European Commission logo
Skapa ett konto

Discussion Details

EBSN / EPALE discussion - What works in workplace basic skills?

Profile picture for user Zsolt Vincze.
Zsolt Vincze

From Wednesday 14th to Friday 16th September the European Basic Skills Network (EBSN) will be hosting an online discussion about Workplace Basic Skills on EPALE moderated by Rosemarie Klein and Dieter Zisenis from the German research and consultancy organization Büro für berufliche Bildungsplanung (bbb).

We would like to hear from anyone who has been involved in workplace basic skills training or is interested in developing expertise in this area.

The discussion will be open from Wednesday, 14th September, 10.00 CET. Please join us and share your thoughts and experiences! 

 

Login (3)

Kommentar

Profile picture for user Zsolt Vincze.
Zsolt Vincze
fre, 09/16/2016 - 20:56

Dear All,

Thank you for all your valuable and interesting comments and posts shared in the last three days. We intend to continue this discussion, but from now without any limited timeframe, gathering more interesting experiences and initiatives in the field of workplace learning. The platform for further discussions will be also on EPALE on the Community of Practice called 'EBSN forum - Workplace Literacy', open for any interested EPALE user. For joining this discussion you have to select the ''EBSN forum - Workplace Literacy' from the list of Communities of Practice available here and simply subscribe. 

The summary of the present three-day discussion will be also published on EBSN forum - Workplace Literacy.

Looking forward to meeting you there soon!

The EBSN Team

Login (1)
Profile picture for user coneduaustria.
CONEDU Austria
fre, 09/16/2016 - 16:00

Thank you all for bringing thus rich experiences and lively impressions and insights into this discussion! 

Login (0)
Profile picture for user Dr Sabine Schwarz.
Sabine Schwarz
fre, 09/16/2016 - 14:44

Hello,

my name is Sabine Schwarz. I'm responsible for the work place basic education sector of Lernende Region Netzwerk Köln e.V. I provide training courses, councelling and workshops in adult education for many years. Since 2008 I focus on basic education and literacy with a research project at the University of Cologne. At the moment, I focus on basic work place education.

Within the last 4 years in different projects dealing with work place basic education nearly 800 employees in small, medium and big-sized companies have been reached. Topics of the workshops and training courses were reading, writing, arithmetic, IT competencies, communication, health care, cultural education etc.

Based on these experiences I raise different thesis which you can find here:

http://www.bildung.koeln.de/materialbibliothek/download.php/lrnk-the_ba…

I'm looking forward to your comments.

Best regards

Sabine Schwarz

Login (1)
TreeImage.
Thomas Aigner
fre, 09/16/2016 - 13:55

 

Hello,

I'm Thomas Aigner, founding member of the AoG Network NRW (www.aog-netz-nrw.de). We are an association of trainers and coaches for workplace basic skills and work as network closely with the Gruwe project (workplace basic skills moves companies) (www.gruwe-nrw.de)

Our experiences show that we certainly encounter in the company with the topic on interest. Interest does not mean, however, at the same time that they see a need. It is unusual for them to take the low-skilled workers in the view of personal development. The argumentation in the contribution of Lorén Sombetzki I share. The challenge is the question of how and where the communication can be made with and in companies.

For this purpose, five experiences:

- First of all it is important to have an own position and argumentation why one stands up for workplace basic skills rsp. believes that personal development of low-skilled workers for the value chain in business is important. This is to show position, to be a competent communicator for talking with company-representatives but not to convince for workplace basic skills!

- We achieve great attention when we clearly point out that workplace basic skills is a training, which is taylormade, demand-driven,, work-oriented which means: learning to solve real challenges at the workplace. So a development which starts „where the shoe pinches“. And then we talk about where improvements in this company would be necessary.

- Good access to get into conversation with company representatives, are company-networks and personnel developer networks or events like business-breakfast or business-dinner. They show interest, to deal with new topics and issues. There we show short and clearly our offer and go as fast as possible in a discussion or in dialog with interested representatives.

- A good opener for our topic are the companies that have already made the experience with us ". Workplace basic skills is a useful offer." Utility is the goal of education for companies: Has the employee developed and shows job content requirements as Telephone communication with customers better? Are workflows and coordination between colleagues now smoother?

- We have developed and edited a good-practice brochure about workplace basic skills together with some companies which consequently tells about workplace basic skills from the perspective of company-representatives and trainers.  

Login (1)
Profile picture for user Bechstein.
Rosemarie Klein
fre, 09/16/2016 - 09:20

I like to pick up the CLEA conribution about the transfer of learning:

A very important benefit of workplace basic skills training is to accompany the workers is to transfer what they have learned as a competence in the work action. In parts we can rely on the fact that this casually happened, but the empiricism teaches us to encourage and accompany this process.

Our experiences in Brief:

1. The transfer of learning succeeds succeed well when in the training structures for the transfer of learning are integrated and when the system is operating practices a feedback culture that invites to altered behavior, for converting old behavior patterns and creates space for modified employee behavior.

2. Central is in operational learning contexts for learning transfer the consulting expertise of educational workers who are required both as a learning consultant as well as an organizational consultant. A target-forming on learning transfer exercise alone is not a matter in the classroom between employee and manager, but is linked to the action logic of the system operation and the roles of the various players in the operation.

3. Empirical evidence shows that competence increases also increases competence within the meaning of the "more-are they allowed" truly need "multi-skill". Competence gains need to be reflected in a change in performance if they are to be experienced as meaningful and beneficial effort. The employees in the workplace basic skills trainings must be able to make the experience that give them a more allows more of skills to design and participation. This is a high standard and is only partially in the hands of coaches - and you have to take into account the failure experience with such efforts.

