EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / In one short paragraph please describe this project and what it has achieved.
We will use this in any future publicity material.
Comenius Regio Partnership “CulturalAwareness and Skill Sharing” (CASS)Projectis fully funded through the British Council as part ofthe European Union’s Lifelong Learning Programme.
This project in partnership with the Polish town of Bedzin is designed to deliver outcomes covering:
1)Setting up of web based platforms where staff and students in school can collaborate on projects, undertake learning and training delivered by tutors in either town and have face to face discussion over the internet.This is done via the GLOW system which is a national secure portal specifically developed for this purpose.
2)Development of materials to be made available in each language giving advice and information on migration.
3)Development of courses which would be delivered in each partner town with the ability to pick up part completed courses in the other town if migrating to it.
4)To set up systems that will enable recognition of skills and qualifications from one country to another.
5)To review and share best practice in the design of educational and training courses and their delivery.
· contributes to organisation’s goals, community plan and SOA, and national policy context
There is an existing strong relationship between Poland and Fife. Many families in Kirkcaldy having had some degree of Polish influence since World War II. In recent years with the increase in Migrant workers, specifically from Poland to Fife, this relationship has only strengthened and although there are multiple benefits for everyone affected, there is now a role that needs to be addressed.
The Scottish Government is focused on attracting fresh talent, to live and work in Scotland to help meet the current and future skills needs of the Scottish economy. According to recent research and statistics, Migrant workers have added value to Scotland – financial and otherwise – by boosting local economies and reversing the trend towards a declining and ageing population.
Scotland needs to continue to attract skills and talent from overseas to help weather the current economic storm and flourish over the longer term – so that as the global economy recovers Scotlandhas the skills from both new and existing Scots, to help in achieving that aim.
The impact of the Economic Recession is felt globally and migrant workers who have emigrated with their families feel in a very precarious position. Having started to integrate into the communities the impact, or threat, of job losses will be of great concern to migrant workers. This joint project will achieve a platform that enables these concerns to be expressed and addressed and also enable a more familiar intimate knowledge of each other’s locations, cultures and economies.
After an initial Preparatory Project Study visit to Poland a funding application was completed and a work programme for the project with specific targets, outcomes and measurements was agreed with the partners and the funding body.
From the outset the project secured a strong commitment from leadership of all the stakeholders, Fife Council’s Development and Education Services, St Andrew’s High School, AdamSmithCollege in Scotland and Bedzin Town Council, Bedzin Public Library and Grammar School Number One in Poland. The first project visit from the Polish partners included an official reception by the Provost of Fife and the signingof an Agreement on Exchange of Best Practice Partnership between the Town of Bedzin and Fife Council, by the Mayor of Bedzin and Councillor Tony Martin - the Strategic Chair of Environment Enterprise & Transportation Committee.Councillor Alice Soper, Chair of Kirkcaldy Area Committee and Senior Fife Council Managers from Development Services, Education Service and Community Services also attended this event in addition to the latest thematic seminar in Kirkcaldy.
Each stakeholder has an active role with St Andrew’s High School being responsible for implementation of the GLOW system here in Fife and Bedzin in conjunction with Grammar School Number One, Adam Smith College looking at course equivalents and ESOL training in conjunction with the Library in Bedzin and Fife Council Development Services working on information requirements with the Bedzin library. Each partner has representatives on the working group.
SMART objectives were set for the project from the outset: objectives and targets have been developed with stakeholders and approved by the funding body. The project plan includes objectives, timeframe, partner(s) responsible, key milestones and outputs.
The project aims to
- develop long term working relationships between the educational establishments/institutions in Będzin and Fife (exchange of experiences between the partners)
- enhance services and provide opportunities within a global marketplace (training opportunities, gaining new professional skills)
- promote vocational skills and motivation towards the regeneration of an international skilled work-force
- exchange of best practice and thus create best value for both partners
The project aim and objectives are aligned to Single Outcome Agreement (National Outcomes 3, 4 and 13), Fife’s Community Plan (Outcome Themes: “Building a Stronger, More Flexible and Diverse Economy“, “Creating a well educated and skilled Fife”) and are directly linked with objectives “Wealthier and Fairer” and “Smarter” – two of the five strategic objectives of the Scottish Government.
Fife Council has experience in running a range of European and co-funded projects. In line with these projects appropriate controls have been implemented in our project.
