VOCIS 2015-2018

In cooperation with European partners, the project intends to contribute to the development of self-regulation skills for the social economy and focusses on vocational training. The concept “Self-direction” (German: „Selbststeuerung“) splits into “self-regulation” (rather effortless, flow-like, flowing states) and “self-control” (self-discipline, i.e. strenuous conditions). Both conditions are significant, while an all too frequent remaining in a state of self-control can lead to energy loss and symptom formation.

Professional activities in modern societies are subject to the claim of continuous optimization. Learned knowledge quickly becomes obsolete and needs to be updated, technical systems follow rapid innovation cycles and needs and expectations of customers and users to determine which products and services are in demand. Failure to follow and to cope with fast paced optimization requirements can lead to strong negative consequences for the individuals as well as for the organisations. They consist primarily in:

– stress and strain
– decreased performance and motivation
– increase of sick leaves, absenteeism
– increased costs
– burnout, depression and eventually suicide.

The extent to which professionals succeed in managing requirements depends not only on the distinctiveness of their skills but also significantly of the actual level of support experienced by them in this respect within an organization. If existing resources are strengthened, a stable balance of requirements and competencies to overcome them is established.
This context of dynamic changes in professional life outlined above can be made out in the private sector as well as in the social sector (among others in counselling, training and teaching positions). They can be better addressed through both individual and organizational design, learning and development. Therefore, the project addresses following key questions:

• Which self-regulation and self-control skills are of special significance for the social sector and vocational education?
• Which practical models working with personality traits are particularly common in the social sector and vocational training and which have the greatest impact and benefit for the professionals?
• What are the organizational resources that have beneficial consequences for self-regulation and avoid stress and strain?
• Which approaches could turn into opportunities to develop skills for self-regulation?

The ability of employees for self-regulation, -organization, or -guidance, flexible and sustainable, is increased. Self-motivation, volition or coping with frustration succeed better. The VOCIS project aims to promote these competences and skills and to train them. Sustainable capacity should be developed and promoted accordingly in further as well as in initial education. Above all, we expect this project to contribute in the following areas:

• Maintaining and improving individual performance
• Building inner and interpersonal equilibria
• Support health promoting jobs by identifying resources for coping with stress
• Preservation of professionals’ creativity and capacity for innovation
• Support the model function of the organizations of the social sector and vocational education and training have for their clients in order to credibly stand for a “better life”
• Expansion of social professions to an innovative field that binds employees more than ever and is attractive for recruiting new professionals.

At the end of the project, a set of high quality instruments will be ready for VET teachers and trainers, coaches, professionals and for continuous and initial vocational education and training institutions in Europe to train and to strengthen competences and skills for self-control and to implement coaching for self-control.

The quality, and thus the labour market relevance of vocational education as well as the capacity for sustainable adaptability of European organizations are increased.

Several innovative aspects give value to this proposal. The first is the building of the multi-cultural partnership with institutions and key figures, able to learn from the mutual experiences and transfer the novelties into the local systems. Thus, the project development is highly synergic with the partners’ environment. The second aspect is that the research findings & teaching methodologies will be shared among the partners with two specific aims: to support and improve the teachers/trainers competences on this strategic and complex matter and to foster the linkage between VET system, enterprises and local institutions in coping with the development of self-regulation skills in the VET system and more widely in the society.

This means a holistic approach, on one hand, promoting more effective teaching offers and new learning paths targeted to self-empowerment and knowledge integration, on the other hand, validating all training materials and practical activities thanks to the discussion and the contribution of the stakeholders coming from business and public administration systems.

Another innovative aspect of the project is that professionals and researchers of the different involved partners and the stakeholder and some teachers/trainers will be asked to work together in several of the foreseen activities, so they will become “Prosumers” (producer+consumer) both of contents, of tools and of specific actions or events in the sense that they will co-produce Intellectual Outputs which they will use in practice.

A methodological approach will be tested (through the modules and the actions), this approach is designed to foster a constant involvement and active engagement of direct and indirect target groups (the trainers/teachers; their students and the local business and P.A. stakeholders), to produce suitable tools easy to be replicated in different contexts and able to motivate, engage and stimulate the users. To give value to the project deliverables, suitably targeted dissemination actions and an effective sustainability plan will be implemented during and after the project life span.

 
Intellectual Outputs

Diagnostic toolkit
Individual coaching
Peer coaching
Initial vocational training
Continuous vocational training
VOCIS at hand

Transnational meetings

Rome, April 2016
Dublin
Zadar
Luxembourg

Erasmus+
VOCIS is an Erasmus+ project under key action “Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices” and constitutes a strategic partnership for vocational education and training. VOCIS is registered under 2015-1-LU01-KA202-001351.

Erasmus+ is the EU Programme in the fields of education, training, youth and sport for the period 2014-2020. Education, training, youth and sport can make a major contribution to help tackle socio-economic changes, the key challenges that Europe will be facing until the end of the decade and to support the implementation of the European policy agenda for growth, jobs, equity and social inclusion. (read more…)

As Caritas Luxembourg is the applicant organization, Anefore asbl is the local contact for the Erasmus+ program. In fact, Anefore asbl is the national agency for the Erasmus+ program in Luxembourg and thus belongs to a network of 61 agencies in 33 countries. (read more…)

The Project has 5 Partners as follows:

Ballymun Job Centre

Antares – Italy

Caritasverband – Broken

University of Zadar

Caritas Luxembourg