Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) are forced to promote loyalty amongst their high skilled workers in order to face the upcoming lack of well-educated employees. Hence, the attempt of this project is to foster a successful work-based knowledge transfer between the young (<30) and the older generation (55+) by improving communication between both generations in SME. We will shape informal learning of different generations by qualified “facilitators” and thereby develop successful factors of work based learning to foster in-house personnel development. The project build bridges between the "generations" and also between the "sectors" the adult education and the vocational education and training in our companies. Intergenerational "informal" learning in the workplace means to organize a balance of knowledge, skills and competences "transfer" between all generations. Although formally the young academics have a similar skill level (Level 6) as the experienced long-standing workers, their degrees are not equivalent due to a different stage of science. Hence, it is successful to form synergies between so called "new knowledge and skills" of junior professionals and the long term work experiences, knowledge, skills and mainly the competencies of the older employees. The goal is to improve the level of skills for employability and improve competences linked to the professional work. In sum, this strategy shall improve both the work performance of the respective SME as a key factor for success and the individual performance of the generations on the labour market. This process needs to be moderated by motivated and qualified facilitators in order to implement intergenerational learning successfully in our companies. Our project consortium consists of service providers for regional companies such as the BFI Tirol (AT), the Chamber of Commerce Terrassa (ES), the CCI training centre IHK-Projektgesellschaft (DE), the Consulting company "Kossa & Partner" (DE), the company INOVAFOR (PT) as well as FORTH (EL). All partners have long-term experience with consulting and vocational education and further education. The promotion of professional training and the support of companies when securing skilled workers is an important priority. Within the framework of our project we are especially devoted to these topics. The GRUNDTVIG project "Intergenerational Learning in Organisations (IGLOO)" provides us with innovative solutions in the field of adult education, which we are now shifting to the processes of vocational education and training in the work place. We will conduct a primary analysis in 40 regional SME in the partner countries. The results are put in relation (via benchmarking) to the solutions proposed by IGLOO. Our first intellectual outputs are recommendations, methods and tools for intergenerational learning in SME. Second, we develop a qualification profile for a " facilitator in intergenerational work based learning in SME". We assign an important role to the facilitator in SME in order to not leave the perspective of intergenerational knowledge and experience in business to chance. Third, in order to implement the required goals in the companies, we design a tailored short-cycle qualification for the facilitator. Forth, this curriculum combined with the toolbox are prepiloted in the partner countries. Consequently, several facilitators from companies acquired by the partners are trained. Fifth, this piloting is evaluated by FORTH. Subsequently, this curriculum is adopted to national requirements of the participating countries and used as a regular course offer in the participating training centres. WINGS4success will have a 3 year life span, in order to be able to pilote the curriculum during an entire training cycle, and to be then embedded in ordinary training activities. We focus in the project WINGS4success on the Business & Administration sector, since efficient communication, skills and competences when dealing with New Media as well as knowledge transfer play an important role in these branches. All material created in the project will be available free of charge in open education resources in order to promote the dissemination in the EU.
The project "WINGS4Success- Intergenerational learning (IGL) at the workplace was understood as balance of knowledge, skills and competences "transfer" between all generations at the workplace. Despite its potential to improve both the performance of the respective company as well as the individual performance of the generations regarding employability the topic Intergenerational Learning (IGL) is still marginal to SMEs. That is why the project aimed to address IGL on the workplace more systematically. Therefore we intented to establish an training curricula for employer/employees as “Intergenerational Facilitator”, who shall help to surrender the passive role of intergenerational processes in the company by representing an active part of the company´s personnel policy. HR-Managers, owners, directors or special selected staff in SMEs were meant to take over the facilitators’ roles and should be trained to sensitize for, promote and facilitate IGL in SMEs in a structured way. The partnership was a very good mix of professional partners in the field of VET and the world of work (SMEs) 1. Chambers of Commerce: * La Cambra da Comerc de Terrassa (ES) * IHK-Projektgesellschaft (DE), partner in a wide network of regional companies, especially SMEs; VET provider and regional stkeholders 2. Training and counselling providers: * BFI Tirol (AT), * Mentortec (PT) with many years of experience in vocational education, in terms of designing courses and curricula, conducting training in and with businesses and networking with training actors. 3. Foundation for Research and Technology: * FORTH (EL), a scientific institution which was responsible for the quality of the project and acadmic support, in terms of providing professional tools for research, evaluation and reporting. In order to take into account needs and existing conditions of SMEs regarding IGL we designed and carried out a survey in IO1, following a three-phase approach: 1. Research of existing literature related to IGL and the IGLOO projects’ outcomes (our reference project), 2. Quantitative data collection with an Online-Survey, and 3. Qualitative data collection with a semi-structured interview guideline. After conducting the survey, all partners presented their findings in a National outcome report in English which was then summarized by BFI Tirol in a White Paper (Case study in SMEs).This outcome offered recommendations and a summary of best practice and practical opportunities for SMEs. Based on the survey results Mentortec (former INOVAFOR) provided a facilitators profile, containing different requirements of a facilitator for IGL in SMEs; e.g. functional qualification, tasks and responsibilities, qualifications, experiences and competences. The profile provided support to identify suitable members of staff in SMEs to take on the role as IGL facilitator. One of the main findings during the survey was that SMEs are very interested in solving problems for the ageing workforce but do not favour a separate person as IGL facilitator due to lack of capacities and personnel. They rather imagine equipping certain relevant members of staff, such as heads of departments or members of the HR department, with relevant competences to fulfil the role of an IGL facilitator additionally to their usual responsibilities. That is why we had to adapt our training and piloting concept. The idea was to establish the IGL facilitator not as a specific person but as a function of staff in charge for personnel matters. As a result we developed a training curriculum that combined present with distance learning and naturally followed neccessary steps to promote and implement IGL in SMEs: 1. Get an overview of important concepts related to IGL, 2. Check the proper conditions for IGL in your company and 3. Start or improve IGL activities among your colleagues. In order to deliver these topics 3 online learning modules and a toolbox have been created, which allow for different methodological implementation. The curriculum was pre-tested in the partners' organizations, adapted and piloted with groups of SME representatives. The whole testing phase was monitored and evaluated using questionnaires by FORTH. All testing results can be found in the evaluation report as download on our website www.wings4success.eu. During the lifespan of the project all partners raised their profile as competent institutions for Intergenerational Learning at the workplace. They will further adapt the curriculum to national requirements, incorporate it as a regular course offer in their training programme and offer counselling on IGL to companies.