Projecto CODA

A MISCODE é o parceiro tecnológico de uma equipa de sucesso que garantiu recentemente um projecto ao abrigo do protocolo Leonardo Transfer of Innovation para o Projecto CODA (Career Opportunities with Disadvantage Awareness). A equipa é composta pela MISCODE e por quatro empresas do Reino Unido, França, Bulgária e Alemanha e tem como objectivo, em 2 anos, desenvolver um projecto inovador de auxílio ao ensino e aprendizagem de adultos com deficiências .

CODA (Career Opportunities with Disadvantage Awareness) Project

Leonardo: Transfer of Innovation

Lead Partner: United Response

UK Partners: Miscode Portugal; EURO-training Bulgaria; European Institute for e-Learning (EIfEL); ESTA Bildungswerk Germany; Internationaler Bund e.V. Germany

Project Summary

Men and women with learning disabilities experience lower than average access to vocational training and entry into employment. Major contributing factors are low expectations and a lack of understanding among agencies and employers of the skills and competencies that an adult with a learning disability can offer. This is exacerbated by poor access to appropriate training and preparation for employment, and significantly, the opportunity to showcase an individual’s key competencies. The CODA project aims to endorse and display the abilities and achievements of learning disabled adults to support them into training and work. It will do this by promoting and disseminating the Digital Career Portfolio (DCP); a product based on an in-house model developed by United Response to display person centred information and competencies. It will be constructed using accessible communications so not to exclude the learning disabled owner and will be hosted on a secure, dedicated web portal. It will be available to employers, agencies and trainers who can access and view a learning disabled person’s key competencies, informal, non formal and formal learning including work experience, thus giving them the opportunity to accurately assess the potential of the candidate across a range of competencies and soft skills.

The consortium comprises United Response (UK) as applicant co-ordinator with experience of care and employment placements for adults with learning disabilities and accessible communications. ESTA (Germany) will lead on design and deliver training modules for the DCP, alongside IB, their implementation partner. MISCODE (Portugal) will lead on the technical construction of the DCP, web portal and hosting of the training modules. EURO Training (Bulgaria) will lead on the pilot phase; testing the products with target and beneficiary groups. EIfEL, France is the dissemination partner focusing on the e-Portfolio sector ensuring Europe wide dissemination. Each partner will adapt the CODA products to match specific country needs.

Tangible outcomes comprise construction of the DCP, web portal and training modules, in partners’ languages, tested through target and beneficiary pilots to ensure the final product is informed by their input. The DCP will help more men and women with learning disabilities into training and work. Agencies and employers can accurately assess competencies of learning disabled candidates. Care staff receive additional training to help learning disabled clients to complete the DCP and support into training or employment. Overall impact will enable adults with learning disabilities in partner countries and Europe to achieve increased skills training, employment, enhanced self confidence leading to community, financial and social inclusion.