with Ulrike Richter, DJI HalleDoing Research with a European Team
german / english
Profile
 Ms. Richter, singing is one of your hobbies. On the ICOVET sheet, how would you describe the competences acquired informally through this hobby?On the one hand, I think there are the purely musical abilities that you could list pretty quickly reading the notes, singing them clearly and at the right time, keeping time and making the music sound right. On the other hand, it also involves personal abilities which in competence terms are known as personal and social competences that are also important in other areas of life. Describing these abilities clearly is a much more difficult business. I think they would include: an ability to listen, an ability to get involved with other people, an ability to take the back seat within the group as well as having the confidence to initiate things, being able to get over the excitement before a concert, being reliable, being able to organize a rehearsal week for the choir, and also being able to be ambitious and enthusiastic about something. To be able to keep up with our 12-member consort vocally, I take private singing lessons. Singing is a consumer hobby that you can try out and then drop and do something else. If you want to be good, you have to buckle down and work on it. Unfortunately, success doesn t come overnight. I sing solo and in the choir, because I like Early Music and I can see that I am getting better at it, because it s something special that not everyone does and because it gives both the singers and the audience goose-pimples. |
Ulrike Richter was born on 28 October 1973 in Dohna, a small town lying between Dresden, the Saxon Switzerland, and the eastern Erzgebirge region. Starting in 1980, she attended the Polytechnische Oberschule (the unified comprehensive school in former East Germany) in Pirna for ten years up to her intermediate high-school certificate, and in the following two years studied at the Erweiterte Oberschule (a comprehensive school leading to university entrance qualification) in Pirna, where she passed her university entrance exams.
Through her entire schooling, Ulrike Richter spent a great deal of time in the local music school, where she was trained in playing the recorder, oboe, and piano. In addition, she sang in the church choir. She took part in competitions and played in chamber-music ensembles and also in an orchestra. With this intensive music-making as a hobby, she initially wanted to become a musician. But the entrance examinations for music colleges were very strict, and the rest of life was fascinating as well, so that she decided on a middle way but with music staying with her. In 1992, she enrolled at the University of Leipzig for an M.A. course in education and music, with special emphasis on adult education and historical music studies. In 1998, she completed her studies with an M.A. thesis on Concepts of Ecologically Oriented Educational Work in Adult Education .
Alongside her studies she was involved in various projects. As an employee of the Saxon Switzerland National Park in Bad Schandau, she was responsible for developing and implementing programmes on environmental education for school students in years 1 to 12. At the Adult Education Centre (Volkshochschule) in Leipzig, she worked on a voluntary basis giving courses for the chamber music group. As a tutor at the Chair of Adult Education at the University of Leipzig, she gave an introductory seminar-course on
Areas and Tasks in Adult Education . In 1997, during a practical training period at the Adult Education Centre in Leipzig, she organized an exhibition on Paths Reflected: 75 Years of the Adult Education Centre . The following year, she was involved as a teaching assistant at the Centre for Encounters, Advice, and Education in Pirna in projects in the educational field, as well as the associated publicity work, applying for funding, and organizing events.
Following her studies, Ulrike Richter first worked as a Social Education Assistant at the Institute for Languages, Integration and Vocational Training in Torgau before moving first to Kiel and later to Erfurt in 1999-2002 as a course presenter for a computing company that produces software for social work.
In February 2002, Ulrike Richter moved to the Deutsches Jugendinstitut. At the Leipzig Regional Centre, in a project on Gender Mainstreaming in Social Work with Young People , she was initially responsible as a Scientific Adviser for 2 years for documenting and publishing Beispiele guter Praxis (Examples of Good Practice; www.dji.de/praximo_gender). After the DJI centre moved from Leipzig to Halle in October 2002, she was responsible for further training, conferences, networking, publications, and data collection and analysis for a Network on the Prevention of School Fatigue and School Refusal (www.dji.de/schulmuedigkeit). Looking back, she says,
In the projects, I was able to bring together my wide-ranging professional experience in a really good way when it involved re-sorting the DJI databases or setting up an e-mail distribution system for the research topic, my computer skills came in very useful. And my studies on teaching methods in adult education were helpful in preparing the various workshops in the network.
Her current task is to manage the content of a collaborative project in which, together with European partner institutions, a tool is being developed for validating informally acquired competences, with a view to vocational training for disadvantaged young people Informal Competences and their Validation (ICOVET).
To relax, she likes to go back to practical involvement with music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, taking singing lessons and singing with the Thomasius Consort in Leipzig.
DJI Online, 1 August 2006
Interview mit Ulrike Richter, DJI Halle
Frau Richter, was ist das Ziel von ICOVET?
Ziel unserer zweijährigen Projektarbeit ist es, ein Instrument für den Nachweis von Fähigkeiten zu entwickeln, die benachteiligte junge Menschen im außerschulischen Bereich, das heißt in der Familie, im Freundeskreis, in der Freizeit oder während des Ferienjobs erworben haben.
Wie groß ist denn der Stellenwert des informellen Lernens in Deutschland?
Die Europäische Union verfolgt die Strategie des lebenslangen Lernens. In diesem Zusammenhang ist auch das Konzept des informellen Lernens als EU-Initiative nach Deutschland gekommen. Die Organisationen der Freiwilligenarbeit haben in den vergangenen Jahren damit begonnen, Nachweise für die Tätigkeiten der ehrenamtlich tätigen Jugendlichen zu entwickeln.
So hat beispielsweise die Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Jugendbildung e.V. (bkj) einen Kompetenznachweis Kultur für kulturell oder künstlerisch aktive Jugendliche eingeführt. Die Anerkennung und Dokumentation von informellem Lernen und den daraus resultierenden Kompetenzen steckt in Deutschland jedoch noch in den Kinderschuhen zum Beispiel im Vergleich zu Großbritannien, wo eine Vielzahl an Organisationen ehrenamtliches Engagement systematisch fördert und es große Förderprogramme der Regierung gibt.
Ein Indikator für die Anerkennung des informellen Lernens wäre es, wenn Unternehmen bei ihrer Personalauswahl informelle Tätigkeiten und Kompetenzen der Bewerber berücksichtigen würden. Bisher werden Auszubildende noch ausschließlich nach formalen Kriterien ausgewählt.
Wie sieht das Instrument zur Erfassung von Kompetenzen aus, das Sie gemeinsam mit Ihren ICOVET-Partnern entwickelt haben? Gibt es eine vorgefertigte Liste, die abgefragt wird?
Nein, die Grundlage sind Gespräche mit den Jugendlichen, die ein geschulter Interviewer nach bestimmten Vorgaben führt. Das Instrument ist ein Interviewleitfaden zu sieben Bereichen: Freizeit, Familie, Schule/Ausbildung, freiwilliges Engagement, Jobs, Gesundheit, besondere Lebenssituationen. Wir gehen davon aus, dass Jugendliche in mindestens einem dieser Bereiche Fähigkeiten erwerben, und dass sie darüber auch berichten möchten.
Und wie läuft das Gespräch dann ab?
Der Interviewer stellt dem Jugendlichen zuerst alle Bereiche vor, und dieser sucht sich das Gebiet aus, welches ihm am meisten zusagt. In unserem Leitfaden sind für jeden Bereich Startfragen aufgeführt, die den Einstieg ins Gespräch erleichtern. Es handelt sich immer um offene Fragen.
Der Interviewer ist nun gefordert, immer weiter nachzufragen, bis eine klar umrissene Tätigkeit benannt werden kann und der Jugendliche einschätzt, welche Fähigkeiten er dazu benötigt hat, und was er dabei gelernt hat. Diese Tätigkeiten und Fähigkeiten werden dokumentiert und aufgelistet. Das Dokument ist Eigentum der Jugendlichen; er oder sie allein entscheidet, was damit weiter passiert.
Wer sind die Interviewer? MitarbeiterInnen der Arbeitsagentur?
Der Interviewleitfaden folgt einem Ressourcenorientierten Ansatz. Er ist für Fachkräfte der Jugendhilfe und auch für LehrerInnen gedacht, die die Stärken und Fähigkeiten der Jugendlichen kennen lernen und ihre Unterstützung daran ausrichten möchten. Ideal wäre der Einsatz des Instruments im Übergang von Schule in Ausbildung oder Arbeit, zum Beispiel in der Berufsorientierung an Schulen.
Die SchülerInnen überlegen sich zunächst allein, was sie in einem der fünf Bereiche tun, und im Gespräch kann dies weiter vertieft und mit bestimmten Eigenschaften und Fähigkeiten abgeglichen werden. Darüber hinaus kann der Leitfaden in Maßnahmen der Berufsvorbereitung und in der Berufsausbildung als diagnostisches Instrument eingesetzt werden, um Entwicklungen zu besprechen und zu dokumentieren. Wenn MitarbeiterInnen der Arbeitsagentur diese Ziele ebenso verfolgen, spricht nichts dagegen, dass sie den Leitfaden verwenden.
Gibt es Schulungen für die InteviewerInnen?
Unsere deutschen Partner in Ingolstadt und Berlin entwickeln gerade ein Train-the-Trainer-Modul, das dann ebenfalls online zur Verfügung gestellt wird. Darin werden der pädagogische Ansatz, die möglichen Zielgruppen und die Rahmenbedingungen erläutert.
Sie selbst haben das ICOVET-Instrument schon in Interviews mit Jugendlichen getestet. Wie reagieren die Jugendlichen darauf?
Die Resonanz ist sehr positiv. Die Jugendlichen sind froh, dass sich jemand endlich einmal dafür interessiert, was sie NACH der Schule machen. Und sie erzählen gern ausführlich, was sie mit ihrem Freundeskreis und in ihrer Familie unternehmen. Sie waren sehr erstaunt darüber, dass sie von einem Erwachsenen nach ihrem Lieblingsfach gefragt werden.
Bei Jugendlichen zwischen 17 und 21 Jahren stehen die Ausbildung oder die berufliche Tätigkeit an erster Stelle. Da geht es im Interview darum, wie sie oder er mit Konflikten im Betrieb umgeht, wie Wünsche am besten artikuliert werden, wie man Probleme anspricht. Die am meisten besprochenen Bereiche sind Freundschaft und Familie . Jedem fällt dazu etwas ein. Kaum genannt wurden die Bereiche ehrenamtliche Tätigkeit und Gesundheit .
Wie lange dauern diese Gespräche im Schnitt?
