Ideas Institute are involved in the following European projects

::The Learning Mentor Project::

This project aims at developing a qualification for learning mentors who serve as the contact person in the company for questions regarding vocational education. As part of the company they know about work requirements and working conditions. With reference to the British/ Irish concept of a “Union Learning Representative”, the project aims at evaluating and developing a concept for an in-company “promoter” for education matters which can be transferred to other countries.

Key outcomes of the project will be:

• Qualification for learning mentors provided with ECVET transferable within Europe
• Competence and professional profile for learning mentors adapted to the EQF and NQF’s in 5 countries
• Independent usable learning modules with corresponding guidelines and checklists for employee and staff representatives becoming learning mentors
• 80 employee and staff representatives trained as learning mentors and guides to foster life long learning on the shop floor / in the production lines
• European Handbook for learning mentors
• European wide transferable web-instrument for individual career development advice JOBNAVIGATOR.

Click HERE for Project Website

::Food Fit Project::

The general aim of the FOOD-FIT project is to develop, from the point of view of social partners and companies, a methodology and a group of tools for the implementation and development of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) in the food sector in the EU (NACE code 10, 11: Manufacture of food products and beverages).

The specific aims are the following:

• To define the working organisation of the FOOD-FIT consortium and to establish a quality plan for the development of the project.
• To analyse the occupations considered as key occupations for the food sector in the categories of technicians (university degree) and specialists, and, afterwards, to describe the qualifications of those occupations in terms of learning outcomes: knowledge, skills and competences (EQF levels).
• To analyse those learning outcomes with reference to the European Higher Education Area and to the National Qualifications Frameworks (NQF).
• To develop a web site and computer tools for the guidance, the occupational training and the promotion of EQF in the food sector.
• To elaborate a dissemination guide addressed to the referent entities in the sector: public administrations, social partners, training centres and companies.
• To evaluate and spread the projects outcomes, together with the referent entities in the sector: public administrations, social partners, training centres and companies.

Expected results:

• Elaboration of a quality plan for the development of the work.
• Development of an inventory of occupations in the food companies, linked to the EQF descriptors.
• Design of a web site which will facilitate the implementation and development of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) in the sector.
• Proposal of tools for the professional guidance: application for the self-diagnosis, elaboration of CV (Europass), guidance on training itineraries.
• Design of a guide for the implementation of EQF in the food sector, addressed to public administrations, social partners, training centres and companies of the sector.
• Presentation of national reports on the validation of the products.
• Report about the international dissemination seminar.

Click HERE to visit the Project Website

::NEWTON Project::

Within the framework of the project “NEWTON” – Network between Workers' Federations and their Training Organisations in Europe Now! – trade unions and their training institutions from five countries of the European Union initiated a structural dialogue about:

1. employment and labour market policies and developments

2. educational and skills policies

3. possibilities and options to foster the renewed Lisbon-agenda for more and better jobs in Europe.

This was realised through four joint project meetings, a European conference and the initiation of a European Association for trade unions and their training organisations in Europe. The objective of the project was to create and maintain a discussion platform and a structured network for the exchange of experiences in the field of educational and skills policy as well as labour market mega-trends and developments.

Click HERE to visit the Project Website

::Metal Skills Project::

The general aim of the Metal-Skills project is to interchange experiences among social partners, training centres, enterprises and public administrations to propose a methodology of recognition and accreditation of qualifications which have been obtained through non-formal learning and to transfer the results to the enterprises of the metal sector in Europe.

Specific Objectives:

• To acquire a large knowledge about the socio-labour situation of the metal sector in Europe, and to associate the non-formal and informal learning recognition with the evolution of the productive system, the labour flexibility and the professional training.
• To analyse the training needs of the metal sector in the EU.
• To identify the methodology and tools for the non-formal and informal recognition proposed in the Toolbridge project (LdV 2003-2006), and to check its possible suitableness to the metal non qualified workers.
• To identify, select and analyse several experiences and good practices in the non-formal and informal learning recognition of the less qualified workers in the metal sub-sectors in Europe.
• To elaborate a methodological proposal for recognition, assessment and certification of the non-formal and informal learning, addressed to be applied at a European, national and sectorial level.
• To transfer the experience to the real work environment and to test whether they are valid and reliable according to the qualifications transparency, the improvement of the access into the vocational training and the functional mobility in the sector.