Our trainers talk about four ways:

Transfer reflection during the training

Learning contract as structual element of the training including responsibility sharing agreement on learning transfer

clearifications with line/personal development about the training process in order to pay attention to changes in the work

feedback and forms of jobenrichment

 

Login (2)
Profile picture for user Bechstein.
Rosemarie Klein
fre, 09/16/2016 - 08:26

Please take a look at Dieter's summary of yesterday aspects we discussed - thanks Dieter - and decide to deepen or give another insight-look in your experiences or study-results. 

Of course there are also new aspects, more challenges we could go on to today. What are your interests? And what do you like to contribute and share with others?

Login (0)
TreeImage.
Dieter Zisenis
tors, 09/15/2016 - 20:54

On the second day of the open online event some new aspects appeared and we will see which topics we will deepen tomorrow. We are looking forward to continue the discussion tomorrow:

  • the challenge at the same time tailoring the workplace training to the actual needs of the employees as well as the interests and needs of the company or as outlined by Zsolt: workplace basic skills could only be successful when they were feeling that this program really aimed to deal with their actual problems and it was not only a general ’ready-made product’ offered for all companies. This includes also the time structure of the courses. Some of the discussion participants prefer short time formats because this will accept the opportunities of the companies
  • the development of appropriate formats and learning settings that “helps the trainee to actively acquire and train numerous basic skills and competences in a very practical and authentic way, which he/she would never acquire like this inside a (conventional) classroom setting.” As Helmut mentioned
  • the professionalization of door openers like the “Türöffner” (Cäcilia) or the “Betriebskontakter” (Helmut) - these colleagues must be real experts and show a wide range of competences and, above all, personal skills and must very familiar with the work processes within companies and their rationales
  • the professionalization of the trainers / the providers staff: they need expertise regarding enterprises as well as the expertise regarding didactics for basic skills and in particular the willingness to be flexible. “Trainers need to be prepared to work without a curriculum but be open what the requirements of the workplace are (situations) als well as be able to identify the individual need of the person doing the job.” as Cäcilia mentioned
  • the role of the providers – and at the same time the needed framework conditions and sustainable financial resources for their work to acquire companies and to develop tailor made concepts and programmes
  • the role and the needed preconditions for successful networking in workplace basic skills (thanks to Kai)
  • the didactical principles as shown for instance with the French CLEA programme – the great significance of transfer learning
Login (1)
Profile picture for user Bechstein.
Rosemarie Klein
tors, 09/15/2016 - 19:25

Birgit, you asked if it always needs special persons for "Betriebskontakte". To our experience it needs person - as mentioned by Helmut and Cäsilia who know how to "walk and talk" when entering a company. In our projects SESAM and Gruwe we offered a training to freelancer trainers and coaches who are interested in "akquisition for workplace basic skills". And by now amongst the 40 trainers we colaborate with about 20 are Betriebskontakter and trainer. They are all members of the so called AoG-Network-NRW (workplace-basic-skills-network Northrhine-Westfalia) and of course they make the akquisition primarily for themselves but: As the needs and interest of companies sometimes are not covered by themselves they make akquisition for colleges. 

But this is ONE way. As well we do practise a very good cooperation to the projects of our partner of union and work counsel (see contribution of Emily yesterday) and also we are very well connected to company-networks to be dooropeners.

Login (2)
Profile picture for user Bechstein.
Rosemarie Klein
tors, 09/15/2016 - 15:50

An employer-feedback:

The competence of the four sellers is demonstrably increased. They have gained by the very intense and concrete learning on action situations in their workplace safety, how to behave with customer inquiries concretely: When is it good to reach out directly to customers? Which answers might be appropriate in the 10 TOP-questions of customers we had identified? What if I cannot answer a technical question? etc And the four women felt much more confident, competent and have understood why and even more THAT the customer and his questions is the no 1 and all the other important work to be done comes after the custumer. An last but not least: communication with customer they now experience to be an enrichtment in the daily work. 

One of the questions our trainers do work on is: How can we secure the transfer of learning into working?

Is this a question for you as well?

Login (0)
Profile picture for user Cäcilia Märki.
Cäcilia Märki
tors, 09/15/2016 - 14:45

Dear Zsolt and Rosemarie

yes, in companies long trainings are not adaequat. If the training is worplace oriented based on situations and trainers as well as responsible persons in the company take care of the transfer of learning back to the workplace the usefulness of the training is quickly visible through changes in the capability to act in workplace situations. From my experience the transfer is a trump and the more team leaders or colleagues engage in the learning process of the participants the more pronounced the increase in capabilities to act will be.

In average the GO trainings are 30 hours when language is involved, some companies did more.

We found participants increase in motivation to engage in further learning activities especially promising. People want to continue learning once they feel it is useful. Then other high quality offers in basic skills need to be in place that people can go to. 

Workplace basic skills allows companies and participants alike to discover the willingness as well as the potential of some people to take up the pathway to a formal professional education. IMO this is a further important aspect. In Switzerland the "Berufsabschluss für Erwachsene" is an important issue at the moment (skills shortage) and workplace basic skills may play an important role to enable ever more adults to achieve a formal professional qualification.

Bye for now

Cäcilia

 

 

Login (1)
Profile picture for user Zsolt Vincze.
Zsolt Vincze
tors, 09/15/2016 - 13:13

Reading many interesting comments above I would like to share some of the experiences we had related to the implementation of an experimental project here, in Hungary on workplace basic skills. As in Hungary we hadn’t really had programmes in this area, together with SVEB from Switzerland (represented by Cäcilia above) we initiated a project aimed at adapting and trying out in Hungary a model tailored for SMEs (GO) elaborated by the Swiss colleagues. The model proposed to create basic skills training programs directly at the workplace adapted to the actual needs of both the employer and a small group of employees.

Speaking about convincing the companies to participate we experienced that this could only be successful when they were feeling that this program really aimed to deal with their actual problems and it was not only a general ’ready-made product’ offered for all companies. At first a lot of decision makers were reluctant but the real positive change in attitude took place after the discussions we had with the management and also the employees selected for the training. They realised that we really understood their day-by-day challenges and proposed concrete steps (training) tailored for them, and made decisions together with them. This is connected to what David called "involving employers in designing a demand-led system" that helps a lot in attitude.

