A pioneering project at Norton Radstock College which equips young people with skills for the world of work has won three international commendations.
The initiative, called LIFE 2, followed research among employers across Europe that showed they considered they spent too much time teaching youngsters workplace skills.
LIFE 2 set out to include these life and work skills in education – and has now been commended as an example of innovation and best practice on three occasions.
It was chosen as an example of good practice by a European Commission-funded initiative called Enabling teachers for entrepreneurship education: examples of best practice across Europe.
It won further commendation at the Annual Conference of the European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Majorca attended by more than 200 delegates from colleges across the continent.
And two activities from its Train the Trainer Pack were selected for the Sharing Innovation in Teacher Education (SITE) project run by the South West Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training.
The cultural awareness and employer links activities can be used by teachers to help prepare young people for the workplace.
Bath Spa University’s Jim Crawley, who coordinated the SITE project, said: “The LIFE 2 activities were tested by teachers and found to be very useful.”
Norton Radstock College project manager Rosaleen Courtney said: “We developed the pack as part of a European project working with partners from Spain, Denmark, Portugal and Romania.
“Following discussions with employers, we included ‘soft’ skills such as problem solving, creativity, teamwork, presentation and also job seeking.”
Norton Radstock College lecturers have been trying out different activities from the pack to help young people develop the skills and confidence needed in the workplace.
ICT and business coordinator Terrie Norris used the Communication in Different Languages activity as part of a session on customer service which helped learners to practise communicating with customers from different cultures.
She said: “Students enjoyed learning about different languages and facts about the country they chose. I will definitely use this activity again to help with communication and presentation techniques.”
A free download of the LIFE 2 Train the Trainer Pack is available to teachers and trainers on www.life-2.eu
Pictured, from left, College Lecturers Gill Burton, Rosemarie D’Ambrosio-Winter, Julie Bowler and Michelle Robinson
