Learning By Doing Erasmus Project

Project Title

Learning By Doing

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 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Pedagogy and didactics; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Project “Learning By Doing” started from the idea that vocational education and training including prison staff training means a continuous seeking of the most efficient ways to provide personnel with a solid training as so when they come amongst prison staff they are able to efficiently integrate the issues of the penitentiary system. This can be done, not only through a vast well-grounded theoretical training but through the rhythmic and balanced application of knowledge in practice.
The premises from which we started are that:
– Working in prison is a challenging and complex mission which requires high physical and mental abilities accompanied by outstanding personal and professional qualities,
– Training prison staff is a high specialized process and rather closed, at risk of self-sufficiency and routine in the lack of evaluation by comparison at the national level,
– Creating professionals in prison requires professionals in training,
Therefore the main objective of the project is the development, transfer and or implementation of innovative practices at organizational, national and European levels with the aim of enhancing the quality and relevance of the learning offer in education and training by developing new and innovative approaches and supporting the dissemination of best practices concerning practical applications during training process in prison staff training institutes; fostering the provision and the assessment of key-competencies, including basic skills and transversal skills, languages and digital skills; promoting take-up of innovative practices in prison staff training by supporting personalized learning approaches, collaborative learning and critical thinking, strategic use of Information and Communication Technologies , open educational resources, open and flexible learning, virtual mobility and other innovative learning methods; enhancing the professional development of those working in the training field by innovating and increasing the quality and range of initial training, including new pedagogies; achieving a more efficient relationship between theoretical and practical training in order to obtain optimal results and a better and faster integration of graduates in their workplace.
Thus, the most important feature of this project is the transformation of an individual in a professional who not only knows, but knows how to act.
In order to achieve the objective of the project we created a Partnership with a common professional language, sharing the common need to improve own prison staff training and with a large experience. The partnership consists of six members as follows: Correctional Officers’ Training School from Romania as applicant organization, Central Training Centre of the Prison Service from Poland, National School for Prison Administration from France, Hasan Erbil Staff Training Centre from Turkey, Department of Penitentiary Institutions from Republic of Moldova and General Directorate for Training from Italy.
Target group of the project is distributed in each of the partner organizations, representing body of teachers, trainers, lecturers, monitors and instructors, other auxiliary teaching staff and assistants, support staff with responsibilities in planning and designing short and medium term training programmes, decision makers at local and national level with responsibilities in developing long term training strategies.
The main undertaken activities:
Six short term joint staff training events hosted by turn by Italy, Turkey, Moldova, France, Poland and Romania.
Seven Transnational Project Meetings between staff who is in charge with educational management of partner institutions and between representatives of these institutions, in order to form and develop innovative management skills, to ensure the exchange of experience on development and performance of institutional management at national and European level.
Multiplier events and dissemination activities: There were organised two multiplier events in Romania and many dissemination activities, both in Romania and at partners’ institutions. The main role of these activities was the dissemination of the results of the project but of the project itself also along with the Erasmus+ program. We even used any of these opportunities to promote our institution.
The two important intellectual outputs of the project are two best practice guides. Their realization is closely related to short term joint staff training events and supported by the LBD WEBSITE.
“Best practice guide for training in professional intervention” and “Best practice guide for training in intervention and emergency rescue” are handbooks or guides containing relevant photos accompanied by eloquent explanations of teaching the students professional intervention procedures in the prison units.The two intellectual outputs were related to short term joint staff training events and supported by the LBD WEBSITE.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 324180,59 Eur

Project Coordinator

Scoala Nationala de Pregatire a Agentilor de Penitenciare – Tg. Ocna & Country: RO

Project Partners

• Ecole Nationale d’Administration Pénitentiaire
• Directorate-General for Training – Direzione generale della formazione
• Centralny Osrodek Szkolenia Sluzby Wieziennej
• Ceza Infaz Kurumlari ve Tutukevleri Personeli Hasan Erbil Egitim Merkezi
• Department of Penitentiary Institutions