The Transfer of Competences and Trainings for Goods and Product Manipulator, LDV-TOI-04/12 - English

   

THE TRANSFER OF COMPETENCES AND TRAININGS FOR GOODS AND PRODUCT MANIPULATOR

DURATION OF THE PROJECT: 1. 10. 2012 – 30. 9. 2014

Slovenian Chamber of Commerce has applied to the Leonardo da Vinci – Transfer of Inovation call for proposals in february 2012. It's project »The Transfer of Competences and Trainings for Goods and Product Manipulator« has been chosen for co-funding.

In the project will collaborate the representatives of the chamber (TZS), experts for education at the trade companies and also some foreign experts from Portugal and Spain. The main goal, which the project will try to reach, is a transfer of competences and trainings for goods and product manipulator.

Participation in such project means for the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce a great opportunity to gain new knowledge and experiences in the field of education, an opportunity for close cooperation with familiar foreign institutions and also a good example of transfer of good practices in european commerce.

Project's promotor:

•     Slovenian Chamber of Commerce (TZS), Dimičeva 13, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
http://www.tzslo.si

Partners:

•     Asociacion Gabinete Tecnico Comercial, Spain (AGTC)
http://www.confecom.cat

•     Centro de Formação Profssional para o Comércio e Afins, Portugal (CECOA)
http://www.cecoa.pt

•     Poslovni sistem Mercator, d.d., Slovenia
http://www.mercator.si/kariera/prednosti_za_zaposlene/izobrazevanje
http://www.mercator.si

•     SPAR Slovenija trgovsko podjetje d.o.o., Slovenia
http://www.spar.si

Aims and objectives of the project

For several years in Slovenia there has been a need for persons in the post of GPM (source: Employment Service of Slovenia). For this occupation there is no list of competences required or appropriate training.

Good examples which we would want to transfer to Slovenia we found in Spain and Portugal. The results in the frame of the project will support also the Programme for new knowledge and skills as well as posts with better functioning of the market due to higher competition of knowledge and skills among employees, with more qualified work force.

Aim of the project is to fill in the gap in the vertical structure of the training for trade sector with GPM profile. Project objectives are:

•     acquisition of Europe – comparable occupational competences for the GPM post,
•     input of obtained foreign knowledge and experience in Slovenian system,
•     establishment of training system for staff in the post of GPM in Slovenia,
•     programme of trainings for the work of GPM in retail,
•     initiative for occupational standard and national occupational qualification for GPM.

Events

Kick-off meeting, 26. October 2012, Ljubljana, Slovenia

The kick-off meeting of the project “The Transfer of Competences and Trainings for Goods and Product Manipulator” was held in Ljubljana, on the 26th October 2012, on which all the project partners were present. In the presentation of all partners’ organizations each partner briefly presented his organization. Here are some presentations:

    AGTC
    CECOA
    Poslovni sistem Mercator, d.d.
    Spar Slovenija, d.o.o.

Participants have been informed about some facts about project – its objectives, activities, results and general presentation. Participants from TZS gave detailed information about each partner's roles and presented the guidelines for administrative and financial management and reporting. There was also time for discussion.

At the end of the meeting, participants visited some trade capacities in the centre of Ljubljana, where also a professional presentation with explanation was given to them.

Seminar for the trainers, 25.-26. March 2013, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Trgovinska zbornica Slovenije is organising a Seminar for the trainers - project GPM: The Transfer of Competences and Trainings for Goods and Product Manipulator which is a part of Lifelong Learning Programme: Leonardo da Vinci Transfer of innovation.

The Seminar for the trainers will take place from Monday, 25th March 2013 till Tuesday, 26th March 2013, in the session hall “Poslovna oaza” on Trgovinska zbornica Slovenije (The Chamber of Commerce) in Ljubljana (Dom gospodarstva, Dimičeva 13, Ljubljana, Slovenia).

TZS supports diminishing administrative burdens for business subjects also in way of legal deregulation of educational conditions in Slovenian trade sector but at the same time TZS strongly believes in the importance of knowledge and skills, free flow of information and transfer of best practices and innovations in the frame of EU area and wider. With its activities in field of education and also in this project, TZS tries to contribute in defining the best and most usable contents for the trainings, adjusted to the needs of employers.

