Developing Employability Skills Through INnovative education using MOOCs for Youth Erasmus Project

Project Title

Developing Employability Skills Through INnovative education using MOOCs for Youth

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 higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Our consortium consisted of 4 HEIs and 4 commercial organisations.
STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY, Bitjam Limited (UK)
UNIVERSIDAD DE LA LAGUNA, EVM Project Management Experts S.L. (Tenerife)
TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CRETE, Sentiment Analysis Market Research (Crete)
DOBA Fakulteta za uporabne poslovne in druzbene studije Maribor, KADIS, kadrovsko izobrazevalni inzeniring d.o.o., Ljubljana (Slovenia)

This project sought to address a skills mis-match and improve the employment prospects of youth and adult work-seekers, and employees who wish to improve their skills for better employment, through the use of MOOCs (Massive Open On-line Courses) that are directly related to the needs of the local LABOUR MARKET, and are recognised by local employers. The project IMPLEMENTED and TESTED a method called a Study Club to support learners in such a way that the drop out rate could be reduced, and successful completion would a positive impact on employment skills.
The rationale of the project was to RESEARCH skills needs, then DEVELOP targeted MOOC tools, then IMPLEMENT, TEST AND REFINE a method for HEIs to PROMOTE and SUPPORT the use of MOOCs to address local labour market SKILLS SHORTAGES, and in so doing to support regional ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT while improving the EMPLOYABILITY of local youth and adult learners.
It did this through the following objectives and produced results as described.
1. Researched into the availability and access of MOOCs by EU region and by curriculum sector, including factors such as language, cost, level, accreditation and content, including transversal skills. The end product of the research was a MOOC audit report of the four partner regions (Output id 02). The analysis of the regional reports provided a comprehensive perspective of existing MOOCs in the form of a consolidated report (Output id 03).
2. The team then researched into local labour market skills needs (LLMN) and the skills offered by work-seekers (WS), using partner organisations with direct access to employers, work seekers and labour market intelligence (Output id 04). The stage produced four regional reports for LLMN and WS based on primary data-gathering and analysis but also via a pan-european survey set of results to compare and contrast with. The impact of this activity was extensive as it provided the underpinning for the rest of the project and fundamentally influenced what MOOCs to produce.
3. The LLMN, WS and pan-european data fed critical analysis and the synthesis of this work produced the important Pan-European report (Output id 18) on LLMN and WS needs. It was then possible to match MOOC offerings to the labour market needs and the team were able to justify ‘pathways’ using recommended MOOCs and with provenance of the research outputs.
4. Produced and implemented training (Output id 07) for Stakeholders (Academics, learning support staff, careers staff, recruitment staff, employers and HR professionals) on the value of MOOC learning, (including their use as entry to other more formal education programmes using a ‘recognition of prior learning’ process)
5. Extensive primary data research with regional higher education institutions (HEIs) and a pan-european survey of HEIs produced a comprehensive perspective of HEI MOOC engagement (Output id 05). The analysis of all this work led to a consolidated report (Output id 06) and the dissemination helped to shape MOOC models for HEI initiatives and conclusions on the models and hosting of ‘MOOC Cafe/Study Club’ (MSC), including hardware, software, staffing (Output id 11)
6. Ten new Destiny MOOCs were developed based on the pathways identified (Output id 08) and these were promoted/run via the MSC and through partners, extensive networks and contacts such as youth organisations, HR departments, Local Chamber of Commerce. An information and advice guidance (IAG) brochure was produced promoting the Destiny MOOCs and other recommended pathways (Output id 10).
7. The Destiny team Implemented the first run of the pilot MOOCs using MSCs followed by test, review and evaluation of results (Output id 12).
8. A review and re-designed MSC models based on experience according to results of the first run (Output id 13) prepared for a second run of the MOOCs via study clubs. The impact of MSC on MOOC retention and completion was of particular interest to the team.
9. The Implementation of a second run of MSCs enabled a repeat of promotion and refinement of the Destiny MOOC design (Output id 14).
10. A Consolidated dissemination report (Ouput id 15) of the second run of MSCs fed into the project findings Final Report and Executive Summaries for the Project (Output id 17). The legacy of the Destiny Project is an ongoing Destiny website full of resources for the stakeholders, for work-seekers and for organisations seeking advice on how to harness MOOC technology. (Output id 16).
http://destiny-eu.net, click to access MOOCs via http://learning.destiny-eu.net

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 423894,12 Eur

Project Coordinator

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Bitjam Limited
• TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CRETE
• KADIS, kadrovsko izobrazevalni inzeniring d.o.o., Ljubljana
• ECOSISTEMAS VIRTUALES Y MODULARES SL
• Sentiment Analysis
• DOBA Fakulteta za uporabne poslovne in druzbene studije Maribor
• UNIVERSIDAD DE LA LAGUNA