CONTENT:

1. Project Profile: Objectives/ Concept/ /Principles/ Background
2. Products
3. Comparative Study – Results and Recommendations
4. National Workshops (Austria, Greece, Germany and Italy)
5. Project Calendar

Leonardo da Vinci Pilot Project – PreQual
Duration October 1st, 2004 – March 31st, 2007

1. PreQual: Prequalification for Migrant Women in the Health and Care Sectors, Pilot Project

1.1. The Objectives
PreQual is an innovative pilot project within the Leonardo da Vinci vocational trainings programme, with the objectives to develop, test and publish a curriculum for the pre-qualification of migrant women to work in the health and care sectors. The aim is to decrease the drop-out rate in professional training in the health and care sectors as well as to contribute to the improvement of the integration of migrant women into the labour market while promoting broader access for migrant women in the health and care sectors. A further objective is the empowerment of migrant women in terms of promoting social dialogue and actively confronting discrimination and racism.

1.2. The Concept
The PreQual concept is based on the combination of field-specific content and an empowerment approach. The approach to empowerment within the context of this project tends to challenge the status quo and question structural barriers such as racism and social conditions preventing or hindering full social inclusion and participation while developing strategies. In view of this, the pedagogy of Paulo Freire was chosen for this project as a means of creating a setting to trigger an empowerment process. In an innovative approach to education and training a curriculum for a pre-qualification course for migrant women in the health and care sectors will be developed and tested in 3 pilot courses in Austria, Italy and Germany.

1.3. Target Groups and Sectors
Migrant women interested in working in the health and care sectors, migrant women who hold a residence permit and a working permit in the host country, trainers in the health and care sector, private and public service providers, training and health institutions in nursing, hospitals and geriatric care.

1.4. Background and Further Information
See: http://www.prequalonline.org/01details.htm#03

1.5. Project Partners
The diverse national and international partners have culminated into a partnership manifesting widespread competencies, experiences as well as their range of contacts to the various target groups as well as their range of spheres of influence. This cooperation consists of a total of 21 organisations from six countries. The operative partners include following 8 organisations:

Austria: Verein maiz; http://www.maiz.at
Bulgaria: Health Care Association; http://hca.burgasnet.com
Germany: Europäische Bildungswerke für Beruf und Gesellschaft e.V.; http://www.ebg.de
Greece: Antigone; http://www.antigone.gr
Italy:_ Associazione Delle Donne Brasiliane in Italia ; http://www.adbi.it
_____ Università del Terzo Settore; http://www.uniterzosettore.it
_____ Associazione Nazionale Pubbliche Assistenze; http://www.anpas.org
Spain: Instituto de Estudios Politicos para America Latina y Africa; http://www.iepala.es

1.6. Project Principles
Due to the fact that the essential character of the training course is to be based on feminist and antiracist aspects as well as on aspects of self-advocacy, the pedagogy of Paulo Freire and empowerment, it was essential that these aspects be implemented at the very beginning of the project. As the project coordinator, Maiz initiated the idea and insisted on drawing up a set of principles that were modified, further developed and agreed upon in cooperation with all partners. The project principles act as a sort of mission statement and are intended to flow into all project activities; see: http://www.prequalonline.org/01details.htm#09

2. Products

2.1. Project Principles see above and http://www.prequalonline.org/01details.htm#09

2.2. Website
The project’s website www.prequalonline.org provides information on the progress of the project (potential participants, local health facilities etc.) and will be used as an intensive forum for communication.

2.3. Newsletter
Starting from September 2005 a newsletter will be published and sent to all national mailing lists. Subsequent issues of the newsletter will be: March 1st 2006; August 1st, 2006;
November 1st, 2006; March 1st, 2007.

2.4. National Studies
In all participating countries Austria, Italy, Greece, Spain, Bulgaria and Germany, national studies were conducted of the labour requirements in the health and care sectors with a specific focus on migrant women. The reports are published on the project’s website: http://www.prequalonline.org/05products.htm.

2.5. Comparative Study
A comparative study, based on the national studies, was recently completed with the title:
“COMPARATIVE STUDY of the Training and Employment Opportunities for Migrant Women in the Health and Care Sectors in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Spain and Greece – Challenges and Recommendations”
(The complete study can be downloaded: http://www.prequalonline.org/05products.htm)

2.6. Curriculum
A curriculum will be developed and adapted according to the specific country needs and will include solution models involving migrant women from the partner countries.

