The suitcase, the map and the voyage of a youth worker Erasmus Project

Project Title

The suitcase, the map and the voyage of a youth worker

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: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; Open and distance learning

Project Summary

The idea of this project, ‘‘The suitcase, the map and the voyage of a youth worker”, came from the necessities identified in the field of youth work by the coordinating team: no structure in Europe offers online training courses for people interested in becoming youth workers and there is a need for proper tools to be used in assisting young people in their personal and professional development and in connecting them with the updated job market.
Starting from this assumption, we aimed at creating some online tools which could facilitate the process of planning one’s professional life, the non formal learning, informing young people and a European basic e-course for the future youth worker.
The consortium consisted of 9 partners from 6 countries: Predict CSD Consulting, Millennium Center, “Aurel Vlaicu” University of Arad, Schultz Development (Romania), DACORUM (United Kingdom), Integra (Spain), OPEI (Cyprus), Fundacja CAT (Poland) and EURO-NET (Italy).

During its 2-year implementation, the partners succeeded in rising above the initially established objectives which were:
– To prepare 3 tools for youth workers;
– To build and test an online training course for 50 people interested in becoming youth workers;
– To allow 200 young people to test a full range of innovative tools of the project, in order to develop their personal and professional life plan with the support of youth workers;
– To create and have 200 young people test an online training course for one key competence (Learning to learn);
– To certify 14 people as youth workers;
– To build a partnership network of 9 structures;

All the main products were online and ready to be used, for free, on the website http://thevoyage.eu:
1) The Career Box – Interactive career guidance guide: tools to be used in getting ready for a career nowadays, from discovering the inner preferences, to preparing for an interview.
2) The Simulation box of jobs – Interactive area: this module can help people to figure out what kind of jobs would suit them best, at least from the first 10 which are proposed here: nurse, doctor, automotive operator, sales representative, manager, driver, teacher, engineer, IT programmer and sportsperson.
3) Online course – Learning to learn incorporating an assessment tool for this key competence. The main topics covered are: an overview of learning to learn competence, time management, information management and the proper lifestyle for quick learning.
4) Online course – Youth worker: which covers basic elements in these areas: the youth worker profession, a short history of youth work, responsibilities of a youth worker in E+, group dynamics, communication, types of intelligence, learning, motivation, managing diversity, conflict management, personal and professional plan, SMART objectives, cooperation inside a community and informing young people.

These modules/courses can be explored by young people and/or youth workers to support their learning process. In addition, youth workers can use these basic modules/courses, or a part of them, in their work with young people.

The main final indicators reached during the project:
– one e-learning portal with 8 active modules http://thevoyage.eu;
– 28174 unique visitors to the website;
– 2718 people from 60 countries registered themselves on the platform;
– 18 follow –up initiatives;
– more than 4000 organisations informed about the results of the project;
– 23 certified youth workers on the Romanian Occupational Standard;
– one authorised organisation to deliver youth worker courses for 4 years;
– 57 persons from 22 countries participated in the multiplier event;
– 2 networks created: Learning to Learn hanse/ Youth Worker hanse;
– one FB page of the project;
– one Youtube channel prepared;
– 1100 young people from high schools informed;
– 272 drawings/paintings especially made for this project;
– 3 manuals in 2 languages, 1 manual for the Romanian course;
– 265 usage confirmation of the 4 products available on the website;
– 330 personal development plans realised during the project;
– Youth worker online course was explored by 940 users and 241 certificates were issued;
– Learning to learn, the online training course and assessment tool was explored by 1168 users, 218 certificates were issued;
– The Simulation Box of Jobs was explored by 526 persons;
– The Career Box was explored by 1115 users;
– a package of 28 badges used for the online modules plus another 14 prepared for the final event;
– a gamified world was created in the e-learning portal: progress bar, course completion status, ranking, experience points, badges, e-games, videos, challenges, treasure hunt, secret areas, reflection zone, portfolios, feedback system etc.
The e-learning platform is structured around a story about a journeyman (the user) who travels in different areas (the countries of the partners) in order to become a master. Enjoy the ride on http://thevoyage.eu!

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 139917 Eur

Project Coordinator

S.C. PREDICT CSD CONSULTING S.R.L. & Country: RO

Project Partners

• SC Schultz Development SRL
• UNIVERSITATEA AUREL VLAICU DIN ARAD
• ASOCIACIÓN CULTURAL INTEGRA
• ASOCIATIA MILLENIUM CENTER ARAD
• DACORUM COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE LTD
• EURO-NET
• FUNDACJA CENTRUM AKTYWNOSCI TWORCZEJ