Another important factor was to convince also the participant employees. We saw that many of them had no experience at all regarding learning in adult life. In addition no one had asked about their needs for a long time, so this was a new situation for them which could be turned into positive experience, offering the feeling that they are important for the company.

In short we worked with 6-7 SMEs and it was interesting to see that the most important challenges were in the field of communication, working with colleagues and also the lack of proper working attitude in the sense of seeing the company as 'my organization' and not as an opponent. We worked mainly with basic skills in connection with these aspects in relatively short learning programmes.

At the end our most important conclusions were:

  • It works only for smaller companies/SMEs and only if they feel that it's tailored to them
  • This approach needs a lot of resources and well-prepared staff from the provider, which leads to the eternal question of financing. Companies would be able to invest their time to a certain extent but not really financial resources.
  • If both employers and employees are convinced they could be open to invest their time shared (50% from the working hours and 50% from the free time)
  • Having gained good experiences it is easier to convince further SMEs.
Login (2)

replying to Zsolt: we experience that the duration of an workplace basic skills training is also very important. Usually courses are planned as longlasting courses. Not so in working with a company on workplace basic skill training. The trainings might be only 10, 20, 30 hours. Mostly they start with a short training, 10 - 15 hours as taster, as trial offer. And as the professionalized trainers really do the training and coaching very, very close to the need and interest of the employee, benefit and development even after this short time becomes visible. In almost all cases up to now a follow-up-training started. 

Login (1)

I agree, Rosemarie, the duration is very important. These trainings were 20 hours, implemented in approximately 5-7 weeks. Interesting that the drop-out rate was 0%.

In the frame of this project we had no time for follow-up trainings but we did certain follow-up with the companies.

Login (0)
Profile picture for user nbonsdri.
Sandrine BONNET
tors, 09/15/2016 - 13:11

Dear colleagues,

To answer your questions, I posted in a previous subject in our Community Activities (SIG on Worplace Literacy) this comment about our French system.

/en/comment/3576#comment-3576

 

Moreover, I wanted to add that indeed managers, human resources have to be involved in the building of provisions for training : when we work with companies, we use national framework but we always adapt them to specific situations.

We also use tools to analyse the activity and we are going to experiment this on a new Erasmus+ Project (DILABS : Digital community and Innovation in aduLt educAtion and Basic Skills); one of them is the video of professional activities in order to be used in the analysis of key competences at work. I will give you more details as soon as we have started the project and get the first results.

Tomorrow, I'll be participating to the presentation of good practices of CLEA with our National Agency EPALE in Paris. So I'll get back to you next week in the comments...

 

All the best,
Sandrine Bonnet

Lille 1 - Service Formation Continue

PS. I couldn't use the green button "Reply" to reply directly to your contributions. It happens sometimes, so I added a new comment, event if it is not a new subject : sorry for that.

 

 

 

Login (1)
Profile picture for user Cäcilia Märki.
Cäcilia Märki
tors, 09/15/2016 - 11:16

Good morning everybody

A Swiss delegation was lucky to visit VOX earlier this year. One thing amongst many others I learned in Oslo was how crucial the role of the learning provider is. 

Providers need incentives to become active in workplace basic skills. There work needs to be valued and well payed. Otherwise providers will not be able and willing to work with companies.

Providers need very good contacts to employers and employer networks. This is an investment. Acquisition costs money and needs time.

Providers need experienced trainers to be able to work with basic skills in the company environment.

Providers need efficient support structures to be able to facilitate an adaequate offer of comprehensive workplace basic skills training.

What do you think?

Cäcilia from SVEB

Login (0)

With our experiences in several projects on workplace basic skills we fully agree to what Cäsilia mentioned. Currently we are in a very good cooperation with 41 providers which offer workplace basic skills as freelancer and 15 institutional providers. To conceptualize offers of workplace basic training costs both providing-groups a lot of effort and time before a training or coaching starts and needs to show high quality and professionalisation. The willingness and engagement of the providers are in our Gruwe-Project supported by

- professionalisation offers for trainers 

- provider- and trainer-network for sharing experiences, success-stories and obstacles, for professionalisation and marketing

- financal incentive / reasonable remuneration

We are convinced that this are reasonable ways to build up a providing structure for high quality workplace basic skills - but it needs to be continued in regular structures to survive after the end of the project.

Login (0)

Hello everybody!

I am Birgit Aschemann (Austrian member of the ET2020 working group on Adult Learning which is focussing on workplace learning during the current working period).

Dear Cäcilia, I strongly agree with you - providers need public (financial) support to make good learning offers, and also to make good job offers to their adult basic education professionals (or "trainers"). This work needs to be valued and well payed, otherwise highly specialized experts will soon leave the field and look for better job opportunities again (which means an ongoing loss of knowhow in the sector).

In Austria we have the so-called Initiative Erwachsenenbildung as an overarching program for basic skills offers. It provides basic skills courses for different target groups all over Austria, which are closely linked to everyday needs of the learners (using authentic materials and so on), but (up to now) not especially for the workplace.  The adult basic education professionals (or "adult basic skills teachers") working in these courses are obliged to undergo a special training along a defined currculum; this training is funded by the ministry of education (often together with ESF).

On the other hand there is the concept already mentioned by Helmut (BEST): "Betriebskontakter". "Betriebskontakters" as such have a long tradition in active labour market policy in Austria. They are experts for the linkage between individual job-seekers and companies with all the professional knowhow wich is necessary to do that job.

IMO, the "ideal person" working in a workplace-related basic skills provision needs both: the expertise regarding enterprises as well as the expertise regarding didactics for basic skills - he or she should be a "Betriebskontakter" and an adult basic education professional (or "adult basic skills teacher") at the same time. If we take that seriously, it demands high and special skills and appropriate working conditions.

