Nowadays, the European metal companies are in an uncertain situation due to the globalisation of the economy, the automatisation of the industrial processes, the externalisation of employment and the industrial delocation. These factors impact directly in the less qualified workers, and may imply the loss of employment and the need to place workers in other enterprises.

The metal companies generally do not receive qualified workers. Traditionally, non-formal learning has had a huge relevance in this sector; most of the workers have learned their job by labour experience in their posts. According to Jens Bjornavold (2005), the recognition of the competences acquired through the non-formal and informal learning in Europe is essential for the achievements of the Lisbon aims in 2010. Nevertheless, it is necessary to emphasize the training strategies in the metal sector in the European Union have not taken into account neither non-formal nor informal learning. That is why the recognition of that kind of learning is not reflected in the enterprises? planning of the permanent training. Therefore, the official vocational training has a slight impact on those jobs which require a low qualification level, and there are not many workers with a specific professional recognition.

On the other hand, in the labour market there is a large variety of methodologies for the recognition of the non-formal and informal learning. According to several results from a European report about non-formal and informal learning validation, many companies use different methods and tools for the management of human resources by competences. This report stands out that enterprises do not take as reference the different levels and training paths proposed by the educational systems to develop recognition methods of non-formal and informal learning.

General Objective

The general aim of the Metal-Skills project is to interchange experiences among social partners, training centres, enterprises and public administrations to propose a methodology of recognition and accreditation of qualifications which have been obtained through non-formal learning and to transfer the results to the enterprises of the metal sector in Europe.

Specific Objectives

• To acquire a large knowledge about the socio-labour situation of the metal sector in Europe, and to associate the non-formal and informal learning recognition with the evolution of the productive system, the labour flexibility and the professional training.
• To analyse the training needs of the metal sector in the EU.
• To identify the methodology and tools for the non-formal and informal recognition proposed in the Toolbridge project (LdV 2003-2006), and to check its possible suitableness to the metal non qualified workers.
• To identify, select and analyse several experiences and good practices in the non-formal and informal learning recognition of the less qualified workers in the metal sub-sectors in Europe.
• To elaborate a methodological proposal for recognition, assessment and certification of the non-formal and informal learning, addressed to be applied at a European, national and sectorial level.
• To transfer the experience to the real work environment and to test whether they are valid and reliable according to the qualifications transparency, the improvement of the access into the vocational training and the functional mobility in the sector.

Development of the project by contents

• Identification of experiences at a national level.
• Interchange of experiences at a European level.
• Proposal of an integral methodological model.
• Transfer of the methodology, validation and dissemination.