IVET AND SSE

RIPESS has been engaging in educational and training activities at different levels, mainly through it’s member organisations.

Since September 2016, RIPESS Europe has started to work with some of its members on Initial Vocational Education and Training (IVET) through an Erasmus+ project (“Social and Solidarity Economy in Europe: affirming a new paradigm through IVET curricula innovation”).

The countries directly involved in the project were: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Romania.
The partners were:APDES – Portugal (Coordinator), ASPECT – Bulgária, CRIES – Romania, Glafka – Tzchech Republic, IED – Greece, RIPESS Europe, Solidarius Italia, Technet – Germany

This project aimed to affirm the Social Solidarity Economy (SSE) in Europe through curricula innovation in Initial Vocational and Educational Training (IVET). Its main inspiring vision is a comprehensive training and professional development of younger generations, which integrates alternative socio-economic models and paradigms in their framework of ideas and attitudes.

Duration of the project: September 2016 – August 2018

– VET providers at local, national and European level, who develop training in economics, management, finance and social issues in the upper secondary and non-tertiary levels
– Local, national and European SSE organisations.
– Political decision-makers at national and European level.
– IVET trainees at local and national level.

Objectives of the project:
1. To assess the opportunities and obstacles to the promotion of SSE in IVET programmes at national and European level.
2. Develop a set of training modules on SSE.
3. To promote the inclusion of training modules in PEF programmes at national and European level.

The main goals of the project were the acquisition and development of key skills for people, related to territorial cooperation. The project answered several different sub-objectives:

• Cultural, social and economic dimensions developed the skills of people to think about projects in a transversal way, as well as the skill to animate collectives including multiple stakeholders.
• The project was mainly aimed at people involved in the transmission of methods of animation of territorial cooperation. Designed as a co-constructed training of trainers, it was based on the participants’ knowledge. It expanded beyond this first group to spread the culture of cooperation to the diversity of stakeholders of the different experiences, by involving them in the exchanges and the development of tools.

This project allowed the collection of social innovations and new transmission methodologies.

•  The experiences of cooperation highlighted the benefits of human rights, inclusion, equality and sustainable development goals.
• The context of cultural festivals and in particular the European cultural capitals raised awareness of cultural diversity in Europe as well as the valorisation of cultural resources of people and of European territories.
•  The project focused on the common references and values as well as the understanding of the European context and its evolution.

The expected impacts were to strengthen people’s capacities and skills and to foster mutualisation, collective governance, shared places, collective and territorial cooperation… It enabled the partners to make recommendations in terms of adult education and public policies to social, cultural, private and public decision-makers.

Main outcomes and results:

1. Mapping report

The Social Solidarity Economy (SEE) increasingly asserts itself as a vibrant and promising socio-economic model in the EU and in various parts of the world. Although it is not easy to find a common definition of SSE throughout Europe, this survey asserts SSE as a transformative approach towards all socio-economic activities, which promotes democracy at work and in the community, social justice in the benefits distribution (both in terms of positive impact and surplus) and ecological awareness of the planet’s limits, intelligent use of natural resources, and limiting or not permitting the private exploitation of common goods.

A change in paradigm requires a change in consciousness. This is why education and training are a fundamental piece of this process – and particularly Initial Vocational and Educational Training (IVET) with its great potential to transform younger generations into citizens and professionals who are more knowledgeable and aware, as well as more able to deal with current societal challenges. SSE stakeholders are developing specific economic mechanisms, based on cooperation, equity and solidarity in labour organisation, inclusive and sustainable development regarding the sectors organisation, the distribution of wealth and the assessment of value, instruments and partnerships organising the co-designing and co-building of public policies aiming at general interest and a solidarity bond between generations.

Therefore, this report aims at identifying the opportunities and constraints in the countries involved to achieve this goal of including SSE in IVET national curricula, adding some transversal insights to the depiction of each country situation. It is the result of a research through a common template to collect information and data related to SSE in IVET curricula in different European countries involved in the project, in order to “map” the existing situation.

• Download the full SSE IVET European Mapping Report in EN
• Download the abstract SSE IVET European Mapping Report in EN
• Download the presentation SSE IVET European Mapping Report in EN

2. Training modules SSE IVET

This document is the first part of a package of pilot training modules aimed at promoting the Social Solidarity Economy at the level of Initial Vocational and Educational Training. This package is composed by the following training modules:

• SSE.E IVET Training Module 1 – SSE Values and Principles

• SSE.E IVET Training Module 2 – Management in the SSE

• SSE.E IVET Training Module 3 – Ethical and Solidarity Finance and Resources 

These training modules are a tool for trainers working in initial vocational and educational training (IVET). IVET covers several pathways through the education system, usually before entering working life, and can start at age 14 and be stretched out potentially to age 25 (age limits differ from country to country in the European landscape).

We believe that it is crucial to invest in the education and training of future generations so that young people can grow up as citizens who develop their professional activity with a more critical view on the current economic system. For this we need a more innovative IVET curricula, which promotes discussion around alternative socio-economic models and paradigms – such as the Social Solidarity Economy (SSE).

3. Policy brief

The experience throughout the 2 years of this project allowed us to come up with some first conclusions and recommendations towards national and European policy and decision makers, which have been summarized in a Policy brief.

• SSE.E IVET Policy Brief

This document has been presented during the final seminar in Oporto (Portugal), on the 13th of July 2018, together with an action plan.

4. Action Plan for affirming SSE in IVET curricula

https://glafka.cz/