Ich habe die Erfahrung gemacht, dass die Gespräche viel zeitintensiver als ursprünglich gedacht sind. Der Interviewer muss die gesamte Zeit die Liste von Tätigkeiten im Blick behalten und wird deshalb den Fokus immer wieder auf die detaillierte Beschreibung von Tätigkeiten lenken müssen. Es ist besser, nicht alle Bereiche zu besprechen, sondern sich auf ein oder zwei Aktivitäten zu konzentrieren.
Die Berichte der Jugendlichen sind also die Hauptquelle für den Kompetenznachweis. Können die Befragten mit ihrer Selbsteinschätzung nicht ziemlich schief liegen oder irgendetwas erfinden?
Natürlich können sie das. Wir wissen selbst, wie weit Fremdwahrnehmung und Selbsteinschätzung oft auseinander liegen. In Deutschland sind wir es gewohnt, von anderen Personen eingeschätzt zu werden: von Lehrern mit Zensuren oder von externen Prüfern. Die deutsche Tradition setzt darauf, dass mehr Objektivität durch Fremdeinschätzung erreicht werden kann. Dazu gibt es Studien, die nachweisen, wie stark subjektiv die Zensurengebung in der Schule ist.
Im Projekt ICOVET wollen wir auch benachteiligte Jugendliche mit unseren Fragen ermutigen, selbst mehr auf ihre Fähigkeiten zu schauen und diese realistischer einschätzen zu lernen. Wir setzen deshalb auf beides: auf die Selbsteinschätzung und auf die Bestätigung einer Bezugsperson, zum Beispiel des Trainers im Fußballverein oder der Mutter.
Im Übrigen sehe ich das Problem weniger in der Selbstüberschätzung. Eine viel größere Herausforderung ist es, anhand der zum Teil sehr detailliert beschriebenen TÄTIGKEITEN auf erworbene FÄHIGKEITEN zu schließen. Diese Verständigung auf das Gemeinte ist jedenfalls sehr zeitintensiv. Denn die richtigen Begriffe für bestimmte Fähigkeiten zu finden, ist nicht einfach, weil die Jugendlichen, jeder Interviewer und natürlich jeder potenzielle Leser des Kompetenzprofils etwas anderes zum Beispiel mit dem Attribut kommunikativ verbindet.
Das bedeutet aber letztlich, dass es bei den ICOVET-Nachweisen keine Vergleichbarkeit gibt.
Das stimmt, sie sollen ja auch kein Zeugnis-Ersatz sein, der dazu führt, dass ein Jugendlicher eine Stelle nicht bekommt, weil der ICOVET-Nachweis des Mitbewerbers besser oder schlechter war. Es ist kein Bewertungsmaßstab, sondern ich würde es eher als ressourcenorientiertes Diagnose-Verfahren beschreiben.
Es hat neben der Diagnose auch ein pädagogisches Ziel, nämlich den Blick der jungen Menschen auf ihre Stärken zu lenken. Wenn einer jungen Frau bewusst wird, dass sie auch außerhalb der Schule in der sie womöglich Schwierigkeiten hatte etwas Wichtiges gelernt hat, und dass diese Art von Lernen nebenbei geschieht und sogar Spaß macht, kann sie diese Einsicht für Zukünftiges sehr motivieren. Sie wird stärker auf solche Tätigkeiten schauen und ihre eigenen Fortschritte eher wahrnehmen.
Die Kompetenzen des ICOVET-Nachweises sollen zusätzlich in den EuroPASS übertragen werden? Was ist das?
Der EuroPASS soll Bewerbungen innerhalb Europas vereinfachen. Er besteht aus mehreren Dokumenten: Lebenslauf, Sprachenpass, Zeugniserläuterung etc. Jeder kann anhand dieser Dokumenten seine Erfahrungen im In- und Ausland dokumentieren und darstellen. Dabei vermittelt der EuroPASS ein umfassendes Gesamtbild der Qualifikationen und Kompetenzen einzelner Personen und erleichtert die Vergleichbarkeit im europäischen Kontext. Im Internet kann sich jeder die Standardformulare und auch eine genaue Anleitung in seiner Muttersprache herunterladen und ausfüllen. [http://www.europass-info.de] http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/europass/home/hornav/Introduction/navigate.action
Im Projekt wurde die Idee geboren, die ermittelten Fähigkeiten mit der Kompetenzeinteilung des EuroPASS Lebenslauf zu verknüpfen. Am Ende der Beratung sollen die Jugendlichen ein Dokument besitzen, auf das sie stolz sein können, und welches sie für ihre weitere berufliche Bildung nutzen können.
Wir haben hier die günstige Gelegenheit, ein etabliertes Instrumentarium einzusetzen, welches ebenfalls im europäischen Kontext entwickelt wurde. Der EuroPASS Lebenslauf enthält eine eigene Rubrik zu personalen Kompetenzen, die wiederum in soziale, organisatorische, technische, IT sowie künstlerische Kompetenzen unterteilt sind. Wir halten uns an diese Einteilung der Kompetenzen und versuchen, die herausgefundenen Fähigkeiten in dieses Raster zu bringen.
Das Problem des Transfers stellt sich hier allerdings noch einmal. Es gibt einige wenige Vorschläge zur Kompetenzbeschreibung, die für unsere Zielgruppe nicht ausreichend sind. Hilfreich wäre es, wenn EuroPASS eine vorgefertigte Liste mit den Definitionen der angegebenen Kompetenzen anböte.
Das DJI hat bei beim ICOVET-Projekt die inhaltliche Federführung übernommen. Worin lag Ihre Hauptaufgabe?
Ich habe mich um den ICOVET-Nachweis (engl. validation tool ) gekümmert. Dazu habe ich das Angebot von Fragen für den Leitfaden gesichtet und zusammengefasst und mir überlegt, in welcher Form die Tätigkeiten dokumentiert und mit den Fähigkeiten zusammengebracht werden können. Den Fragenkatalog mit dem Formular habe ich mit Jugendlichen getestet. Jetzt bin ich dabei, diese Dokumente in eine Online-Fassung zu bringen.
Außerdem ist die Kommunikation in internationalen Projekten besonders wichtig. Alle beteiligten Partner werden über jeden Schritt informiert, und es muss ausreichend Zeit für den Austausch eingeplant werden. Demzufolge bestand eine meiner Hauptaufgaben darin, alle Schritte für alle Partner transparent zu gestalten.
Wie lief die Zusammenarbeit mit den europäischen KollegInnen?
Für mich war es das erste internationale Projekt, und ich war sehr gespannt darauf, wie sich die Zusammenarbeit gestalten wird. Es gab bisher insgesamt vier Treffen aller Partner in München, Bukarest, Valencia und Waterford sowie regionale Treffen der Partner eines Landes. Dort haben wir die Zwischenergebnisse ausgetauscht, in Arbeitsgruppen diskutiert, Aufgaben verteilt und das weitere Vorgehen besprochen. Die Verständigung läuft auf Englisch.
Die Zusammenarbeit war sehr anregend. Jeder Gastgeber stellte zunächst sein Arbeitsgebiet vor, und wir hatten natürlich auch die Möglichkeit, die jeweilige Region besser kennen zu lernen. Besonders interessant fand ich die Diskussionen zu den Bildungssystemen, zu pädagogischen Ansätzen und zu den Zielgruppen, die doch sehr unterschiedlich sind. Demzufolge hielt das ICOVET-Projekt neben der formalen Aufgabenstellung auch für uns informelle Lernsituationen bereit: Sprachhürden meistern, Kontakte aufbauen, Nachhilfe in europäischer Geschichte erhalten.
Frau Richter, wir danken Ihnen für dieses Gespräch.
Validation Tool deutsch / englisch
Kontakt: Ulrike Richter
DJI Online / Stand: 1. August 2006
Overview Background information on the ICOVET Project: objectives, tools, results and partners
more
As a result of the current debate about education, informal learning is also attracting increasing attention. Because young people learn not only at school, during vocational training, or in other formal educational institutions. Young people acquire competences just as much when they take on certain responsibilities within their own family, when they meet up with friends, or when they get involved in sport, music-making, or doing voluntary work – skills such as being able to work in a team, being able to organize things, being flexible, and being reliable.
Young people are often not even aware of this themselves. This is particularly true of disadvantaged young people, whose self-esteem is marred by poor school performance. The interviews conducted with these young people during testing for ICOVET validation make these abilities visible, and they can then be used in a more targeted way at school, during vocational training, and during continuing and further education, as well as at work or in private life.
On the basis of the findings, teachers, instructors, and social workers can in turn adapt their teaching and training more appropriately to the young people and their special abilities. Finally, potential employers can obtain additional expert information about candidates’ abilities that goes beyond traditional marks in school certificates.
When the project is completed, the validation tool will be made available on the Internet in English and German, together with an interview guide and a train-the-trainers module.
The Deutsches Jugendinstitut (DJI) was responsible for running the project. Ulrike Richter from the DJI in Halle, who is also introduced here in the ‘Profile’ section, describes the team’s work on developing the project and young people’s initial reactions to the ICOVET approach.
Sociologist Magda Balica from Bucharest tested the validation tool in Rumania with socially disadvantaged Romany (Gipsy) young people. Her “Outside View” shows how important it is for validating informal competences to know well the social circumstances and the cultural background of the target group. In “Outside View” Graham Attwell reports on the value of informal learning and potential applications for ICOVET in the United Kingdom.
As always, the ‘Online Topic’ provides links to the DJI’s projects and publications connected with the subject.
DJI Online, 1 August 2006
An example for using the questionnaire
It is proposed to use the following list of areas of activities to determine, together with the young person, what areas should be covered in the interview. The rationale for choosing any of these areas is evidently because they are important to her/him and because they are likely to involve the acquisition of competencies. When discussing this list, the facilitator should give examples of how within theses areas of activities competencies might possibly be acquired.
Example: When meeting your friends, you may be the one who proposes activities, organises activities, contacts agencies about rooms to use etc. Perhaps you have a good ability to organise things?
1) Interests, hobbies, sports, socialising: Things that you do in your “Down time” or “Spare time”
2) Household and Family: Things you do in the family that you have grown up in or in your own family or household (if you have one)
3) School and Vocational Training: Things you do outside the classroom and formal training activities
4) Civic, Social and Political Involvement: Things you do in your youth club, your sporting club, but also for the community, political commitment, neighbours etc.
