Valuing informal learning and transversal competences acquired through volunteering to increase employability, social responsibility and mobility
LEVER UP
ruud
2018
2020
ERASMUS+
The LEVER Model has been created in order to help volunteers validate (confirm) their soft competences achieved by them while doing social work. It has been designed on the basis of the experience gained from the use of the process of the VPL (Validation of Prior Learning).
The first project results provided an initial competence model and an operative repository of resources, tested during the pilots in Italy, Denmark, The Netherlands, Spain and Poland. The evaluation demonstrated high interest by the participating companies, by the volunteer organizations, by the volunteers and also by the schools and the policy makers as well.
LEVER UP aims to achieve a full-speed service, strongly integrated in the system of volunteering, education and labor market; and to increase its scalability across Europe, building consensus at national as well as international level.
To achieve this, there will be actions in three main areas:
- Improvement of the existing resources, – the Model and the Toolkit – so that to enhance user-friendliness, accessibility and to facilitate the understanding and the adoption.
- Introduction of innovations, with the aim to enhance the transparency and the recognition of skills and qualifications, by linking the LEVER standard with the European and national tools for employability and education such as Europass, ECVET, EQF and NQF.
- Inclusion of digital practices and innovative technologies, with the aim to foster and enhance the use of LEVER UP outcome and their impact into the socio-economic and educational system through the experimentation of Open Badge, the implementation of a training platform and a community.
- development of the service infrastructure. The cross-testing/experimental activities (IO3) with the actors coming from all the three contexts of interest (volunteering, VET, labor market) will provide the experience and the basics, useful to design, test and finally establish the final service model and the operative centre (IO7) for LEVER to become an actually shared process at full speed.
Expected results
The model empowers user-friendly and updated resources, starting from the LEVER Model first version. Furthermore, it strengthens the link with the European mobility tools and the national frameworks.
It designs and implements a dedicated learning platform, based on Moodle and Open Badge framework. It provides resources and activities for users to learn the LEVER approach and to train the skills for becoming an approved LEVER practitioner as assessor, tutor or trainer.
The project promotes and organizes multiplier events and actions to spread the LEVER approach across Europe and the targets addressed. The first outcome concerns raising awareness about the LEVER opportunities and the cross benefits. A further outcome regards the effective adoption of the LEVER approach and the settlement of a Triangle System area where the three main targets can mutually and efficiently interact.
