AONTAS – Learning from Best Practice in Crete

AONTAS is currently leading on a learning mobility project called ‘AONTAS – Making an Impact at European Level’. The project allows participating organisations to send staff to other European countries to undertake a dedicated period of learning or professional experience, such as job shadowing or training.This is a two year project funded under the adult education field of the ERASMUS+ programme and involves a consortium of seven organisations from the AONTAS Community Education Network (CEN).

In spring 2017 James Clifford from Kerry Action for Development Education (KADE) travelled to Rethymno, Crete to take part in a five day job shadowing mobility with the European Centre in Training for Employment (ECTE). The aim of a mobility was to increase awareness of cross cultural issues between Ireland and Crete, meet with potential partners and discuss how KADE could become a host in EU mobility programmes to strengthen the capacity of their organisation. James is a board member of KADE and they promote and support development education in Co Kerry. In our latest blog James documents his trip to Crete and the learning he is bringing back to Kerry.

Monday
We began the day with introductions and orientation by Costas Androulakis, Managing Director of ECTE. He is the person that I would be shadowing during my time in Crete.He gave me an overview of the activities of the organisation which include the implementation of training programmes, research relating to the needs of the workforce, and the planning and development of international European projects related to local development, employment and social cohesion.

In the afternoon Costas and I drove to Heraklion, along the magnificent coastline of Northern Crete to attend a seminar hosted by the Region of Crete. Here I was given an overview of the ECTE 5 year strategic plan which includes four pillars: Tourism, Environment, Agro Diet and Education. It was very interesting to see how the meeting was conducted. They were attempting to bring identified business needs together with research institutions, with the aim of producing solutions to those needs and creating value for both parties in the future.

Once the meeting concluded we took a cultural stroll around the old city of Heraklion. I was lucky enough to meet with one of the four elected Vice Governors of the City Panagiotis Simandirakis, along with city official Costis Flouris, who talked about our past collaborations with ECTE. We discussed the possibility of some mobility collaborations in the future and it was a very positive meeting.

Tuesday
Today I learned about the different systems used in the ECTE office. Costas explained how they use Basecamp Software for internal and external projects and how it can be useful to deal with issues. ECTE runs a number of European projects including its KA2 Erasmus + Sector Skills Alliance on geothermal and solar skills (GSS) in Vocational Education Training (VET) institutions. This project will see the implementation and certification of VET programmes (EQF level 4-5) in these areas. I learned a lot around the application and implementation of these projects.

Wednesday
On Wednesday we worked on a pilot project for the long term mobility of apprentices throughout Europe. I participated in an information call from Brussels where I gave an introduction to the project and answered some questions that arose. The general consensus was that some countries had very good apprenticeship regimes, such as Germany and others not so good. The idea of this project is that potentially a single framework could include all 28 countries in the EU. The current project is a follow on from a previous pilot and a second attempt to try and remove barriers to apprenticeship training in the EU. It was very interesting to participate in this and to be given the opportunity to disseminate information to a wider audience.

Thursday
On Thursday we went to the Technical University of Crete, they hosted a seminar by the National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance which covered topics such as National Qualification Framework, mobilities and youth, Vocational Education Training (VET), Lifelong learning and Guidance for Adult Training and validation of Learning Outcomes.

Friday
Overall my trip to Crete has been very informative. The amount of work going on in ECTE is very impressive. The mobility has given me great opportunities and my only wish is that it could have been a little bit longer. I would need more time to fully understand how the organisation and its affiliates work but nonetheless a very worthwhile visit. The learning for me is that in order to operate well at an EU level your organisation needs to be well funded. This ensures that an organisation has a number of highly qualified staff which allows the organisation to run efficiently, balance the workload and respond to local needs.

I would like to thank AONTAS for the opportunity to take part in this project.

Traditional Cretan Easter in the small village of Apodoulou.

Easter is surely and by far the most important festival of the Greek year and is celebrated with much more enthusiasm and excitement than Christmas. It is a festival in which the religious, the theatrical, the social and the metaphysical all play a part and it brings communities together with much joyfulness.

