Centre for Innovation and Development in Education (TEHNE) San Sebastian, 22nd of March 2011 LIFE2 Simona Gabureanu, TEHNE – Centre for Innovation in Education 1

Centre for Innovation and Development in Education (TEHNE) WP 3 1.Needs analysis objective 2.Research methods/ target groups 3.Partners contribution to the WP3 transnational report 4.Needs analysis results summary (LIFE Project) 5.Summary of the research findings 6.Specific country requirements & difficulties 7.WP 3 - Next steps San Sebastian, 22nd of March

Centre for Innovation and Development in Education (TEHNE) 1. Needs analysis objectives  To identify the European priorities regarding teaching life skills and the convergence with the national priorities and actions  To value the experience gained from other similar initiatives (lessons learned)  To identify the needs of vocational teachers, learners and employers regarding life skills  To identify the current skills of VET teachers on teaching life skills  To identify the appropriate delivery models to suit the target groups San Sebastian, 22nd of March

Centre for Innovation and Development in Education (TEHNE) 2. Research methods/ target groups Desk research Questionnaire survey (min.10 teachers/ trainers) Focus group (8 learners) Focus group (4 employers) Interview (1 organisation working with disadvantaged learners) San Sebastian, 22nd of March

Centre for Innovation and Development in Education (TEHNE) 3. Partners contribution to the WP3 transnational report The country report (data collected by desk research and other methods) The status of life skills on education policy objectives Teacher training for life skills delivery European recommendations, national policy documents, national curriculum for VET, similar projects How is entrepreneurship included in the formal curriculum? San Sebastian, 22nd of March

Centre for Innovation and Development in Education (TEHNE) 3. Partners contribution to the WP3 transnational report The summary of the data collected by questionnaire San Sebastian, 22nd of March

Centre for Innovation and Development in Education (TEHNE) 4. Needs analysis results summary (LIFE project) The key findings of the research are: All learners can benefit from improving life skills By building competence in these skills, the confidence and employability of learners should improve We need to narrow the gap between employer needs and what is currently delivered particularly practical skills Teachers need more training to identify diverse learner needs and assess competence Teachers need to be willing to be assessed and improve in the key competences in order to support learners Teachers need to build closer links with employers to update their skills and assess learners in the workplace wherever possible Training needs to form part of a structured framework for new and existing teachers Adequate funding and time for training needs to be given Effective teamwork between vocational teachers and life skills specialists is required San Sebastian, 22nd of March

Centre for Innovation and Development in Education (TEHNE) 5. Summary of the research findings - Group activity Learners needs Teachers needs Employer needs San Sebastian, 22nd of March

Centre for Innovation and Development in Education (TEHNE) 6. Specific country requirements & difficulties VET Teachers sometimes indicate a relatively poor quality of practical training in relation to labor market demands: insufficient time allocated in the curricula, poor quality of material resources and facilities of school at least in certain specialties, difficulties in developing partnerships with local businesses. In school practice there are many constraints and difficulties of application of opportunities offered by the decentralized curriculum: random decisions on local development curriculum (CDL), uncorrelated with the labor market; relatively few hours of CDL, which cannot be adapted to real training to local labor market, reduced opportunities for social partnership, particularly in rural communities. The use and recognition of portfolio for lifelong learning beyond the school space is virtually zero: the portfolio is often reduced only to the formal aspect of completing a standardized form for all students, without a means of recording individual student progress in learning; there is no recognition of the role of the portfolio by employers. The lake of tradition in the entrepreneurial activity and education, before 1990, and the unfavourable entrepreneurial environment represent real barriers for the students/ teachers motivation to develop entrepreneurship skills. San Sebastian, 22nd of March

Centre for Innovation and Development in Education (TEHNE) 7. WP 3 - Next steps - Country reports by end March (31 st of March) - Synthesis report by end April - Translations by end May San Sebastian, 22nd of March

Centre for Innovation and Development in Education (TEHNE) Thank you! San Sebastian, 22nd of March