The ATLAS projectHarrie van den Brand

Fontys University

The Netherlands

PASS IT ON

Malta 19 – 11 – 2011

ATLAS:Assessment andTraining of LAbour market relatedSkills

Occasion

The most common reason for people with little or no schooling loosing their job is lack of social skills

Goals

1. An objective assessment of performance in social situations

2. Allocation of the needed social skills

Focus

On three levels of employment:

1. Open labour market

2. Sheltered employment

3. Day centres

7 European Countries involved

• Belgium

• United Kingdom

• Ireland

• Austria

• Greece

• Romania

• The Netherlands

Components

• Target group

• Employers

• Assessment and training

• Social competences and skills

Target group

• People with intellectual disabilities

• People with little or no schooling

Employment

• Regular employment: Real pay in a regular environment

• Sheltered employment: Real pay in a sheltered environment

• Sheltered work: No pay in a sheltered environment or training for employment or work

Employers• Three relevant sectors:

• (Light) industrial (reproduction, assemblage)

• Open space planning (gardening, greenhouse)

• Service sector (catering/cleaning)

Conclusions surveys employers

Employers of the 3 sectors think differently about which social skills are required from employees if they work for them.

Employees working closer to paid jobs in the free labour market, the more demands regarding social skills are required from them by the employers.

We suspect that the opinions in the various countries about the required social

skills differ.

Assessment & training

• Impossible to come to one assessment instrument

• Overview on assessment instruments

• ATLAS decision tree

Change of focusfrom skills to competences

Definition Social Competence

Labour market related social competences are:

Competences that consist of an integration of Knowledge, Skills, Attitude, personal traits and Experience. They enable clients to socially perform in an adequate way in a certain profession in a certain context.

Competences & skills

• Skills are part of the competence• Competences focuses on all aspects of

client’s performance • Competence-based is client-centered• Starting point are abilities of a person

The 7 ATLAS Competences

• Ability to communicate• Ability to perform during work• Ability to have positive relations on the work floor with e.g.

superiors & customers• Ability to have positive relations with colleagues• Ability to behave in a social accepted way• Ability to manage his/her stress effectively• Ability to comply with general rules and agreements

Competence-based training

• Assessment• Starting situation• Personal development plan• Training• Reflection

Assessment and Starting situation

• Assessment– ATLAS decision tree– Real life settings– Prove the ablility

• Starting situation: STARR method– Situation– Task– Action– Result– Reflection

Paradigm shift

Thinking in perspectives and possibilities for young people who want to participate