App.T aims to create an app to support target groups who are likely to be less attractive to employers in the current EU economy and therefore be unemployed, along with their trainers. It will contain interactive training content which focuses on developing business start-up skills based on the principles of social enterprise. Users will develop soft skills and work preparation skills to ultimately increase their employability and access to the labour market. App.T addresses a number of needs and is hugely relevant to the European VET agenda, priorities and policy and, in particular, unemployment of young people in Europe which is generally much higher than those for all other ages. The main objectives are to: Adapt existing training content to an app and for target groups; Identify informal/non-formal learning and match to formal qualification routes; Map content to possible accreditation and progression; Pilot; Potential commercialisation informed by market testing and quality assurance; user guides; dissemination; effective management. The project consortium will be led by the University of Wolverhampton, UK. The university aims to be a University of Opportunity – renowned for creativity and innovation – developing students and staff who are entrepreneurial, eminently employable and well-connected within a research and professionally informed environment. Siawns Teg, UK is a Registered Company and Charity based in rural mid-Wales. It employs 12 staff, and has a regular base of 30 volunteers mainly active in operational activities relevant to our work and also as Trustees of the organisation. Siawns Teg supports people who feel excluded from work, further learning, and community worth. VsI GALVOCIUS, Lithuania is a non-profit organization that focuses its attention and directs its activities towards non-formal education and training of different social groups of society (children, youth, adults, socially sensitive and vulnerable people. Volkshochschule im Landkreis Cham e.V, German, is one of the largest adult education centres in Bavaria. It is the largest adult educational provider in the District of Cham, it consists of over 50 full-time employees, over 250 free-lancers in 30 different locations. Nationwide the VHS Cham takes on a leading role in regards to the conception and implementation of transnational projects FM Consulting, Czech Republic. FMC specializes on less usual services on the market, such as providing education in the field of information and communication technologies with a use of the latest technology and teaching methods. FMC has been long term involved in the development of human resources, with particular emphasis on lifelong learning and education support. The methodology and results of the project are based around 8 key Intellectual Outputs. There will be 3 transnational meetings, a range of project management activities implemented and multiplier events held. The key target group to be addressed is 16-25 years old who are unemployed and include specifically those that are: socially excluded; have confidence issues; have geographical obstacles; recent graduates; NEET (not in employment, education or training). Other key target groups include VET trainers in the fields of employability skills, business start-up, social enterprises, training and VET sector organisations and other professionals in the field. Other key stakeholders and organisations will be engaged with along with relevant policy makers, EU projects and the wider European community. The project aims to make learning employability skills more attractive and accessible for people who favour modern social media technology tools like mobile phones in preference to historical learning and communication methods. Accessibility and recognition of learning is therefore at the heart of the project and will be achieved, predominantly, although not exclusively, through the app format and possible accreditation/progression routes mapping. Impacts are: Increased confidence and motivation Access to training content and support Making learning employability skills more attractive and accessible Increased ICT skills Influencing behavioural changes towards employment Enabling access to VET and/or the labour market Recognising learning and progression routes Overcoming issues that would normally prevent them being involved in European projects In addition a number of more generic and over-arching results are expected. Potential commercialisation is an integral part of the project and forms part of the project aims and objectives from the outset to ensure that the app can be sustained beyond the life of the project. The project website will also be available for at least 3 years after the end of the project and the establishment of links between partners and other organisations and networks will support further exchanges of experiences and a transnational, mutual learning process beyond the lifetime of the project.
The App.T project has created an app to support those who are likely to be less attractive to employers in the current EU economy and therefore be unemployed, along with their trainers. It contains interactive training content, based on the previous SET4WORK EU project, which focuses on developing business start-up skills based on the principles of social enterprise. Users also develop soft skills and work preparation skills to ultimately increase their employability and access to the labour market. App.T addresses a number of needs and is hugely relevant to the European VET agenda, priorities and policy and, in particular, unemployment of young people in Europe which is generally much higher than those for all other ages. The main objectives were to: adapt existing training content to an app and for target groups; identify informal/non-formal learning and match to formal qualification routes; map content to possible accreditation and progression; pilot the app and support materials; investigate potential sustainability and commercialisation informed by market testing and quality assurance; create user guides for trainers and trainees; disseminate the project and it’s outputs; ensure effective project management. The project was led by the University of Wolverhampton, UK and the partners in the consortium were Siawns Teg, UK, VsI GALVOCIUS (until December 2016), Volkshochschule im Landkreis Cham e.V, Germany and FM Consulting, Czech Republic. The key target group addressed was 16-25 years old who are unemployed and included specifically those that are: socially excluded; have confidence issues; have geographical obstacles; recent graduates; NEET (not in employment, education or training). During the project it became clear that the app was also relevant to similar groups of all ages which has widened the remit and impact of the project. Other key target groups included VET trainers in the fields of employability skills, business start-up, social enterprises, training and VET sector organisations and other professionals in the field along with relevant policy makers, other EU projects and the wider European community. The methodology and results of the project were based around a number of key Intellectual outputs. Three transnational meetings were held, a range of project management activities implemented and multiplier events in each partner country were held along with a final conference. The key outputs achieved include: the app (iOS and android versions), trainer guide including mapping information, trainee guide including progression information, learner workbook, additional extension activities and sources of further information. An ‘easy read’ version of the app has also been created along with black and white versions of supporting documents to ensure accessibility. Extensive work took place in each partner country to ensure relevance and appropriateness in terms of language and content. Impact was monitored closely in a number of ways. The target number of dissemination and multiplier events were achieved along with ASB meetings. 65 trainees were involved and the needs analysis engaged with 76 trainees and 20 trainers. Piloting and Testing involved 119 individuals from the target groups. A number of impacts were anticipated: increased confidence and motivation; access to training content and support; making learning employability skills more attractive and accessible; increased ICT skills ; influencing behavioural changes towards employment; enabling access to VET and/or the labour market; recognising learning and progression routes; overcoming issues that would normally prevent them being involved in EU projects. In the latter stages of the project contact with the target groups increased due to the availability of the fully functioning app. Impact on target groups has been achieved in a number of ways and through a range of activities. The development of the new app has contributed to the transfer of knowledge and support of the development of entrepreneurial skills among specific target groups in a number of ways: increased of knowledge and skills on entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship among target groups, increased knowledge and awareness of new tools like apps among trainers and teachers, inclusion of other EU instruments like Europass and ECVET. The project website will also be available for at least 3 years after the end of the project and the establishment of links between partners and other organisations and networks will support further exchanges of experiences and a transnational, mutual learning process beyond the lifetime of the project. Public outputs have been uploaded to the European Project Results Platform, and will be available after the end of the EU funding, for as long as EPRP is maintained by the Commission. The app, trainer and trainee guides are available for download from the project website. The app is available as a QR code to upload to a mobile.