Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts

1. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts Welcome to the presentation of the Activities and results of the HWK at Leipzig Im ECOA+ transfer project

2. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts • Content • About the Chamber of Skilled Crafts at Leipzig • The survey and its results • The ECOA-concept of the HWK at Leipzig • Experiences • Conclusion and prospects

3. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts 1. About the Chamber of Skilled Crafts at Leipzig • HWK at Leipzig is one of 54 Chambers of Skilled Crafts in Germany • Represents ca. 11.700 membership companies with ca. 90.000 employees • Fields of activities: • Trade self-administration • Trade‘s representation of interests • nationally • internationally → project work • Services for the Crafts Trade • Education and Qualification for the Crafts Trade

4. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts 1.1 Starting point • National representation of trade‘s interests • close collaboration with organisations and associations • UFH – Women in the Crafts Trade – Leipzig as an important co-operation partner • Experiences with lobbying work • International representation of trade‘s interests • extensive experiences with project work • Specialist for offers of education and qualification for the Crafts Trade • already existing training „ Women in the Crafts Trade “ • varried sophisticated offers of further education for different target groups

5. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts 1.2 Objectives at Leipzig within ECOA+ • Promotion of the recognition of the performance and status of the spouses • Standardisation of the different professional preconditions of the spouses in the different European countries • Participation in development of common guidelines for further education of spouses in Europe • Development of according additional modular offers of further education for spouses • Transnational comparability of the gained qualifications and competences • Identification of cultural, family or other barriers • Promotion of international networking

6. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts 1.3 Association of Women in the Crafts Trade– Representative group Leipzig • Indirect partner of the Leipzig chamber, but direct support • Introducing of extensive experiences with lobbying work and collective organisation • Link between project – Chamber Leipzig and target group • Introduction of visions and perspectives regarding the ECOA- concept • Participation in development and extension of international networks

7. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts 2. Survey and survey results • Survey with 50 participants • 30 of those already possess high standard qualifications • 39 express wish for additional recognised qualification • Need for recognised commercial training and qualifications in the areas: office organisation/ book keeping/ accounting with software, internet, foreign language English • Paying attention to time budget

8. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts 3. The ECOA-Concept of the Leipzig Chamber • Identification of competences Compilation of a portfolio within the frame of a skills and competency consultation with an advisory function • Extension of competences ECOA-modules → Business administrator for commercial matters with Business English and /or Lobbying • Validation through certification Certification following an exam → national and - with the ECOA-partners – international recognition

9. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts 3.a) Pre-condition – Definition of ECOA-Content OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED „FACHWIRTTRAINING“ ADDITIONAL

10. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts 3.b) Implementation • Preceding organisation • Gaining the entitlement to conduct the training, the according examinations and certification • recruiting the trainers • Information of the UFH and other members of the target group → Problem participant acquisition, because of economical crisis → Efforts • Meetings with UFH • Advert in daily press • Mailing • Personal talks • Voucher campaign • Training of the Jury/ organisation of the exams

11. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts 3.1 Identification of competences • Originally level evaluation carried out by sub-contractor → Did not prove ideal→ Modification of the concept → Responsibility for conduction back with HWK → competency profiles • Identification of competences as way of developing a consciousness of the extend of formally and informally gained competences as a pre-condition for individual and external recognition • Information of potential participants + voucher campaign • Sending the (self)assessment forms for the preparation of competency portfolio • Carrying out of skills-and-competency consultations with spouses

12. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts 3.2 Extension of competences – implemented courses • English modules • 2 classes started in January und February 2009 (Beginner & Pre-Intermediate) • Carried out by Berlitz • Observations in April and May • → Exchange with Berlitz and UFH, to adapt content more specifically to needs → extension and modification of the module Fachwirttraining (Business administrator for commercial matters – Module IV → preparation for the examination for instructor qualification • Conduction of skills consultations beforehand • Start of the training module 15th June 2009 • Course has been running part time – two evenings per week • Conduction of observations to evaluate training • Course finishes 7th October 2009

13. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts 3.3 Validation through certification • English classes • 18.06.09 – 4 students successfully finished the beginner class • 29.06.09 – 3 students successfully finished the (pre-)intermediate class • → Certification through ECOA-Jury → Receipt of special ECOA-certificate for English classes • AdA (officially recognised trainer/ instructor qualification) • Conclusion of training on 7th October 2009 • Nationally recognised certification according to qualifications decree (AEVO) → 2 members of ECOA-Jury are members of official examinations board Participants are generally interessted in further education & Fachwirt-qualification, but only from next year, if recovery of economy and more stability in their enterprises→ Option to gain certification will be provided for 5 years

14. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts 4. Experiences • In Germany the target group is conscious of its status • Target group is conscious of its performance • Target group knows what it wants and articulates versatile and ambitious needs • Priorities for target group members are of course family and enterprise → very tight time budget • In times of crises personal educational objectives are put back in favour of the enterprise • However educational objectives are not lost sight of • Great interest in development of national and international networks • Despite lack of time great engagement for project work → feedback on ECOA-concept and conceptioning of lobbying module

15. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts 5. Conclusion and prospects • Offering the content in even smaller divided sections (per studying unit instead of per module) • According to feedback of the UFH the English module was adapted → level evaluation and conduction not through subcontractor → more teaching units → more specific choice of subjects • Based on the Commercial administrator the Business economist in the Crafts Trade can be modified according to the modular ECOA-concept • Extension of website → in the future it will provide a platform for national and international exchange and networking activities • The identification of competences and modular offers for bridging gaps towards the external examinations extend existing options to gain the recognition of formally and informally gained competences

16. Leipzig Chamber of Skilled Crafts The Chamber of Skilled Crafts at Leipzig thanks for your attention and for the possibility to take part in this versatile project.