Project GPM – LdV addresses the second national priority of Leonardo da Vinci call for proposals. The project is supported by the employers as well as union representatives in the trader sector, Employment Service of Slovenia and Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training as one of the competent institutions for vocational education.

Aim of the project is to fill in the gap in the vertical structure of the training for trade sector with GPM profile. It is planned that with the transferring and upgrading the competences and GPM training programme, the project will enable higher capacity of employed persons with elementary education, who are due to lack of knowledge not easily employable, as well as enable the job seekers additional training to broaden their chances of getting employed.

TZS will organize a seminar for educating trainers, where foreign partners will give lecture and among other things present respective national educational and training system and above all, training for the profile similar to GPM in Slovenia.

The Seminar for the trainers will be open for public. The presentations will be given in English.

We kindly invite you to join us and we are looking forward to meet you!

Agenda

Seminar for the trainers, 25.-26. March 2013, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Within the framework of the project "Transfer of Competences and Trainings for Goods and Product Manipulator", which has been selected for funding under the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union, the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce has in accordance with the project in March 2013 successfully carried out a two-day seminar for trainers of goods and product manipulators. The seminar took place on 25th and 26th March 2013 in Ljubljana.

The first day was devoted to presentation of the content and purpose of the project and to the presentation of the Slovenian national education and training system. Within the first day of the seminar, representatives of project partners from Portugal (CECOA) and Spain (AGTC) gave a detailed presentation of their national education systems and presented some information about the role of the trade sector in each country.

The second day was devoted to the presentation and aknowledge with more detailed analysis of education and training systems in the trade sector in all three partner countries, with a focus on the competencies, education and training needed for the post of goods and product manipulator. At the seminar there was also a time for discussion among the participants, domestic project partners and representatives of the foreign partner organizations, which contributed to a better understanding of the various national systems and regulations, which will in the future enable better transfer of good practices and innovations.

At the end we can say, that the purpose of the seminar (to get acknowledged about competences, skills, professional standards and work of GPM in the project partner's countries) was achieved. Additionally, the knowledge gained will be upgraded in the upcoming project activities, in particular the study visits to Spain and Portugal.

Presentations:
    presentation of the project
    analysis of Slovenian National Education and Training System
    analysis of Slovenian educational and training system in trade sector
    presentation of CECOA
    Vocational Education and Training System in Portugal
    The trade sector in Portugal
    Portuguese VET for Trade Sector
        Comercial Employee
        training programme
    presentation of AGTC
    The Spanish Education and Training System
    Trade Sector in Spain
    Goods and Product Manipuletor - Spain

Expert visit, 22. - 23. April 2013, Barcelona, Spain

Within the framework of the project "Transfer of Competences and Trainings for Goods and Product Manipulator", which has been selected for funding under the Lifelong Learning Programme, was in April 2013 successfully completed a two-day expert visit to the Spanish project partner, AGTC, in Barcelona.

Expert visit took place between 22nd and 23rd April 2013, and was attended by representatives of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Slovenian project partners (Mercator, Spar Slovenija). The focus of expert visit was mainly on the practical part, first of all to get to know more about work and training of goods and product manipulators in practice in Spain. The participants were also gaining new knowledge through active participation in discussion with representatives of the Spanish employers and institutions that organize training for trade posts.

The first day was devoted to visiting Mercabarna (Mercados de Abastecimientos de Barcelona SA), wholesale market within which operates also an educational training center for trade posts. Participants were introduced to different trade posts, required competences, training programs, their content and study materials, benefits of such training (as in Spain there is no regulation on minimal level of education of persons performing trade activities), and current challenges of the Spanish labor market. Participants also had an opportunity to be directly present at the training lessons, carried out by the Mercabarna.