5) Jobs and Work Experiences: Things you do in jobs that you hold or work experience you have been in.
6) Well being and health: Things that you do to look and feel good and healthy
7) Specific Life Situations: Difficult life situations that you have gone through and things you have done to manage.
1) Interests, hobbies, sports, socialising: Things that you do in your “Down time”
In case of Roma young persons, we can start the discussion on specific hobbies that are usually of great interest in their culture as dance or music. The word “hobby” can sound a bit strange in some cases, and would be advisable to exchange this word with some helpful questions instead. Would be also interesting to add some questions that search in what extent the free time involves relationships with people from the same ethnic group or not. This information might provide insights about social skills that they might have.
Starting questions may be:
The facilitator will want to find out: What exactly does the young person do? How much time does she/he spend on this activity? What skills/abilities does she/he need to do the things she/he does? At what level of competence does she/he engage in activities? What kind of responsibility does she/her bear for tasks and persons?
Example:
| Activity What are you doing? | Areas of Competence Which abilities do you need in doing so? What did you learn?
| EuroPASS Skills/Abilities |
| It is custom in my ethnical background to know how to play an instrument. We enjoy much music and dance. I know to sing since I was born! I practice singing whenever there is an event in our community. Sometimes, my father takes me to weddings to help him entertain people. Last month I performed at two neighbourhood-wedding events and these were great successes. | I have learned from my father how to play music. I am able to contribute to shaping our performance. I have learned to be a reliable person and entertain at different events. After participating at two weddings I manage a lot better my nervousness in similar situations. | X Social skills X Organisational s. Technical skills Computer skills X Artistic skills Others skills
|
2) Household and Family: Things you do in the family that you have grown up in or in your own family or household (if you have one)
Here we should take into account that usually Roma families are very large and the sense of solidarity can be very strong.
Starting questions may be:
The facilitator will want to find out: What members are in the families/household and what are their roles? What kind of responsibility does the young person bear for tasks and persons? What exactly does she/he do (cook, fix things, other house hold tasks)? At what level of intensity and competence does she/he engage in these activities?
Example:
| Activity What are you doing? | Areas of Competence Which abilities do you need in doing so? What did you learn?
| EuroPASS Skills/Abilities |
| I am the oldest of six children in my family. I take care of them usually after school. I like to cook. I don’t use a cookbook. I learned from my grandmother. I like to try new things. All the ingredients I need I usually have in my garden, or I ask my family to buy it for me. Sometimes I improvise, i.e. if an ingredient is not available or the number of persons changes. Sometimes friends or siblings help. Then I am the chef and organise the work. | I learned to be responsible and to know that someone else depends on me. I know how to feed, clean and to help my younger sisters and brothers. | X Social skills X Organisational s. Technical skills Computer skills Artistic skills Others skills
|
3) School and Vocational Training: Things you do outside the classroom and formal training activities
Here we should have in mind the question on specific schooling experience and discrimination that we have mentioned in our paper.
Starting questions may be:
The facilitator will want to find out: What extracurricular activities does the young person engage in (sports, music, school newspaper, school company, creating a school website, support other students, volunteering work, help to organise excursions and festivities)? How much time does she/he spend on these activities or any one of them? What skills/abilities does she/he need to do the things she/he does? At what level of competence does she/he engage in activities? What kind of responsibility does she/her bear for tasks and persons? What did she/he learn? Which abilities does she/he need in doing so?
Example:
| Activity What are you doing? | Areas of Competence Which abilities do you need in doing so? What did you learn?
| EuroPASS Skills/Abilities |
| For the second time, six other people and myself organised the annual school party, I am responsible for music. The week before the party, we pass out questionnaires in all classes to find out what music they want to hear. Together with a cousin of mine I provide the sound equipment and select the music (my cousin is a DJ). A friend and I lay on the music. | I know a lot about different music styles and have a good music collection. I know how to meet different tastes of music. I have learned how to organise a big event (using check lists, work in a team, coordinate different steps of preparation). People can depend on me: When the party starts, everything will be well prepared. | X Social skills X Organisational s. Technical skills Computer skills Artistic skills Others skills |
4) Civic, Social and Political Involvement: Things you do in your youth club, your sporting club, but also for the community, political commitment, neighbours etc.
This would be a difficult issue to be approached, when in general, in Romania the civic involvement is not so high. It would be interesting to find out the reasons in his/her opinion for this situation.
Starting questions may be:
The facilitator will want to find out: Does the young people do volunteer work: What exactly does the young person do? How much time does she/he spend on this activity? What skills/abilities does she/he need to do the things she/he does? At what level of competence does she/he engage in activities? What kind of responsibility does she/her bear for tasks and persons? Which abilities does she/he need in doing so? What did she/he learn?
Example:
| Activity What are you doing? | Areas of Competence Which abilities do you need in doing so? What did you learn?
| EuroPASS Skills/Abilities |
| About a year ago, I have been on the school’s soccer team. I am the right defender. My dream is to become a famous soccer player, like Ionita, from Steaua. For the moment I volunteered my self to compose a hymn for our Steaua supporters in my neighbourhood! | I know how to save almost all the passes coming my way. The most important thing is that I learned how to work on and with a team. We each know what is expected of us when we are on the field. Without communication, we cannot win. A hymn for our Steaua will mean a lot for our supporter’s community! | X Social skills Organisational s. Technical skills Computer skills X Artistic skills X Others skills
|
5) Jobs and Work Experiences: Things you do on jobs that you hold or work experience you have been in.
Starting questions may be:
The facilitator will want to find out:
What exactly does the young person do? Which kinds of work experience has he/ she had? In which circumstances (paid job, summer job)? How much time does she/he spend on this job etc.? What skills/abilities does she/he need in order to do the things she/he does? What kind of responsibility does she/her bear for tasks and persons? What did she/he learn? What is expected from her/him? Which abilities does she/he need in doing so?
Example:
| Activity What are you doing? | Areas of Competence Which abilities do you need in doing so? What did you learn? | EuroPASS Skills/Abilities |
| I sell newspapers almost every, but especially on weekends, in all kind of weather in order to earn some cash for my family. It could take sometimes all day long and in bad weather. Sometimes, my little bother or sister helps me, so I am faster and we share the money. It’s convenient for me that I sell as many as possible; sometimes I get paid by how many newspapers I sell. | I am reliable. If a client refuses me, I keep trying in order to sell as many newspapers as possible. I am conscious that I have a responsibly towards my family. | X Social skills X Organisational s. Technical skills Computer skills Artistic skills Others skills
|
6) Well being and health: Things that you do to look and feel good and healthy
Starting questions may be:
The facilitator will want to find out:
What does balanced diet and health issues mean to the young person? How important are appearance, clothes, hair style and shape of the body or body modification? How much time does she/he spend on appearance? How much is health awareness a distinctive feature of his/ her personality?
Example:
| Activity What are you doing? | Areas of Competence Which abilities do you need in doing so? What did you learn?
| EuroPASS Skills/Abilities |
| I respect my tradition by braiding my hair and wearing long skirts. In my family we would cultivate vegetables and fruits trees for our meals. It depends a lot on the weather. It would take about two hours everyday for me. | I learned a lot about my culture and traditions. I want to reach my aim of being accepted by my community. I make good progress and that’s why I am motivated to learn as much as possible. I learned how much to water the garden, when it is necessary and what kind of nutrition I need. I know that my family counts on me and that’s the reason why I´m motivated. | X Social skills X Organisational s. Technical skills Computer skills Artistic skills Others skills
|
7) Specific Life Situations: Difficult life situations that you have gone through and things you have done to manage
Starting questions may be:
Have you ever or anyone close to you, had to deal with any of the following
In which way were you involved?
Do any of these issues still affect your life?
If so how do you cope now?
Which experiences did you make?
Which conclusions do you draw from your experiences?
The facilitator will want to find out:
Which specific situation has the young person experienced? What exactly did the young person do in theses situations? What kind of responsibility does she/he bear for tasks and persons? What did she/he learn? Which experiences did she/he make? Which abilities does she/he need for doing what she/he does or did in such specific situations?
Example:
| Activity What are you doing? | Areas of Competence Which abilities do you need in doing so? What did you learn?
| EuroPASS Skills/Abilities |
| My mother was ill several months. I procured the medicines, called the doctor, shopped and prepared the meals and looked after my three younger brothers and sister. | I learned to cope without my interests largely. I needed much patience and had to be considerate of my mother’s and my sibling’s needs first. I had to handle disgusting situations. I am discreet because I promised not to speak about certain circumstances in my family. I know that crises should and must be overcome. I am optimistic that things will come good in due course. | X Social skills X Organisational s. Technical skills Computer skills Artistic skills Others skills |
Referee
Referee
Signature Interviewer/Date
by Graham Attwell, Wales
Ms. Richter, what is the aim of ICOVET?
The aim of our 2-year project is to develop a tool for validating abilities that disadvantaged young people acquire outside of school i.e., in the family, in their circles of friends, in their leisure time or during holiday jobs.
How important is informal learning in Germany?
The European Union is pursuing a strategy of lifelong learning, and this is the context in which the idea of informal learning, as an EU initiative, came to Germany. In recent years, voluntary organizations have started developing ways of providing certification for voluntary work that young people do.
For example, the Federal Association for Cultural Youth Work (Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Jugendbildung, has introduced a Competence Certificate in Culture for young people who are active culturally or artistically. But in Germany, the recognition and documentation of informal learning and the resulting competences is still in its infancy in comparison with the United Kingdom, for example, where there are numerous organizations that systematically promote involvement in voluntary work, and the government has large-scale support programmes.
One indicator of the recognition of informal learning would be if companies were able to recognize the informal activities and competences of job applicants when choosing staff. So far, trainees have been exclusively selected according to formal criteria.
What does the tool for assessing competences that you ve developed with your ICOVET partners look like? Is there a prepared list of questions that you go through?
No, the basis of it is talks with the young people that a trained interviewer carries out according to specific guidelines. The tool consists of a guideline for interviews relating to seven areas: leisure time, family, school/training, voluntary involvement, jobs, health, special life situations. The assumption is that young people acquire abilities in at least one of these areas and that they will want to talk about it.
And how does the discussion then proceed?
The interviewer first presents all of the areas to the young person, who picks the area that appeals to him or her most. Starting questions for each area, which make it easier to start the discussion off, are listed in the guideline. They are always open-ended questions.
