The Personal Record of Achievement for Youth

Exchanges and Group Initiatives

Recognising the skills of

young people

Building employability

Encouraging active citizenship

Introducing Connect Youth

• Runs programmes that give international experiences to 12,000 young people annually

• Part of British Council UK, financed by FCO, DFES, European Commission

• UK National Agency of European YOUTH Programme

• We work through UK network of 12 committees

Our purpose and target groups

• Enabling young people to experience:

-active citizenship

- intercultural learning

- personal development

• Challenge stereotypes and build racial tolerance

• Increased employability

• Enabling those working with young people to:

- find partners, exchange good practice and develop youth policy

• Open to all young people, 15-25

• No entry qualifications

• young people with fewer opportunities

European YOUTH Programme

• Action 1 -Youth Exchanges

• Action 2 -European Voluntary Service

• Action 3 -Youth Initiatives - Group Initiatives and Future Capital

• Action 4 -Joint Actions

• Action 5 - Support Measures

What are our evaluation needs?

• How do you help young people to recognise what they are learning?

• How do you demonstrate it to others, including decision-makers?

• How do you relate these life-skills to those sought by employers?

• How do you standardise evaluation procedures?

• How do you improve project quality?

Employability - What is it?

• Job readiness - attitude

• Ability to be employed - having the skills, understanding and knowledge of a competent employee

• Same skills needed for active citizenship

What are key skills?

• Communication• Working with others• Learning and

improving own performance

• Problem-solving• Application of number• Application of IT

Personal Record of Achievement (PRA)

• Background – in 1990’s Connect Youth (CNY) managed 2 projects to recognise Group Initiatives

• PRA developed 1998/99 by CNY to meet request from UK Network for an evaluation tool for exchanges

• First version highlighted key skills plus global and intercultural awareness

UK pilot 1999

• 70 groups took part - UK wide , and a variety of activity themes represented

Positive feedback:

1. Recognition of learning for group leaders and young people

2. Reflection on exchange processes linked to specific learning outcomes

3. Increased self-awareness and understanding of one’s own contribution

PRA improved version

• Consulted with international partners at seminar under auspices of European YOUTH Programme -Abergavenny, June 2000

• Base skills and optional skills for youth exchanges and group initiatives

Features of PRA• Voluntary, with no levels

• Managed/validated by group leaders

• Optional number of skill areas

• Evidence shown in many ways – photos, tapes, videos etc

• Consists of certificate +supporting documents

• Evidence gathered can be used for other award programmes

• Helps young people to build portfolio for lifelong learning +get accustomed

to collecting/recording evidence of learning

• Confidence-building

Base skills and optional skills

* ‘Language skills’ are not available as an Optional skill area for participants

of Group Initiatives.

OPTIONAL skills are: • Citizenship• Equal opportunities• Health & safety• Political awareness• Analytical skills• Project theme skills• Improving learning and performance• Number and information technology• Language skills*

BASE skills are: • Working with others• Self awareness• Intercultural and global awareness• Communication skills• Problem solving• Review and evaluation

Accreditation

• Accreditation is a process by which learning is certified by an examining body according to recognised national standards

• International Youth Work accredited for Youth Exchanges and Group Initiatives at level 1 -2 under Open College Network. (EVS soon)

Choices for young people

Young people can choose to:

1. Take part in a youth exchange or a group initiative

2. Take part in a project and PRA, gaining a certificate

3. Take part in a project and International Youth Work, gaining an accredited qualification

The future – 2005 onwards

• International Youth Work - promotion

• Assessment of evidence – UK network to be trained as internal moderators

• Training for group leaders

• Quality assurance systems put in place

• Funding sources