The second day of the visit, representatives of Slovenian Chamber of Commerce, Slovenian partners and AGTC visited the Spanish trade company Condis, to get insight into the practical work of goods and product manipulator and related professions in Spain, which, among other things made the comparison with the work carried out by GPMs in Slovenia, more plastic. Representatives of the Spanish trade company have presented in detail the content of work of GPM, working conditions, required competences and internal training opportunities. The participants have also an opportunity to see the work of GPM in practice.



Besides practical visits, in the premises of AGTC there were carried out also a project meeting and meeting, aimed at a more detailed theoretical analysis of the Spanish system and its comparison with the Slovenian system and discussion of the participants on the opened issues.

Expert visit, 23. – 24. 5. 2013, Lisbon, Portugal

Within the framework of the project "Transfer of Competences and Trainings for Goods and Product Manipulator", which has been selected for funding under the Lifelong Learning Programme, was in May 2013 successfully completed a two-day expert visit to the Portuguese project partner, CECOA, in Lisbon.

Expert visit took place between 23rd and 24th May 2013, and was attended by representatives of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Slovenian project partners (Mercator, Spar Slovenija). The focus of expert visit was mainly on the practical part, first of all to get to know more about work and training of goods and product manipulators in practice in Portugal. The participants were also gaining new knowledge through active participation in discussion with representatives of the Portuguese employers and project partner which organizes training for trade posts.

Firtst day was devoted to visiting Portuguese project partner CECOA. After project meeting, representatives of CECOA presented competences and training programme for GPM post in Portugal.

Detailed presentation of work of goods and product manipulator and especially the practical aspects of this topic for employees and job-seekers made a lady who has her knowledge in the field of commerce also certified in the process of verification, which is performed by the Portuguese project partner CECOA. This part of meeting was followed by discussion participants on the relevance of the profession of GPM in Portugal and the new challenges of the labor market. At the end of the first day the participants visited also the premises of CECOA, where training for various commercial professions takes place.

The second day of the expert meeting was devoted to practical insight into the commercial sector in Portugal and the work of goods and product manipulators. Representatives of SCC, Slovenian partners and CECOA firstly visited the store of a smaller family trade company Frutas & C ª, Paraíso a Damaia, and then a store of bigger Portuguese retail chain Pingo Doce. In both cases, the management representatives presented their business, current issues, which are facing the Portuguese trade sector, and especially the way of the selection and training of employees, with a focus on the recommended competencies, skills, further training and work of GPM.

At the end of the visit we can say, that the visit was very good organised and also the content was very quality, because participants were acquainted with the professional competences, work and training of GPM and related professions in Portugal in details.



Second project meeting, 17. 6. 2013, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Within the framework of the project "The Transfer of Competences and Trainings for Goods and Product Manipulator", Slovenian Chamber of Commerce hosted in June 2013 the representatives of all the participating project partners. The second project meeting took place on the 17th of June 2013 in Ljubljana.

Partners were once again acquainted with the contents of the project, its objectives and results. The review of the so far achieved results and done activities was carried out, and at the same time participants were also acquainted with the planned results and activities, that will take place in the future. The dissemination activities were presented to the partners and they were invited to spread the project results. To the participants was also given some further guidance on financial rules and financial management.

Besides organizational and financial aspects, at the project meeting participants focused also on the content of the project. All representatives of the project partners had an opportunity to get acknowledged about the course, the content and conclusions and key findings of the expert visits (in Barcelona by AGTC and in Lisbon by CECOA). There was also a discussion about the expert visits, the information obtained and the conclusions, which will be the basis for further work. Representatives of each of the partners have given their summaries, reviews and views on current activities, their observations and suggestions for further work - this is essential for evaluation of the quality of the activities carried out and at the same time presents an important orientation for the future ones.



ADAM base – description of the LDV-GPM project

On the web-page http://www.adam-europe.eu/adam/project/view.htm?prj=10735#.UmDzyGEsSw4 you can take a look at the description of the LDV-GPM project in the ADAM database. In ADAM database you can find the descriptions and presentations of all projects, co-funded in the Lifelong Learning Programme – Leonardo da Vinci call for proposals.

ADAM database enables you searching for projects and products, which are allready finished and those, which are currently in progress.
 
