ePractice.eu - Case VET4e-I European Vocational Education & Training (VET) Solution for e-Inclusion Facilitators Leonardo Innovation Project /

The VET 4 e-I project actions Identification of the emerging Professional Profile of the e-Facilitator for Social Inclusion [ developer of key competences of users at risk (digital competences, civic and interpersonal skills, learning-to-learn abilities) for their empowerment in a Knowledge Society ] and first steps to make it recognized Design, implement and test an elearning curriculum based on a devoted participative distance learning environment Web 2.0-based (ning, blogs, wikis), in Creative commons licensing and in user-centered didactics (constructivism, learning-by-doing, action learning, collaborative learning…). 2 12/10/2010VET4e-i project funded by LLP/Leonardo

An innovative Large NGOs/Telecentres-based partnership 8 partners from 5 European MS: Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Apart from the 3 consulting bodies, there are: – ICT Development (Bulgaria): 150 e-Facilitators working in 120 telecentres across the country (they offer 10 types of courses in the area of ICT to around end users). – La Ligue (France): an increasing number of e-Facilitators working in multimedia centres belonging to its 102 federations and 30,000 member associations, complemented by INFREP’s 33 training centres. – ARCI (Italy; local centres/1.1 M members): 750 e-Facilitators working (after an initial training course) in 272 PAAS centres in Tuscany ( registered users), approx. 114 SPRAR integration operators and about 50 immigration info-points operators with some e-facilitation tasks and skills. – Fundación Esplai (Spain): e-Facilitators trained by its Spanish Telecentre Academy from 2005 (31 online modules covering their different needs). More than 1M end users served by the trained e-Facilitators. <100 of them employed in Esplai. 8 partners from 5 European MS: Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Apart from the 3 consulting bodies, there are: – ICT Development (Bulgaria): 150 e-Facilitators working in 120 telecentres across the country (they offer 10 types of courses in the area of ICT to around end users). – La Ligue (France): an increasing number of e-Facilitators working in multimedia centres belonging to its 102 federations and 30,000 member associations, complemented by INFREP’s 33 training centres. – ARCI (Italy; local centres/1.1 M members): 750 e-Facilitators working (after an initial training course) in 272 PAAS centres in Tuscany ( registered users), approx. 114 SPRAR integration operators and about 50 immigration info-points operators with some e-facilitation tasks and skills. – Fundación Esplai (Spain): e-Facilitators trained by its Spanish Telecentre Academy from 2005 (31 online modules covering their different needs). More than 1M end users served by the trained e-Facilitators. <100 of them employed in Esplai. 3 12/10/2010VET4e-i project funded by LLP/Leonardo

eFacilitator for Social Inclusion’s Roles 12/10/2010VET4e-i project funded by LLP/Leonardo 4 Proposed classification*, by level of complexity of services provided: Level 1 - On demand assistance: he/she reacts to users’ demands of help in ICT access/use Level 2 - Training: Provider of Digital Literacy Training with a social orientation Level 3 - User’s individual empowerment: Provider of Social Inclusion Services to guide the digital autonomy of the users within the Information Society Level 4: Active civic participation in community and in social projects: Provider of Community Service-Learning –Development through social projects (*) adapted from the classification by the Fundación Esplai and checked through the field research to 252 efacilitators. Proposed classification*, by level of complexity of services provided: Level 1 - On demand assistance: he/she reacts to users’ demands of help in ICT access/use Level 2 - Training: Provider of Digital Literacy Training with a social orientation Level 3 - User’s individual empowerment: Provider of Social Inclusion Services to guide the digital autonomy of the users within the Information Society Level 4: Active civic participation in community and in social projects: Provider of Community Service-Learning –Development through social projects (*) adapted from the classification by the Fundación Esplai and checked through the field research to 252 efacilitators. This classification emphasizes the variety of roles an e-Facilitator may have, and the specificity of his/her profile as compared with an ICT trainer or a Socio-Cultural Animator

