The aim of the piloting workshops has been to perform quality testing and ensuring validity of the project’s methodologies, materials and tools, which are based on cognitive, social and behavioural theory, and the assumption that people can control their own thought processes, motivation and action. With the testing phase, the consortium intends to ensure that the materials produced correspond to the needs of end users; trainers, mentors, and advisors, working directly with the target groups; Unemployed young adults in situations of professional vulnerability, between the ages of 18 and 30, including migrants and refugees, of which the unemployment situation is due to a gap between qualifications and skills, and labour market requirements. It is therefore crucial that both human self-knowledge and social learning, are covered in order to be able to master the challenges encountered through life, work, and career. The concept of self-efficacy is thus also based on the idea, that one can change oneself and one’s situation.
The workshops have been run for a selection of end users from the three partner countries; Portugal, Czech Republic, and Denmark, with a total of 31 participants. The testing in each country have been implemented to ensure validity and suitability for working with the target groups in the three countries.
The project methodology applies different strategies to enhance self-efficacy and coach the target group in the following areas:
- mastery experience
- identify social role models
- identify and address surrounding social perversions
- develop the participants’ cognitive skills
The end user’s role, when training and educating the target group, is that of the guiding coach, supporting the participant and aiding him or her to focus on developing self-efficacy and help the participant to mobilise and structure future plans. In addition to working with the cognitive skills, the intervention also works with the participant’s motivational processes, and regulation of emotional and selection processes. The purpose of the pilot workshops has been to find out, to what extent the tools and materials live up to these goals and to ensure that we are meeting the needs of end users, in order to provide professional and effective assistance to their target groups.
Moreover, the testing of the workshop itself, has provided the consortium with an opportunity to validate the structure of the workshop, and provided us with relevant input towards providing future workshop facilitators with the best possible methodology and content for the running of Live2Work workshops.
During each pilot workshop, each organisation involved collected input from workshop participants as follows:
- through observation of workshop participants during the workshop, noted and added to the report
- through post workshop evaluation forms
- based on verbal feedback from discussions and talks with workshop participants
- the Danish team also covered an extra aspect of quality assurance through blind testing of visual image-based materials (i.e. strength cards) to assure images provide the intended associations with the strengths they represent.
- in addition to the official pilot workshops, the materials have been spot checked, by professionals working in the fields of our end-users, throughout the development phase, to ensure validity and that we are on track regarding end-user needs and relevance.
Of the received input and feedback, the results were analysed by the consortium, and used to compile this report. The results of this analysis have been the basis for further adaptations to the final versions of the Intellectual Outputs;
- IO1: the conceptual framework
- IO2: the toolbox
- IO3: the workshop facilitator’s guide and appertaining materials (i.e. Course PowerPoints)
- IO5: the audio-visual learning scenarios
All outputs were at different stages tested in all countries.
Each partner has been responsible for compiling a report, based on the feedback they received, to be used for further evaluation of materials and presentation of tools and theories, including a focus on adaptation due to national differences and needs. These differences, if noted, can be further adapted to specific national needs, during the translation phases of the final versions.