You are kindly invited to visit the web portal EU-Move

You are kindly invited to visit the EUMOVE TRADE portal, which was developed in the EU-MOVE project, co-funded in the Lifelong Learning Programme. One of the partners in the EUMOVE project is also CECOA, Portuguese LDV-GPM project partner.

The EUMOVE project aims to improve the quality assurance of international work placement of learners by implementing the EUMOVE portal - http://www.eumovetrade.eu/ - which aims at making available relevant tools and instruments to facilitate mobility and to minimize the barriers to go abroad, not only for learners but also for VET providers and companies.

Short presentation of the EU-MOVE project.

Preparation of a list of occupational competences for the GPM profile and programme for GPM training

SCC has as part of the project activities in the Work package 4, in cooperation with project partners, prepared the list of occupational competences for the GPM profile and programme for GPM training. The material has been prepared on the basis of the transfer of good foreign practices, as resulting from materials, received from foreign project partners (AGTC, CECOA), carried out study visits and consultations with foreign and domestic partners, as well as from detected needs for knowledge and skills for the goods and product manipulator profile.

Working draft - a list of occupational competences for the GPM profile and programme for GPM training (in Slovene language only)

Pilot training for GPM profile - March 2014

Within the framework of the project “The Transfer of Competences and Trainings for Goods and Product Manipulator”, LDV-TOI-04/12, on the 3rd, 10th, 17th and 18th of March 2014 in Ljubljana conducted a pilot training for GPM profile. Pilot training was based on the programme, developed in the scope of the transfer of good practices from abroad and consultations with domestic and foreign partners about the needed knowledge, skills and competences for this profile.

Slovenian Chamber of Commerce has also collaborated with Employment Service of Slovenia, trying to prepare the training programme, which would cover the needs of the widest possible range of users. We made also a presentation of the LDV - GPM project and pilot training at the ESS for unemployed people, who seek for job in trade and who have reached educational level lower than IV (Slovenian classification). Smaller group of job seekers also attended the pilot training.



Pilot training for GPM has (on the basis of the prepared training programme) included topics from different fields: acquisition of general competences for the work of GPM, manipulation with non-food products, manipulation with food products and HACCP, practical examples and basics from the “fruits and vegetables” department. Presentations were presented by experts from domestic partners and SCC. Participants received also confirmation of attendance on the training.

According to the responses of the participants in the scope of the evaluation activities we can say, that pilot training was conducted successfully. Pilot training for GPM, executed in March 2014, provides a basis for preparation of further trainings, which will take place after the completion of the project.
Analysis of Spanish, Portuguese and Slovenian educational and training system with the comparison of education and training in trade sector and for goods and product manipulator

Working draft in attachement.

Initiative for Occupational Standard and National Vocational Qualification for Goods and Product Manipulator

SCC has as foreseen with the project The Transfer of Competences and Trainings for Goods and Product Manipulator, LDV-TOI-04/12, prepared on the basis of the collected materials, prepared list of competences and organized pilot training, initiative for Occupational Standard and National Vocational Qualification for Goods and Product Manipulator. The initiative was sent to the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training in September 2014.
SCC published the manual »The Transfer of Competences and Trainings for Goods and Product Manipulator with a Review of Vocational and Professional Education in Trade Sector«

As one of the results of the project The Transfer of competences and Trainings for Goods and Product Manipulator, LDV-TOI-04/12, SCC published the manual »The Transfer of Competences and Trainings for Goods and Product Manipulator with a Review of Vocational and Professional Education in Trade Sector« in Slovene and English language.

In the manual there are presented competences and training programme for Goods and Product Manipulator in Slovenia and also the importance of trade sector in EU and Slovenia with a review of some crucial information about population, living conditions and education. The manual contains all information about legal basis and system of formal and informal education in trade sector, role and possibilities of social partners in organization of vocational and professional education and also some information on on-the-job training in Slovenia, Spain and Portugal.

The publication is free of charge and is in English available in PDF version:
-    printing version,
-    screen version.

Publication is available also in Slovene language:
-     PDF-version,
-     order form for printed version.

 

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.