Target users have been involved in the project from the beginning, with Polish students from Adam Smith Collegeand a range of pupils from St Andrew’s High School and Grammar School Number Onebeing interviewed and asked for their opinions as to what information they would have benefited from having when they arrived in Britain and how they felt they would benefit from our project.
Defined processes have been set up as part of the project management system. Partners have jointly prepared and agreed:
1) Work programme – outlining in detail 6 main activities planned by the partnership to achieve the outcome.
2) Distribution of tasks – detailing distribution of tasks between participating regions and partners and the inputs required from each of them. It defines the specific role of each partner region and each involved institution or organisation and its contribution to the planned activities, results and outcomes.
3) Project management and communication- the plan details how effective cooperation and communication between participating regions and the different partners in each region will be organised. The plan includes: Roles and responsibilities in relation to communication between partners, 2 annual seminars (summing up achievements, evaluating the activities and disseminating findings), 4 issue specific meetings planned over the two year project, web based platforms and teleconferencing facilities will be used as a source of communication between the meetings.
This project is cost effective in monetary terms as all costs for materials and working visits are paid for via a COMENIUS grant from the British Council. It is cost effective in a managerial sense as the staff involved in the project are developing new skills and gaining knowledge of their European Partners culture. Also through the research they are carrying out they are becoming more aware of the needs of Polish clients they are dealing with.
DELIVERING / · implemented in all relevant areas and across all the required stakeholders· carried out in a structured and logical way , using robust and sustainable methods
The initial planning group participating in the Preparatory Study visit to Poland evolved into the Comenius Partnership Project delivery team with the focus on implementation and evaluation of the programme.
The Project is progressing well and according to plan. Many of the objectives have already been achieved by the project. All planned mobilities and other activities have taken place. Resources have been produced and currently it is being discussed by the partners what would be the best and the most effective way (other than IT platforms) to make this information available for all who need it. Amongst these options are: dedicated points of contact in Bedzin and Fife where people could call for migration/qualifications relevant information, partnership work with established voluntary sector organisations / community groups, distribution of hard copy information.
Preparatory and language courses are being discussed with a pilot being in the pipeline where BedzinTown and District Library staff would use online ESOL classes carried out by Fife based ESOL tutors to improve their English language skills.
The impact of a language barrier, cultural differences and different organisation structures cannot be underestimated in a multinational project like this one. However partners have managed to address this successfully (by involving bilingual members of staff, organising work shadowing and ongoing cultural awareness activities).
The project undertakes monitoring, evaluation and reviews on an ongoing basis to achieve continuous improvement and to ensure successful delivery of outcomes. They take place at three levels within the project:
Strategic Level through Fife Council Development Services - Comenius Team and the British Council - review meetings, interim and final reports, a log book, expenditure sheet.
Operational Level through Fife Comenius Delivery Team (all Fife CASS project partners) and Bedzin Comenius Delivery Team (all Bedzin CSS project partners) – operational meetings, visits review meetings, SWOT Analysis (twice a year), Project Reflection Sheet (at each project team meeting), Project Evaluation Sheet (after each visit), Visit Evaluation Sheet (after each visit), Project Performance Indicators (before the project began and half way through the project).
Wider Stakeholder Level through all partners and beneficiaries of the project both in Fife and Bedzin - Online questionnaire, Annual Seminars/Forum Events, Client Survey and final Fife/Bedzin Migrants Survey.
The progress of the project is reported to Development Services Senior Management monthly and annually to the British Council (Progress Reports). The Project Manager is responsible for day-to day management and assurance of the project. Development Workers are responsible for delivering the Project Work Plan and its activities to the standards required by the funding authority and within the project timescale and budget.
INNOVATION + LEADING PRACTICE / ·Demonstrates leading practice·Achieves genuine innovation or new ways of working
Fife’s Comenius bid has been recognised by the British Council as unique within Scotland and innovative in its content and as a result secured a grant of €45,000 for the 2 year project which started in August 2009.
The project demonstrates leading practice as it is new and innovative in that it is developing new ways of working in the schools with the use of the GLOW system enabling teachers and tutors in different countries to deliver joint classes and pupils from different countries to hold discussions and compare life styles and learn from each other. Also the schools from different countries will compare courses and develop new learning materials between them for delivery in the schools.
The development of training courses which can be delivered within each partner town recognised in both countries and having the ability to be continued in the other town if appropriate is also leading practice and innovative.
It is innovative to the extent that it will produce information available to migrants to both countries on working and living in the relevant country. This information will cover finding housing, registering young people for school, health care and how to find employment.
