Hi,

The following paragraphs describe three new disability related projects that will be undertaken by the Centre for Inclusive Learning Support at the University of Worcester over the next two years. If anyone is interested in any of these and would like more information/become involved in some way (sorry, no funding available, it would have to be on an interest basis only rather than as an active partner), please do contact me.

Hope you all have a relaxing w/e.

Val

In November, staff from the Centre for Inclusive Learning Support (CILS) at the University of Worcester led four other international partners in the start of a new project entitled ‘QATRAIN 2’.   The project, funded by the Leonardo da Vinci programme of the European Commission, held its first transnational meeting in Razlog, Bulgaria. It aims to enable disabled students to participate more fully in Vocational Education and Training (VET) at non tertiary level.  This will be achieved through the transfer to VET of an adapted on-line resource developed under a previously Leonardo da Vinci (LdV) funded project by the University of Worcester, QATRAIN (www.quatrain.eu).

The main focus of the project will be to review and adapt the existing SCIPS (Strategies for Creating Inclusive Programmes for Study) resource that was first developed in the UK and subsequently rolled out to four additional European countries through the QATRAIN project (Quality Assurance and Accessible Training). SCIPS (www.scips.worc.ac.uk) is a database that currently covers 17 academic subjects in the UK, and has culturally adapted and translated versions covering six subjects each in Bulgaria, France, Poland and 7 subjects in Greece.

The online package, which has a very successful track-record in tertiary education (used 24/7 by people from across the globe), will allow teachers/trainers and quality assurance staff involved in VET to analyse their courses and programmes to identify potential difficulties and barriers faced by disabled students. The resource will include resources and information to assist staff in overcoming these identified difficulties. New websites will also be established in each of the five partner countries: UK (University of Worcester – Project Contractor and Co-ordinator); Bulgaria (Marie Curie Association); Greece (University of Ioannina); Romania (Association H Foundation); and Turkey (Kavrakoglu Management Institute).

Following on from the QATRAIN 2 project meeting, six international partners started a new project entitled ‘Validating Mentoring 2’. The project is led by Marie Curie Association of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. It is funded by the Leonardo da Vinci programme of the European Commission and will run for 24 months. The other project partners are Workability Europe, tthe Belgium-based consultancy PhoenixKM, Bolu Guidance and Research Centre from Turkey, the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and the University of Worcester in the UK.

The aim of Validating Mentoring 2 is to support the needs of disabled people and others disadvantaged in the job market by developing systems for the recognition of their non-formal and informal learning. This is particularly important for a group that, compared to its peers, lacks formal qualifications with the consequent effects upon their employability. It will do this by establishing new mentoring programmes in 3 countries for disabled people, older people and young people at risk and it will transfer to them the principles and practices of effective, high quality, mentoring and validation, based on the Code of Practice for Mentoring developed the first Validation of Mentoring project.

Early in the New Year, CILS staff will again take the lead in the start of a Grundtvig funded project of the European Commission, Enabling Accessible Adult Training (ETTAD) ETTAD will enable teachers and trainers to support the integration of disabled people into adult education by identifying and removing unintended barriers to their entry and successful participation. Such improvements will open up a wider range of learning and personal development opportunities to disabled people, constituting a major step in the reduction of discrimination against this traditionally disadvantaged group. The project will raise staff awareness of issues facing disabled learners; it will also enable them to respond to the increased participation of disabled people in mainstream adult education which has been shown to be a powerful combination in stimulating change in tertiary education.

Through a process of review and adaptation, ETTAD will transfer to adult education a resource with a very successful track record in higher education. Two new countries will participate (Romania and Turkey) and new websites will be set up in all five partner countries specifically to address the needs of users in Vocational Education and Training (VET).  This will be an important resource to be drawn on in initial and continuing teacher training. It will be complemented by the development of a toolkit, an instrument for identifying staff needs and materials to help all staff in meeting these needs. The partnership includes a strong range of experience and user groups, and is well-integrated into stakeholder networks at national and European levels.  The project, running from December 2007 until November 2009, has partners in the following countries: the UK (University of Worcester – Contractor and Co-ordinator); Bulgaria (Marie Curie Association; Greece (University of Ioannina); Romania (Association H Foundation); and Turkey (Kavrakoglu Management Institute).

Dr Val Chapman

National Teaching Fellow

Director, Centre for Inclusive Learning Support

University of Worcester

Henwick Grove

Worcester WR2 6AJ

Tel: 01905 855402

Fax: 01905 542068