FeASibility of Implementing the Essential Skills Program for Adult Education ORganizations, Educators and Learners – ASPIRE

Associated partner: Essential Skills Program USA

Essential Skills Program (ESP)

The Essential Skills Program is taking a truly unique and innovative approach to soft skills training by using real-time and labor market data to inform the development of soft skills training modules as well as open digital badge credentials. Real-time data is gathered through ESP’s unique Soft Skills Ranking Survey, which is sent to organizations that are part of education systems, groups who assist job seekers, and employers. The proprietary scoring methodology on the survey allows for the analysis of an organization’s preconceived ideas of the skills they initially think are needed most at work, versus the actual skills they value most based on their specific ranking results. This provides evidence of the “soft skills culture” an organization truly values, and allows the ESP team to create training modules to align with the immediate needs of workplaces. When learners go through this content that is truly aligned with the needs of the workplaces they hope to enter, they follow specific learning outcomes, which allows them to earn digital badge credentials. These badges are designed on the global open platform standards. Each learning outcome from the training lesson is correlated to searchable keywords embedded in the digital badge credential.

For example, a learner who has completed ESP’s “I Am Adaptable” training modules and has earned the “I Am Adaptable” digital badge will be able to access all the learning outcome keywords embedded in that badge, which link out to labor market data in the open skills library. With this data, a learner can search for the types of employers and the types of jobs that value adaptability. This ensures the learner is more informed and empowered in their job searches, and because open digital badges can be shared with any employer in the world, the job seeker with these badges is able to showcase their skills and how they gained certified training in those skills.

Everyone deserves an equal chance to not only survive but thrive at work and in life. We believe in order to create equity and inclusivity, content has to be available for free. That’s why we are committed to providing free soft skills training for all those seeking to strengthen their professional profile.

Aim of the project

The main objective of this project is to test the skills modules and promote the use of the Essential Skills Program (ESP) among adult education organizations, teachers, learners (young adults, low-skilled, unemployed, migrant) and NGO staff in Croatia and the Netherlands.

The goal of this project is to explore and test the feasibility of implementing the ESP in Europe to increase the availability of learning opportunities for young adults with low skills, unemployed individuals, and migrants who can use the program for free.

The target groups are young adults 18-27 and adults 18-64 who are low-skilled, school dropouts, Not in Education Employment and Training individuals (NEETs) and unemployed individuals with low level of formal education and often lack soft skills. The group further includes young adults with migrant backgrounds who are having difficulty entering the labour market.

Total value of the project: 60.000,00 EUR

Total EU Grants: 60.000,00 EUR

Project implementation period: 14 months, 1st March 2022 – 30th April 2023 (postponed until 1st Nov 2023)

Contact person for additional information: Alen Stranjik

Function: Head of Ambitio College

Phone: +385 1 4677 802

E-mail: alen.stranjik@uciliste-ambitio.hr

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