication of the aforementioned high quality outputs. By the project completion, partners achieved to create outputs and implement activities/events for: gaining knowledge and awareness on the existing situation and of the needs of young workers in dealing with work-related stress; gaining knowledge and understanding of empowerment measures in social, economic and educational context; the improvement of knowledge, skills and competences in the field of employability and youth. In the long run, the BooStress will contribute to empowering, up-skilling and re-skilling young workers in health and safety skills; infusing the concept and potentials of health and safety processes in the EU economy and mainstreaming relevant policies and strategies; equipping youth and VET actors with contemporary resources, pedagogies, material and tools for skills acquisition assessment, validation and recognition. In addition, we expect BooStress to contribute to placing health and safety skills at the heart of the EU labour market; addressing health and safety skills at EU Level offering advanced tools for relevant skills upgrade and accreditations for young workers; and empowering stakeholders to use innovative ICT-based educational practices in enhancing people’s entrepreneurial, collaboration, problem solving, creativity and innovation skills.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 135324 Eur

Project Coordinator

CENTRE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY LTD-CARDET & Country: CY

Project Partners

• ASOCIACION CAMINOS – ASOCIACION PARA EL INTERCAMBIO EDUCACION Y DESARROLLO SOCIAL
• FUTURE IN PERSPECTIVE LIMITED