Encouraging “learning throughout life”

As companies expand and increase their use of technology, investing in specialised equipment and machinery, they need staff who are trained to keep pace with change and willing to adopt new methods. This project recognises that many employees with lower skill levels or educational qualifications could be helped to meet the specific needs of their employers by fresh training, and could also help to train others and refresh their interest in “learning throughout life”.

Learning Reps falls within the Inclusive Growth area of the GROW programme, focusing on models and best practices in human resources management. It contributes to the EU goal of becoming the world’s most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy, creating sustainable economic growth and greater social cohesion.

Its key objectives are to promote a new view of employer-employee relationships so that workplaces maintain facilities for employees to continue to be trained, and to encourage a “learning throughout life” environment for those employees who, due to a lack of education, are at risk of exclusion.

The project is led and carried out by Spain’s Fundación Esculapio, with the Province of Noord-Brabant (NL) and Konig Willem 1 College (NL) as observers. Its aim is to increase the abilities of less skilled workers and also to use volunteer workers to help train their colleagues. The training is organised by arrangement with Lipasam, the public cleaning company of the city of Seville. Several courses have been run, focused on basic computer skills, literacy, numeracy and social skills.

The project has designed and produced leaflets, posters and stickers to explain the aims of the training to employees. Volunteers are recruited among workers keen to help with the training and encourage colleagues to look for learning opportunities. Training of the volunteers themselves is seen as essential to the success of the project, as they need leadership qualities and social skills as well as motivation and communication abilities to reach out to other employees. Volunteers are given a “Wijsmakers Toolkit”, a package containing folders, leaflets, syllabus, posters, pens and notebooks – all the materials they need to do their work.

Workers who had lost the learning habit and who completed the course say they are happy with the training and are encouraged to take up more learning opportunities. The company, Lipasam, also says it is encouraged by the way the project has gone and is willing to continue offering courses to its workers according to their needs and using the methodology developed by Learning Reps.

 “They are encouraged to continue learning throughout life”

Contact:

Manuel Abril

Fundation ESCULAPIO

Blas Infante, 4 1a Planta

Sevilla 41011, Spain

Telephone:  + 34 954 272 487

Fax: + 34 954 271 518