FPEmpresa shares PRALINE results with its associates
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FPEmpresa shares PRALINE results with its associates

The Asociación de Centros de Formación Profesional FPEmpresa has held an online session to disseminate the results of the PRALINE project with its affiliated centers. Following the closing session in Rotterdam (Netherlands) in December 2023, FPEmpresa’s International Project Technician, Guillermo Gonzálbez, has led the meeting and has shared project materials with attendees on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. Gonzálbez has explained that “the Association is expanding more and more internationally. Proof of this is the projects and contacts being carried out in different countries, such as Thailand.”

Throughout the presentation, Elena Argudo, Project Director at FPEmpresa, has stated “the work of the European project strengthening transnational networks of Vocational Training through mutual learning, peer counseling, and capacity building”. This objective has been added to consolidating the EUproVET network, established in 2009, collaborating to support strategies that improve learning and education in participating countries.

Project Results

Over the 3-year course of PRALINE, various meetings were held to define 18 recommendations based on Good Practices, identified during Peer Learning Activities (PLA). The selected cities where results were collected include Valencia (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal), Dublin (Ireland), Tallinn (Estonia), La Rochelle (France), Helsinki (Finland), Zagreb (Croatia), and Rotterdam (Netherlands).

These recommendations, conveyed in FPEmpresa’s dissemination, aim to align with different national, regional, and institutional circumstances. Similarly, they promote continuous learning for all European citizens and contribute to building an inclusive society.

The presented results include:

Learning opportunities
  1. Ensure that all students, independent of socio-economic background, have access to quality education and training in order to provide them with the necessary skills, in particular those required by the digital and green transition. Less common approaches to reach out to the ‘hard to get’ target groups might be fruitful.
  2. There is a need to be more innovative in delivery models for adult education, creating flexible models for personalised learning paths including the recognition of prior learning and work experience. This should be reflected in a choice of access to learners – face-to-face, online or a mix of both.
  3. Ensure that salary goes on during study leave. This must be regulated through law with a requirement for employers to comply.
Labour market and other stakeholders
  1. Ensure a stronger link between educational institutions and the demands of the labour market in order to increase the responsiveness of education and training systems to meet the needs of learners and the rapid changes in the labour market and society as well as enable smooth transitions.
  2. Advocate and support flexible and adequate work-based learning opportunities for adults as an important step in occupational progression for every individual.
  3. Encourage and promote stronger cooperation in public-private partnerships to make lifelong learning a reality for every individual.The importance of these partnerships was again underlined during the Covid-19 pandemic, when work disappeared in certain sectors, but arose in others The crucial role of VET/adult education providers in supporting SMEs with business innovation, productivity, and product development deserves more recognition.
  4. Promote Vocational and Educational Training courses and other forms of lifelong learning as a means of integrating migrants and refugees in their host countries and leading them to the labour market.
  5. Facilitate strong sectoral dialogue (providers, authorities, social partners) and meaningful, sustainable cooperation in education and training by fostering peer learning among European, national, and regional/local partners in education and training.
Quality, VET providers and teachers
  1. Improve the quality of adult learning- and VET institutions to enhance good learning environments for students and supportive work environments for teachers, trainers, school leaders and other education personnel in relation to digital and green transition of VET institutions and in light of the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
  2. Adult education programs that support wellbeing, mental health and integration of mentally or physically challenged people should be a shared responsibility of providers and stakeholder services.
  3. Increase attractiveness of the profession of adult learning educators, VET trainers and other education personnel by improving recruitment processes and ensuring their retention, decent and challenging working conditions and stable employment.
  4. Ensure that adult educators receive training on adult education that includes topics such as: principles of adult education (andragogy), adults’ motivational orientations, adults’ reasons to withdraw from training/education, use of materials in adult education, psychological counselling and guidance applications in Adult Education. Ensure also that the training will be systematically repeated.
  5. Encourage and support the continuous professional development of teachers, trainers, school leaders, supported by necessary reforms in consultation with social partners, governments and other relevant stakeholders, in order to provide skills that co-align with the needs of the labour market and are accessible to all.
Status
  1. The profile of VET/adult education needs raising at government level. Too many people are taking a path through to university and then end up coming back to the VET system to retrain. This is an unwise use of public funds. The Covid pandemic and global conflict has shown that the VET/adult education sector is extremely resilient. Governments should build on this and support growth.
  2. There is a need to consider both the social value as well as the economic value of adult education. Governments should consider the importance of both. Leisure or social adult programmes can be a first stepping stone back into education and training for hard-to-reach adults.
Finances
  1. If a variety of learning access is offered, i.e., hybrid learning, to increase adult participation, then infrastructure and technology needs to be in place and the funding to cover this. Ensure also that the funding system encourages more effectiveness and transparency of learning rights and opportunities.
  2. Invest in supportive learning cultures for lifelong learning, in schools and companies. Combining younger and older learners contributes to a supportive learning culture and makes provision financially viable.
  3. Covid has resulted in better sharing of resources and learning materials. A move towards collaborative working between providers and teachers should be positively encouraged.

