Eco-friendly ICT-based training outcomes for adults

Eco-friendly ICT-based training outcomes for adults

European Agenda for Adult Learning ensures high-quality educational opportunities for adults promoting their personal and professional achievements through strengthening their skills, in particular those required in the present knowledge-based society. That is why, the project “Eco-friendly ICT-based training outcomes for adults - ECO-Train” is focused on providing new opportunities for education of adults. A particular area that needs filling of an existing educational gap of adults is the innovative eco-friendly technologies. Green technologies use environmentally sensitive approaches and provide opportunity for social and economic progress. As more people improve their understanding of innovative eco-friendly technologies and more businesses increase their use, needs have emerged for provision of better knowledge and training to adult educators, being the core actors for up-/re-skilling of those affected by unemployment, restructuring and career transitions. To address these needs, ECO-Train introduces blended learning offering tools and data resources in this area, pursuing the following objectives:
- To include principles of adult education (AE) in the deployment of modules matching adult educators’ needs;
- To constitute and deliver AE experiences respecting the targets’ needs and integrate AE with practice exploiting the vast capacity of mobile learning;
- To offer a scheme for gaining competences focused on eco-innovative character of green technologies;
- To apply EQF and ECVET validation instruments to facilitate recognition of skills and competences adopted via AE;
-To encourage environmentally promising innovation paths for integration of environmental and innovation efforts implementing the concept of “Education for Sustainable Development”.
The project consortium is settled with the mutual agreement and perception about the necessity for sustaining the transparency of qualifications in the environmental sector. It unifies 7 partners from 5 countries: Bulgaria (P1–P3), Spain (P4), Greece (P5), Italy (P6), Israel (P7), and comprises a University (P3), 3 NGOs (P2, P5, P6), 3 SMEs (P1, P4, P7).
The project operates in 4 phases of ordered work in terms of Activities’ (A) performance and technical, human and financial resources involvement.
Preparation (A1–2): ECO-Train managerial and administrative arrangements and start up;
Implementation (A3–4): ECO-Train methodological framework and work plan issue;O1-O6 production;
Follow-up (A5–6): Approbation of ECO-Train deliverables and performance of Dissemination & Use;
Sustainability (A7): Assurance of durable effect of ECO-Train achievements.
The methodology to be used in the project activities involves application of good managerial practice and methods for:
- Administration: distribution of project tasks by time intervals, type of activity and partner(s) responsible;
- Quality management: launch of objectives and processes required to deliver the desired results;
- Implementation: processes used to complete the work defined in the management plan;
- Monitoring & evaluation: managing and tracking the project activities;
- Dissemination & use: studying and evaluation of the project’s influence potential on target groups/sectors/users;
- Financial control: documentation and reporting on a regular basis to avoid financial conflicts and violations of contractual obligations.
The planned ECO-Train results will be elaborated in compliance with the project development and will be defined by the outflow of the project phases:
Preparation: Quality Management Plan, Project Communication Plan, Dissemination & Use Plan and relevant supporting tools.
Implementation: Intellectual Outputs: O1: ICT in training – practical instructions to adult educators; O2: ECO-Train blended training Web-2 platform; O3: ECO-Train ICT-based training scheme promoting learning opportunities for adult educators; O4: ECO-Train blended training modules; O5: ECO-Train toolkit: a technical handbook for exploitation of blended training modules; O6: ECO-Train guide: How to prepare and use Learning Outcomes-based modules for adult educators.
Follow-up & sustainability: Internal/external project assessment; Multiplier Events (E1–E7) performance.
Dissemination & Use and impact provision: dissemination checklist; publication of dissemination materials.
Both project players and wide audience at (inter)national level will achieve the envisaged impact. The innovative ICT-based b-training program creates a target-oriented project impact strategy. Its Learning Outcomes-based model will contribute to the introduction of a competence-based approach to training. It can help adults looking for jobs to improve their knowledge’ & skills’ dimension of competence. Thus, potential longer-term benefits of the new practical teaching and guidance tools, and the new teaching materials and training are anticipated. These innovations outline prospects for realization of positive economic and social impact.

The Partners:

Research Organization and Manufacture of Bioproducts OOD, Bulgaria - Coordinator

BIOGNOSIS ASTIKI ETAIREIA, Greece
C.F. PERACH HOLDINGS LTD, Israel
INSTALOFI LEVANTE SL, Spain
Intellect Foundation, Bulgaria
SID-97 PAVLOV Ltd., Bulgaria
SOFIA UNIVERSITY ST KLIMENT OHRIDSKI, Bulgaria