TransFair

The project TransFAIR is a two year project (2011 – 2013) under the program “Leonardo da Vinci transfer of innovation”.

It gives proposals for the solution of two different problems:
1) In all Europe there is a need for competence development of professionals who work with care for children placed outside their homes.
2) Generally, and not only within the care area, the interplay between the formal training, VET, and the learning that takes place in practice is not optimal. A bridge is needed between the two different forms of learning, and often there is not a sufficient focus on ensuring the best possible transfer of the learning outcome, from the formal training to the employee’suse of this training in the daily work. 

The innovative results and experiences from the Leonardo project FAIRstart will be used for reaching the following objectives:

• Transfer of the developed FAIRstart training programme for employees having a short education and working with care of children placed outside their homes. This objective includes the further development of the learning model for individual-group-and organizational learning, which constitutes the theoretical foundation of the training programme with regard to learning. The transfer will take place in relation to 4 new partner countries, including Denmark.

• Adjustment and translation of the developed training material for the new partner countries, including Denmark where it is needed for the further training of professional foster families. The FAIRstart programme mediates a general knowledge of, and insight in children aged 0-3 years. 

• Methodical work in relation to the description of learning outcome in order to ensure transparency and thereby the foundation for recognition of learning and competences at a more general plan. The TransFAIR consortium consists of representatives from 8 European countries (Denmark, Russia, Switzerland, Romania, Turkey, Latvia, Bulgaria, Poland) with different historical and cultural backgrounds which will give the opportunity for a wide range of different approaches to the solution of the project’s tasks. It is 5 partners from the completed FAIRstart project and 4 new partners. We are dealing with partners with a profound knowledge of education and training, practice, learning, evaluation, quality assurance, project work and international cooperation. 

On the one hand, the project will contribute to children placed outside their homes having a better childhood and life because the professional, who provides the care for them becomes more competent. On the other hand it will contribute to the improvement of the interplay between vocational training and learning in practice in the national contexts.

As already mentioned this project has two aims:

1) Competence development of employees concerned with care for children placed outside their homes. 

2) Transfer of learning to practice, and transparency of learning outcome.

The field of basic human care for children has not received much attention from local or national governments. Therefore the TransFAIR project presents a special and very strong case for a joint and transnational intervention. The declining number of children in Europe emphasizes the crucial importance of including all children in society, education and productivity. This calls for an earlier intervention in negative child development environments. In spite of decline of children in Europe the number of European children placed outside their home is increasing.