PRO-SKILLS

Support of basic skills in socially disadvantaged adults as a basis for Lifelong Learning

Background: WHY “Pro-Skills”?

Background

The European Community is to “[…] become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustained economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion.”

Lifelong learning is seen as one of the fundamental strategies for achieving this goal,”[…] central not only to competitiveness and employability but also to social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development.“

(European Council 2000)

Background

• Increasing number of people from a difficult social background without training or with difficulty to find a job in first profession

• Adult education intends to provide further education and improvement of qualifications for this target group BUT…

• LLL offerings predominantly taken up by individuals who already have a certain amount of training

• socially disadvantaged person seldom represented among trainees

Background

A lack of personal, social and self-management skills can be barrier:

Professionalskills

Key skills

Basic skills

(Self-manangement skills,personal & social skills)

specific jobor task

technical basis forjob or further education

general basis forlearning at all

Background

personal skills

personal skills

socialskillssocialskills

self-management

skills

self-management

skills

self-efficacy

self-efficacy

motivation &

volition

motivation &

volition

LifelongLearningLifelongLearning

Background

These skills rarely part of adult education curricula, few offers.Pro-Skills fills this gap by giving adults the opportunity to practise basic skills within a protected environment

Health-promotionReduction of

social unequality

LifelongLearning

Innovative concept

Background

Focus on resources & empowerment

Which skills and competences does the individual already have and how can they be invested in an innovative way?

Which resources can bemobilised (also social resources!)?

Empowerment by strengthening of self-efficacy

Background

Safe environment

Where do adults get the opportunity to train new behaviour without risk in a safe environment?

High demand to the trainer concerning

• group atmosphere & trust• handling of feedback

Background

Active & experience-based training approach

Children try out behaviour hands-on in role-playing – where get adults the chance to try out new behaviour?

Active training approach:

• self-regulated learning• experienced-based

learning

• cooperative learning

• productive learning

Realising a European project

Structure of project

Project 1: Elaboration of training concept for final target group of socially unprivileged persons

October 2006 - September 2008 (24 months)

Project 2: Elaboration of train-the-trainer concept

December 2010 – May 2013

Structure of the project

1. Elaboration of the train-the-trainer concept:

Structure of the project

2) Pilot trainings on national

level & exchange

on European

level:

Material in internet

• Background philosophy• Manual of basic training concept• Train-the-trainer concept• “Toolbox” • Sensitisation brochure

www.pro-skills.eu

Pro-Skills Partners

Nine partners from eight European countries:

Irti Huumeista Ry Helsinki (Finland)

Zentrum für empirische pädagogische Forschung, Landau (Germany)

Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL)Milano (Italy)

Centre de Prévention des Toxicomanies(Luxembourg)

Hochschule Fulda, University of Applied Science (Germany)

Megyei Egészség Kultúrát Koordináló Alapítvány (MEKKA), Nyiregyháza (Hungary)

Protasi – Movement for another lifestyle , Patra (Greece)

Institute for Research and Development “Utrip”, Grosuplje (Slovenia)

Fédération Swisse pour la Formation Continue (FSEA) Nyon (Switzerland)