The project is offering a well-rounded solution for improving and extending the offer of high quality skills and competences. Through development of 4 complementary cross-sectoral outputs the Project will create new and innovative educational programmes in line with the needs of the labour market as well as wider socio-economic needs. Through development of cross-sectoral educational programmes, available through high innovative and interactive web platform, the Project is creating open and innovative education programme embedded in the digital era.
Firstly, a new cross-sectoral curricula for implementation of health-enhancing physical exercise (HEPE) for doctors and fitness professionals will be developed. In that way the Project will develop standards (learning outcomes and qualifications) for a brand new occupation – health fitness professionals (HEPE experts) and create additional specialisations for doctors offering them new possibilities for their professional development. This will also form a collaboration of health/medical and fitness sector in regards to development of new educational programmes encompassing both fields. The activity has an added value in terms of enabling fitness experts for working with people with disabilities and other special needs.
Secondly, a series of educational materials and tools will be developed and made available on a new interactive web-platform, also to be developed within the project, enabling thus easier access to education. Based on newly developed curricula, partners will jointly develop common e-modules, learning and informative materials and tools for adult learners offering thus new forms of open and flexible adult learning, virtual mobility and better exploitation of the ICT potential for educational purposes. The new web platform will foster more flexible and creative ways of learning and enable reaching out to an increasing number of adult learners, professionals, policy makers and other interested groups.
Thirdly, the Project will develop standards for HEPE implementation in fitness and sport centres. The aim is to produce a set of quality standards which fitness and sport centres need to fulfil in order to be able to perform HEPE programmes. On one hand, this will enable a strategic cooperation between adult learning providers and labour market/employers (fitness and sport centres) since newly educated HEPE experts will have a direct link to employers who will need their expertise. On the other hand, certified fitness and sport centres with the quality mark will make people feel more confident to join their programmes in order to improve or maintain their health through exercising adjusted to their own specific needs and conditions and overseen by educated experts in the field.
Lastly, the partnership will develop a strategic plan with policy recommendations for implementation of HEPE education and standardization on national and EU level, which will be presented to decision makers and relevant stakeholders like EuropeActive and relevant national ministries and associations. The aim of the strategic plan is to facilitate recognition and certification of skills and competences for HEPE experts by referencing them to European and national Qualification Frameworks, increase accreditation of the programme and set a unified standard in HEPE implementation. This would contribute to the improvement of quality and significance of new educational programmes as well as providing of innovative and standardized ways of validation and increase the mobility of workers (HEPE professionals).
Intelectual outputs:
- Curricula on HEPE for doctors and fitness trainers
- Online education platform
- Fitness index Quality standards
- Strategic plan with policy recommendations for HEPE programme implementation