TAKING OFF 3
Start date: Sep 1, 2016,
End date: Aug 31, 2018
PROJECT
FINISHED
This Erasmus+ KA1 project applies funding for 26 Staff Training Courses and one Job Shadowing period for five adult education providers from Central Finland. The coordinator of this consortium is Jyväskylä Educational Consortium. Other consortium partners are The Vocational Education Institute of Northern Central Finland (POKE), Community Colleges of Jyväskylä and Hankasalmi as well as the Jyväskylä Christian Institute. All the partners have committed themselves into development of their international affairs both on strategic and practical levels. Some of them lack previous experience on mobilities. So, one of the core targets of this project is to support and share common competence, experience and learning. All of them aim at being a recognized and desired local, regional and international project partner. It is also a goal to strengthen other ways of collaboration between vocational and folk high schools in Central Finland.The partners are willing to create new opportunities for their staff members to develop their language skills, international and multicultural competencies, open-mindedness and pedagogical tools in adult education. It is well understood in the organizations involved in this project that an opportunity to participate in a Structured Course or Job Shadowing period is a sign of appreciation by the management. Simultaneously, it increases the participants' motivation and well-being at work.The Region of Central Finland is, among other parts of the country, now facing vast challenges in social integration and educational guidance of asylum seekers and other immigrants. This demands new attitude, competence and interest in internationalization. This funding will promote up-dating the professional internationalization skills of management, trainers, teachers and administrative staff in the participating organizations. Participants for the mobilities will be selected by:1. their closest superiors on the basis of annual development discussions;2. their own expressed interest, prior activity and the arguments presented in their applications, the emphasis is put not only on the advantages of individual learning but also on organizational benefits;3. the need for developing one's own professional tasks in international setting.Participants will be motivated to find information independently and refresh their existing language skills in advance. After the mobility, they will report in blogs as well as other written reports. They will also share their personal experiences with their colleagues. Learning will be evaluated in cooperation with the superior and the international coordinator of the college. As the quality of adult education develops thanks to foreign mobilities, the following target groups will benefit:1. participants and their organizations (e.g. increased self-confidence, better language skills, increased motivation for work, better guidance skills, organizational management skills);2. adult learners gain equal possibilities for international activities as guidance is improved;3. local industry;4. regional development attempts.The results will be disseminated within all the consortium members and their working life partners in Central Finland. The local and regional industry will benefit from more internationally aware and skilled labor force. The Community Colleges will deliver information on the results in their networks including 1500 teachers and via ongoing national projects. The results will be shared also in the national networks of vocational adult education such as The Finnish Association for the Development of Vocational Education and Training AMKE and the Finnish National Board of Education. Moreover, Jyväskylä Educational Consortium is responsible for informing adult education organizations about Erasmus+ and Nordplus funding programmes in the regions of Central Finland and Southern Savonia. Also the EPALE, LinkedIn and Facebook platforms can be used as communication platforms.