The interviewer is then required to go on asking questions until a clearly outlined activity can be described and the young person can assess which abilities they needed for it and what they learned from it. The activities and abilities are documented and listed. The document is the young person s property; he or she alone can decide what s going be done with it.
Who are the interviewers? Are they employment agency staff?
The interview guideline takes a resource-oriented approach. It s designed for specialists in youth welfare services and also for teachers who want to find out what the strengths and abilities of young people are and adapt the support they provide accordingly. The ideal would be to use the tool during the transition from school to vocational training or work for example, for careers advice in schools.
The school students can first think on their own about things they do in any of the five areas, and this can then be explored in greater depth during the discussion and compared with specific characteristics and abilities. In addition, the guide can be used in careers preparation and vocational training as a diagnostic tool to discuss and document developments. If employment agency staff are also pursuing the same goals, there is no reason why they shouldn t use the guide as well.
Is training provided for the interviewers?
Our German partners in Ingolstadt and Berlin are currently developing a train-the-trainers module that will then be made available online. It will explain the educational approach, the potential target groups, and the general set-up.
You yourself have already tested the ICOVET tool in interviews with young people. How do they react to it?
The response has been very positive. Young people are pleased that somebody is finally taking an interest in what they do after school. And they enjoy explaining in detail what they get up to with their friends and in their family. They were very surprised to be asked by an adult what their favourite subject is.
In young people between the ages of 17 and 21, the top priority is training or a professional occupation. In this case what matters in the interview is how each person is able to deal with conflicts in the workplace, the best way of articulating what they want, and how to deal with problems. The areas that are most frequently discussed are friendship and family . Everyone has something to say about these. The areas of voluntary activities and health are hardly ever mentioned.
How long do the discussions last on average?
My experience is that the talks take much more time than was originally thought. The interviewer has to keep the list of activities in mind the whole time, so that he or she has to keep guiding the focus back to the detailed description of activities. It s better not to discuss all the areas, but to concentrate on one or two activities.
The young people s own reports are the main source for competence validation, then. Is it not possible for their self-assessments to be quite off the mark, or for them just to be making things up?
Of course they can. We re well aware ourselves how far apart other people s perceptions of us can be from our own. In Germany, we re accustomed to being assessed by other people by teachers with grades, or by external examiners. The German tradition is based on the idea that more objectivity can be achieved by outside assessment. But there have been studies showing how subjective the marks given in school can be.
In the ICOVET project, we also want our questions to encourage disadvantaged young people to take a closer look at their own abilities and learn to assess them more realistically. So we use both aspects self-assessment and confirmation by someone they relate to, such as a trainer in a football club, or their mother.
But I see the problem as lying not so much in overestimation of their own abilities. It s a much bigger challenge to deduce acquired abilities from what is sometimes a quite detailed description of activities. Agreeing about what it is meant is certainly quite time-consuming. It s not easy to find the right terms for certain abilities, because the young people, each of the interviewers, and of course each potential reader of the competence profile may associate something different with the attribute communicative , for example.
But that means in the end that there is no comparability in the ICOVET certificates.
That s right, they re not meant to replace school reports or testimonials, which would mean that a young person might not get a job because another candidate s ICOVET certificate is better or worse . It s not an evaluation measure I would describe it more as a resource-oriented diagnostic procedure. In addition to diagnosis, it also has an educational aim, namely to direct young people s attention to their own strengths. When a young woman becomes aware that she has also learnt something important outside of school where she may have had difficulties and that this type of learning takes place incidentally and can even be fun, the insight is capable of motivating her for future activities. She ll take a closer look at that type of activity and will be more likely to be aware of her own progress.
The competences recorded in the ICOVET validation are also to be transferred to the EuroPASS. What is EuroPASS?
EuroPASS is intended to make it easier to apply for jobs inside Europe. It consists of several documents a curriculum vitae, a language pass, an explanation of certificates and testimonials, etc. Anyone can use these documents to document and present his or her experience at home or abroad. The EuroPASS presents a comprehensive overall picture of an individual s qualifications and competences and makes comparisons easier in the European context. Anyone can download the standard forms from the Internet and fill them out, and detailed instructions are also provided in various languages (www.europass-info.de/DE, www.europass-info.de/EN).
During the project, the idea came up that the abilities identified could be linked with the competence classification in the EuroPASS Curriculum Vitae. At the end of the consultation, the young people taking part are meant to have a document they can be proud of and which they can use for their subsequent vocational training and education.
This is a great opportunity to use an established tool that was also developed in the European context. The EuroPASS Curriculum Vitae has a separate heading for personal competences, which in turn are subdivided into social, organizational, technical, computing, and artistic competences. We have kept to this classification of competences and we re trying to fit the abilities that are identified into that scheme.
The problem of transfer comes up again here, however. A few suggestions have been made for describing the competences, but they are not adequate for our target group. It would be helpful if EuroPASS could offer a ready-made list with definitions of the competences that are given.
The DJI has been responsible for the content of the ICOVET project. What was your main task?
I was concerned with the ICOVET validation tool. I looked through what was on offer for questions to be included in the guideline and summarized it, and thought about what sort of form could be used to document activities and connect them with abilities. I tested the catalogue of questions with the form on young people. I m now busy preparing these documents for an online version.
In addition, communication is particularly important in international projects. All of the partners involved are kept informed about every step that is taken, and during the planning you have to include enough time for views to be exchanged. So one of my main tasks was making every step involved transparent for all of the partners.
What was collaboration with the European colleagues involved like?
It s the first international project I ve taken part in, and I was very excited to see what the collaboration would be like. So far there have been four meetings with all of the partners, in Munich, Bucharest, Valencia, and Waterford, as well as regional meetings for all of the partners involved in each country. At the meetings, we passed on intermediate results, held discussions in working groups, assigned tasks, and discussed the subsequent procedure. The meetings are held in English.
The collaboration was really exciting. Each of the host groups first presented the area where they work, so of course we were also able to get to know each of the regions better. What I found particularly interesting were the discussions about educational systems, educational approaches, and target groups in the different countries, which do differ very widely. So outside of its formal terms of reference, the ICOVET project also had informal learning aspects for us getting over language barriers, building up contacts, and getting extracurricular lessons in European history.
Ms Richter, thank you very much for the discussion.
Link to validation tool German/English
Contact: Ulrike Richter
DJI Online, 1 August 2006
Durch die aktuelle Bildungsdebatte ist auch das informelle Lernen zunehmend in den Blick geraten. Denn Jugendliche lernen nicht nur in der Schule, während ihrer Berufsausbildung oder in anderen formalen Lernsituationen. Jugendliche erwerben ebenso Kompetenzen, wenn sie Verantwortung in ihrer Familie übernehmen, sie sich mit ihren Freunden treffen, Sport treiben, Musik machen oder ehrenamtlich tätig sind: zum Beispiel Teamfähigkeit, Organisation, Flexibilität und Zuverlässigkeit.
Oft ist dies den Jugendlichen selbst gar nicht bewusst. Dies trifft vor allem auf benachteiligte junge Menschen zu, deren Selbstwertgefühl durch schlechte schulische Leistungen beeinträchtigt ist. Durch die Interviews, die mit diesen jungen Menschen im Rahmen des ICOVET-Nachweises geführt werden, werden diese Fähigkeiten sichtbar gemacht und können dann gezielter in der Schule, in der Berufsausbildung, bei der Fort- und Weiterbildung, bei der Arbeit oder auch im Privatleben genutzt werden.
Die LehrerInnen, Ausbilder oder SozialarbeiterInnen wiederum können aufgrund dieser Erkenntnisse ihren Unterricht und die Ausbildung passgenauer auf die Jugendlichen und deren spezielle Fähigkeiten ausrichten. Und letztlich können potenzielle Arbeitgeber über die herkömmlichen Noten in Schulzeugnissen hinaus weiterführende qualifizierte Informationen über die Fähigkeiten der BewerberInnen erhalten.
Das Validierungsinstrument wird in englischer und deutscher Sprache zusammen mit einem Interviewleitfaden und einem Train-the-trainer Modul zum Abschluss des Projekts im Internet zur Verfügung gestellt.
Die Federführung bei diesem Projekt hatte das Deutsche Jugendinstitut. Ulrike Richter vom DJI Halle, die wir auch im Profil vorstellen, beschreibt im "Interview" die Entwicklungsarbeit im Team und erste Reaktionen der Jugendlichen auf den ICOVET-Ansatz.
Die Soziologin Magda Balica aus Bukarest hat das Nachweis-Instrument in Rumänien mit Roma-Jugendlichen getestet. Ihr "Blick von außen" macht deutlich, wie wichtig es ist, dass für die Validierung informell erworbener Kompetenzen die Lebensumstände und kulturellen Kontexte der Zielgruppe berücksichtigt und respektiert werden müssen. Über den Stellenwert des informellen Lernens und die möglichen Einsatzbereiche von ICOVET in England berichtet der E-Learning Experte Graham Attwell im seinem "Blick von außen".
Wie immer bietet das Online-Thema Links auf Projekte und -Publikationen des DJI zum Thema.