It also demonstrates leading practice as the results of the project will be disseminated throughout Europe which will result in further projects of this type being carried out throughout Europe.
RESULTS + IMPACT / · a convincing mix of customer perception and internal performance measures· clear line of sight to the delivery of the Single Outcome Agreement
· a full range of relevant results showing improvement over time
CASS project has already achieved following results:
1)Strong partnership and best practice sharing links has been established between all partners of the project in Fife and Bedzin with community involvement looking into sustainability of the partnership beyond the 2 years project. The partnership is expected to help Fife Council in the development of skills programmes through European funding requiring transnational co-operation.
2)Long term working relationships between educational establishments and institutions in Bedzin and Fife have also been established.
3)Staff IT platforms have been developed as part of both councils official websites.
4)Student’s IT platform for online communication, learning and culture sharing has been developed using GLOW system. This has been a major achievement requiring detailed talks, training and consultation around child protection and internet security issues mainly affecting the Scottish partners due to legislation. This is expected to improve educational attainment of pupils from Fife and Bedzin through development of their language, culture and IT skills.
5)Case studies on main obstacles and needs for information/assistance have been gathered from Polish migrants who had spent time in Scotland and returned back to Poland to areas in and near Bedzin. It includes the high profile case of 10 Polish migrants, widely reported in the local, national and Polish media, who were left stranded in Kirkcaldyafter paying a Polish-based agency the equivalent of two months wages to find them work and pay for their travel and accommodation. The group, some as young as 19, travelled all the way by bus thinking they were about to start work in a Kirkcaldy factory - but found to their horror they had been victims of a scam. Information packages providing advice and FAQ on migration as well as preparatory courses will help prevent similar situations occurring in the future. They will also help migrants make an informed decision prior to leaving their country of origin and link their skills with available jobs or training opportunities. This will have a positive impact on increasing the number of skilled workers and reducing the number of workless migrants requiring support.
6)Qualifications framework and mechanisms of their recognition on both sites have been researched and actively promoted within the partners.
7)Points of contact for qualifications recognition have been identified within partners in Fife and Bedzin for future reference.
8)Services on both sides have benefited from sharing best practice and culture (through mobilities, work shadowing, Educational Forum in Bedzin, workshops and other activities specified above).Also the partners in each country have a better understanding of each others demographics, unemployment figures, sector requirements and skills gaps.
The project has resulted inthe following impact on its target users:
Pupils:development of language, culture and IT skills; changes in social and sociological behaviours and attitudes in thinking.
Teachers:development of professional and personal skills, identification and exchanges of best practice in the field of educational work.
Residents and employees of each local authority:spreading information about the project, life and work opportunities in other countries; sharing best practice in educational, local, regional and national strategies.
Partner Institution Staff:potential access to work experience, work placement and staff development. Fife Council Staff involved in the project will undergo short basic Polish language course as part of their development activity.
Other Beneficiaries (Further Education students, users of institutions):access and information about the project, broadening knowledge about other cultures and access tonew opportunities.
Following last June’s Comenius Regio Fife – Bedzin Partnership Seminar in Kirkcaldy, where results to date were presented, the project received very positive feedback from the British Council as an exemplary Project and one to be highlighted in their Marketing & Promotional materials. Potential impact and positive results can be well described by one of the Polish parents whose child attends St Andrew’s High School in Kirkcaldy:“I can see the benefit of this for my children in a Scottish School being able to keep a link in Poland with people their own age. This will keep them up to date with what is happening, what are the “in things” in Poland and keep them aware of the culture of their home country.”
Another statement by a member of project Staff indicates the positive impact the project has already had on Fife Council employees: “Having worked on this project it has made me more aware of the problems faced by migrant families coming here from Poland. It is encouraging me to learn some Polish so that I can at least greet people and ask how they are. I look forward to the project outcomes when all our work will be of benefit to other people working with migrant people.”
Improvement – Migrants Workers in Fife Survey 2007 indicated the following problems relating to Migrants skills and qualifications:
- Over 70% make no use of their qualifications or skills in their currentjob
- 45% said employers in this country did not recognise theirqualifications at all
- 82% do not attend English classes, mostly because of working hours
- Around 25% of people said that they had experienced verbal abuse, and 5% had experienced physical abuse as a result of theirethnic background or nationality
In terms of education and qualifications, most migrant workers are highly educated, but make little or no use of their skills or knowledge in their currentjobs. This results in migrant workers working in jobs that are unfulfilling forthem, and suggests a waste of potential talent that could be better used.