Or do most projects have separate persons for contacting the companies and for training in the companies? I am interested to learn more about it...(have to leave now but will be back in the evening)

Best! Birgit

Login (1)

Dear Birgit

contacting companies and opening the door for workplace basic skills training is a crucial competence. We address it seperatly in our GO training for providers. Mostly, I would say, Door Openers are persons with very good (personal) networks to companies but also to other relevant key persons being in a position to address companies, establish contact, explain the benefits of (in our case) GO and hand over to the person in charge of the GO process in the company (in our terms the Prozessbegleiter). The function of the Door Opener is also important to establish trust, especially when companies are small or very small and have a migrant background.

The Austrian Betriebskontakter" are Door Openers and could have an important role in workplace basic skills promotion.

I know the Austrian "Initiative Erwachsenenbildung" a bit and follow the developments in our neighboring country with big interest. I agree, that the competences of trainers working in workplace basic skills need to be very high. What I observed in our 10 pilots is a very high demand in flexibility. Trainers need to be prepared to work without a curriculum but be open what the requirements of the workplace are (situations) als well as be able to identify the individual need of the person doing the job. The training resulting from requirements and need lay the ground for the training. Especially needs assessment is continuously develping because participants are often not aware what they want to learn. As soon as they see what learning can be about in a GO training, they come up with ever more needs. In the GO training we train for the implementation of the GO Model. Knowing how to teach basic skills is crucial as well as being able to act in an company environment. But we do not train for basic skills teaching, it is a prerequisite in our understanding.

Best regards to Austria :)

Cäcilia

Login (1)
TreeImage.
Dieter Zisenis
tors, 09/15/2016 - 11:11

Dear all,

 

thanks a lot for your comments and impulses. I should like to tie up what Helmut from BEST posted. One mayor result of the inquiries and the discussions in the Straigthen Basic Skills consortium was to highlight the need of contextualized programmes embedding the aspects of basic skills. Employees and jobseekers as well as employers are not interested in "specific courses" dealing with reading, writing or math in genral. Employees and jobseekers as well as employers are interested in integrating basic skills programmes in the workplace or with regard to concrete challenges in their working life but also in their daily life.

I like to invite you to have a look in the second report of the Straighten Basic Skills project called "IO 2 - Synthesis of country report - Review of goog basic training practices applied to work situations for jobseekers or low-skilled employees". You will finf some good practices regarding to some aspects of the discussion on Epale.

 

 

https://de.scribd.com/document/321439922/Untitled?secret_password=RDu951oWHskxWRfNXD3y#download&from_embed

Login (0)
Profile picture for user Heidi AFPA.
Heidi GRANLUND
tors, 09/15/2016 - 09:23

hello everybody, it was not possible to me to be there with you yesterday but i want to share with you the french strategy. The life long learning should be the preoccupation of every one. 

For everyone the basic skills will be differents but it's always about reading, talking, understanding instructions, working with others, managing the own activity, using e-mailling and internet and to care about security - environnement - first aid. In france, the CLEA systeme can help the low qualified workers to understand how to do a training period. the system provides assistance to the extent of the gap existing basic skills and those needed. 

the CLEA system is there to make grow the employability and self esteem. 

Some one who will be employable will have the chance to find a job and if the technical skills need to be fortified, he will be open enough to listen, try to understand and learn new things.

CLEA is an adult way to learn things they do not learn in school or have forgotten. CLEA is a way empowers adults to continue learning long life and CLEA certification values the basic skills on workplace .

Heidi From AFPA (France)

 

 

 

 

 

Login (0)

Good morning Heidi,

Could you tell us more about CLEA (or link to some information online)? All I can find online is that CLEA stands for 'contrat local d'éducation artistique', which sounds intriguing, but needs more explanation.

 

Login (0)
Profile picture for user Heidi AFPA.
Heidi GRANLUND
tors, 09/15/2016 - 15:00

Som svar på av David Mallows

Hello David, 

Yes i can :) 

I had work on the Afpa Clea project. The CLEA you find is not the good one.  I was asked to create a training on the subject "have more desire to learn" then "Respect the rules and teamwork" and "Work independently and take initiative".

it was very interesting because i really think that the cause of the no-formation of adults is that they don't know the possibility they can have, the way they can form, and there own possibility of learn news things. when i was trainer (FR : FORMATRICE INSERTION) , the people i see didn't know they have learning rights. No one of them knows how to do. 

 

About the french Project CLEA, you can take a look on these websites.

 

http://www.certificat-clea.fr/ 

" Clea demonstrates your knowledge and your skills in seven key areas:

Speak French
Calculate, reason
To use a computer
Respect the rules and teamwork
Work independently and take initiative
Have the desire to learn
Master the basic rules: hygiene, safety, environment
Clea begins with an assessment that allows to know your strengths in 7 key areas and identify your needs additional training."

 

http://www.moncompteformation.gouv.fr/mon-compte-personnel-de-formation…

Login (0)
TreeImage.
Helmut KRONIKA
tors, 09/15/2016 - 09:05

At our organisation, BEST, in the Vienna/Austrian labour-market-related basic skills area, we include workplace basic skills training in almost all our projects for different target groups. Among the key-persons for realising this type of practical training in the workplace, there are our so called “Betriebskontakter” ("business contacts"). These business contacts are responsible for several important tasks in the process:
 

-          They work directly with the participants/learners and help them with their CV, application letter and further training opportunities.

-          They establish the (personal) contact with a big number of different companies, in order to create opportunities for internships/trainings and job vacancies/employment status.

-          They invite companies to visit the project location and present themselves and their business. - Usually this is a very good opportunity for the project participants to get in contact with respective HR-personnel, hand in their CVs and apply through this channel for an internship or a job/vacancy.

-          They organise field trips to enterprises. In this way, the participants/learners get to know different work sectors, companies and their concrete workplaces.

