SRC is Building Bridges with Adult Learners

In the latest update to the ‘Bridges Project’, international partners of the Erasmus+ funded programme met in Southern Regional College’s Banbridge campus to undergo training in advance of the project’s August completion date.

The Bridges Project aims to foster an inclusive education and training environment amongst adult learners, by providing much needed digital resources. The project’s specific objectives include improving digital competencies in marginalised older learners; development of free online flexible courses and creating an effective outreach strategy by developing materials for tutors to deliver to adult learners across Europe. Materials will assist adult learners with digital skills including how to keep safe online and using online services.

Southern Regional College is the lead partner on the project. In the latest meet up of five international partners from across the UK, Ireland, Spain, Latvia & Finland, all partners conversed on the project’s objectives and continued work on the project’s aims. SRC led the discussion and facilitated a ‘Train the Trainer’ event covering blended learning models, active learning exercises, teacher presence within a blended learning environment, and giving feedback and assessment.

The project has developed materials which will be used by over 25 practitioners in piloting the material across 100 adult learners throughout Europe. All course materials will be accredited with qualifications mapped to European Foundation for Qualify Management (EFQM) model. A globally recognised framework supporting organisations with managing change and improving performance.

Resources have been developed to support adult learners, including those from migrant, asylum seeker and refugee communities to help them become more connected. These resources include citizenship, language learning, employability, work ready, and digital skills for life and work.

The project’s next steps include the completion of material for the Digital Skills, Citizenship and Employability courses before the anticipated August completion date.

For further information on the Bridges project, contact internationalaffairs@src.ac.uk.

Photo Bridges Project Train the Trainer event

Partners of the Bridges Project at the recent ‘Train the Trainer’ event at SRC’s Banbridge campus. Pictured at the event were project partners from Radosas Inicativas Centrs (RIC), Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), Decroly S.L, Spain, Salpaus Further Education Regional Consortium, Finland, Open College Network Northern Ireland (OCN NI) together with lead partners, Southern Regional College.