Finally, the Association has shared the PRALINE website and FPEmpresa’s website on the project, as well as resources developed during the initiative such as the study on “Adult Learning in Europe” or the informational brochure on PRALINE.

Promoting Adult Learning in Networks (PRALINE)

After being introduced in February 2020, the Promoting Adult Learning in Networks (PRALINE) project was approved in 2021, specifically under Key Action 3: Support for policy reform, and within this, in the sub-action ‘social inclusion and common values: contribution in the field of education and training.’ A project that has involved the participation of 11 partner organizations from 10 different countries and has been coordinated by the Dutch association MBO Raad.

Access the recorded session at this link.

PRALINE ends in Rotterdam to learn about Dutch VET development
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PRALINE ends in Rotterdam to learn about Dutch VET development

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa has participated in the last PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks), held on 30th of november and 1st of december in Rotterdam (The Netherlands). An end of project organised by MBO Raad, the coordinating institution, which has collected all the previous work to present the results to the participants.

Three years after its inception, the Erasmus+ Key Action 3 in which FPEmpresa has participated has completed the face-to-face working sessions with the importance of digitisation and initiatives that pursue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), among other topics.

During the sessions, the different speakers have presented solutions and good practices in Dutch VET, such as the improvement or retraining of workers’ skills. Likewise, Andesh Harnam, director of the Zadkine Logistics College, has explained the need to incorporate new technological trends in the development of professional skills, especially in Transport and Logistics training.

Other activities and farewell to the project

This last meeting has presented the different points of view of the participating organisations on the topics discussed during the previous sessions: establishing integration and learning strategies for immigrant students, promoting learning in the workplace and the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence and Automation in the digital skills of future professionals, among others. In this way, they have managed to establish some aspects to work on in each country, with the aim of transferring the policies to the EUproVET network.

At the end of the conference, the European partners have analysed the results and recommendations of the project through the ‘PRALINE Survey Report’ and have made a final evaluation of the last meeting as a conclusion of the European programme.

PRALINE has been presented as a project with the aim of strengthening and boosting European networks. By learning about good practices in Vocational education and training, FPEmpresa continues its work with the internationalisation of the Association and its associated centres.

PRALINE meets in Zagreb to highlight the value of Croatian VET as an improvement in unemployment
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PRALINE meets in Zagreb to highlight the value of Croatian VET as an improvement in unemployment

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa has participated in the eighth PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks) which was held on 2 and 3 October 2023 in Zagreb (Croatia). On this occasion, the organisation Hrvatsko Andragosko Drustvo was in charge of holding the meeting at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and Crafts.

The conference focused on the educational system of the Croatian country, as well as the functioning of vocational training and the actions carried out to promote adult education in the country. During the presentation of these topics, the various speakers presented their various measures for dissemination and support for adults to access these studies.

Itana Bukovac, head of the Adult Education Department at the Public Open University Samobor, gave an example of good practice in this type of education at her educational institution, as well as the dissemination activities that are carried out.

Participants who also shared their perspectives on the strategy for promoting adult learning at regional level included Nives Nvak, Head of the Lifelong Learning Development Section at The Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education, and Hrvoje Jelen and Danijel Dekic, Regional Coordinators for the Promotion of Adult Education at Zagreb Craft College, among others.

Croatia bets on VET as a solution to unemployment

One of the most important topics of the conference was the commitment to vocational training as a key tool for inserting the country’s unemployed into the labour market. Thus, Kristina Mazalin, senior expert advisor of the Department of Vocational Guidance and Education of the Central Office of the Employment Service in Croatia, explained in detail the actions carried out to improve the qualifications of unemployed people in order to obtain employment opportunities.

After the conclusion of the conference programme, as was done in previous ALMPs, the PRALINE partners met to share their points of view and to encourage a debate to find new ideas among them.

Finally, the European partners will meet again in the ninth and last ALMP in the Netherlands, where a final conference will be organised in December to close the project and will be organised by MBO Raad, the project’s coordinating association.

