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Training week in Belgium and Transnational Meeting 4
 

From 11th to 15th February, trainers, supervisors and advisers involved in the project met in Namur, Belgium for a week of group work on the selected tools. The aim was to build a common version of each tool. Four tools were worked on :

  • A sheet detailing awareness of discrimination and prejudged behaviour
  • An evaluation sheet
  • Stage Advisor, a preparation sheet monitoring the placement
  • KAHOOT, a fun learning tool

 

It was the first time that the trainers had met for a full week, and discussions which were already positive were further improved. The group held common values and passion for the project, whilst taking in to account the differences between partner countries

 

Building on conclusions from the partner meeting in Cergy in October, the group was able to quickly make a start on the tools. This work had been organised around comments and evaluations gathered from the national workshops, where the Scuola Centrale de Formazione had presented the summary at the beginning of the week

 

The theme of the work chosen was common reflection, to select a common version of each tool., in order to allow everyone to adapt it for their own country. Each work day was dedicated to one particular tool. The work sessions were prepared by and supervised by AID

 

Recap of the week:



Monday
At Perron de l’ilon in Namur, a work session on the awareness sheet relating to discrimination and prejudged behaviour. The challenge was : the first tool of the week to be worked on as a group, but above all a different kind of tool since it was more of an awareness tool rather than a practical teaching tool. After some discussions to better understand the tool, the group reviewed the content to be better able to adapt it for actually using it in the workplace.

Tuesday
The group met at AID, Vale de Senne in Tubize to work on the evaulation sheet. Both (technical and transversal skills) and the sheet (page lay out, pictutes and pictograms) were worked on to develop a self evaulation sheet which was able to be used for individual interviews with learners. At the end of the day, the group was able to visit the workshop, to meet the team and the learners to see their daily training.

Wednesday
Back to Namur to work on Stage Advisor, of which the components had been made uniform and general, in order to include everything necessary to capture the attention of the trainee before/during/after their placement. Contact details, practical information, specifics, hours of work, team, tasks carried out etc. The afternoon was a chance to meet the Director of Perron de l’ilon, hospitality training centre, who presented his evaluation tool on micro skills, before taking the group to visit the restaurant and the kitchens. At the end of the day, the group met the piloting committee regarding the work undertaken since the start of the week

Thursday
Cap sur Bastogne, for a morning of work at Habilux on KAHOOT with Nicolas, who presented to the group how he had tested the tool and how to use it in training (preparation of sequences, collection of resources, integration in to learning, participation of the learners). At the end of the morning, the group was keen to test the tool and to integrate it into their work. At lunch time, the group dined at the restaurant at Habilux, where they met the hospitality trainers, before going to a green space maintenance project, to meet a group of learners at work

Friday
Back to Namur, to present the common tools developed during the week to the piloting committee, and to close the meeting, taking note of the next project deadlines.
 
 
 
Through working sessions and visits, the group could be involved and share in the daily training by work and socio professional integration. The week, rich in exchange and co construction, garnered the enthusiasm of the participants who came away with new resources to share from their colleagues and learners. At the end of the week, the group was satisfied, already very much looking forward to the meeting in Porto in a few months

The fourth transnational meeting took place in Namur, Belgium, 13th to 15th February.  The coordinator of the project AID, welcomed all the European partners – Aspire-igen (United Kingdom), La Scuola Centrale de Formazione (Italy), SPI (Portugal), Convergence Emploi (France) and the Confederation des Syndicats Chrétiens de Belgique (Belgium), together with technical supervisors, trainers and advisers from these various organisations.

 

This meeting allowed the above to participate in the training week and the results of the work on the tools carried out by the trainers and to discuss them as a group.

 
 
Testing of the tools : First impressions
 
Belgium
 
 

The KAHOOT learning tool has already been tested (and approved) by the Belgian teams responsible for validating its operation. Its strengths lie in the fact that the developments brought by previous users can serve as a source of inspiration and that early results are therefore quickly exploitable ... while leaving behind glimpses of subsequent almost unlimited improvements (both in content and format). An additional asset relates to the ease of use of multimedia material: learning sequences can be easily integrated into existing training programs, and the potentially collective dimension of their approach enables them to complete a technical training cycle by acquiring a range of more transitions in the student's work process. The tool in fact provoked the curiosity of the trainees, as they asked to be able to continue using it outside the course sessions.

 

The remaining instruments are still being tested at the time of writing this Newsletter.

 
 
France
 
 

In France good progress was made on the score sheet. Regarding the tool on discrimination, we are creating issues to integrate them into the Kahoot, once completed, the tool will be tested under the entity ACR and Convergences Emploi.

 
 
United Kingom
 
 

The Kahoot tool was tested by Katie Jenkins, VET Teacher, Catering and Hospitality, aspire-igen.  The aim of the Kahoot tool is to embed more IT into lessons.

 

Katie tested the Kahoot tool among a group of 10 learners aged 16-19.  The tool was tested during a theory lesson.  The students soon became engaged with the tool and it increased overall interaction in the lesson, partly due to the competitive nature of the tool.  A point to mention would be that it would be better if the tool had an option to list the qualifications the quiz was referring to so that the right terminology could be used.  Disadvantages of the tool are that not all learners have a phone and also if there are problems with the internet/connectivity.  Overall the test was a success and Katie said that she would recommend Kahoot to tutors in other subject areas.

 
 
Italy
 
 

In the case of Italy, small changes were made to the tools (specific items such as task icons for the evaluation form, etc.), leaving the instrument structure unchanged.

 

Evaluation sheets: it is difficult to compile them autonomously for most of our users (which is a weak point); however, the form was often compiled with the support of the trainer. It is helpful to have a brief summary of the small steps of the job.

 

Kahoot: was tested with good results in the English field; the only critical aspect concerns the need for a smartphone and internet connection to participate in the game; this can also cause classroom management problems when they use the smartphone improperly during the activity.

 
 
Portugal
 
 

Regarding the Outil Commun - Anti-discrimination, we will include in our online portal for information and awareness raising for all actors of the Training Process in the Work Context. This action is in line with EPA policy and the Education Project. Obviously, that in practice whenever we feel that there is any factor of discrimination on the part of the company, we act next to the Tutor. The students have a very close follow-up to our School, both at the level of Teachers and the Team for Tutoring and Psychology.

 

Regarding the Outil Commun - Stage Advisor, we understand the same very interesting in the scope of the evaluation of the Partner Entities and the vision of the students of the same and we want to integrate the same in our process of formation.

 

Regarding the Outil Commun - Evaluation, there is a huge difficulty on the part of the tutors and students in a weekly written evaluation, although they feel that the document is very interesting. However, taking into account the practice of day-to-day activity in a company and the typology of our students, this action becomes difficult. The companies prefer direct contact and face-to-face as well as oral communication. They also take the view that there is no weekly need to carry it out.

 
 
 
 
The Partners
 
 
 
 

Would you like to find out more ? Contact us: info@nt4s.eu
 
 
 
 

Ce projet a été financé avec le soutien de la Commission Européenne. Cette publication n’engage que son auteur et la Commission n’est pas responsable de l’usage qui pourrait être fait des informations qui y sont contenues.

 
 
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