NESSIE Background, Aims and Results Iverene Bromfield & Mina Welsh Dundee and Angus College, UK

NESSIE Partnership Dundee & Angus College College Development Network 2 nd Vocational High School of Giannitsa Roc Aventus CEDIT Bollnas Kommun Teacher Training Centre of Bucharest Sandvikens Kommun KVJS Youth Agency Heidelberg Scandinavian Poolsystems AB Scottish Investment Operations Ltd NOVOCAPTIS Pella Prefecture Confartigiantato Imprese Massa Carrara Employment Agency of Bollnas-Ovanaker GERMANY UK SWEDEN NETHERLANDS ROMANIA GREECE ITALY

Background

Impacts of Poor Soft Skills high staff turnover/difficulty recruiting lack of ability to compete inability to cope with change reasons for staff dismissal problems in school to work transition

Aims To create an e-learning soft skills training package for job seekers and employees To enable users to develop personal soft skills for enhanced performance at work or during job seeking To support mentors, trainers and coaches in acquiring new competencies

NESSIE PROJECT RESULTS AND IMPACTS

NESSIE Key Products Report on Employers’ perceptions of soft skills E-learning resources EQF 3 Train the Trainer Toolkit for trainers/mentors Impacts Report

Has using the course led you to/will lead you to changing any of your behaviour/practice? The course has changed the behaviour of 72% of participants

Employees: As a result of this course I have enhanced job performance 80% of participants in the workplace enhanced their job performance to a large extent and to some extent

Employees: I have improved my life in the following ways …

Job seekers: At the end of the course I feel more self confident during job seeking 84% of job seekers have increased confidence from a little extent to a large extent Only 16% not at all

Job Seekers: I have improved my life in the following ways:

Mentors: I have gained new competencies Only 10% did not feel they had gained any new competencies.

Geographical differences UK, Italy, Greece and Romania participants responded more enthusiastically and positively, reporting significant improvements and enjoyment of the learning material Romania recruited 42% of all participants Economic context - higher unemployment rates and fewer resources for training Learners (and mentors) more enthusiastic to try something new

Geographical differences German, Swedish and Dutch users show less evidence of soft skills development They were more likely to state that there was nothing new in the NESSIE course It was harder to engage with employers and recruit employees to participate in the pilot

“The Stress and Motivation units gave me information and knowledge on how to cope and handle it in the best suitable way without either losing my temper or bursting into tears at inappropriate times.”

EQF Certification

Conclusions NESSIE e-learning succeeds in making an impact on its users Degree of impact is relative to the amount of previous exposure to soft skills training E-learning approach appears to work better with people in the work place where the flexibility of approach and self-directed learning fits in with commitments NESSIE has made a positive contribution to the soft skills training environment in Europe Individuals’ skills and some individuals’ lives have been improved as a result of participation