Strengthening key competencies of low- skilled people in VET to cover future replacement positions Erasmus Project

Project Title

Strengthening key competencies of low- skilled people in VET to cover future replacement positions

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: Reaching the policy level/dialogue with decision makers; Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); Access for disadvantaged

Project Summary

REPLAY-VET was specifically conceived to strengthen key competences in VET curricula and provide more effective opportunities for the low- skilled or low educated people in order for them to acquire or develop those skills through VET. REPLAY-VET responds to Europe’s pressing need to tackle replacement demand caused by new technologies, an ageing workforce and a persistently low level of skilled workers affecting many economic sectors. In Europe, there remains a large volume of population with low skills for whom there will not be employment opportunities. The project used a network of expert labour market analysts to explore what new policy and practices will need to exist if Europe is to tackle replacement demand priority new and in the future. The project focused on groups with low skill/qualification levels, those economically inactive and often outside of the employment (e.g. workers, long-term unemployed, young people, migrants, etc.).
The work resulted in a series of workshops and stakeholders’ exchange events (with involvement of Employment and Training and other Social Policy-Makers, Education and Training Providers, Career Guidance Professionals, Employers, Public Authorities and Agencies, Workers and Trade Unions) and written output such as national and sectoral reports, ‘How To’ guides and a toolkit.
At the end of 2015, there were 43,802,200 low- skilled people (Eurostat). REPLAY-VET tries to enhance the access, participation and performance of these disadvantaged learners and facilitate their transitions between different levels and types of education and training; from education/training to the world of work; and/or from one employment to another.
The outputs of REPLAY-VET contributed to these issues by:
– highlighting lessons for across the EU based on the REPLAY project’s findings in different national/regional contexts;
-recognising the critical importance of reinforcing links between education, training with the changing world of work, in promoting effective labour market policies, such as the inclusion of low skilled and other people from disadvantaged backgrounds;
-presenting recommendations highlighting opportunities and constraints related to professional training and qualification of low-skilled groups in a cross section of employment sectors: construction, early learning and care, home care, logistics, manufacturing, metallurgy.
The project delivered innovative policies and practices that all regions can learn from:
• The occupational toolkit (www.replayvet.eu) designed to provide VET providers, employment services and policy makers with how-to-guides and best practice examples responding to needs and challenges regarding the employment and training opportunities of the low-skilled people. The kit gives access to inspiring solutions structured by key themes and the users will find the keys for successfully training low-skilled people to prepare them for the job vacancies that are arising as people leave work in an aging society.
• The European Strategy highlights lessons and recommendations on improving the current and future labour market participation of low-skilled groups of workers across the EU. These include: reducing barriers to vocational training; improving the attractiveness of jobs, careers and labour conditions associated with the sectors in which low-skilled/low-qualified people work; and advancing professionalisation in these sectors.
REPLAY-VET, through its 3 outputs and 2 multiplier events, contributed as well to enhance access to training and qualifications for all through VET, in a life-long learning perspective, notably by increasing the accessibility of C-VET for low- skilled workers and providing efficient and integrated guidance services for low- skilled people.
Thanks to REPLAY-VET, a significant step in the right direction has been taken to improve the employability of low skilled and at risk of exclusion to be active agents in the labour market, increase their social cohesion and achieve a society with less inequalities.
The partners of the REPLAY-VET project, 8 entities from 6 different countries: Prospektiker (ES), University of Exeter (UK), IWAK (DE), CRISP- University of Milano Bicocca (IT), Narodní Vzdělávací Fond (CZ), University of Stirling (UK), CEREQ (FR) and Lanbide (ES), have promoted through the development of the project, a structured inter-regional and cross-border cooperation enhancing the commitment of local and regional public authorities through the participation of public bodies active in the labour market as well as knowledge organisations active in innovative practices.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 201306 Eur

Project Coordinator

PROSPEKTIKER INSTITUTO EUROPEO DE PROSPECTIVA Y ESTRATEGIA SA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITA’ DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO-BICOCCA
• JOHANN WOLFGANG GOETHE UNIVERSITAET FRANKFURT AM MAIN
• THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
• CENTRE D’ETUDES ET DE RECHERCHES SUR LES QUALIFICATIONS
• Narodni vzdelavaci fond, o.p.s.
• THE UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING
• LANBIDE, Servicio Vasco de Empleo