“From FPEmpresa, we are committed to networking and the exchange of ideas. The joint work that is born in each of the meetings that we have within the PRALINE project produces a series of results that aim to establish recommendations on VET at European level”, concluded Elena Argudo, Director of Communication and Projects of FPEmpresa.

PRALINE is an Erasmus+ funded project that aims to strengthen and boost international networks of adult education providers already in operation by learning about good practice.

PRALINE meets in Helsinki to learn about Finnish VET and its new education reform
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PRALINE meets in Helsinki to learn about Finnish VET and its new education reform

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa has participated in the seventh PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks) that has been held on 22nd and 23rd May in Helsinki (Finland). On this occasion, the AMKE organisation was in charge of organising the conference, which was held at the Taitotalo educational centre.

The conference focused on the educational system of the Finnish country, as well as the functioning of Vocational Training. The different speakers explained the different training options available to students, as well as the possibility of personalising their study itineraries.

In addition, the theme of VET as a solution to unemployment was addressed, with Annukka Jamisto, Director of Services and Adwoa Brewun, Business Coordinator at Omnia, explaining possible solutions to help immigrants in the country to train and get a job.

Among the participants who also shared their perspectives on the Finnish education system and the commitment to work-based learning were Marika Koski, teacher at Sataedu; Matti Isokallio, Director of the Education and Training Consortium at Sataedu; Minna Sandberg, International Coordinator at Spesia, a special VET institution; Saara Ikkelä, Senior Specialist at the Ministry of Education and Culture and Keijo Honkonen, Deputy Director of the Taitotalo Centre.

One of the main themes of the conference was to continue to work on the fact that young people and adults can learn together, as half of the VET students are between 20 and 60 years old. In this way, both age groups can complement each other in terms of knowledge and professional and personal experience.

After having concluded the presentation of the days, as it was done in the six previous ALMPs, the PRALINE partners have met to explain their points of view and to motivate a debate to find new ideas on the subject among them.

Finally, the European partners will meet at the eighth ALMP in Croatia next October and will be organised by the Hrvatsko Andragosko Drustvo (HAD) association.

PRALINE is an Erasmus+ funded project that aims to strengthen and boost international networks of adult education providers already in operation by learning about good practice.

PRALINE works on the influence of the SDGs in the French VET system
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PRALINE works on the influence of the SDGs in the French VET system

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa has participated in the sixth PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks), held on 30 and 31 January in La Rochelle (France). The meeting was organised by the Association Union Nationale Des Maisons Familiales Rurales d’Education Et (MFR).

The conference focused on the understanding of VET in France, digitalisation and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in VET and Adult Education. During the presentation of these topics, the different speakers presented their possible solutions and alternatives through good practices in the country.

One of the main topics of the conference was La Rochelle, the French coastal city considered as a zero carbon territory. Joffrey Perrussel (Low Carbon Strategy Officer) and Julien Cluchague (Smart Campus Project Manager – Univeristy of La Rochelle) took part as guests.

Both Perrussel and Cluchague explained to the European partners that sustainable development has been a priority for La Rochelle for more than 40 years, thanks to the commitment of the population to fight climate change. Thus, one of the main objectives of the territory is to reach carbon neutrality by 2040 and to respect the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

MFR promotes new digital skills

Other topics discussed were the figure of the monitor by Sandrine Guibert (Pedagogical delegate FRMFR N-A – ANFRA) and Mathias Ledouce (Monitor – MFR La Garette); and the activity of the MFR Association. The Maisons familiales rurales (MFR) are vocational training centres that alternate study and work experience and are run by “families”.

These centres allow young people in rural areas to access education and acquire a professional qualification. Today, MRFs exist in more than 30 countries, mainly in Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia.

After discussing improvements and new digital competences for teachers, as in previous ALMPs, PRALINE partners meet in groups to present their views and stimulate a debate to find new ideas among them.

At the end of the conference, the European partners have organised the dates for the next ALMPs: in May in Helsinki (Finland), organised by AMKE; in October in Croatia by Hrvatsko Andragosko Drustvo; and the last ALMP of the project will take place in December in the Netherlands by MBO Raad.

PRALINE is an Erasmus+ funded project that aims to strengthen and boost international networks of adult education providers already in operation by learning about good practice.

PRALINE holds its fifth PLA in Estonia to discuss improvements in education in the digital age
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PRALINE holds its fifth PLA in Estonia to discuss improvements in education in the digital age

FPEmpresa has participated in the fifth PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks) which was held on 6 and 7th of october in Tallinn (Estonia). For this occasion, the Estonian Association For Advancement Of Vocational Education has been the organization in charge of the conferences that have been carried out in the school Tallinna Teeninduskool and Harno.

