Year 2009

Project Type Transfer of Innovation

Status completed

Country DE-Germany

Marketing Text The project of COMET developed further a software-based tool for measuring the informally acquired competencies of 50 plus employees in SMEs of the producing industry. The basis of the measuring is the expectations and needs of the employers related to competencies of the staff. The existing competencies of staff are described via self-evaluation and the evaluation of the direct superior. It serves as the basis for a structured dialogue between employee and superior about further competence development and vocational education of the employee.

Summary The project was based on three assumptions:
1. Working biographies are increasingly characterized by changing activities, which may also be seen as gaining a wide range of competencies. Certificates attained in the past do often not provide sufficient information, other competencies are documented insufficiently and somewhat unconsciously especially whenever informal knowledge is concerned.
2. Consequently, employees and employers are frequently insufficiently informed about the actual competencies of the workforce.
3. In the future, employees will work longer throughout their lives, which will make it necessary to maintain their competencies for longer than previously expected and required. Lifelong learning is a key to maintain and increase the competencies of employees.
The COMET project aimed to provide small to medium-sized companies in the processing sector with a tool (including a manual) that is based on, and refers to national and European standards of qualifications and defines those for its requirements to identify the competencies of employees – particularly of those with lower levels of formal qualification – and use the outcomes as a basis for planning further occupational development.
The model of the tool was produced by the Danish project partner and is to be taken out of its original situationally and thematically restricted context and transferred to all sectors, occupations and European countries.

Description The aim of the project was to provide small and medium-sized companies and their employees with a tool which defines the competences that employers regard as necessary. From the employees’ perspective, it establishes competences achieved informally and currently existing to allow the planning of further development. Employers specify the competencies required and define the relevant levels for a specific job, a person or a group of people.
Existing competencies of employees are identified along the same lines. The description of competencies is, at the same time, designed as an analysis of potentials and makes it possible to plan further steps for the qualification and development of employees.
The start is the description of the competencies the employer requires in the future. These competencies are brought into a structure and put into different levels. The number of levels depends on the situation and requirements of the company. The competencies in different levels are drafted in a way that they are easy to understand and to manage. The second step is that superiors gauge the staff and then every member of the concerned group of staff assesses herself or himself.
The results are represented in the graphical form of three possible different spider webs. Put together there can be build a relation between the required competencies, the self-estimated competencies and the competencies gauged by the superior as well. An interpretation of the relation as congruent or different is possible and gives way for a further planning of the building of competencies.
Projektinformation/ Produktinformation
The outcomes of the project were the following products:
- Website of the project
- Assessment tool of COMET
- Handbook for the tool of COMET
- Information brochure
- Symposium: Conference on the European dimensions of identifying and standardising competencies.
The following activities and arrangements were provided to keep the project update and in discussion of stakeholder and companies after expiring of the funding-phase:
- The website was maintained bei the applicant.
- Topics and products of the project – especially the tool and the description of the process in the manuals – were presented to fitting congresses and events. The aim is to keep the topic alive and held the project in the discussion.
- COMET as a product is sold by the partners.
In the countries of the partners the tool comet is still in use by some of the cooperating companies.
In Nürnberg and Fürth there are two new companies (SME) who use the tool newly and build the whole process of competence-assessment from the scratch.

Themes     Labor market
    Quality
    Lifelong learning
    Recognition, transparency, certification
    Continuous training
    Vocational guidance
    Access for disadvantaged

Sectors     Manufacturing
    Education

Product Types CD-ROM
evaluation methods
procedure for the analysis and prognosis of the vocational training requirement
transparency and certification
website

Product information The outcomes of the project were the following products:
- Website of the project
- Assessment tool of COMET
- Handbook for the tool of COMET
- Information brochure
- Symposium: Conference on the European dimensions of identifying and standardising competencies

Projecthomepage http://www.project-comet.eu