1. Background EQUAL Ireland is not for profit charitable trust founded as a long term outcome of the EU’s EQUAL Community Initiative by the social partners (IBEC & SIPTU), a range of community organisations and a Network of five Institutes of Technology along with NUI Galway. We are engaged in designing, developing and delivering social and economically useful accredited education and training interventions aimed at disadvantaged people in the context of their self development and employability. 2. Context With the recession and associated austerity programmes the situation for our target group has significantly worsened. Unemployment, especially of youth, is in crisis. The onset of the knowledge economy has changed the nature of employment as has the move towards a low carbon economy. The need for up skilling, re-skilling and the acquisition of higher level qualifications is predominant. Our organisation needs to acquire new skills and perspectives to augment our current capacity so as to better serve disadvantaged people. Furthermore EQUAL Ireland, and its staff, are ambitious for growth for community service. We are convinced that our own commitment to lifelong learning, which is at the core of what this proposal is about will enable us to succeed. 3. Objectives Our objectives are to source high quality relevant education and training, preferably accredited, within our EU partner countries, with which we can better equip our organisation to grow, nationally and internationally, and our staff to more effectively contribute to our core aims, namely serving disadvantaged people in terms of their self development and employability. 4. Nominated Staff Description Four staff members are nominated, one woman and three men, all graduates with extensive experience. Their current responsibilities encompass: a) Organisational Leadership b) Academic and Research c) Programme Design and Coordination d) Participant Recruitment and Supports 5. Project Activities To engage in training programmes to develop and or augment our existing competencies in: a) Management and Leadership in Adult Education b) Understanding EU Labour Market needs with regard to the disadvantaged and especially Long Term Youth Unemployment c) Using innovative methodologies to enhance our Programme Design and Training/Teaching skills d) Spanish language competency 6. Methodology Having conducted a Strategic Initiative Process to scope out growth possibilities for the organisation; carried out a skills deficit survey of staff; and having considered changes to our target group we sought to identify new directions in adult education provision and have initially identified potential providers for our training needs in our partner countries, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Greece (See Section D Above, First Text Box, European Development Plan ) 7. Results We expect to add significant value to our organisation, our region and our relationship with our EU partners. In particular we would: a) Expect to have new innovative programme design and delivery methods integrated into our current offerings so that our programmes would more clearly meet the needs of our target group in particular, the question of their recruitment, retention, sustainment and motivation b) Have skills acquired so as to support the increased delivery of our programmes in the EU as well as our expansion plans. c) Have evidence of increased links with our EU partners d) Have increased leadership skills and confidence to bring our Strategic Initiative forward. Finally we would expect to be able to engage with our partners more effectively through increased cooperative agreements and through our ability to improve our interactions in a second European Language. 8. Impact Participants will be impacted through an enhancement of management and leadership, programme planning, teaching and participant support abilities. Understanding best practice models in the EU, networking skills and the ability to speak Spanish will be a positive project impact. EQUAL Ireland will be impacted through modernization, upskilling and consolidation of relationships with EU partners. Our ability to meet the motivational and retention needs of unemployed and migrant groups will be in important impact.They will have increased access to more flexible, creative learning opportunities. 9. Dissemination & Evaluation We intend to carry out significant dissemination through our national and international contacts. An evaluation process has been established and includes pre and post course evaluation, a six month impact and a longer term evaluation to measure the organisational impact.