The Backstage – European Junior Backstage Technicians: a framework of competences fostering European training and mobility Erasmus Project

Project Title

The Backstage – European Junior Backstage Technicians: a framework of competences fostering European training and mobility

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 youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Open and distance learning; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)

Project Summary

A. CONTEXT
Project idea was born from consideration that:
• 7.5 million NEETs (aged 15 to 24) in EU27;
• High number of small and medium theatres in Europe, that can offer employment to young technicians, but cannot afford to hire different technicians for each different backstage function;
• No available adequate training for all-rounder backstage technicians, but only focused training in single areas;
• Theatre production is an attractive sector of employment for the youngsters and it is an activity, which brings them self-confidence, soft skills and ability to teamwork.

B. OBJECTIVES
• Efficient professional all-rounder backstage training for NEETs with or without basic knowledge;
• Online ICT tools for facilitating target group’s employment opportunities by improving their knowledge, skills and competences.
• Working mobility of people by creating an ECVET Training Course with recognized Learning Outcomes on EU level;

C. NUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS
1. 48 youth attended the e-learning online course, after having passed the entrance test. At closure of each unit, they attended the final test and obtained the Attendance Certificate if result was positive. 28 obtained Attendance Certificates for single units.
2. Out of these: 8 were with fewer opportunities: cultural, economic or geographic obstacles.
3. 8 certified attendants enrolled in European Online Database of Qualified Professionals.
4. 12 attendants with best results participated at transnational mobility (2 months), where practiced knowledge acquired during e-course, and received Europass Mobility Certificate successfully finishing internship abroad.

D. METHODOLOGY AND DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES
Project Management is divided into 3 major phases:
1. Preparation;
2. Implementation;
3. Closure and follow up.

During Implementation:
a. Project Management (included IO6 “Project Data Management”), quality assurance and evaluation: cross-cutting activities lasting all project life span: 5 Steering Committee Meetings plus an extra one.
b. 6 chronologically vertical project stages: at the end of one stage, the following starts; outputs of a stage are inputs for next one:
1. IO1: Need Analysis Report;
2. IO2: European Professional Qualification Curriculum for Theatrical Technician Profession (EQF Level 4)
3. IO3: Course Manual;
4. IO4: E-learning platform;
5. IO5: Online Database of Qualified of Theatrical Technician Professionals.
6. Learning/Teaching/Training Activities (long-term mobility):
C1. Training activity [IT];
C3. Training activity [BG];
C4. Training activity [DE].
c. Dissemination activities are cross-cutting: start at first months of implementation and last beyond project’s closure:
IO7: Manual for reaching and approaching NEETs (Best methods and how to implement them):
IO8: Project Website.

E. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF RESULTS
Project’s results:
1. Need analysis report;
2. EPQC for the profession of Theatrical Technician (with 9 Units);
3. Course Manual content (with 7 Units);
4. Website;
5. E-learning Platform;
6. European Online Database of Qualified Professionals;
7. “Manual for reaching and approaching NEETs” (Best methods and how to implement them);
8. 4 Multiplier events: 2 in Italy, 1 in Germany and 1 in Bulgaria for a total of 240 participants.

F. IMPACT
Local: 15 local stakeholders; 10 young professionals; 10 NEETs per partner;
Regional: 4 Regional Administrations; 20 stakeholders, 15 young Professionals; 15 NEETs;
National: 3 EU Member Countries and 1 EEA and EFTA; 50 national stakeholders, 40 professionals and 30 NEETS, 8 people with fewer opportunities;
European: involved European member states plus 2 more (Romania and Ireland)

G. LONG TERM BENEFITS
– enhanced employment chances for NEETs as qualified backstage technicians;
– online free ECVET training tools for improving competences;
– European Online Database of Qualified Professionals supports the labor market between Backstagers (trained thanks to the project or professionals) and small and medium theatres/event organizers.
Project is easily replicable in other contexts and EU Countries, increasing possibility of multiplying actions and effects reaching new and larger segments of beneficiaries.
Partners will assure the financial sustainability of project outputs: Course Manual; e-learning platform; Online Database of Qualified Professionals; project website.
The European Network for Backstage Technicians and Event Organizers will assure the institutional and social sustainability of project outputs as well as follow-up actions for assuring new long lasting benefits.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 290000 Eur

Project Coordinator

Officine della cultura & Country: IT

Project Partners

• EUROMASC – European Masters of Skilled Crafts
• OPENCOM I.S.S.C.
• EureCons Förderagentur GmbH
• Balkanska Agenciya za Ustoychivo Razvitie
• Rete Teatrale Aretina
• NTI-MMM Multilateral Monitoring and Management