-          They coach the learners before, during and after their internship/workplace basic skills training e.g. once a week.

These internships/trainings can last from a couple of days up to several weeks/months, depending on the company and on the position of the trainee. Within this period, the trainee gets to know the sector, profession and company, which is especially helpful in case the trainee is in the phase of professional orientation. A couple of days up to a week are usually enough to confirm if this branch/profession is really what he/she wants and expects. This type of training helps to decide if a specific, planned (expensive and/or long-lasting) vocational training is the right thing to do, or not.

An internship/workplace training which lasts for a couple of weeks is an important experience on the one hand, on the other hand it helps the trainee to actively acquire and train numerous basic skills and competences in a very practical and authentic way, which he/she would never acquire like this inside a (conventional) classroom setting. These basic skills and competences will be useful in the participant´s professional life, no matter which work sector, company or form of employment.

An evaluation of this type of practical training is not always easy and usually we can mainly measure a selected part of the whole experience and result. The first measurable indicators can be the number of companies which offer internships and trainings and the number of trainees having started an internship/training. Another indicator can be the number/percentage of (un-)employed participants after finishing the project. Regarding qualitative methods, evaluating the satisfaction of both the employer and the trainee by a feedback talk and/or feedback papers usually brings about the most significant results for all parties involved.

 

Helmut Kronika, Vienna/Austria 

www.best.at

Login (0)

I like the concept of ‘Betriebskontakters’, though it does seem that the people who carry out the role must need a very wide range of competences/qualities themselves. Do other countries have similar roles?

I have one question for you. In the text you say ‘it helps the trainee to actively acquire and train numerous basic skills and competences in a very practical and authentic way’ How are these basic competences 1. identified (I presume that some are task specific, rather than general?) and 2 how are they validated?

Login (0)
TreeImage.
Helmut KRONIKA
tors, 09/15/2016 - 10:12

Som svar på av David Mallows

You are right, these colleagues must be real experts and show a wide range of competences and, above all, personal skills. Most of them have some business experience themselves, so they have not "only" worked in the pedagogic/training field before.

About basic skills identification and validation: before and after our trainees would sign up for and do their internships, they would be in courses/class, as well as individual settings, in which their basic skills knowledge is checked (to be honest in rather conventional ways, i.e. by tests and by "hands-on" exercises). In this way, we can quite clearly observe their progress. 

Login (0)
Profile picture for user Cäcilia Märki.
Cäcilia Märki
tors, 09/15/2016 - 11:02

Som svar på av David Mallows

We call them "Türöffner" - door openers. GO identified four functions in the compancy process. The most important one is the door opener! It may be a represtentative of the education provider with an exellent network and personal contacts or a representative of a national, regional or local employers assiciation or a trade union specialist. What is key is the personal contact.

To establish a "learning cooperation" of seven very small enterprises of migrants in Bale for example the GO team established contact to the existing "intercultural mediators" (interkulturelle Vermittler) of the city of Bale. Without their support the doors would have stayed closed due to distrust and misapprehension. They explained the possible benefits to work with GO and what was most important, established contact and trust.

 

 

Login (0)
Profile picture for user NSS Albania.
Ejvis Gishti
tors, 09/15/2016 - 08:57

Companies have changed how they are organized and the way they do business. Workers have more responsibility and contribute more to productivity and innovation. Indeed, from the literature review the investments in knowledge, and skills of the individuals—human capital—are as important as investments in the more visible, physical capital of the country.

The private sector involvement in vocational education and training (VET) in Albania is essential in governance and financing and for the development of qualifications and curricula with a view to ensure a demand-led system. During the last two decades, the Albanian VET system has been criticised, among others, for its weak linkages between the vocational schools and businesses. This includes the limited role of businesses in the organization and implementation of students’ practice classes, internships or apprenticeships – with the latter two being the main forms of work based learning (WBL). The VET system is currently undergoing an in-depth reform process. One important aspect of this cooperation is linked to the WBL of students, which is paramount in developing vocational competences. On the other hand, based on the main findings of the Skills Needs Analysis in Albania, almost all the contacted businesses were of the opinion that young people generally lack a proper working attitude, technical knowledge and practical skills. They assessed that the technical knowledge and practical skills could be improved over time through training, but work willingness and culture are not aspects that the company could deal with alone. Thus, motivating businesses to become close partners of VET providers is a central goal of VET reform.

Login (0)
Profile picture for user Kai Sterzenbach.
Kai Sterzenbach
tors, 09/15/2016 - 08:54

Good morning,

my name is Kai Sterzenbach. Since 2005 I work as managing director for Lernende Region – Netzwerk Köln e.V.

Whenever the joys of administration allow it, I'm involved in network- and basis education-activities.

Lernende Region – Netzwerk Köln e.V. is is a nonprofit organization with the objective to promote and encourage lifelong learning (LLL)

“Networks for Basic Education need a home” is a summary of 10 years experience in networking acitivities and discusses some pros and cons as well as boundaries and potentials in basis education networks.

I would like to present this topic in form of a powerpoint-presentation.

http://www.bildung.koeln.de/materialbibliothek/download.php/lrnk_-_netw…

I'm looking forward to your comments.

Login (0)

I liked the presentation a lot. Building a network is a difficult thing and there is plenty here for people to think about before / while they try to build a network to support work in basic education - EBSN included. And I learnt that I am a ‘system changer’ – I wonder how others would self-identify?

 

Login (0)
Profile picture for user davidmallows.
David Mallows
tors, 09/15/2016 - 08:44

I think we can all agree that "Le sens pour la personne  (et non pour son employeur) est primordial pour apprendre en formation d'adulte." (The meaning for the person (and not the employer) is essential for learning in adult education.) That is why so many of the comments above make reference to tailoring the workplace intervention to the actual needs of the employees. I also think that this may be a major reason why so many large scale workplace basic skills initiatives fail - they are not designed on an individual level. As you say, we need to work with them to understand the reasons why they may go back to learning (Pour dépasser cela, la question est de trouver avec elles de bonnes raisons pour qu'elles se remettent à apprendre).