It is an excellent time to be in Crete, both for the beautiful and moving religious ceremonies and for the days of feasting and celebrating which follow. Especially if you make for a smallish Cretan village like Apodoulou, you may well find yourself an honorary member of the local society.

All Erasmus participants hosted in ECTE, had the chance to live this experience of traditional hospitality for two days, in the small village of Apodoulou.

Geothermal and Solar Skills in CVet education

The EU’s strategy for sustainable growth, Europe 2020, puts innovation and green growth at the heart of its blueprint for competitiveness. Indeed, it has set clear objectives in terms of energy sustainability, the 20-20-20 targets1. Moreover, according to the EU Directive 2010/31/EU on the Energy Performance Buildings, all new buildings by the year 2020 will have to be nearly zero energy buildings2. This leads to a whole new demand for environmental skills in the construction sector.

Following the involvement of ECTE in the funded project GSSkills, from the “Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion” programme, in which the skills gap for electricians and plumbers for geothermal and solar installations was clearly demonstrated and the needed skills were defined, ECTE has developed a Sector Skills Alliance (Lot 2), in order to capitalise on these previous findings in terms of skills needs and create a European offer of adapted and innovative continuous training. Related to previously identified skills needs, the project aims at:

  • on one hand designing, for Geothermal energy system installers, and for Solar energy system installers, two European core curricula (EQF level 4-5), divided in sets of learning outcomes, allowing an easy implementation of the ECVET procedure; two corresponding VET programmes, including innovative teaching methods, and including periods of work-based learning; two qualification standards for evaluation and certification based on the ISO 17024 and the ECVET recommendations,
  • and on the other hand at implementing, delivering, evaluating and certifying the above-described training.

The project consortium is composed of 15 partners from four countries, led by the Technical Educational Institute of Crete, each country including at least one VET provider and one sectoral organisation. This complementarity will ensure a strong collaboration between the labour market (sectoral organisations) and the education and training institutions. The role of the sectoral organisations will be of ensuring that the developed training is in total adequacy with the employers’ needs and supporting the implementation of the training for workers. The role of the VET providers will be to develop an adapted, attractive and innovative continuous VET programme, and to implement it for 200 adults in 4 countries. The EU umbrella organisation will promote the training in the other EU countries.

The programme will start in December 2016, has a three-year duration and is funded by the European Commission.

Practice placements of students in foot care services

It may appear straightforward and undramatic, but a simple Finger & Toe Nail cutting service can make a huge difference to people’s Health And Well Being.

Students from Klaipeda Vocational Training and Rehabilitation Centre, specialised in providing foot care services, were hosted in Rethymnon by the European Center in Training for Employment – ECTE. The students/ practitioners were placed in companies providing foot care services following a work-based learning program . Practitioners gained valuable working experience in:

  • cutting and filing toenails and keeping them at a comfortable length
  • smoothing and moisturising dry and rough skin
  • checking for cracks and breaks in the skin and inflammation such as blisters
  • looking for signs of infection like nail fungus or other obvious early problems, and seeking professional advice

The participants were awarded a Europass certificate and a certificate from ECTE, validating their learning experience. The program was financed by the European Commission under the Erasmus plus program.

Cultural program in environmental education for Vocational Colleges of Great Britain

Crete, is famous for having almost as many species and subspecies of plants (about 1750), as the whole Britain (1450), even if it is 35 times smaller. This diversity is not only reflected in the total number of species but also in the number of endemic species, which grow only in Crete and nowhere else in the world. In Crete, there are about 160 endemic species and subspecies, which mean that 9% of the plant species of Crete do not exist anywhere else in the world. Most plants of Crete aromatic herbs included are used as ingredients in cooking, in the preparation of teas, medicines. And traditionally also used in natural dyeing purposes.

Students from Vocation colleges of Great Britain having work-based learning activities in companies of Rethymnon had the chance to explore this amazing nature walking at Kourtaliotis gorge one of the most beautiful gorges of Crete. At the and of the day they enjoyed the sea at the beaches of South Crete.