Enhancing the Quality of Life Impact of inclusive Vocational Education and Training and Community Care (QOLIVET) Erasmus Project

Project Title

Enhancing the Quality of Life Impact of inclusive Vocational Education and Training and Community Care (QOLIVET)

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); Quality Assurance; Disabilities – special needs

Project Summary

VET and Community Care services involve thousands of people with disabilities in Europe. Consequently, the impact that VET have on the quality of life of people with disabilities is of fundamental importance and has to be taken into consideration as a key element when addressing this issue.
However, this analysis does not find space in the activities of the VET and Community Care providers, thus reducing their positive impact on QOL of PWD. This main problem is generated by 3 main factors:
1: The concept of QOL and the indicators to measure it change fast and measurement tools get outdated soon.
2: Professional skills and tools of VET and CC providers’ workers on the topic of QOL are often incomplete and often don’t take into consideration the input of PWD themselves.
3: The impact of VET and CC provision on QOL of PWD is difficult to measure.

QOLIVET Objective and results:
• Main Objective: Better QOL of life of PWD;
• Result 1: Tools and competences are updated frequently and keep up with QOL constantly changing topic;
• Result 2: Tools innovation and professional skills are supported and take into consideration the input of PWD;
• Result 3: The impact of VET and CC on QOL of PWD is easier to measure.

Target Group:
People with Disabilities, specifically the ones that benefit from VET and Community Care provision (regardless of their ability, gender, age, cultural level, etc.)

Activities and deliverables
1. Research and Analysis at national and EU level;
2. Good Practices Guidelines production:
Leading to the development of I.O.1 Good Practices Guidelines on Vet and Community Care service provision;
3. Training Course development:
Leading to I.O.2: Online Training Course on Quality of Life Impact of inclusive Vocational Education and Training and Community Care;
4. ONLINE QOL Portal development:
Leading to I.O.3: Quality of Life portal;
5. QOL Impact Assessment Tool development:
Leading to I.O.4: Quality of Life Impact Assessment tool (I.O.4).

Profile and number of participants:
• VET and CC specialists: they will have to: introduce newly acquired skills in their daily work, disseminate the content of the trainings within their organizations, etc.;
• Middle management staff: Decision-makers at operational level, so that the innovative solutions and digital tools, can more easily lead to a structural change;
• End users (PWD): In compliance with the principle “Nothing about us without us”, their involvement is expected in all the most important phases of the project.
• ICT experts

The project will implement 3 Training Events in which a total of 42 participants from the above mentioned groups will attend.

Methodology:
QOLIVET involves VET and CC provision simultaneously, as the methodology allows to adapt the tools and project outputs to both fields with the same effectiveness.
At the same time, the project plans to involve mainstream VET providers, for a a more complete and richer feedback regarding the efficacy and transferability of the outputs.
The project activities are designed to ensure that an iterative process of learning and development informs the production of the intellectual outputs.
The project starts with a transversal activity, Research and Analysis, which cuts across and provides an evidence base for all other project activities. It leads to the first draft of the Good Practice Guidelines (I.O.1) that will be subject to expert peer review prior to publication.
An Online Training Course on Quality of Life Impact of inclusive Vocational Education and Training and Community Care (I.O.2) is developed, aimed at managers and front-line staff in VET and CC providers, disability representatives and program evaluators.
While I.O.1 and I.O.2 are developed, the Quality of Life Portal is implemented, preparing it to host all project’s I.O.s and external resources and the QOL impact assessment tool (I.O.4). The tool provides both staff and participants the opportunity to rate a VET or CC service on the same items.

Impacts and long term benefit:
• Improved professional competences, both theoretical and practical of participants and project partners
• Improved quality and effectiveness on VET and CC intervention at EU level;
• Better support to PWD social inclusion, impacting directly on PWD families, Volunteers and Community associations, etc.
• Better CC provision, impacting on the community texture in general, reinforcing the role and contribution that PWD.
• Greater contribution of PWD in society, enhanced labour inclusion and economic self-sufficiency, decreased discrimination against them.
• Reduction of social exclusion in a particularly fragile category and at risk of becoming NEET.
• Increased mutual understanding between community and PWD, helping improve general attitude towards socially less integrated categories, not just PWD
• At policy level, increased knowledge of decision makers and support the introduction of better policies in the of QOL for PWD
• Better QOL of PWD.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 280566 Eur

Project Coordinator

EUROPEAN PLATFORM FOR REHABILITATION & Country: BE

Project Partners

• FUNDACION ONCE PARA LA COOPERACIONE INCLUSION SOCIAL DE PERSONAS CONDISCAPACIDAD
• EWORX YPIRESIES ILEKTRONIKOU EPICHEIREIN ANONYMOS ETAIREIA
• UNIVERZITETNI REHABILITACIJSKI INSTITUT REPUBLIKE SLOVENIJE-SOCA
• ASSOCIATION EUROPEENNE POUR LA FORMATION PROFESSIONNELLE
• CRPG – CENTRO DE REABILITACAO PROFISSIONAL DE GAIA
• The Rehab Group