However, I don't agree that the concept of basic skills is demeaning or that it leads to a hierarchy of competences. (la notion de compétence de base et de mon point de vue très dévalorisante: il y aurait les compétences de bases, celles pour ceux qui n'ont pas réussi et puis les compétences nobles, hautes pour ceux qui sont bons...) On the contrary, whether we like it or not, those skills are required for progression in many aspects of people's lives that they value. People have other skills that are less valued (among them emotional and social skills), but it would be naive to suggest that reading and writing are not valuable skills for people in most workplaces. As you suggest, we should design learning that recognises what adults already know and can do (la valorisation de ce qu'elle sait déjà faire)but we should not deny them the opportunity to gain skills that we master and that give us a great advantage in life.  

Login (0)
TreeImage.
Anne-lise Ulmann
ons, 09/14/2016 - 22:35

je trouve l'ensemble de cette discussion passonnante mais le paysage sombre décrit pour l'Alemagne ne m'étonne pas. Il ya plusieurs points que j'aimerais mettre au débat. d'abord la notion de compétence de base et de mon point de vue très dévalorisante: il y aurait les compétences de bases, celles pour ceux qui n'ont pas réussi et puis les compétences nobles, hautes pour ceux qui sont bons... Nous reproduisons les hiérarchies du système scolaires, qui ont bien souvent mis en échec les personnes que nous voulons former aux compétences de bases...ce n'est pas la bonne porte d'entrée pour leur redonner le plaisir et l'intérêt d'apprendre.

après il ya une autre question que rarement on se pose: ces compétences de bases, sont elles nécessaires aux personnes au sens où ces personnes ressentent-elles le besoin de les acquérir? Bien souvent quand on observe les personnes analphabètes on découvre qu'elles ont construit des tas de petits repères à partir desquels elles arrivent à faire face à bien des problèmes. Donc elles arrivent à se débrouiller et cela leur suffit.

Pour dépasser cela, la question est de trouver avec elles de bonnes raisons pour qu'elles se remettent à apprendre. Ces raisons pourront alors constituer des moteurs pour faire l'apprentissage de ces compétences "de bases" mais sans elles, le retour à l'apprentissage est trop éprouvant sur un plan subjectif. C'est pour cela que les cours les mieux faits du monde ne servent pas à grand chose si les raisons d'apprendre ne sont pas suffisantes pour faire ces efforts. Le sens pour la personne  (et non pour son employeur) est primordial pour apprendre en formation d'adulte.

Enfin, pour donner envie d'apprendre à une personne, cela passe aussi par la valorisation de ce qu'elle sait déjà faire. Si on la forme aux compétencess de bases, sans lui reconnaître ce qu'elle maîtrise déjà parmi ces compétences, elle n'aura pas envie de poursuivre...Apprendre pour les adultes est une affaire compliquée car notre passé  scolaire nous a marqué et parfois ces marques ont laissé des traces douloureuses que beaucoup d'adultes ,n'ont pas envie de revivre en se remettant à la formation....

Login (0)
Profile picture for user Bechstein.
Rosemarie Klein
ons, 09/14/2016 - 19:02

The fist day is ending and we think that it was a interesting start today where we exchanged some questions and experiences on very important points. One of the very big challenges discussed is the question of how to reach the employer/the busines, how can be shown that investing in the workforce through basic skills training can lead to a situation in which every one involved wins, who and what could be driving factors and how to really get courses and trainings started? In fact it is still not easy to win companies to invest in the personal development of there 'low qualified employees'.

One of our ideas for tommorow would be to deepen discussion aspects of today. We are also expecting a contribution on 'Networking' to integrate another sucess factor for workplace basic skills.

Best wishes for the rest of the day - we will be back tomorrow

Dieter and Rosemarie

 

 

Login (0)
Profile picture for user davidmallows.
David Mallows
ons, 09/14/2016 - 14:59

This is really interesting Dieter and highlights something about basic skills training that goes beyond the workplace. There is often a reluctance to for an employee to ask for basic skills training or for an employer to offer it to his or her employees, even when both realise that the employee needs support in completing a particular task or element of their work, for fear of implying that they have poor basic skills, with all of the familiar stigmas / resnetments that can bring.We can see here that the employer was aware that his employees did not have a basic skils 'problem', just that there were some elements that they could improve on. That is of course true for all of us.

Login (0)
TreeImage.
Dieter Zisenis
ons, 09/14/2016 - 12:44

It is not easy - in fact - to convince and win companies investing in basic skills trainings for the so called low qualified employees. But on the other hand we have some experience in success stories. Always it is necessary to identify the key persons of the enterprise interested in this challange and those who are willing and are able to play a role as a "important driver". In the SESAM project bbb was involved we asked some employers or personnel development manager to descrice why they invest in basic skills training. One reply of a personnel development manager of a metalworking company: "We have good, often well trained, and motivated employees but with some lacks regarding thier communication capabilities. This can be seen during technical discussions at the workplace or regarding reading and understanding work instructions or in working situations where it is necessary to write some information. Especially in a company with high noise levels in production missunderstandings can occur or it may happen that important information no be passed on correctly. This has induced us to organise a workplace oriented basic skills training for two of our employees". This concrete example maybe will show how to combine personal interests and the benefit for a company.

Login (0)
TreeImage.
Emily Hall
ons, 09/14/2016 - 12:33

Karsten, thank you for mentioning Arbeit und Leben. I work within the basic skills projects at Arbeit und Leben in North-Rhine Westphalia in Germany.

As an organisation with a close connection to the unions and works councils in Germany, we have made positive experiences with approaching companies, staff and people with a need for basic skills training through these two agents. Thus, we are focusing on the existing union landscape to be able to contact people with poor basic skills.