e-Facilitator job requirements 12/10/2010VET4e-i project funded by LLP/Leonardo 5 Minimum common requirements for e-Facilitators that the training should address are:  ICT: ISCED* level 5 (and ISCED6 for higher ICT knowledge) plus familiarity with the Information Society last tendencies and resources (e-Learning, e-services, social networks, open source tools..)  Diploma/experience in communication and socio-cultural animation for target groups at risk  Ability to plan and manage training activities and projects (and sometimes the telecentre itself), and to train in a digital environment (user centric, learning-by-doing, action mutual learning, etc)  Medium/high level of English and/or a non-local language appropriate to work with the targets  Specific knowledge/experience for specialised inclusion paths: o Social inclusion path: experience in social work, knowledge of social services and protection system, relevant laws, local actors, active citizenship, cultural animation... o Labour inclusion path: knowledge of labour market, potential employers, job seeking... o Lifelong learning path: knowledge of formal and informal training systems, online learning.. (*) International Standard Classification of Education. Minimum common requirements for e-Facilitators that the training should address are:  ICT: ISCED* level 5 (and ISCED6 for higher ICT knowledge) plus familiarity with the Information Society last tendencies and resources (e-Learning, e-services, social networks, open source tools..)  Diploma/experience in communication and socio-cultural animation for target groups at risk  Ability to plan and manage training activities and projects (and sometimes the telecentre itself), and to train in a digital environment (user centric, learning-by-doing, action mutual learning, etc)  Medium/high level of English and/or a non-local language appropriate to work with the targets  Specific knowledge/experience for specialised inclusion paths: o Social inclusion path: experience in social work, knowledge of social services and protection system, relevant laws, local actors, active citizenship, cultural animation... o Labour inclusion path: knowledge of labour market, potential employers, job seeking... o Lifelong learning path: knowledge of formal and informal training systems, online learning.. (*) International Standard Classification of Education.

28/04/2010VET4e-i project funded by LLP/Grundtvig 6 Organisational training Telecentre management and organisation Management of services Management of user services Methodological training Methodologies to work with special target groups and transversal topics Didactical methodologies Sociocultural animation Job guidance Technology and technical training Technical tools and support for methodological actions ICT Languages gaps training competencesrecognition (EQF) Towards a structured training curriculum

7 12/10/2010VET4e-i project funded by LLP/Leonardo Opportunities brought by ICT/Impact: Field research showed that the majority of the eFacilitators do not access formal training yet, and that non-formal and informal learning are prevailing In the 5-years’ ground practice of the promoting partner FE, distance learning has improved the professionalism of the eFacilitators of its related networks, their team-working abilities and adaptation to the changing societal and labor needs, their forming of transversal skills, by alternatively reducing their turn-over and reinforcing their job matching opportunities Flexible Distance and e-learning modular patterns are more contextualized and easy to follow Opportunities brought by ICT/Impact: Field research showed that the majority of the eFacilitators do not access formal training yet, and that non-formal and informal learning are prevailing In the 5-years’ ground practice of the promoting partner FE, distance learning has improved the professionalism of the eFacilitators of its related networks, their team-working abilities and adaptation to the changing societal and labor needs, their forming of transversal skills, by alternatively reducing their turn-over and reinforcing their job matching opportunities Flexible Distance and e-learning modular patterns are more contextualized and easy to follow Challenges:  Different NQFs, National/Regional Systems of Recognition, Qualification and Certification and of Job classification  The Economic Crisis is producing shortages of the eInclusion policies  Possible conflict: if the profile of the e-facilitator is ranked among highly qualified jobs, potential employers could reject them because of being more expensive than currently (it is a non-regulated sector with many volunteers and low pays ). Need to find a balanced solution.  An inclusive Multi-level Profile or a Specification of existing profiles? Challenges:  Different NQFs, National/Regional Systems of Recognition, Qualification and Certification and of Job classification  The Economic Crisis is producing shortages of the eInclusion policies  Possible conflict: if the profile of the e-facilitator is ranked among highly qualified jobs, potential employers could reject them because of being more expensive than currently (it is a non-regulated sector with many volunteers and low pays ). Need to find a balanced solution.  An inclusive Multi-level Profile or a Specification of existing profiles?

The potential for transferability, scaling up Europe-wide LARGE-SCALE DISSEMINATION STRATEGY through: – the Member organizations (more than ) and the National/Regional VET institutions – The European Networks participated (European Civic Forum; SOLIDAR; Telecentre Europe…) – The groups/networks of eFacilitators internal and external to the Partners’ networks EXPLOITATION STRATEGY: Will to bid for another project aiming to: – Make a Feasibility Plan to implement a European Academy of eFacilitators – also check the feasibility of a European Academy of Telecentres – Include new Third sector large NGOs and other relevant stakeholders as partners – Achieve a European “recognition” of this profile and of its qualifying distance course – Acknowledge and reinforce such a profile on the European labor market 12/10/2010VET4e-i project funded by LLP/Leonardo 8

12/10/2010VET4e-i project funded by LLP/Leonardo 9 The European Policy Options to support it