The project is based on the cooperation among volunteer centers and educational institutions in three countries: Slovakia, Romania, and Croatia. It is focusing on two main areas: 1 - recognition and validation of non-formal learning in volunteering 2 - work with young volunteers with fewer opportunities There will be four outputs of the project: - Online system for the recognition and validation of non-formal learning in volunteering - Training for volunteer coordinators working with volunteers with fewer opportunities - Recommendations for stakeholders involved into the work with people with fewer opportunities. Talking about the recognition and validation tool, the project will get together the information and tools used in Slovakia and Croatia for recognition of non-formal learning in volunteering (online tool in Slovakia and certification system embedded into the Law on Volunteering in Croatia) to prepare a transnational product that would be used in all partner countries. To make the recognition system as comprehensible and truly working, partners will cooperate with educational institutions that will issue certificates confirming skills and competences volunteers were able to gain through volunteering. Such a system of cooperation will not only mean an added value but also the interconnection of formal and non-formal learning that currently is so important. In order to check the recognition and validation system, the involved volunteer centers will work with young volunteers with fewer opportunities. There will be 25 volunteers involved, at least 15 of them will be engaged regularly (minimum of three months/two hours a week). Before this will happen, the engaged volunteer coordinators will be trained in how to work with volunteers with fewer opportunities. The training will be – beforehand - prepared by all partner volunteer centers and implemented separately in each partner country. It will be a one day training for approximately 12 volunteer coordinators. After the actual work with volunteer will be finished, the training will be reviewed again and accredited (if relevant for the partner country. In order to use the recognition and validation tool, after the volunteering, the volunteers with fewer opportunities will have a chance to go through it. The role of the partners will be to motivate as many volunteers to do so as possible. At the end of the project, there will be also the final conference organized where we would promote the recommendations document (set of information on how to work with volunteers with fewer opportunities for relevant stakeholders). The conference is scheduled for September 2016 and representatives of partner organizations but also of other European countries (active in the inclusive volunteering, recognition and validation) will be invited. Capacity of this one-day conference will be 50 people and it will be held in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Context/background of the project: Before the beginning of the project the project partners were involved in topics as Volunteer Management and recognition of competences gained in volunteering. They have observed in their work with volunteers and volunteer organisations that there is a need of inclusive volunteering especially in the field of youth. They have noticed the organisations involving volunteers needed to get certain knowledge in volunteer management of vulnerable youth - since young people with fewer opportunities are the target group which was not often participating in volunteer activities. There were stereotypes and prejudices on the side of volunteer organisations towards this target group as well as fear and doubts on the side of vulnerable youth when thinking about being involved in volunteering. Partners have seen the need to create specific training and guidelines for managing young volunteers from vulnerable groups. On the other hand all partners were aware of the fact that young people (especially those with fewer opportunities) can be motivated for volunteering also for reasons to get competences they can use in their future personal and professional lives. They needed to create or adapt tools - specifically online tools which would prove the skills and competences enhanced while volunteering. These tools had to follow specifics of the respective countries´ legislation. These tools enable young people already volunteering at the end of the volunteering to get a certificate of the enhanced competences which they can use on labor market. For creating and adapting such tools partners also need to observe the processes of validation of competences in other countries of Europe. Objectives: - to include young people from vulnerable groups in Croatia, Romania, and Slovakia to various volunteering activities and thus, integrate them into society, - to recognize competencies and skills acquired through volunteering and - to increase the employability of young people, and to inform about tools for recognition and validation of skills and competencies gained through volunteering already existing within Europe. Number and profile of participating organisations: The project was based on the cooperation among NGOs, especially volunteer centres and educational institutions in three countries: Slovakia, Romania, and Croatia. There were 6 partners involved, two from each country. Description of undertaken main activities: In the project we have trained 46 volunteer coordinators in all partner countries who are prepared to coordinate young volunteers from vulnerable groups. We have develop training materials and tailored training for volunteer coordinators working with young people from vulnerable groups. We have created a website www.civcil.eu providing information about already existing tools for recognition and validation of competences acquired through volunteering in Europe, and created and improved online tools for recognition and validation of competences gained through volunteering in partner countries. We have involved 75 young volunteers with fewer opportunities into volunteering in partner countries and then created recommendations about inclusive volunteering - about specifics of involvement of young people with fewer opportunities into volunteering. Results and impact attained - The main results of the project are: 1. Publication "Be Volunteer Inclusive! Recommendations about How to Work with Young Volunteers with Fewer Opportunities" which describes proper environment, cooperation of different stakeholders and volunteer management of vulnerable youth needed for inclusive volunteering as well as results of involvement of 75 young volunteers from vulnerable groups into volunteering. 2. Training materials for trainers and participants of the Volunteer Management of Vulnerable Youth Training. 3. Website www.civcil.eu: overview of recognition and validation tools of skills enhanced in volunteering in European countries 4. Created and adapted online tools for recognition and validation of competences gained while volunteering in Romania, Slovakia and Croatia: SK: http://dzrucnosti.dobrovolnickecentra.sk RO: www.hartavoluntariatului.ro HR: http://kompetencije.volontiram.info/ Longer-term benefits: All materials (publications) and tools have an European perspective and can be used as guideline for involvement of vulnerable youth in volunteering or for creating validation tools in all European countries. They are public and can be widely use by educational non-formal and formal institutions. Online tools will be used by volunteers and volunteer organisations after the end of project in all project countries.