The conference focused on digitalisation, automation and artificial intelligence and on how to improve the re-qualification of adults in the digital age. On these topics, the different speakers presented different proposals with examples of good practices in the country. In addition, the topic of digitalisation was addressed in general aspects of Estonia, which has a population of 1.3 million and is one of the most developed European countries in this area.

Among the participants who also shared their perspective on the Estonian education system and digital skills among adults were Merlin Tatrik, Head of Adult Education Policy at the Ministry of Education and Research, and Karin Künnapas, Head of Adult Education Policy at the Ministry of Education and Research; Karin Künnapas, Director of the company Kood/Jõhvi which offers an autonomous and self-taught education offer; Yngve Rosenblad, Chief Analyst at OSKA, Estonian Qualifications Authority; Keerli Požogina, Digital Competence Project Manager at Harno; and Jevgenia Smirnova, Head of the Labour Market Training Service at The Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund.

The project partners also visited the e-Estonia Briefing Centre to learn about the latest digital skills that have been acquired by the country. Among them, having a virtual medical portal for the inhabitants, which can be accessed only with the ID card.

After having concluded the presentation of the days, as it was done in the four previous ALMPs, the PRALINE partners have explained their points of view in order to motivate a debate and thus find new ideas among them. In this way, a group dynamic is created on how the actions of the Estonian education system could be implemented in the other countries that are part of the European project.

Finally, the European partners will meet at the 6th ALMP in France next January and it will be organised by the association Union Nationale Des Maisons Familiales Rurales d’Education Et.

PRALINE is an Erasmus+ funded project that aims to strengthen and boost international networks of adult education providers already in operation by learning about good practices.

PRALINE gathered all his partners in Lisbon
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PRALINE gathered all his partners in Lisbon

FPEmpresa Vet Schools Association has participated in the third PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks) that has taken place in Lisbon. On this occasion, the Associaçäo Nacional de Escolas Profissionais de Portugal (ANESPO) has organized the meeting in the School of Commerce of Lisbon (SCL). PRALINE is an Erasmus+ funded project with the aim to boost the transnational networks of adult education through good practices summary.

After the second PLA celebrated in Valencia and directed by FPEmpresa the last month of October 2021, Portugal has received the European partners of PRALINE by the 14th and 15th of March. The members have had the opportunity to know better the Vocational Education and Training of the Lusitanian country. In this context, the executive director of ANESPO, Luis Costa, have explain that “the PLA in Lisbon has accomplished with his objectives. Apart, it has allowed to the associations know the function of the education inside the Portuguese classrooms”.

Costa has rated the encounter as “very important to ANESPO. It has been a great exchange of experiences about how the VET is been working in different places. The reality is not the same in all the European countries. Each nation treats the VET according to her precedents. For example, we had one of the worst educational systems in Portugal for many years. It was for financed issues”.

This third meeting has had the participation of some figures that have shared good practices of the Portugal’s VET with the PRALINE’s partners. Attended Teresa Damásio, CEO of ENSINUS Group; Catarina Esménio, SCL General Board Adviser; Alexandra Teixeira, Director of the Adult Qualification Department of the National Agency for Qualifications and Vocational Education; and Andreia Lopes, Regional Director of Human Resources at LIDL Portugal, among others.

Finally, Costa has concluded that “in the next encounters we will tackle the problem of attract the people with a low qualification. By this way, we will help them to obtain a quality education to access to new employees”.

The partners have announced the date of the next PLA at the final of the meeting. It will take place in Ireland the next month of May and it will be organized by the Irish partner of PRALINE, Education and Training Board Ireland (ETBI).

European project PRALINE will join the next March 2022
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European project PRALINE will join the next March 2022

The European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks), developed in the EUproVET network. FPEmpresa VET Schools Association is member of this project with eleven European educational entities that will have a presencial meeting the next march 2022. After the event in Valencia the last October 2021, the members established the days 19th and 20th of January 2022 as the date to realize the next meeting in Lisboa. However, the project require continuous adjustments due to Covid-19 restrictions. Even so, the partners keep working to move proposals to European politician and national governments of each organization. That’s why the associates of PRALINE continue the project through online sessions. One of those was the last 20th of January. The objective of the last one was strengthen the European relations between countries and share the educational aspects behind the borders of each European nation.

PRALINE is a project approved by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency presented under Key action 3: Support to policy development and cooperation. In this way, the initiative starts his journey the last month of January 2021 with the objective of strengthen the transnational networks of adult education through good practices summary.

