This document discusses the changing relationship between education and the labor market. It notes that skills demanded by employers, like teamwork and stress management, are increasingly important. A study found gaps between graduates' self-evaluations of their skills and employers' needs. The document then examines the field of sociocultural animation. Professionals in this field work in community development and engagement across sectors. While educational programs aim to train generalists, professionals need entrepreneurial skills to create their own opportunities. Students desire both academic and practical, flexible training. The document raises questions about how education can better prepare students for the changing nature of jobs and allow for lifelong learning to develop specialized skills. Schools must consider labor market realities and

1. Conference
Network of Trainers in Europe
Learning and Professional Development: Challenges for Training and
Trainers Reflections based on the case of Sociocultural Animation
Professionals
Sandra Lopes & Sandra Saúde
Polytechnic Institute of Beja, Portugal
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Network of Trainers in Europe
14th – 15th of October in Kostelec, Czech Republic

2. Thematic reflection… Key questions…
 Nowadays’ Relation between “SCHOOL” and “LABOUR
MARKET” :
 what should be the role of the SCHOOL taking in account the
ACTUAL characteristics of the labour market?
 what should be the profile of the trainers and teachers taking in
account the actual demandings of the jobs and labour market?
 What are the needs and expectations felt by the
students/diplomates about their role and skills? And what
importante this has for their educational process?
 and in specific, what should be the role of the Higher Education?
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3. Facts and doubts... …
 The labour and employment’ worlds have been changing a
lot;
 And consequently, the relation between employment/job
– school/training;
 Crucial doubts emerged– what skills, competencies are
important for the actual world of work/labour market?
 Should the school answer directly the demands of the
labour market?
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4. Some findings /data from a study... …
 The importance given by the employers to the so
called “soft skills”: able to manage team work; able
to manage stress, to be proactive, to solve difficult
situations...;
The relevance of the efficacy beliefs – self concept –
metacognition capacities;
 The importance of being involved in lifelong training
programmes/specializations.
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5. Some findings /data from a study... …
In key skills/competencies domain there is a “consistent”
gap between the self-evaluation completed by the
graduates and the employers’ wishes.
 Relevant gap was also identified when comparing the
information provided by the employers with that provided
by the course directors and other key-respondents with
responsibilities in the management and organization of
study plans.
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6. Some reflexions from a case study: the Sociocultural
Animation Professionals
Who are those professionals?
Professionals that:
 Develop a practical action in the area of social, cultural;
 Uses a social technology/educational pedagogy in his practice, (Melo,
2006);
 are conflict mediators;
 aim to encourage community organizations;
 seek to contribute to the glocal development ;
 whose action is not restricted to a single field of activity (leisure,
education, work with older people, different communities);
 works in a relationship between the ‘imagination and creativity 'in order
to re-create new forms of action and new rules on working with
communities' (Gillet, 2006).
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7. Some reflexions from a case study: the Sociocultural
Animation Professionals
Contexts fo Action
Professionals that work in:
 areas of animation for youth, community revitalization, animation and
socio-cultural mediation, management and cultural programming, sports
animation, artistic, recreational tourism animation, gerontology among
others, in diverse organizational contexts.
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- Local authorities and parish councils;
- Local Development Associations;
- NGOs; - Schools;
- Educational Services of various
organisms (museums, theatres,...);
- Cultural Services of various organisms
(entreprises, ngo);
- Hospitals; - Social Institutions;
- Offices for Cultural Programming;
- Cultural and recreational associations;
- Homes and Day Centers for elderly;
…

8. Some reflexions from a case study: the Sociocultural
Animation Professionals
Main formation areas in this 1ºciclo ( similar to other 1º
cycles offers)?
Social and Behavioral Sciences (98.5 ECTS)
Sociology (37.0 ECTS)
Psychology (9.5 ECTS)
Maternal Language and Literature (5.0 ECTS)
Foreign Language and Literature (3.0 ECTS)
History and Archaeology (6 ECTS)
Arts (other programs not classified in other
formations) (8.0 ECTS)
Sport. (3.0 ECTS)
Statistics (2.5 ECTS)
Audiovisual and Media Production (7.5 ECTS)
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9. Some reflexions from a case study: the Sociocultural
Animation Professionals
 Some especific objectives -1st cycle
Sociocultural Animation:
 trainers in the area of Socio-cultural aspects (in many
different areas of intervention);
 empowered to reflect and act on national and
transnational socio-cultural reality;
 equipped with critical and ethical responsibility in the
analysis of social realities;
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10. Some reflexions from a case study: the Sociocultural
Animation Professionals
 capacited with versatility and flexibility that
enables them to understand and act upon reality;
 skilled in project design, implementation and
evaluation of intervention projects and community
animation;
 capacited to carry out activities and projects that
enable sociocultural reinvest and strengthen
community identity.
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11. Some reflexions from a case study: the Sociocultural
Animation Professionals
 Students and diplomates: reflexions, needs
and expectations about the role (ideal role) of
this professional (some data for reflexion)
 generalist curriculum versus a specific
professional activity ;
 academic profile versus lack of recognition in
the labor market;
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12. Some reflexions from a case study: the Sociocultural
Animation Professionals
 some rigidity of the curriculum versus the
continuous need to reinvent the action at the
professional performance;
 the ‘sociocultural animateur ideal' versus a ‘real
practice': political and professional constraints;
 consistent mastery of knowledge (academic)
versus creativity and pragmatism in action;
...
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13. Some reflexions from a case study: the Sociocultural
Animation Professionals
 professional inexperience versus a necessary
entrepreneurial capacity (need to create their
own employment; create a real need in the
labour market)
and last…a difficult task for the trainers:
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14. Some reflexions from a case study: the Sociocultural
Animation Professionals
 Skills for a
Sociocultural
Animation
professional
(students
and
diplomates
point of view)
entrepreneurship
able to solve all problems
capable of dealing with stress
be able to mobilize people
around a cause
active
sociable
dynamic
interventor
creative
pragmatic
reflexive
Interactive
participatory
have a multicultural perspective
ability to prospective
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15. For reflection/ discussion …
What should be the role of the SCHOOL/HIGHER EDUCATION
taking in account these evidences/data and characteristics of
the actual “world of jobs/ professions/ professional tasks”?
 Is the actual SCHOOL/HIGHER EDUCATION efficient prepared
to guarantee lifelong and specialized supervision for their ex-
students according with their specific job needs/competencies
development?
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