Programme:
CIP EQUAL, round 2
Development Partnership:
Facilitation of Lifelong Education in Rural Conditions
Location:
Czech Republic / Region of Liberec / District of Semily
Project Title:
Lifelong Learning Modular System in Euroregion NISA to
remove information illiteracy and facilitate the employment of
people who are disadvantaged or discriminated in the labour
market.
Current Title:
With Krakonoš at computer
(Krakonoš is a mythical figure of the Giant Mountains and the
surrounding district of Semily in North Eastern part of the Czech
Republic. He has been the guardian of the mountains and
people living there for many centuries, and therefore, logically,
he has been chosen to represent this EQUAL project).
Motto:
"If Krakonoš cannot come down from the mountain to a
computer, why not bring the computer to him!"
Main Project Idea:
To bring learning opportunities directly to people living in
remote, rural locations.
Project Summary:
The project has been set up to remove all objective barriers which prevent people
living in rural areas from adapting to recent structural, technological and economic
changes. The project focuses on facilitating education for inhabitants of remote rural
locations with limited public transport services and limited opportunities for lifelong
learning. It seeks to offer them the opportunity to attend free courses in ICT, foreign
languages, business management basics and many other courses currently in demand
in the regional labour market, such as welding or logging. In addition to being free of
charge, all of the courses take place in close and familiar surroundings and are
delivered in a modular format. Apart from classical face-to-face education, the project
also implements complementary distance learning methods based on e-learning.
Different types of organisations (public, private and NGO) have collaborated in
the project. The partnership includes 20 organisations, cooperating with separate
competencies and activities but shared responsibility. Whilst many of them have had
previous experience of cooperating on a bilateral basis, the project has enabled them to
cooperate multilaterally, bringing in effective synergy, new stimuli and experience that
would not have been possible had the partners worked in isolation. The relevant
organisations have been uniquely intertwined and this unique partnership makes it
possible to further develop the project and test new ways of making learning an
important, integral and accessible part of rural life.
Innovative and Inspiring
The suggested solution has been based on identifying the target groups' specific
needs. At the same time, the various expectations and interests of the participating
organisations have been taken into account, without any negative effects whatsoever on
the quality, efficiency, suitability or accessibility of the suggested solution.
As the first step of the project, a survey was conducted in ten selected villages in
the Semily district, the purpose of which was to identify the villagers' specific problems,
needs and interests in relation to learning. The cost, accessibility and manageability of
further learning turned out to be the main barriers to the villagers. Foreign languages,
ICT, economic and technical skills were highlighted as most important in terms of the
needs of both the target groups and the labour market. Based on the survey's results as
well as the views of the project partners, a training system has been developed that
directly reflects the needs of the community and enables villagers to actively participate
in learning. The system offers:
 Courses in modular format, comprising short, 90-minute lessons that take place once
a week over several months. Courses focusing on technical skills, of which practical
training is an integral part, comprise longer, usually 8-hour sessions at weekends;
 Flexibility, the courses being offered outside working hours (in the afternoons and
evenings) during the week or weekend;
 Reconciliation of learning with other work or family commitments, such as seasonal
employment, school holidays or public festivities;
 Close and familiar surroundings as the courses take place in local village halls,
culture houses and schools, facilitating learning in a group of friends, neighbours and
relatives;
 Support services such as childcare or the loan of study materials;
 Counselling and individual tutorials;
 Certificates attesting the knowledge and skills gained in the courses;
 Active participation of target groups in the development of the programme, providing
participants with an opportunity to influence the format of the course and the way
training is organised or to suggest new content of courses;
 Development and implementation of distance learning (e-learning); and above all
 The courses are free!
The project has, however, brought many more benefits aside from enriching and
broadening the villagers' knowledge and skills: it has also played an important social and
cultural role. In the courses, people meet those of their fellow villagers they would never
meet in their daily lives. The project has brought excitement into the villages, contributed
to establishing closer personal bonds and friendships and stimulated people to become
more involved in the daily life of the community.
Partnership Approach
The Labour Office in Semily (employment service) as the grant recipient has
provided up-to-date information on the situation of the labour market and its needs. The
NGO Bridge to Education has been tasked with the day-to-day management and
coordination of project activities. Four educational organisations have been responsible
for designing and delivering the course modules in rural locations. Two of them are public
(Integrated High School in Vysoké nad Jizerou and High School of Economy and
Forestry in Hejnice, respectively Harrachov), one is NGO (VCT Turnov) and one is
private (RS Semily). These educational organisations have contributed to the project
especially in terms of qualified human resources, technical equipment and the necessary
know-how in providing education. Council representatives of ten villages have formed an
essential part of the partnership due to their good knowledge of the environment and the
needs of their communities. They have been able to inform and motivate the villagers,
they have helped coordinate project activities in their communities, support the credibility
of the project and arouse the target groups' interest in active participation. Last but not
least, political and expert organisations have taken part in the project, namely the Liberec
Region, Euroregion NISA, the Giant Mountains National Park and Association of
Institutions for Adult Education. They have brought in strategic approach and their ability
to see things in broader perspective, and have provided professional counselling and
support in dissemination and mainstreaming.
Just like all DPs within the EQUAL programme, we have been involved in
international cooperation. It has enabled us to establish closer bonds with foreign
organisations dealing with similar problems and helped us gain a closer view of the way
such problems are being solved in other EU countries. We have been able to compare
and use foreign experience and thus enrich our own project practice.
Future Plans
Thanks to the EQUAL programme, we have tested an innovative training system
for inhabitants of rural locations in the Semily region. The feedback has been generally
positive and the model is now being tested in other rural regions. We would like to
present and disseminate this training system in other rural areas throughout the Czech
Republic, demonstrate model lessons and do our utmost to implement our system in
standard practice.
We will keep on seeking new ways to continue because we would hate to leave
our task unfinished. We would be very happy to learn about your experience and we are
open to new partnerships, for we regard partnership as the ideal way of confronting and
influencing each other and sharing good practices transnationally.
Contact details
Jan Rychlík, Director
The Labour Office in Semily
E-mail: jan.rychlik@sm.mpsv.cz
http://portal.mpsv.cz/sz/local/sm_info
Kateřina Baladová, Project Manager
BRIDGE TO EDUCATION
E-mail: baladova@krakonos.com
www.mostkevzdelani.eu, www.krakonos.com