Funding:
NGO actions
Type of resource:
Curricula
Target group:
Educators
Description:
In 2022, the organization FAB (Verein zur Förderung von Arbeit und Beschäftigung), meaning Association for the Promotion of Work and Employment, launched the project DIGI-Coaches. Through internal organisation monitoring, it was concluded that "staff members" (educators) and enablers lack in development of digital skills and have to be adequately trained, in order to be able to train persons with disabilities. The project aims at the special training of FAB employees who work as coaches, with the intention to overcome digital barriers and develop target group-specific solutions. These coaches will support the employees of the FAB in their daily requirements when dealing with digital media. This approach should thus prevent the danger of digital exclusion for the latter.
Geographic coverage:
Upper-Austria
Pandemic relevance:
No
Level of education:
Post-secondary
Education setting:
Formal
Digital tools involved:
Computer
Timeframe:
Long-term (new, but intended to be long-term)
Sustainability:
Continuing
Competences aimed:
- Accessibility: The DIGI-Coaches will support other employees in accessing digital devices and support them in dealing with digital media in order to prevent digital exclusion.
- Digital skills: The project aims at improving digital skills of supporters and enablers, such as the use of office programms and collaboration platforms.
Level of implementation:
- Administrative
Importance:
- Innovation: The practice successfully demonstrates innovation on national level (implementation in almost all FAB sites), as it identifies the lack of digital skills of educators in VET centres and also enablers in social enterprises for work integration of the organisation FAB. It also identifies how their lack of digital skills can be overcome and their gained knowledge can be used to also train persons with disabilities.
- Prospects: Sustainability and scale-up of the project is feasible, since the target group of the project is currently extended to include persons with disabilities. Relevant learning content currently being developed.
ETCF:
- Yes
More information:
The introduction of DIGI: Coaches is intended to overcome digital barriers and develop target group-specific solutions. The in-house DIGI-Coaches will support FAB employees in their daily requirements in the area of dealing with digital media, and the aim is to prevent the risk of digital exclusion. This project was supported by the Styrian Chamber of Labor within the framework of the Labor Project Fund (https://stmk.arbeiterkammer.at/beratung/DIGI-Coaches_-_FAB_Verein_zur_Foerderung_von_Beschaeftigu.html)
Full reference:
Telephone interview with Stefanie Breinlinger, 29.03.2022