After a few months of visual contact, in October of 2021 PRALINE realized his first presencial activity and the second PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project. This was in Valencia and was organized by FPEmpresa, a success for the organization. The goal was realize the next reunion in January 2022. But, on account of Ómicron, variant of Covid-19, the meeting has been delayed. In order to keep working, the associates have been reunited as online way to explain the key points of the plan, all of them talk about promote the learning of adult people and to send the proposals to the politician figures.

If conditions allow it, the next conference will be 15th and 16th of March 2022. Like this, the members decided the date on the online meeting where all the associates were connected. Apart, they talked about the coronavirus situation in the participant countries.

20 January – Online session of PRALINE

However, PRALINE work doesn’t stop and conducts a new online session where continues gathering information about bad and good practices to transfer to the politician figures of each country. With the proposal of get this aim, all the members tell how is the educational system inside their borders.

Furthermore, the associates of PRALINE share a questionnaire between the members that serves as summary to know each organization. Apart, this function to know how are the practices developed in each country. As result, the plan promote make a network of knowledge between organizations. In particular, the objective is to pick up information about European VET and prepare statistics, comparisons and establish values and good practices of each country. As well, PRALINE works in creating a newsletter and a podcast to share strengths and mistakes of educational system.

If conditions permit, the next 15th and 16th of March FPEmpresa will be in Lisbon for a special meeting with the members of PRALINE. In Portugal, the project will research how is his VET and, if it’s possible, will know some centers where this take place. Also, this reunion will be an opportunity so that associates can gather together, share new practices and make progress in the compilation of data to recommend to the politician figures. In short, the European project PRALINE continue working to propel and consolidate the international network of adult education.

Access to PRALINE’s web for more information

FPEmpresa successfully organised the 2nd PLA of PRALINE in Valencia
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FPEmpresa successfully organised the 2nd PLA of PRALINE in Valencia

The FPEmpresa VET Schools Association has been the organisation in charge of hosting the celebration of the second PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks), which took place at the beginning of October in the city of Valencia.

The FPEmpresa’s Project Manager, Elena Argudo, highlights: “In this project, we strengthen collaboration between organisations similar to FPEmpresa from 9 different countries.” “It has been a very fruitful gathering to see first-hand how lifelong learning is being developed in other countries,” she adds. Argudo also points out that this activity will be very useful for the creation of a solid network of contacts that will allow the development of new projects.

“This has been the first face-to-face activity carried out since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it has been very special for all the participants”, she concludes.

This second learning session counted on the participation of the different European partners of the project, as well as some other guests who shared different good practices that are being developed in the field of Vocational Education and Training. Among other guests, the training technician of the VET Department of the Valencian Community, Robert Crespo; the professor of the CIFP Mislata of Valencia, Santiago Rodrigo; the professor of the Colegio Santiago Apóstol, Sandro De Gregorio; or the associate professor at the University of Zagreb, Tihomir Žiljak.

In addition, attendees had the opportunity to enjoy different activities in the city that allowed them to experience the Spanish culture.

The ultimate objective of the PRALINE project is to strengthen the international networks of adult education providers that are already in operation, through peer learning, counselling and capacity building.

PRALINE holds its second PLA on sustainability in the field of lifelong learning
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PRALINE holds its second PLA on sustainability in the field of lifelong learning

FPEmpresa VET Schools Association has participated in the second PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of PRALINE project (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks), which has been focused on sustainability in the field of lifelong learning.

PRALINE project is aimed at boosting and consolidating international networks of adult education providers, through peer learning, mutual counselling and capacity building.

In this second PLA, all the organisations that make up the project have taken part, as well as a representative from the European Commission, Martina Ni-Cheallaigh, who shared a presentation on the European Union’s challenges on sustainability, greening and circular economy.

“We want a strong social Europe; a Europe that abides by the values of the Treaty; a Europe that is just for everybody and leaves nobody behind”, she highlighted. She also stated: “With this purpose in mind, we have the European Green Deal, the program for digitalization and digital transformation and the Green Paper on aging”. “The idea is to have an economy that works for everybody”, she added.

The session was hosted by the French organisation Union Nationale des Maisons Familiales Rurales d’Education et d’ Orientation, that presented the Maisons Familiales Rurales (MFR) and the overall structure of VET in France. In addition to this, three best practices were shared, two from France on the different learning environments and inclusion, respectively, and one from Slovenia, on the education for the EU Green Deal through VET providers.

The next PRALINE session is expected to take place by the end of September this year. If circumstances allow it, it will be held face-to-face for the first time since the project started.

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