Training of Trainers for Eastern Partnership region & Baltic states

Aims & objectives

The aim of the project is to increase the quality of youth work in partner countries by preparing a pool of trainers who will provide national trainings for youth workers in their countries based on the local needs of youth workers, European best practices and European Training Strategy Competence Model for Youth Workers.
The objectives of the project are:
● To analyze youth workers’ education opportunities in partner countries and how they cover the competencies named in ETS Competence Model for youth workers;
● To train 21 trainers for developing national youth work educational training for local youth workers based on ETS Competence Model for youth workers;
● To contribute to the competencies development of the 120 youth workers in partner countries by implementing national training for youth workers based on their needs and ETS Competence Model for youth workers;
● To bring awareness on quality youth work and ETS Competence Model for youth workers;
● To exchange good youth work practices between the Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) and Eastern Partnership region (Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia).
● Based on the project experiences, draft the recommendations for youth work education improvements on the national level in six partner countries.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

20 participants who is working as trainers in youth NGOs from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia.
Team: 1 trainer from Moldova, 1 from Latvia and 1 support person from Lithuania.

Training methods used & main activities

The training provided holistic approach to the topic where all actors are playing important role in the learning process. The non-formal education methods were used, emphasizing experiential learning cycle and learners-centred approach. The methods were:
group work on learning from different perspectives in youth work; group work and discussions on the philosophy, actors and the role of learning in youth work; practical learning stations and reflections to understand deeper the learning process; space for sharing the realities with best practices and challenges connected to learning process; common mapping and analyzing of the existing learning tools and creation of new ones - group discussions, group work on tools' development and group presentations; space for reflecting on learning tools and how they can be applied in different youth work realities.

Outcomes of the activity

The training focused on exploring ETS Competence Model for Trainers and creating an experiential learning process as one of the most important key element in quality of youth work - how to create a space for it, how to respond to the needs of learner and how to involve youngsters and youth workers ensuring this learning process.
The participants had an opportunity to develop their skills on how to use different learning tools, knowledge about experiential learning cycle and the attitude of learning centered approach of youth work.

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

To work on teambuilding and create an environment where the trainers and participants are in the best possible mindset to learn from the trainers and other participants, to create a framework where participants will learn and share about their particular knowledge and experience, and be creative and innovative in developing solutions to the issues presented during the project. To explore together with participants topics as motivation and facilitation of learning activities.

I worked on this training for 8 days as a full time trainer.