DJI Online / Stand: 1. August 2006
Profile Ulrike Richter, DJI Halle
german / english
Publications DJI Publications on informal learning, disadvantaged youth and transitions Bendit, René et al. (2002): Modernised Transitions and DisadvantagePolicies: Netherlands, Portugal, Ireland and Migrant Youth in Germany. In: Walther, A. / Stauber, B. (Ed.): Misdleading Trajectories. Leske + Budrich
Bendit, Renè / Stokes, Dermot (2003): Disadvantage: Transition Policies between Social Construction and the Needs of Vulnerable Youth. In: Lopez-Blasco, A. / McNeish, W. / Walther, A. (Ed.): Towards Integrated Transition Policies in Europe. Bristol: The Policy Press
Bien, W. / Lappe, L. / Rathgeber, R. (2005): The Situation of Young People in Rural Areas. In: Doris Schmied (Ed.): Winning and Losing. The Changing Geography of Europe's Rural Areas. Ashgate
Biggart, A. / Bendit, R. / Cairins, D. / Hein, K. / Mörch, Sven (Ed.) (2002): Families and Transitions in Europe: State of the Art Report. University of Ulster
Blanke, K. / Cornelißen, W. (2005): German Adolescents' Time Use: From 1991 to 2001: Is Gender Symmetry in Sight? In: Society and Leisure, Vol. 28, 2, 511-530
Erler, W. / Nußhart, Ch. (2000): Familienkompetenzen als Potenzial einer innovativen Personalentwicklung - Trends in Deutschland und Europa. Bonn
Download
Gerzer-Sass, A. / Erler, W. / Nußhart, Ch. / Sass, J. (2001): Die Kompetenzbilanz: Ein Instrument zur Optimierung betrieblicher Personalarbeit. Eine Information für Personalverantwortliche. München
Gerzer-Sass, A. / Erler, W. / Nußhart, Ch. / Sass, J. (2000): Die Kompetenzbilanz. Ein Instrument zur Selbsteinschätzung und beruflichen Entwicklung für berufstätige Mütter und Väter, an Weiterbildung Interessierte und Berufsrückkehrer/innen. München
Download
Informelles Lernen. (2005): Themenheft der Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft (ZfE), 8, 3
Lex, T. (2004): Young people s transition from school and training to work: quantitative research strategies in the USA, Canada and Australia. In: Funk, Sibylle (Ed.): Research in progress: Selected studies of the German Youth Institute. München, DJI International Series, vol. 1/2004, 94-103
Müller, B. / Schmidt, S. / Schulz, M. (2005): Wahrnehmen können. Jugendarbeit und informelle Bildung Freiburg im Breisgau
Otto, H.-U. / Rauschenbach, Th. (Hrsg.) (2004): Die andere Seite der Bildung. Zum Verhältnis von formellen und informellen Bildungsprozessen Wiesbaden 2004
Rauschenbach, Th. / Düx, W. / Sass, E. (Hrsg.) (2005): Informelles Lernen im Jugendalter. Vernachlässigte Dimensionen der Bildungsdebatte. Beiträge zur Kinder- und Jugendhilfeforschung Weinheim/München
Richter, U. (Hrsg.) (2005): Den Übergang bewältigen. Gute Beispiele der Förderung an der Ersten Schwelle von der Schule zur Berufsausbildung. München/Halle: DJI
Schaub, G. (2005): Assessing the effects of informal learning on occupational competences of disadvantaged young persons (DJI) Download
Stevens, Alex / Gladstone, Ben (Eds.) (2002): Learning not Offending. Effective interventions to tackle youth transition to crime in Europe. Westerham, Kent: RPS Rainer
Tully, C. J. (Hrsg.) (2006): Lernen in flexibilisierten Welten. Wie sich das Lernen der Jugend verändert Weinheim/München
Tully, C. J. (2006): Informelles Lernen: eine Folge dynamisierter sozialer Differenzierung In: Otto, H.-U. / Oelkers, J. (Hrsg.): Zeitgemäße Bildung. Herausforderung für Erziehungswissenschaft und Bildungspolitik.
Wächter, F. / und Mack, Wolfgang (2004): Networking - an attempt at social inclusion: Report on neighborhood-specific programme regarding young people's development in social 'hotbeds', in: Sibylle Hübner-Funk (ed.): Research in Progress. Selected Studies of the German Youth Institute, Munich
DJI Online / Stand: 1. August 2006
Outside View I
There is increasing recognition in most European countries of the importance of informal learning. Informal learning can provide a bridge between formal subject based learning and occupational practice. Furthermore, informal learning may be important as a tool for the continuing or lifelong learning seen as economically important in a period of rapid economic and technological change. And informal learning is viewed as a way of assisting socially excluded and under-qualified individuals to re-enter formal education and training or gain access to the labour market.
Integration of informal learning
But if there is increasing recognition of the importance of informal learning, there is less convergence in terms of how informal learning is integrated in vocational education and training practice. The differences may be ascribed to the different histories of vocational education and training, to different cultural practices and to different institutional and systemic structures within different countries. This short article will look at activities in Germany and the UK to illustrate different possible approaches to recognising and valuing informal learning.
How can we recognise that learning has taken place? The most general measure is taken to be a change in behaviour. In vocational education and training that change in behaviour or acquisition of new abilities is usually expressed in terms of competences. Competences refer to the practical ability to perform an occupational task or tasks. Whilst the word competence exists in most European languages, our understanding of the meaning of competence differs widely.
Different understandings of competence
So, whilst in Germany, competence is generally linked to beruf (a word untranslatable in English) and refers to the internal, holistic ability to act as part of as profession or occupation, in the UK competence refers to the ability to perform externally prescribed and more atomistic tasks.
This, in turn, affects the recognition and perceived role of informal learning. In Germany informal learning is seen as an intrinsic part of formal vocational education and training, especially through the Dual System which brings together school and work based learning. In the UK, informal learning is regarded as an external adjunct to formal training. This might be seen as a somewhat abstract description. But these differences take stark structural forms.
In Germany apprenticeship is generally age bound, being undertaken as part of the transition from school to work. Although in the UK some young people do undertake vocational courses, (including apprenticeships) on completion of compulsory schooling, vocational courses are open to students of any age and it is quite common for older students to pursue a vocational training programme. For those students who may have failed to gain initial qualifications or those who have some substantial work experience despite lack of formal qualifications, the UK has evolved formal measures for recognising informal learning. This is known as the Accreditation of Prior Learning.
The labour market
There are also important differences in terms of the relation of vocational education and training to the labour market. Germany has a relatively highly regulated labour market. This means for many occupations formal vocational qualifications are required as the basis for employment. There are far fewer regulated occupations in the UK and the role of the trade unions in enforcing regulation is much weaker. Academic qualifications have usually a higher prestige than vocational qualifications and the numbers of those possessing formal vocational qualifications is less. Thus employers are more inclined to look at academic qualifications plus proof of informal learning as the basis for employment.
In both the UK and Germany, as in other European countries, there has been increased interest in informal learning as a means of reintegrating socially excluded and unemployed people in the labour market, although once more this tends to take different directions and forms in the different countries. Indeed, both Germany and the UK are characterised by a considerable number of projects, programmes and experiments, making it difficult to provide more than a general overview of trends.
Recognition of informal learning in Germany and the UK
In Germany, there is little room for formal recognition of informal learning, because of the strength of the regulatory system. On the other hand, the very strength of this system has mitigated against the development of a formal careers guidance system.
This has become problematic with high levels of employment and rapid structural economic change. Thus, the identification and recognition of informal learning is increasingly being used as a means for career and occupational guidance, as a mechanism for recognising aptitude for further vocational training or work experience. This is especially seen in the so called one euro job schemes. Recognition of informal learning may also be used as a way of promoting social and civic integration, regardless of employment opportunities, for instance with long term unemployed or ethnic minorities.
In the UK, with a well developed, albeit structurally somewhat incoherent and under-resourced, careers advisory service, there has been more focus on the direct recognition and certification of informal learning. This has taken the form of both supplemental qualifications, often as a precursor to entry to more advanced education or training, or as direct recognition of informal learning for part certification of a formal training course, or rarely, even for a complete qualification.
The ICOVET Project
The European Commission Leonardo and Vinci programme funded ICOVET project has been examining these issues. The original project design was based on research undertaken by the Deutsches Jugendinstitut on the vocational integration of disadvantaged young people which has shown that integration can be successful if the funding and support network is matched to the requirements and background of the young people in question.
The project application recognised that lack of information on attainment and skills acquisition through voluntary work and work placements was an obstacle for disadvantaged young people. Even more problematic was that socially disadvantaged young people lack the self esteem and skills to recognise their own learning and achievement.
One of the major tasks for the project has been to design a validation instrument that can feed back into the design of pre-vocational education and vocational qualifications for disadvantaged young people. Such an instrument should help teaching and training staff to transfer informal and non-formal learning experiences into the institutional learning context. This was an ambitious undertaking, especially as the project involves partners from six different European countries.
Problems
The major problem was that existing instruments usually start from the viewpoint of formal competences and qualifications. Essentially, they ask participants to identify those elements of formal achievement that have been gained in informal learning contexts. But many socially disadvantaged young people lack the confidence and ability to recognise their own learning in this way. They are not able to link their own concrete experiences with a description of competences, abstracted from the context in which they are acquired. Undertaking such an exercise can reinforce a negative self image, through seemingly emphasising what the participant does not know. Furthermore, attempts to identify informal learning achievement, based on formal competence descriptions, often ignore both the social nature of learning and the contexts in which learning takes place.
New approach
The ICOVET project partners have attempted to develop a new approach, based on recognising that learning may occur in the everyday life situation of young people. Rather than intended as a checklist, the questionnaire is intended as the basis for constructing a focused narrative of the participants experience. In so doing, it is recognised that learning may occur from negative life experiences or from coping in difficult situations.
Participants are encouraged to reflect on such a narrative, on what they have learnt and on what their achievements might be. Such a narrative is of course, only a first stage. To be useful for advancement to further training or to possible employment, the narrative requires some process of verification of claimed achievement, even if this is just a supporting letter from an ex-employer.
Furthermore it requires translation or transfer into some recognised form of statement of achievement. For this purpose, the project has decided to use a modified form of the EuroPass. The EU recognised Europass is designed to provide a standardised extended Curriculum Vitae, recognised throughout Europe, and critically from the perspective of the project, including informal learning as well as formal and certificated achievement.
New forms require training and infrastructural support
The instrument is still being trialled, but initial results show some promise. This is not to deny there are problems. This is a very intensive process and requires a considerable degree of disclosure on the part of the participant.
It is doubtful whether present funding allows sufficient time to be spent building trust relations and supporting disadvantaged people in using the instrument for identifying informal learning achievement. Furthermore, this support should be on-going. It is not enough just to undertake the initial process and then withdraw support. Trainers themselves require training in how to use the instrument. Our belief is that it is best undertaken in youth work and project settings, rather than as part of the formal education or employment services. However, this is a new role for youth workers.
And of course there are requirements for confidentiality which may require the establishment of new practices and procedures, as well as the facility to refer clients to other agencies and supports structures if so necessary.
It is not within the resources of a European pilot project to develop the infrastructure needed to support the recognition of informal learning. But within innovative and well organised pilot projects, it is possible to trial new ideas as proof of concept and to show the way for future development and implementation. The recognition of informal learning could proof a major advance in helping socially disadvantaged young people to develop their abilities and progress further in their lives. the instrument offers great potential to those organisations working with socially disadvantaged young people to help them recognise their own learning but more importantly to recognise their own self-worth and potential.
