Search for European Projects

Soft Skills as a Key to Employability
Start date: Jun 15, 2015, End date: Jan 14, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

“Soft Skills as a Key to Employability” was a training course that involved 30 participants, 2 trainers and 3 support staff from 10 EU countries for 7 days of activities focused on the improvement and acquisition of new soft skills and transversal competences. The advancements in national education reforms and various EU policies have caused a steady increase in the number of people finishing secondary and tertiary education. However, the national school curricula of formal education oftentimes lack a comprehensive approach that would allow students to acquire those skills that are not easily taught in a formal setting, yet are required by many employers, such as effective communication, leadership or the learning to learn skill. This problem has become even more evident in countries that were affected by the recent economic crisis, where the competition of young people is immense and having a diploma or a degree is just not enough anymore, even more so for people with fewer opportunities. This projects aimed at increasing the employability of young people by helping them analyze their levels of different soft skills and non-formal competences and showing them how they can improve those competences in an interactive way. All activities were done with the methodology of non-formal education, making sure that everyone was included and allowing enough time to reflect on each person’s learning. The TC consisted of sessions dedicated to different non-formal competences and concluded with a large simulation exercise where the participants got a chance to test everything they had learned during the project. Space was also given for the promotion of other opportunities offered by the European Union that can help young people acquire new skills useful for their future endeavors. Much focus was put on the participants’ creation of the Youthpass certificate, which was issued to all the participants and whose use as a tool for the recognition of non-formal education was promoted throughout the project. It was facilitated by a team of experienced trainers who, being young themselves, are acquainted with the realities (and struggles) of young people. The training course was implemented in Zlobice, Zlín region, Czech Republic from 16th to 23rd August 2015. The main objectives of the TC were: • to encourage young people’s personal growth by helping them improve and acquire new transversal and non-formal competences; • to raise awareness of the positive effect mastering soft skills can have on the success of young people on the ever-changing labor market of this day and age; • to create a space where young people coming from different EU nations, including young people with fewer opportunities, and representing a variety of youth organizations can confront their peers and motivate each other to strive for success; • to promote the use of Youthpass as a valid tool for the recognition of non-formal competences acquired during Erasmus+ youth projects.
Up2Europe Ads

Coordinator

Details

9 Partners Participants