The first step was to contact the unions and works councils to raise awareness for the demand of basic skills courses. Here we found the possibility for cooperation to improve the situation for affected people. Ideally, we were invited by the works council to the annual works meeting at different companies to address all staff with our presentation. This way we were able to raise awareness for the topic of basic skills and very importantly, found a way to make it known to the employees that there are basic skills courses available. For us, the presentations at the works meeting turned out as the most successful way to reach out to affected people.

There are two projects I would like to mention: MENTO and BasisKomPlus. With MENTO (which has been mentioned before) we are raising awareness for the topic of basic skills and are offering trainings for people to become mentors in their companies. This entails a four day seminar to get in depth information about the topic of basic skills. The idea of MENTO is to build a network of mentors in the companies or regions so that people with poor basic skills can find help and contact people in their environment with expertise.

With our second project, BasisKomPlus, we are able to develop basic skills courses which are tailored to the needs and job areas of the participants. The courses are developed together with and for the companies and ideally take place at the work place.

So far, the combination of the two projects has been successful to get connected to people who want to join basic skills courses and to raise awareness for the topic in general. Key to the success has been our close connection to the unions and works councils.

As the structures and roles of unions and works councils are different in other countries, this might be difficult to compare. However, I would be highly interested to hear about other people's experiences with unions and works councils.

Login (0)
Profile picture for user davidmallows.
David Mallows
ons, 09/14/2016 - 12:30

I also think that money is a key factor - the economic factor that Loren wrote about above. 

"Businesses operate to generate profit - this is their raison d’etre. They are not social institutions, nor are they educational establishments. One must thus ask: why should basic skills training take place in the workplace at all?"

One of the difficulties in convincing employers to pay for basic skills  training is that they often feel that equipping citizens with basic skills is the state's job, not employers. They are willing to pay for technical training etc, but not for basic skills. France gets round this by applying a fixed 'levy' or tax on all employers and obliging employers tpo make that avaialbel for training for their employees. Of course the problem then is to ensure taht it is spent wisely when we know that the least educated are the least likely to benefit. 

In England the government is planning to introduce an Apprenticehip levy and we will need to work quickly (and cleverly) to ensure that part of that money pays for basic skills for those who would otherwose not be able to complete an apprenticehip qualification as their basic skills are not good enough.

 

Login (0)

All of the literature on workplace basic skills emphasises the importance of workplace training being tailored to the particular workplace. It may be that the demand also needs to be local - that is, employees / employers need to be helped to see the problem and the benefits in finding a solution and to then ask for training. Until they do that and receive the support they need to complete the tasks that they are required to carry out, it will be difficult to implement workplace basic skills training effectively (as we found out with our national Skills for Life policy which was unsuccessful in this area).

In this national/regional initiatives such as Skills for Life may not be the right way to go. Instead small locally responsive organisations (perhaps supported by national/regional organisations) may be better placed to make progress working directly with individual workplace mentors and local trade union representatives.

I've written elsewhere about the need to understand the demand for basic skills (what people actually have to do - their literate environment) and in the workplace that need is even more acute.

Login (0)
Profile picture for user Karsten Schneider.
Karsten Schneider
ons, 09/14/2016 - 10:51

Good Morning, 

we are conducting a project in Germany (federal state Saarland) based on funding by the European Social Fund since the beginning of 2015. It is aiming to help employees in small and medium-sized enterprises with basic skills needs by providing workforce oriented courses (https://www.vhs-saar.de/Artikel/cmx50eab67d75b8b.html).

We have tried many acquisition strategies in order to get the courses started: we have joined forces with trade unions and trade associations, we have spoken to the chambers, we have developed information material, we have provided information stands and information events, we have even tried direct acquisition via telephone.

Of course, we have pointed out the benefits of investing in basic skills. We were willing to provide the course at any given time and place. We stressed that we would make it relevant to the workplace demands. We were willing to start a course with only four participants. The results so far are devastating: we have only conducted one course with six participants.

Just to give you a few impressions:

Direct acquisition: We have contacted more than 400 enterprises, many of them more than once – only 20 were willing to meet for further information.

Chamber of Industry and Commerce: They have invited more than 2.500 instructors to an information event – only 12 attended the event.

Nearly everyone we spoke to was very interested and stated the relevance of basic skills provision in their field of work. Obviously, many issues are far more important though. Only a small number of contacts was willing to suit the action to the word. If they did, we soon reached a final barrier because the employees couldn’t be convinced to even attend a first course meeting.

After two years in the project, we are nearly at the point of giving up and terminating the project. But, before we get to that point, we are very desperately seeking some further stimulations. So any ideas or examples of good practice are very, very welcome.

Karsten 

 

Login (1)

I didn't know the situation was so bleak...

Some factors come to mind:

- Money matters. In Norway the training in the now rebaptized CompetencPlus program (former BCWL) has been financed by the government, and the program has in some cases also covered at least some of the cost of the time used by the employees in the course.

- Local awareness raising. Many of the successful projects in the program had a preliminary phase for motivation and screening of needs. We also tried to motivate the companies by showing evidence of the type David Mallows mentions in his comment.

- Local trade union representatives were a key ally for us. I see you mention joining forces with the unions, but maybe more can be done there?

- National awareness raising. The general public needs to understand the need for increased levels of basic skills. Maybe you can get some help from your current Literacy Decade?

In any case: good luck, Karsten! Don't give up! :-)

-

Login (0)

Thank you very much for your thoughts, Graciela!

Money matters indeed, as do other incentives for participating in the course. Unfortunately, we are not able to cover the costs for the employees time of participation. It would probably help, in my opinion.

Local awareness raising: We have a basic skills agreement signed by the federal government, the union, the chambers, the trade associations, our association and many more. But, like our daily experience nobody is acting to the word of this agreement. Basic skills remains an issue of adult education - and that is by no means a sufficiently effective approach. Therefore we have indeed, invested the most work of the first project year in network building. Our project manager has been responsible for EURES in our region before joining our association. He therefore is very well connected with relevant stakeholders.