Graham Attwell is a researcher working for the Wales based indepedent research institute, Pontydysgu. He has many research interests including informal learning, knowledge development and sharing, the training of teachers and trainers and the use of Information and Communication Technologies for learning. He has participated in many European projects and has written and published extensively. More recently, he has been developing multi media and story telling approaches to knowledge sharing.
His weblog, the Wales Wide Web - can be found at http://www.knownet.com/writing/weblogs/Graham_Attwell
DJI Online / Stand: 1. August 2006
Links DJI Projects
DJI Topics of the Month
DJI Projekt: Informal Competencies and their Validation (ICOVET)
DJI Projekt: Kompetenzagenturen
DJI Projekt: Familienkompetenzen als Potential einer innovativen Personalentwicklung
DJI Projekt: Kompetenznachweis Lernen im sozialen Umfeld
DJI Projekt: Implementierung und Evaluation von Familienkompetenzen in Beruf und Weiterbildung
DJI Projekt: Jugendliche in neuen Lernwelten
DJI Projekt: Informelle Lernprozesse im Jugendalter in Settings des freiwilligen Engagements
DJI Thema 2/06: Informelle Bildung am Beispiel des freiwilligen Engagements
DJI Thema 4/04: Für das Leben lernen - Bildung vor und neben der Schule
DJI Bulletin 73 Plus: Lernen Informell
Nationaler Bildungsbericht Bildung in Deutschland
Das deutsche Bildungswesen von der frühkindlichen Bildung und Erziehung, über die Schule, die berufliche Ausbildung, Hochschul- und Weiterbildung bis zur non-formalen Jugendbildung und dem informellen Lernen im Alltag.
Nationaler Bildungsbericht am DJI
Bildung in Deutschland (Buch)
Bildung in Deutschland (download als PDF)
DJI Online / Stand: 1. August 2006
Outside View II 
by Magda Balica, Bucharest/Romania
Report on the use of the instrument for recognition of informal learning with socially disadvantaged groups - focussed on Roma
more
Outside View II
Report on the use of the instrument for recognition of informal learning with socially disadvantaged groups - focussed on Roma
by Magda Balica, Bucharest/Romania
1. Target group description: Roma in Romania
In a research study realized in 1998 by the Institute for Researching Quality Life it was found that the Roma population is a young population (the average age is 25,1 and also 33,9 % from the entire population is between 0-14 years and 4,3 % of the population is over 65 years.
Geographical distribution of Roma population shows that in Romania there are some concentrated areas where Roma population are living. Therefore, the highest rate of Roma population is situated in the central area of the country (Bra_ov, Sibiu, Mure_), in West (Satu Mare, S laj, Bihor, Arad), and South (Dolj _i Mehedinci).
According to a World Bank community survey (Roma Social Mapping, Targeting by a Community Poverty Survey, World Bank, Bucharest, July, 2005) about 60% out of the total Roma Community are poor. The highest concentration of poor Roma population is in large communities of over 500 people and in medium size communities of 200 -500 persons. Over 60% of the Roma population that is clustered lives in large communities of more than 500 persons.
2. Social disadvantage features
According to the World Bank report in 2000, nearly 80 percent of Roma in Romania were living on less than $4.30 per day, in comparison with 30 percent of the total population.
A study run by the International Management Foundation in December 2000 reported that Roma group was the only ethnic group whose poverty incidence departed significantly from the average. Unlike other minority groups, such as Hungarian and German minorities, in 1997 the incidence of poverty rate of Roma was 3.5 times higher than the average poverty rate and their consumption 40% lower than the average consumption per equivalent adult. Another report, developed by a Governmental Commission CASPIS 10 in 2003 reflected the following situation of poverty rate based on ethnicity:
| Ethnicity | Rate of severe poverty | Poverty rate |
| Romanian | 9,3 % | 24,4 % |
| Roma | 52, 2 % | 75, 1 % |
Source: The Commission against Poverty and Promotion of Social inclusion, Romanian Government.
Due the poverty level, dependence on social assistance is very high. Children s allowance represents the most frequent regular income source for Roma families - 66.2% of the researched households benefited from these allowances. Salaries round up the family Budget only in less than a quarter of the cases, and retirement pensions are a source of income in 11.7% of the targeted Roma families. Unemployment compensations are a source of income for 9.5% of the researched households. Disability and illness retirement pensions are granted in 4.7%, respectively 5.8% of the families. 53.4% of the total number of households investigated in 1998 declared occasional (or non-permanent) revenues.
Roma living in poor Roma communities have a lower education stock, lower migration abroad experience, a more traditional orientation by speaking Romani language and a larger average household size. The poorest of the poor Roma communities have a very low education stock and very low experience of migration abroad. Low access to education among Roma is related to a range of complementary and contrasting factors, including economic and sociological factors, discrimination, and characteristics of the education systems at large. Apart of poverty and economic constrains, other important determinants are presented below.
- Discrimination
Discrimination against Roma by non-Roma parents, children, and teachers contributes to low attendance and can both discourage children from attending school and affect the quality of education in the classroom. According to the above mentioned study (Broadening the agenda. The status of Romani women in Romania, Open Society Institute, 2006, p 11) more than a half of Roma women interviewed felt that the educational system discriminates against Roma children, while, based on the answers of interviewed Roma women whose children attend the school, 19% of their children are currently learning in a segregated school environment.
Qualitative studies documented examples of discrimination and abuse of Roma students by teachers ranging from teachers ignoring Roma in classrooms, to outright physical abuse. Stereotypes about Roma and their attitudes toward education lower teachers expectations about the potential of their students. Discrimination can be both explicit as in the case of schools creating separate classes or more subtle if parents discourage their children from interacting with Roma classmates. As mentioned above, Roma parents who experienced discrimination during their own schooling, may be reluctant to send their children to school, or may prefer to send their children to special schools, where they feel that they will be more sheltered and protected from abuse.
- Social and Cultural Factors
Language. While most Roma speak the majority language, use of the Roma language is still prevalent among some communities. In some cases language affects the ability of Roma children to start school, and children without full language proficiency are at a disadvantage relative to other students. With the decline in preschool attendance, and the lack of Roma speaking teachers, children who do not speak the majority language are at risk to become discouraged and drop out of school.
Negative stereotypes of Roma attitudes toward education are common and explain in many cases the low enrolment of Roma children into primary education. However, social and cultural factors may influence Roma participation in mainstream public education. For example, the division between the Roma and non- Roma communities may be wide in some cases. Roma parents may be protective and reluctant to send their children out of their family and community especially if they fear their child will face discrimination and negative treatment by teachers or fellow students. Parents may also fear that participation in public education will take their children away from their family, physically and emotionally, and weaken family and community ties. Parents in settlements in more rural areas where children may have to travel outside their home village or settlement may decide to keep their children at home. School organization may also differ significantly from Roma society.
Parents education levels play an important role in children s school attendance and performance. In this regard, Roma are at a greater disadvantage because of the gaps in educational attainment. While illiteracy rate of population older than 15 years in Romania is 2,7%, in case of Roma population aged between 17-45 years who can not read at all or with high difficulty is 31,8% and Roma population aged over 45 years old face illiteracy. Lack of parental literacy may affect school attendance in different ways. Parents with limited education will be unable to help their children with schoolwork in the same way that parents of other children can. Parents may also be less likely to participate in school related activities. As a result, the communication between teachers and parents may be less frequent.
According to a study done by The Institute of Educational Sciences in 2002 on the rural education in Romania (Jigau, M. (coord.) Rural education in Romania: conditions, problems and development strategies. MarLink, Bucharest, 2002), the main category of determinants of children school failure is represented by social and family factors, namely: the negative attitude of the parents toward school (58%); the impossibility of the family to provide the child with the necessary resources to attend school (clothes, shoes, stationery, etc.) (55%) and keeping the child home to conduct different household activities (54%). Other causes with a lower school attendance frequency were the season migration of the family, the child's affiliation to nomad families and the deviant behaviors of the family members (delinquency, alcoholism), as well as certain specific traditions (for instance "the Gypsy Law" the woman must not bee too educated).
- Systemic Constraints
Geographic isolation of Roma settlements. Research reports shown clearly that in general, in rural isolated communities, the schools with Roma majority students there are poor facilities for learning and the percent of qualified teachers is very low. Similar situation can be found in the case of urban schools situated usually in the peripheral area of the city.
Lack of necessary identification, registration papers, and enforcement of compulsory education keeps children from being able to enrol in school in the first place. Similar constraints exist for street children and children of seasonal workers. Children in these situations are also not identified by education officials responsible for enforcing school attendance. An estimated 47,000 people in Romania lack identification documents necessary to access public services. (http://www.romadecade.org/files/downloads/Education%20Resources/REF_Needs_Assessment.pdf)
3. Social disadvantage, education and training and employment
A closer look on the educational system done in 2002 by the Institute for Educational Sciences (Jigau, M. (coord.) The participation to education of Roma children. Problems, solutions, actors, MarLink, Bucharest, 2002) highlighted a set of critical points with regards to Roma education:
Poverty and poor economic conditions are a main reason why children are unable to attend school. High poverty rates limit the ability of many Roma to afford the direct costs of schooling, such as clothes, food, and school materials, as well as the indirect costs, including the opportunity costs of sending children to school.
Gender gape is also relevant in terms of access to education. According to a recent study published by the Open Society Institute (Broadening the agenda. The status of Romani women in Romania, Open Society Institute, 2006, p 11), in the Roma family culture, girls are generally expected to complete lower levels of education than boys. Because of large families, Roma girls may stay home to take care of children and other household chores.
Another important element in explaining the weak schooling situation is discrimination that has various aspects according to the context. The discrimination seems not to be the result of any particular policy, but it is rather the joint effect of some prejudices and ethnical stereotypes. It is surprising that these stereotypes and prejudices are not only held by ordinary people, but also by some teachers and headmasters.
To sum up, Roma children face the following barriers to their education:
All these determines the fact that Roma children have to overcome more complicated obstacles than children from other ethnic minorities. These circumstances lead to increasing prejudices from their non-Roma schoolmates and teachers; they are stigmatised as not being able to learn and this leads to their elimination from the regular classrooms. As a conclusion, this situation of poverty and social exclusion gives rise to difficulties in accessing standardized educational processes.
