Access For All

The aim of this project has been to provide access to professional training, and improve disabled peoples’ opportunities for professional employment. It was aimed to be reached by developing a preparation for social work course delivered through a blended training and mentoring support programme, and to test this across three European countries with the intention of identifying cross-national applications for such a programme. It has developed a model of mentoring that involves recruiting disabled people as mentors.

The project has built networks in the sector in each partner country which bring together providers of training, users of training (both employers and potential employees), sector advisory and accreditation bodies, through which the programme can be more widely applied. Furthermore, partnership arrangements were developed with institutions in other European countries to further develop the trans-national element of the project.

The project final results are a curriculum designed to be an ‘inclusive’ preparation for professional social work training. The curriculum is a modular, using a blended learning approach, and designed to be studied prior to any social work/social care training. It can therefore be incorporated into the Widening Participation and recruitment strategy of training providers without making any significant changes to their usual mode of operation. Furthermore, it could be used by associate, or feeder, colleges of social work training providers in support of mainstream teaching, such as the network of colleges working with De Montfort University.

More information can be found on project website

The main objective of the project is to establish an educational platform which provides theoretical and practical training for physically disabled people in designing/manufacturing/testing/selecting/repairing of supporting equipment such as wheelchair, prosthesis, elevators, etc.

More information can be found on the project website.

QATRAIN 2 aims to enable students with disabilities to participate more fully in Vocational Education and Training (VET) at post 16 level. The project will produce a web resource that will assist teachers/trainers and quality assurance staff to develop a more inclusive approach to the design of teaching, learning and assessment strategies. In turn, this will enable students with disabilities to participate more fully in Vocational Education and Training.

For the purposes of the project, Vocational Education and Training (VET) is any form of initial education, training or apprenticeship which contributes to the achievement of a vocational qualification, recognised by the competent authorities in each partner country, and that leads to employability. VET students are those who have completed compulsory education and are under 25 years old.

The web resource will be undergoing a period of testing and review in the coming months and will go live in May 2009.

More information can be found on the project website.

The Social Employers Network (SEN) is a network set up to encourage, consult and support employers in recruitment and retainment of any kind of disadvantaged or disabled workers. SEN is EU wide network with founding members organizations from Bulgaria, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and UK which has been together since September 2007. Membership is open to all kinds of employers who share positive attitude towards people with disabilities and disadvantaged.