The trade unions are a crucial partner in this field of work, I totally agree. Matter of fact, we have a joined organization called "Arbeit und Leben" of trade union and folkhighschools in the field of civic education. The regional leader of the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB) and myself, we are chairmen of the board of this organization. So, there is a great basis for cooperation, which we made use of. We had meetings with different trade unions and allways defined one enterprise which would be best for a pilot course - not one pilot course actually got started. Now "Arbeit und Leben" has started its own project as part of a federal project. They will qualify mentors for basic skills in enterprises. It could be a very good supplement to our project - if we get the chance to carry on.

Giving up is no option in general, might be one considering this project, though. The lasting experience of zero success can been quite depressing. And I am not sure, if we can really succeed adressing only small and medium-sized enterprises.

Login (1)

Thank you, Karsten, for this explanation. I understand the situation is complicated!

Qualifying mentors in enterprises does indeed seem a very good idea!

Another detail I would like to emphasize: there is often quite a distance between the top trade union representatives and the local representatives in the enterprises. We focused on the latter, with good results.

But I do think, unfortunately, that the first factor I mentioned ($$$) is the decisive one...

"Arbeit und Leben" sounds very interesting!

Cheers,

Graciela

Login (0)

Hello Kasten,

your statement shows clearly that workplace basic skills after all the years in Germany still is not what we call a "Selbstläufer" (perpetuating) and still needs a lot of information and dialog with company-representatives. In our current project Gruwe (www.gruwe-nrw.de) we are building up support structures and we use existing structures to build up workplace basic skills. Our experiences are iridescent, to some information-events no employer shows up... which really is frustrating. But: What really helped us up to now to reach SME and the employees is

- visit company-network-events oder personal-development-netzworks and inform and encourage them to think about personal development for low skilled

- we developed and edited a good-practice-brochure which shows the perspecitve of company-representatives on the needs, how it was realised and what was the benefit of workplace basic skill traning oder coaching.

- we widened the offer of workplace basic skills to the needs that we identified in the dialog with employers: So the offer ranges from communication at the workplace, nummeracy competences, digital competences, financal competences, soft skills, intercultual competences ...

- What the employers tell us is about the changes at the workplaces for low skilled and that leads us to very taylormade, needoriented and very close to concrete working-situations that need to be handled better. So we are very very close to real authentic needs

- the offer for indoor-Training (mainly asked by employers and employees) und for small formats - if needed a Training for 1 employee

- give a financal incentive

This are some aspects, maybe there is something you would like to look at closer. 

Are there more, different, other-way-round experiences somewhere?

Rosemarie

Login (0)

Thanks for this summary, Rosemarie

I would like to add, that the term basic skills may cause trouble when talking to employers or employers organisations. Workplace Basic Skills Training is part of human resource development and it is further training benefiting the company and the employee. What counts at the end of the day is a more flexible workforce, higher productivity, less errors and health and safety as well as other standards and changes a company has to face.

In the project GO Next we are currently collaborating with the association of builders and an association active in special care. Both associations implement a pilot and try to elaborate a solution for workplace basic skills that will work in a long term. We are in the middle of the project, so we do not yet know if the solutions will be sustainable, but the current developments and the interest of member companies are promising.

 

 

 

Login (0)
Profile picture for user Graciela Sbertoli.
Graciela Sbertoli
ons, 09/14/2016 - 10:24

Original comment author: Loren Sombetzki

 

·Encouraging basic skills training - an economic perspective

One of the most important factors in encouraging basic skills training in the workplace is the willingness of businesses to take part. This willingness is rarely simply given – nor should it be. Businesses operate to generate profit - this is their raison d’etre. They are not social institutions, nor are they educational establishments. One must thus ask: why should basic skills training take place in the workplace at all?

This is where the concept of responsibility comes in. Businesses operate within societies and make use of its resources. As such, they have a responsibility towards their host society.  Afterall, if businesses lack access to resources and acceptance in society, operating within it at all will be difficult. Unfortunately, not all enterprises are aware of this. A short-term, shareholder centric view of corporate responsibility, which often excludes responsibility for societal issues, is still fairly widespread.

Surely there are certain societal matters that are in fact not within the reach of a firm’s responsibility, mainly because there are other actors much more equipped in dealing with them. However, there are other societal matters, for which firms should not and can not abdicate their responsibility. These are issues that are directly impacted by the operations of firms or those that directly impact their operations.

One such issue is the workforce. The workforce is a firm’s key asset, as most firms can not generate profit without it. Investing in it therefore not only means accepting responsibility, but it is also good for business: employees that feel valued show higher levels of trust and motivation they will be able to better perform their tasks and therefore increase their productivity. Increased productivity can lead to higher profits, thus the choice to invest in the workforce through basic skills training is a smart one. This is the case especially in our modern times, where competition is fierce and consumers increasingly call for responsible business.

The importance consequently lies in communicating and conveying this message to firms. How can the concept of shared value, of the generation of competitive advantage through the fulfilment of responsibilities, be transmitted to companies? How can they be shown that investing in their workforce through basic skills training can lead to a situation in which every one involved wins?

Login (2)

One way that we can help companies see the benefits of investing in the basic skills of their employees is through more effective communication and exemplification of those benefits. Communicating the benefits in language that businesses can understand is a challenge for the education community of course. 

We carried out review of English language literature on the impact of poor basic skills on employers and found five main impacts: Efficiency, Time costs, Accidents, Sales or turnover, and Human resources. What others would people suggest?

The review can be found here.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/497550/BIS-16-48-impact-of-poor-english-and-maths-skills-on-employers-literature-review.pdf

Login (1)

Users have already commented on this article

Logga in eller Registrera dig så kan du kommentera.

Vill du starta en diskussion?

Tveka inte! Tryck på länken här nedanför och börja en ny diskusssion!