Introducing Gamification in vocational education and training for professionals and Social Work in the filed migrant children protection and support Erasmus Project

Project Title

Introducing Gamification in vocational education and training for professionals and Social Work in the filed migrant children protection and support

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Home and justice affairs (human rights & rule of law); Migrants’ issues; Integration of refugees

Project Summary

Migrant children arrive to European countries unaccompanied and with families in great numbers, especially since the wave of arrivals in and after 2015. This necessitates professionals all over Europe who have the capacity and knowledge to support children and provide for their special needs and vulnerabilities when arriving and throughout their integration.

The GVETS project was created as a response to the recognition of gaps in the VET structures of Europe in the professional development of professionals working with migrant children. The project’s objective was to utilize ICT tools and the innovative pedagogical tool of gamification to create a training platform covering a wide range of topics and competences relevant and essential for those working with children in a migration environment.

For the preparation of the training design, partners conducted a background research on the existing VET structures and training opportunities for the target group. Based on the research and partners’ expertise, we developed the GVETS curriculum, and implemented it on the Platform to create the GVETS online training. The training consists of 7 Modules covering the topics of migration, child protection, crisis management, guidance, critical social work theories, social worker soft skills and digital aspects of social work. All Modules are available in English, and selected Modules in partners’ languages. The training Platform utilizes innovative ICT tools, activities and gamification elements, and synthetizes theoretical and practical knowledge with professionals self-reflection and hands-on problem solving and field work, and provides opportunity for networking through the chatroom. In addition, the training and the Platform involves assessment, validation and recognition tools, and a Guide for stakeholders on European VET structures such as ECVET, EQF and EQUAVET. The GVETS Adaptation and Policy Package provides support for stakeholders in the implementation and recognition of the GVETs training.

The GVETS project consisted of 7 partners from 7 EU countries: Menedék Association (Hungary), Diversity Development Group (Lithuania), Oxfam Italia (Italy), IASIS NGO (Greece), AIDGLOBAL (Portugal), Center for Social Innovation (Cyprus), ITAINNOVA (Spain). The partnership represents expertise in a wide range of topics from migration, intercultural competences, direct support and child protection, to ICT tools, innovative pedagogical approaches, European VET standards and training.

Apart from the consortium, participants were involved int the project based on their expertise as stakeholders, such as VET and HE institutions, individual trainers, academia, policy makers, public bodies, municipalities, organizations with relevant experiences in training and fields work. In addition, the target group of the project was involved throughout the preparation, development and implementation phases of the project, namely professionals working with migrant children (social workers, teachers, psychologists, lawyers, child protection guardians, family service providers, and other professionals), and students studying in relevant fields.

The project directly involved 1347 participants cumulatively, 684 of whom provided inputs and feedbacks for the development of GVETS results, 557 enrolled into the English or one of the local language versions of the GVETS training, and 106 associated partners committed to utilize and distribute the GVETS materials in their trainings and activities. The platform will be available and updated long after the project closing, therefore new professionals will have an opportunity to register and utilize the GVETS training later on as well.

The impact of the project is realized for partner organizations, who are themselves beneficiaries of the created training as training providers and/or field professionals, and a wide range of stakeholders and target group members are impacted through the availability of this new innovative capacity building tool. In addition, the long-term impact is expected to be realized in the structures and systems surrounding the support of migrant children, therefore the final beneficiaries are children around Europe who will receive better and more effective help.

The GVETS training is already being used and the feedback from both trainees and trainers are highly positive, testimonies show that the topics presented and the easy-access form is truly gap-filling. The GVETS training platform creates a long-term opportunity for young professionals to develop their competences, and local and national HE, VET institutions and training organizations to implement training programs that reflect the development needs of social workers and other professionals, and that react to the needs of migrant children in the XXI. century.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 221250 Eur

Project Coordinator

MENEDEK-MIGRANSOKAT SEGITO EGYESULET & Country: HU

Project Partners

• INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO DE ARAGON
• OXFAM ITALIA ONLUS
• AIDGLOBAL – Acção e Integração para o Desenvolvimento Global
• CSI CENTER FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION LTD
• VSI DIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT GROUP
• IASIS