Occupational Competence Profile for Thermal Care Agents through ECVET in European Tourism Erasmus Project

Project Title

Occupational Competence Profile for Thermal Care Agents through ECVET in European Tourism

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: Disabilities – special needs; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

Tourism is a key sector of the European economy. It comprises a wide variety of products and destinations and involves many different stakeholders, both public and private, with areas of competence very decentralised, often at regional and local levels.

Tourism is certainly one of the sectors that can provide a valuable contribution to the achievement of the Europe 2020 objectives. It directly offers jobs to almost 9.7 million citizens, with a significant proportion of young people, and it provides a direct contribution of 5% to the EU GDP. When related sectors are taken into account, the estimated contribution of tourism to GDP creation is much higher: tourism indirectly generates more than 10% of the European Union’s GDP and provides about 12% of the labour force. Furthermore,it clearly registered a rate of employment growth sensitively more pronounced than in other economic sectors and it strongly contributed to economic recovery by good performance in terms of international tourist arrivals. Local and regional authorities can play a very important role towards strengthening Europe’s sustainable development and growth in the future.

The project reached the following goals:
– Improvement of the VET curricula for Thermal spa therapists in 5 countries (Turkey, Belgium, Bulgaria, Portugal, Slovenia)
– Development of a competence profile for the Thermal spa therapists based on ECVET learning outcomes
– Validation of non-formal and informal learning through a specific EQAVET control tool for case based assessment of the obtained knowledge, skills and competencies.
– Seeking accreditation of the new enhanced job profile in Turkey
– Support establishment and accreditation of new occupational profile in Turkey
– Improvement of the qualification level of the leisure and spa workforce in 5 countries (Turkey, Belgium, Bulgaria, Portugal, Slovenia)
– Improvement of the quality of the services in spa therapy objects towards all clients including those with special needs (people with disabilities, pregnant woman and older people).
– Increase labour market relevance of learning provision and qualifications and reinforcing links between VET training with the world of work.
– Increase of the employability of long term unemployed people who are seeking for a job in leisure and spa activities.
– Foster transnational mobility of VET learners from tourism sector.
– Strengthen dissemination and exploitation networks of key stakeholders on policy & practice and maximise exploitation of the project products.
– Foster social cohesion and social inclusion to develop solidarity by learning activities which increased thermal spa therapists’ tolerance towards disadvantaged groups in society and helped to reduce prejudice.
– Improve the capacities of partners organisations active in the fields of VET training provision, notably in the areas of strategic development, organisational management, leadership, quality of learning provision, internationalisation, equity and inclusion, qualitative and targeted activities for specific groups (disabled people).

All intellectual outputs of the project were successfully completed. OCP Therm project is ready for multiplication, exploitation and mainstreaming in the following areas:
– All project intellectual outputs are customised according to local cultural characteristics in the beneficiaries countries (Turkey, Belgium, Bulgaria, Portugal, Slovenia).
– These results and tools created can be used as core material for VET centres and educational institutions who would like to introduce their own professional training courses for thermal spa therapists.
– The added value of this project was creating a modular course architecture addressing thermal spa therapists and thus equipping training professionals and enrich the course of existing trainings in partner countries. This also included a transversal possibility that some of the modules (i.e. servicing clients with special needs) can be transferred to other job domains (e.g. tourism overall) where such competence is needed.

The project facilitated the validation of non-formal and informal learning and its permeability with formal education pathways which is a priority of the annual Work Programme adopted by EC.

Realised intellectual outputs of the project are:
1. A study of required competencies for thermal spa therapist in project partner countries
2. Occupational competence profile of Thermal Care Agents for ECVET qualification (all languages)
3. ECVET unique curriculum for Thermal Care Agents including offering of services for people with special needs (people with disabilities, pregnant woman and older people) (all languages)
4. Integrated e-training environment (all languages)
5. Sign language video guidebook for thermal, spa, bath and healthcare branches on provision of services to clients with hearing impairments (all languages)
6. EQAVET control tool for assessment of the obtained knowledge, skills and competencies (all languages)

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 230507,52 Eur

Project Coordinator

T.C Tuzla Belediyesi & Country: TR

Project Partners

• Companhia das Águas Medicinais da Felgueira SA
• UNIVERZITETNI REHABILITACIJSKI INSTITUT REPUBLIKE SLOVENIJE-SOCA
• ISTANBUL MEDENIYET UNIVERSITY
• ZGURA-M EOOD
• Horeca Partners
• LODOS BILGISAYAR YAZILIM DONANIM VE DANISMANLIK TURIZM TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI