Erasmus+ for Security Erasmus Project

Project Title

Erasmus+ for Security

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Migrants’ issues; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

BACKGROUND
More than a million migrants and refugees crossed into Europe in 2015. The situation created a division in the EU countries over how best to deal with resettling people. This new situation brought new requirements for knowledge, skills and competences in different fields of work in society. Many transversal skills became ever more crucial on this agenda. Work places and tasks are very often related to dealing with people from different cultural backgrounds. The world of work in safety and security became more complex and the education offered had to change accordingly. In some countries, transversal skills form already a part of the learning outcomes in qualifications. Even if these competences are already embedded in the curriculum, they are not often made visible in learning processes or supported by pedagogical methods or learning environments.
OBJECTIVES
The E4S project improved and increased the multicultural competence among teachers and staff working in private security sector. This was done by increasing background knowledge of refugee situation. The authorities can also benefit from the produced learning material and related pedagogical methods. Another skills need spotted out by the partner schools and companies was to raise awareness on facts related to terrorism. Since the issue of terrorism prevention is an international issue, the partner schools saw the possibility to use the skills and connections of the partnership to work also with this topic during the project. The partners of the Project want to emphasize that developing multicultural skills and terrorism are not connected, but are completely separate topics in the project.
METHODOLOGY IN CARRYING OUT THE PROJECT
The consortium of colleges and working life partners developed the content and pedagogical methods for the vocational upper secondary qualification in safety and security/uniformed services: Working in a Multicultural Society Module. This unit of learning outcomes was produced in cooperation with project partners and external stakeholders. The material produced can benefit learners, teachers, trainers, authorities and companies planning and implementing in service training for their employees. The learning material with the pedagogical approaches where supports the implementation of learning outcomes based approach. The learning material and methods is using blended learning method. The use of digital learning material supports the improvement of digital skills of the participants. All the material is available at the website of the project: https://www.e4s.fi/
NUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS
The partnership comprised of 10 VET schools from five partner countries (Ireland, UK, the Netherlands, Hungary and Finland) and several silent partners (companies, national authorities) from each country. Target groups/actors were safety and security and uniformed services’ teaching staff, safety and security students, personnel of private security companies and national authorities (quality assurance).
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES
In the beginning of the project, a survey on multicultural competence needs was carried out for students, teachers and stakeholders. The results were analyzed in the kick off meeting and in the first workshop in Netherlands. Four staff training workshops organized and one multiplier event in the end of the Project in Police University College in Tampere, Finland. Each workshop concentrated on one of the main topics of the learning material and pedagogics. The material and pedagogical approach were also piloted during the Project and initial survey repeated after piloting in order to estimate the impact.
RESULTS
Survey on multicultural competence needs. Working in a Multicultural Society Module including a practical plan with learning outcomes was created and piloted. Additional learning material package on Awareness of Radicalisation and Terrorism. This is a separate unit which is delivered on its own.
IMPACT
The integration of vocational and common vocational units is one of the key issues in developing the labor market relevance of vocational education and training. All in all, transversal skills are often most relevant when seeking employment in the 21st century labor market. This learning material supports the various skills requirements of common vocational units and support the developing of the skills related to transversal skills. By offering tools to develop multicultural skills in safety and security sector, will support with its outcomes the quality and labor market relevance of safety and security field education in Europe to a large extent.
POTENTIAL LONG TERM BENEFITS
Involvement of companies and national authorities brought added value for each partner by increasing the labor market relevance of the education. This will increase also the value on implementing learning outcomes based approach in education, and the attractiveness of safety and security field education.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 221699 Eur

Project Coordinator

Seinäjoen koulutuskuntayhtymä & Country: FI

Project Partners

• Stichting voor Christelijk beroepsonderwijs en volwassen educatie Friesland/Flevoland
• Galway and Roscommon Education & Training Board
• Kouvolan kaupunki (City of Kouvola)
• Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä
• THE COLLEGE OF WEST ANGLIA
• Stichting Christelijk Regionaal Opleidingen Centrum Noord- en Oost Nederland
• Vantaan ammattiopisto Varia