The main barriers to positive educational experience can be concluded:
Formal registered unemployment is remarkably high in many Roma communities, reaching 100 percent in some of the poorest and most marginalized settlements. According to a report done by UNDP in 2003, at the national level, the unemployment rate in case of Roma population is 24%, but this figure might be disturbing as far as in rural areas (representing almost 50% from the population in Romania) an owner of a small piece of land can not be registered as unemployed. The UNDP survey presents also the difficulties faced by Roma to find a job. According to the survey, the main difficulties for professional integration in Roma population view are the followings: 1. ethnic affiliation; 2. general economic difficulties in the country; 3. not having adequate skills required on the job. The same survey shows that Roma think that their traditional skills cannot be valued in a global economy. Regarding the current occupations of the Roma population, we can say that most of the people working as employees are present in all the different sectors of the economy, but preponderantly in constructions and agriculture.
The percentage of housewives is over 4 times bigger in the case of the Roma population than at the national level, and reveals the weak participation of women in the labour market. The participation of Roma in continuing training is very low. In 2004, out of 28032 persons enrolled in CVT programs organised by National Agency for Employment and funded from Employment Fund only 282 were Roma (1% from total number of participants).
4. Specific pedagogic approaches and ethical issues
- Clearly stating the purpose and added value of the experience
Would be a difficult task for an interviewer to motivate a Roma young person for the interview. We can find a very friendly and opened Roma person, ready to spent some time discussing with a nice interviewer, but would be difficult to make them understand that this might be an useful experience for him/her. This mission is especially difficult because, not only Roma, but also other young persons in Romania are not used with this type of experience. They might see with difficulties how this interview could help them in practical terms. That is why we think is very important for the interviewer to understand in which way the interviewed Roma young persons could use the experience, getting to know the personal story of the interviewed and its own context. Than, it is important to make clear from the very beginning the purpose and to highlight the added value of experience, in the context of the personal story of the interviewed person.
- Understanding and respecting cultural differences
The interviewer that intends to apply the tool in case of Roma young people should be first aware about the culture, social perception, habits and history of this ethnic group. There are some specific sensitive issues that can disturb the interview, in case are not taken into consideration. The most important specific cultural factors that have to be considered are the following:
We already presented above in extent some of these aspects, information that has to be studied and reflected upon by a potential interviewer before starting the interview. We would like to talk a bit more on the language issue.
Language
In case we discover that our young person is speaking and understanding well the language of majority, than we don t need to worry much about the language problem. To detect this, we need a preliminary discussion with the young person. In case we discover that the language is an issue, we can go for at list two alternatives:
Both alternatives can have strengths and weaknesses that can be discussed, but we thing the best solution is to analyse carrfuly the following aspects before choosing one of the above alternatives:
Understanding the context and the background of their previous school experience
The former school experience of a Roma young person might be significantly different than others, especially because of the different aspect of discrimination they faced and the specific values and perceptions on education promoted by their families. It might be the case that they are tempted to deny any other type of learning experience just because learning is a word that brought them in mind bad feelings. That is why, before applying the ICOVET tool, would be a good idea to research with the interviewed persons the story of their schooling experience, trying to understand:
- Building an optimum level of mutual trust
Some issues of the tool might explore a private space of the interviewed persons, were he/she could not be opened because of the possible fear for socially not desirable answers. For instance, might be the case of illegal work experiences that the person would not be happy to share, even this experience could be a good example of different types of competences they acquired so far. To avoid this type of situations, building an optimum level of mutual trust is required from the interviewer. This can be done either in the first stage when we present our selves as an interviewer and when we explain the purpose of the tool, but signs of trusts should be send constantly during the interview.
- Searching the level of expectations for their future learning experiences
Many research studies on Roma shown that because of economical constrain, many families may have short-term expectations in relation with their children education. We should acknowledge this aspect and try to introduce in the reflections of the interviewed concrete examples that might make him/her think on a long run. Such a perspective might be simulative for the further learning experiences.
- Pay attention to the survival strategies and try to understand them
In some cases, you might expect strong feedback, active participation to discussion from the side of a Roma young person. We should research if this is authentic or is only a survival strategy that it used sometimes in order to make his/her image appropriate. Many Roma might learn from their discrimination experience that can be much productive for them to dissimulate. And this is perfectly understandable. This is not only the case of Roma, but also all interviewed persons that experienced cognitive and affective dissonance in their previous learning experiences in school or in family or community.
For some other persons, the survival strategy might be more aggressive. Would be advisable to stop the interview in case any sign of rejection is noticed during the interview.
5. Practical suggestions for the interviewers
In terms of practical suggestions, we can draw attentions to the following aspects that we think are important in case of Roma young people:
- Preparing the interview preliminary contact
In Romania, for instance, Roma communities might be rather different, in terms of living conditions, location, traditional activities practiced, level of segregation, extend of the community. Before starting the interview it is important to collect useful information related to the context in which our interview is living, taking into consideration all factors presented above. A pre-meeting might precede the interview itself, where small talk can prepare the ground for the stage of applying the tool. Even a visit in the community might be extremely useful, because this way we can find important information to understand better the story of our interviewed.
In the preliminary meeting, general questions like: What do you usually do during the day? When and how do you start in the morning? To whom do you spend the evenings? What is your role in the family? How do you see your living conditions?
When is possible, parental agreement might be necessary when we try to contact a young Roma person for the interview. Parent reaction might be sometime unexpected when someone is entering in their space, as of all of us.
- Choosing the best space for discussion
As any of us, Roma young people might be much more confident if the interview is done in his/her own environment. But this doesn t mean necessary their family or their community; even in some cases Roma can have a high sense of community and strong family relationships. This depends rather on the type of relation that our interviewed have with his/her belonging family or community. Try to investigate which is the best place that provides confidence to him/her.
- Using relevant examples
To provide examples in order to encourage the interviewed is a general aspect in a interview. In case of Roma, but not only in this case, we should look for relevant examples for the lifestyle and context of our interviewed. This means that the interviewer should know before some features about the context and life experience of the young person.
- Interviewer profile
To sum up, apart of being transparent with the purpose of the tool and managing good interviewer skills, a good interviewer that is going to discuss with a Roma young person should have the following qualities:
6. Adapting the tool content
After analysing the tool trough the eyes of a Roma young person, we find out that some small changes might be necessary. We see a need for some changes especially in the sections related to Civic, Social and Political Involvement, Household and Family, Jobs and Work Experiences. When we say changes, we mean that:
We have find more easy to make our comments directly on the tool. So, please see the related document attached.
7. Follow up
- EUROPASS
We don t think that in Romania, employers or other training organizations are ready to take on board the EuroPASS. The EuroPASS was only introduced in Romania in few organizations, but ordinary people don t know much about it. What we can do is to make visible our project outcomes trough a series of dissemination activities targeted to employers, training providers, evaluation and certification authorities, psycho-pedagogical councillors, Roma organizations and Roma young people themselves.
- EVALUATION COMMITTEE FOR SECOND CHANCE EDUCATION
We think to propose the tool to the evaluation committee that is in charge with the assessment of young persons for the second chance education program in Romania. Some discussion started already and they seem to be very interested.
- EVALUATION COMMITTEES FOR NON-FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMPETENCES
We think to propose the tool to the evaluation and certifications committees that are in charge with the assessment and certification of competences acquired informally or non-formally.
8. Benefits
The main benefits for Roma young people:
9. An example for using the questionnaire
Magda Balica is researcher in the Institute of Educational Sciences in Bucharest, Romania and expert in the framework of "Observatory for Lifelong Learning Development" organization. Her background is in sociology and educational sciences and has over 10 years of experience in research activities and international projects
DJI Online / Stand: 1. August 2006
Overview ICOVET stands for Informal Competences And Their Validation In Vocational Education and Training and has
three main objectives ...
1. To develop methods (and instruments) that make visible (validate) competences that are of relevance to vocational education and training (VET), competences that are acquired by disadvantaged youth through processes of non-formal or informal learning.
2. To develop strategies/methods/concepts of how these competences can be systematically used in vocational education and training (and in preparation for vocational education and training).
3. To develop and test a train-the-trainer module that will enable training or teaching personnel to systematically use these competences in vocational education and training (and in preparation for vocational education and training).
The general idea behind ICOVET is ...
Disadvantaged youth have acquired through processes of non-formal and informal learning competences that may be relevant for VET but that cannot be used systematically, because these competences are invisible.
Making these competences visible ...
The result is ...
the ICOVET validation tool
in German
in English
Promotor of ICOVET
Deutsches Jugendinstitut DJI
Duration
November 2004 October 2006
Funding
European Union / Leonardo da Vinci Programme
Partners
AKC Ausbildungs- und Kulturcentrum Berlin / Germany
BFI Peters GmbH ... Co. KG Germany
CRED Centre for Research and Education Development / United Kingdom
Ergon Kek / Greece
INDOR / Spain
Institute of Educational Sciences Bucharest / Romania
Knownet United Kingdom
Nexus Research Co-operative Dublin / Ireland
p&w praxis und wissenschaft projekt GmbH Germany
Waterford Youth Service / Ireland
New role of learners
Part of this approach is also the re-definition of the role of the learner. All in all it signals a departure from knowledge-oriented to skill-oriented learning. Key skills are explicitly mentioned in this context. The Memorandum for lifelong learning and EU consultations support this direction and emphasize the necessity for a fundamentally new understanding of teaching and learning as a base for lifelong learning: equal recognition of different learning and education contexts as well as validating non-formal and informal learning achievements compared to regular vocational qualifications.
The development of suitable standards, assessment and recognition procedures, skill portfolios and the introduction of institutional requirements for a consistent and transparent European framework for evaluating vocational qualifications are fundamental reference points in this process.
Development of validation instruments
The aim of ICOVET is to develop and test validation procedures for Competences of young people gained outside the framework of institutional education. Research of the German Youth Institute (Deutsches Jugendinstitut, DJI) on vocational integration of disadvantaged young people has shown, that integration can be successful if the funding and support network is matched to the requirements and background of the young people in question.
One of the obstacles here is the lack of reliable information on the skill level of individuals. School leaving certificates in particular at the level of lower education often don t accurately validate the factual skill level of individuals in particular neglecting the level of basic skills and procedural knowledge. Furthermore there is often an extreme difference in achievement within one level of certification as well as high uncertainty whether one s basic skills can be matched with vocational and business requirements. In particular there is a lack of information on skills gained during extra-curricular experiences (e.g. employment, voluntary work, the use of new media).