2.7. PreQual – Courses
MAIZ, EBG and Uni.TS will each run a pilot course with 15-20 participants. The planned duration of the course will be 6 months (22 hours per week) including internships that should be completed in the first and second halves of the course.
The main goal of the course is to contribute to the improvement of integration of migrant women into the labour market and to improve basic qualification in connection with the principle of empowerment. (http://www.prequalonline.org/02phase3.htm)

2.8. Handbook
A handbook will be produced and will serve as learning and teaching material. The handbook will include a detailed description of the contents of the curriculum to be supplemented by instructions on methodology, learning material, material for self-study and further literature.
In tandem to developing the curriculum, the relevant experts will research, analyse and develop the appropriate contents and materials for that purpose. The selection resulting from this process will be implemented and tested in the pre-qualification training course (phase 3).
See also: http://www.prequalonline.org/02phase3.htm.

3. NEW! Comparative Study

The recently completed comparative report is based on 7 national studies delivered by the 8 project partners from 6 different countries. It is intended primarily for the project partners as basis for the curriculum development, but it also provides an overview of the legal and employment situation of migrant women and training and occupations in the health and care sector in various EU countries. The significance of this work to the development of the curriculum is that it also includes recommendations regarding both content and methods to be implemented in the pilot training course.

3.1. Results and Recommendations
In highlighting the challenges/problems that migrant women face in training and employment the prime focus is kept on the expertise that the migrant women themselves deliver during interviewing. In an attempt to give a more complete picture of the reality from a heterogenic view, the study also reflects the comments from other interview partners – institutions, trade unions and service providers.

Even though there are national and institutional differences concerning the perception of challenges and problems migrant women have to face in training and continuing education as well as in employment, the study shows a clear picture of the main challenges and hindrances in access to employment and education: racism, recognition of foreign diplomas, different ideological attitudes, language skills, child care, Eurocentric application procedures, concept of diversity and multiculturalism, concept of care in international comparison, gaps between expectations and reality of care-work and education, limited access to education and labour market, entry requirements linked with citizenship, course schedules, financial situation, low salaries etc.
For further information see:http://www.prequalonline.org

4. National Workshops and Transnational Workshop: NOW! (September and October 05)

Greece (Antigone), Italy (Uni.TS), Germany (EBG) and Austria (MAIZ) will each organise and carry out national workshops. About 12 workshops will be held to develop the curriculum in terms of content and methods while taking into account the results and recommendations of the national reports and the comparative study as well as the country-specific aspects.
Further points to be addressed at the workshops include determining the pilot courses’ entrance criteria as well as the certification of the course. National experts (from the health and care sector, trainers, migrant women, directors of training institutions, superior nurses…) and representatives of the target group from each of these countries will participate.

Transnational Workshop
Following the national workshops, the partners from Austria, Germany and Italy will convene together in a transnational meeting to work on the further development of the handbook prototype including the evaluation.
For further information see: http://www.prequalonline.org/02phase2.htm

5. Project Calendar

Phase 1: Detailed Planning and Analysis, Study of Labour Requirements

Start: 01.11.2004
End: 31.05.2005

Results: kick-off meeting; project website; interview guide; national studies (AT; BU, DE; ES; GR; IT; IT); comparative study; 2nd partner meeting; dissemination (press releases, national contacts, expert groups, migrant women organisations).

Phase 2: Development of the Curriculum and Preparation of the Pilot Courses NOW!

Start: 01.06.2005
End: 31.12.2005

Actual Activities and results: National workshops; Transnational workshop; handbook for the courses; dissemination of relevant information on the pilot courses; publicity of the courses and definition of selection criteria for participants, of the content of the certificate of completion; introduction to the evaluation module and development of an evaluation guide (according to the self-evaluation model of maiz); adequate structures to run the pilot course established; Production of the materials for the pilot course; Lobbying relevant national organisations (ministries, authorities, health and nursing training institutions) to gain recognition within the formal educational system, Organisation of internships; testing and selection of course participants

Phase 3: Testing of the Pre-Qualification Course, ongoing Evaluation and Product Modification

Start: 01.01.2006
End: 31.12.2006

Results: Pilot courses with up to 60 participants will run in Austria (maiz), Germany (EBG) and Italy (Uni.TS) which span 6 months during 2006; Handbook; Evaluation; product adoption; Translation of the curriculum in all partner languages; 3 Newsletters; 3rd Partners’ meeting in Italy (January 06):

January – March 2007
Final Conference; Handbook production; Dissemination; Final reports

This project has been funded by support of the European Commission’s Educational Programme Leonardo da Vinci. The content of this report reflects the results of the analyses performed by the project partners, and does not necessarily reflect the position of the authorities or the respective National Agencies, nor does it involve any responsibility on their part.

The Leonardo da Vinci programme
Leonardo da Vinci is the European Community's vocational training programme whose aim is to implement and support lifelong learning strategies in accordance with the national training strategies. In an effort to increase mobility, foster innovation and improve the quality of training, co-operation between the various players in vocational training are promoted within the framework of transnational projects.