Innova

Welcome to Innova – a best practices exchange project to innovate use of ICT for coaching

About this project

During the COVID19 pandemic a massive use of ICT tool were used by partners’ target audience (coaches, trainers, consultants, teachers, project managers) for working remotely, communicate, and get online learning or online consulting sessions with project’s target audiences (adult learners as employers and employers at SMEs, adult learners in private coaching sessions, adult learners in upskilling courses) in their speciality.

INNOVA is a small-scale project aimed at creating a toolkit to increase educators’ ability to plan and deliver more engaging on/off line learning/coaching sessions with adult learners in SMEs, using learning/coaching techniques and ICT tools more efficiently. During the project, the partners will select and test coaching/mentoring/teaching techniques and ICT tools that are more adequate to foster transversal and social skills in adult participants, both in online and offline sessions.

The target audience of the project is SME educators in a broad way, which include coaches, mentors, trainers and other professionals involved in supporting SMEs in developing new skills and competences, for both their managers and the staff employed in those organizations.

During the project, we intend to primarily target our EDUCATORS and involve them actively in the activities we are going to organize in the project’s lifetime. We will involve at least 9 educators from our institutions and 30 coming from our local contacts and stakeholders.

Context

The necessity of acquiring new skills in the era of globalization and rapid technological changes are bringing about important shifts in the way education can be delivered to adult learners. During online courses or remote learning those boundaries and rules changed and neither educators nor learners have had the time to adjust. While on video, the educator cannot observe closely the participants and despite the encouragement engaging them in a proactive conservation and stimulating activities has been difficult. Especially if the educator is not digitally skilled and is not able to offer interactive tools or learning possibilities, the lessons will have little impact on their development. The partners consider it important to learn how to respond more accurately to SMEs needs, as they are the one guiding EU recovery possibilities, in this post-COVID19 era. Organizations should be able to use different tools, techniques and methodologies while getting adult learners engaged in the learning process. In this way, the learners will also increase their ability to adapt in communicating and working in different environments, while increasing their flexibility and ability to solve problems in a digital world.

Partners’ educators need to learn new techniques and methods to support adult learners to get the maximum benefit for this learning experience. More importantly, we (the partners) need to learn how to compensate fast changing labour market/society needs with slow moving education systems. In relation to the project’s results, we need to know how to define the best blends among online, offline, or experiential activities to favour participants’ engagement and adapt the learning environment to the learning style.

ACTIVITIES

Initial research

The partners will interview 30 adult education specialists among educators, coaches, trainers, consultants, teachers, project managers to ask for the solutions they implemented to overcome the ‘risks’ of online training and low engagement levels in adult learners during online sessions, both one-on-one and group activities. The aim of the initial activity is to increase partners’ understanding of the actual situation and ensure the results will be based on solid evidence and that will fit the partner organizations, and a wider number of stakeholders. The final report produced by the partners will be available in English while the common conclusion will be translated in Italian, German and Hungarian.

Tools and techniques

Partners will organize a workshop in Berlin to increase partners’ professional preparation and allow (in presence) teamwork to maximise mutual learning and learning by doing experience. The concrete outcome of the workshop is a toolkit, presenting tools and techniques educators can use during their activities.

Validation of results

During this small-scale project, the partners will exchange good practices and expertise on how to plan, implement and deliver more engaging on/off line learning/coaching sessions with adult learners in SMEs, using innovative learning/coaching techniques and ICT tools more efficiently.

RESOURCES

Common report about initial research

The report is divided in 4 partners

• Results of the activities in Germany
• Results of the activities in Italy
• Results of the activities in Hungary
• Conclusions validated by external experts

It will be available in 4 languages (ENG, DE, IT, HU), around September 2022 

WORKSHOP materials & program of the training

Each partner will send 3 educators to the transnational work session. The session is used to learn more of each of the tools and techniques selected in the initial research and together find ways to use them more efficiently.

Digital toolkit for educators 

The digital toolkit will be prepared and will be available online for project partners, target audience and wider public. The toolkit will be free to access / download and present the collection of best practices / bright spots, know-how, useful means and tools, possible strategies and methodologies that can be pursued while training and mentoring SMEs, a short guide explaining how the content in the toolkit can be put into action with work-based learning focus. It will be available in 4 languages (ENG, DE, IT, HU).

PARTNERS

N&P Business Consulting GmbH

‍N&P Business Consulting GmbH is the outcome of our holistic approach and deep understanding of the 4 pillars for business development: Business Set-Up, Recruitment, HR Management and Strategic International Development.

We are experts in sustainable business development and we provide our clients with tailored solutions and a network of trusted Partners to easily set up, connect and grow.

Our consulting activities cover all essential aspects that are important for the foundation and further expansion of a company. It ranges from advice on the legal form of the company by our partner attorneys, to financing issues and the procurement of business partners, to the recruitment and further qualification of specialists and executives.

Our market knowledge, our professional and intercultural know-how as well as our network of experts enable us to support clients effectively and sustainably in the development of their companies.

FRAMEWORK associazione culturale

FRAMEWORK is an Italian not-for-profit association active in the fields of adult education, Youth, VET, Entrepreneurship and sustainability. The mission of the association is promoting lifelong learning and professional development opportunities to all citizens in need for wider and stronger employability skills, digital competences and in general better skills to achieve their professional and life plans.

JÓL-LÉT Alapítvány

Jol-Let Alapitvany (Well Being Foundation) was founded in 2004 with the mission to contribute to the social and economic equality of women and men in Hungary. In 2005, the Foundation launched the first domestic parent-friendly job placement and counseling workshop.

The free counseling service has been operating since then and provides help for job-seekers. The Foundation has participated in national and international research programs on female employment, gender equality, and atypical employment.

Projects news