According to Deutsches Jugendinstitut these are very relevant for increasing someone s employability. For young people the lack of specifically tailored support for their individual skills often results in negative understanding of their abilities and low self-esteem that can influence further learning. In addition educational institutions lack sufficient information on which group of youth would profit most from their programmes, i.e. to whom it would neither be over nor under challenging.
Best practice guide
Particular interest in this context is placed on how the results of such a validation instrument can feed back into the design of pre-vocational education and vocational qualification of disadvantaged young people. How can teaching and training staff help to transfer informal and non-formal learning experiences into the institutional learning context? To support staff in their role as advisors and mediators the project proposes a framework and best practice guide for the methodical and didactical inclusion of informal and non-formal learning. The best practice guide is envisaged as a guideline for schools and institutions providing them with valuable information for planning personalized education and development. To follow this up a train-the-trainer module will seek to establish systematic reference to the changing teaching/learning dynamic by communicating to the teaching staff new perspectives for more mentor-oriented and more supportive education models based on higher transparency of qualifications and skills.
Target groups
The target groups for this project are on the one hand disadvantaged young people at the transition between school education and vocational training, i.e. adolescents that have been excluded from regular, vocational qualifications due to unsuitable school education, social disadvantages, or structural discrimination and have not succeeded to find support matching their particular conditions and requirements. Secondly, the project is targeted at experts working in institutions that offer relevant opportunities, and policy makers of the educational sector, social welfare, labour administration on a regional, national and European level responsible for the design of such support programmes. The third target group are human resource departments of companies, chambers and similar institutions.
Target sectors are institutions that offer specifically support programmes for disadvantaged young people. In Germany these are: polytechnics, youth welfare service, companies, in Greece, Great Britain, Ireland and Romania and Spain equivalent institutions offering vocational qualification programmes to disadvantaged adolescents post school education. Together these institutions share the desire to recondition the support for social disadvantage, to develop and build on social and personal skills, tackle learning deficits and offer opportunities to catch up on missed educational qualifications, helping to find suitable professional perspectives and relevant training, mediation of basic skills necessary for successful learning.
Phase 1: set of methods
Phase 1 of the project seeks to develop a set of methods for validating skills gained through informal and non-formal learning. The basis for this will be a comparative analysis of different procedures and instruments of all ICOVET partner countries. The aim is to establish a participatory set of methods matching the requirements and conditions of schools and institutions on the one hand and young people on the other. Main emphasis is placed on key skills representative of the age group i.e. relevant skills for vocational qualification gained during time spend with peers, in jobs, with the use of new media, during internships, traveling, sports, voluntary work etc. The initial step here is to identify unrealized skill potential and then to organize these abilities i.e. establish reference points for validation and reliability criteria. Here particular emphasis is placed on transparency and quality.
Phase 2: survey with experts
On the basis of the results from phase 1 the next step of the project was to conduct a survey with experts (educational officers from around Europe as well as young people themselves) to analyze the effects of such a validation instrument on pre-vocational education and vocational qualifications of disadvantaged young people and whether these imply that the original instrument needs to be revised.
Phase 3: test of validation methods
During phase 3 the validation tool was tested in a participatory and iterative procedure in the partner institutions as well as at least 20 cooperative partners (schools, polytechnics, institutions that support the disadvantaged etc). Test results have informed a conceptual framework for the methodical and didactic inclusion of informal and non-formal learning into the curriculum of pre-vocational and vocational education and training to be documented in an electronic multi-lingual best-practice guide.
Phase 4: train-the-trainer module
The development of a train-the-trainer module will conclude the project in phase 4. This specifically designed module is to match the requirements of training staff established in phase 3. Emphasis during this last project phase will be placed on how much teachers and trainers can support the informal and non-formal learning experiences in the institutional context in their roles as advisors and mediators.
For further information:
Günther Schaub (DJI): Assessing the effects of informal learning on occupational competences of disadvantaged young persons
in German
in English
DJI Online / Stand: 1st August 2006
Profil
| Frau Richter, das Singen gehört zu Ihren Hobbies. Wie würden Sie die dadurch informell erworbenen Kompetenzen im ICOVET-Bogen beschreiben? Ich denke, da sind zum einen die rein musikalischen Fähigkeiten, die sehr schnell zu benennen wären: Noten lesen, Töne sauber und zur richtigen Zeit singen, Tempo halten und die Musik zum Klingen bringen. Zum anderen geht es um persönliche Fähigkeiten die im Kompetenzdiskurs personale und soziale Kompetenzen genannt werden - die auch in anderen Lebensbereichen wichtig sind. Diese Fähigkeiten klar zu benennen ist ein weitaus schwierigeres Unterfangen. Ich würde dazu zählen: Zuhören, sich mit anderen Leuten einzulassen, sich innerhalb der Gruppe zurück nehmen zu können sowie sich auch etwas zuzutrauen, die Aufregung vor einem Konzert zu überwinden, verlässlich zu sein, für den Chor eine Probenwoche zu organisieren und auch ehrgeizig zu sein und für eine Sache zu brennen. Um in unserem 12-köpfigen Consort gesanglich mithalten zu können, nehme ich privat Gesangsstunden. Das Singen ist kein Konsummier -Hobby, was man mal ausprobiert und dann wieder sein lässt und sich etwas anderes sucht. Wer gut sein möchte, muss sich dahinter klemmen. Leider kommen die Erfolge nicht über Nacht. Ich singe allein und im Chor, weil ich die Alte Musik liebe, weil ich merke, dass ich besser werde, weil es etwas Besonderes ist, was nicht jeder macht und weil es Gänsehaut erzeugt bei uns Sängern und auch bei den Zuhörern. |
Ulrike Richter kommt am 28. Oktober 1973 in Dohna, einer Kleinstadt zwischen Dresden, Sächsischer Schweiz und Osterzgebirge zur Welt. Sie besucht ab 1980 zehn Jahre lang die Polytechnische Oberschule (Allgemeinbildende Schule in der damaligen DDR) in Pirna bis zur Mittleren Reife und erwirbt in den anschließenden zwei Jahren an der Erweiterten Oberschule in Pirna die Allgemeine Hochschulreife.
Während der gesamten Schulzeit verbringt Ulrike Richter viel Zeit in der Musikschule am Ort, wo sie eine Ausbildung in den Fächern Blockflöte, Oboe und Klavier erhält. Daneben singt sie auch im Kirchenchor. Ulrike Richter nimmt an Wettbewerben teil und musiziert in Kammermusikensembles und auch im Orchester. Aufgrund dieser intensiven Freizeitbeschäftigung möchte sie zunächst Musikerin werden. Doch die Aufnahmeprüfungen an Musikhochschulen sind streng und auch das übrige Leben interessant, so dass sie sich für einen Zwischenweg entscheidet. Die Musik bleibt aber weiterhin ihre treue Begleiterin.
1992 schreibt sich Ulrike Richter an der Universität Leipzig für das Magisterstudium der Erziehungswissenschaft und Musikwissenschaft ein mit den Studienschwerpunkten Erwachsenenpädagogik und historische Musikwissenschaft. 1998 schließt sie das Studium mit einer Magisterarbeit über Konzepte ökologisch orientierter Bildungsarbeit in der Erwachsenenbildung ab.
Neben dem Studium engagiert sie sich in diversen Projekten. Als Mitarbeiterin im Nationalpark Sächsische Schweiz in Bad Schandau ist sie verantwortlich für die Entwicklung und Durchführung von Programmen zur Umweltbildung für Schülerinnen und Schüler der Jahrgangsstufen 1 bis 12. An der Volkshochschule Leipzig übernimmt sie als Honorardozentin die Kursleitung des Kammermusizierkreises. Als Tutorin am Lehrstuhl für Erwachsenenpädagogik der Universität Leipzig leitet sie ein Einführungsseminar zu Bereichen und Aufgaben der Erwachsenenbildung . 1997 gestaltet sie im Rahmen eines Praktikums an der Volkshochschule Leipzig die Ausstellung Wege im Spiegel 75 Jahre Volkshochschule . Ein Jahr später kümmert sie sich als pädagogische Mitarbeiterin im Zentrum für Begegnung, Beratung und Bildung e. V. in Pirna um Projekte im Bildungsbereich sowie die damit verbundene Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Fördermittelbeantragung und die Organisation von Veranstaltungen.
Nach dem Studium arbeitet Ulrike Richter zunächst als Sozialpädagogische Mitarbeiterin im Institut für Sprachen, Integration und Berufsbildung in Torgau, bevor sie von 1999 bis 2002 zunächst in Kiel und später in Erfurt als Schulungsreferentin bei einem Unternehmen der IT-Branche angestellt ist, das Software für die soziale Arbeit entwickelt.
Im Februar 2002 wechselt Ulrike Richter ans Deutsche Jugendinstitut. Als wissenschaftliche Referentin ist sie zunächst zwei Jahre lang in der Regionalen Arbeitsstelle Leipzig im Projekt Gender Mainstreaming in der Jugendsozialarbeit zuständig für die Dokumentation und Veröffentlichung von Beispielen guter Praxis. Nach dem Umzug der DJI Außenstelle von Leipzig nach Halle im Oktober 2002 betreut sie die Fortbildungen, Tagungen, Netzwerkarbeit, Publikationen, Datenerhebung und -auswertungen des Netzwerks Prävention von Schulmüdigkeit und Schulverweigerung. Bei den Projekten konnte ich meine breitgefächerten Berufserfahrungen gut zusammen bringen: Als es um die Neusortierung der DJI-Datenbanken ging oder um den Aufbau eines Mailverteilers für den Forschungsschwerpunkt waren die IT-Kenntnisse sehr nützlich. Und die didaktischen Studien aus der Erwachsenenbildung halfen bei der Vorbereitung der vielfältigen Workshops im Netzwerk, sagt Ulrike Richter rückblickend.
Zur Zeit ist sie mit der inhaltlichen Federführung eines Kooperationsprojekts betraut, in dem gemeinsam mit europäischen Partnerinstitutionen ein Instrument für die Validierung informell erworbener Kompetenzen mit Blick auf die Berufsausbildung benachteiligter Jugendlicher erarbeitet wird: Informal Competencies and their Validation, kurz ICOVET.
Zum Ausgleich besinnt sie sich gern praktisch auf die Musik der Renaissance und des Barocks, nimmt Gesangsunterricht und singt im Leipziger Thomasius-Consort.
DJI Online / Stand: 1. August 2006