Soufflearning
31st August 2015
Tag list
Location / Country / Region
Extremadura, Spain
Short description
Soufflearning is a Leonardo da Vinci project that seeks to transfer an innovative On-the-Job training methodology from Germany to other countries throughout Europe. Soufflearning has been developed since 2005 in the framework of a pilot project that has been successively transferred to other regions and countries.
This methodology is specifically aimed at micro-SMEs because it is not necessary to attend classrooms, it is individualized in accordance to the individual needs and it is not intrusive in the performance of regular tasks.
Soufflearning seeks to spread this concept by obtaining a certification that allows trainers to validate their theoretical and practical knowledge on this methodology.
Actors Involved
The actors involved in the Soufflearning project include training institutions, trainers, SMEs and micro-SMEs, employees and educational institutions.
Target audiences
The target of the project includes trainers, training institutions, educational institutions, and teachers.
Time frame
- 1st project: 2005 – 2007 (Germany)
- 2nd project: October 2010 – September 2012 (France, Czech Republic, Italy)
- 3rd project: October 2013 – September 2015 (Spain, Italy, Greece)
Relevant links, websites, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz3SeeuocDA
1. Detailed description
Soufflearning is an effective concept for vocational training in SMEs which is customised to fit the needs of the staff. Soufflearning:
– has great potential to enhance organisation and human resource development,
– is a direct response to the vocational training requirements of a company and individual needs of the staff,
– offers time and cost-effective training units in the workplace,
– can be flexibly adapted to daily business tasks and embedded in the workflow,
– provides impulses and tools which can be implemented directly for immediate training benefits,
– is a pleasant, continual learning process with immediate support,
Soufflearning is a vocational training concept, which is specifically designed to take place close at the work place. The Soufflearning, trainings take place in the company or the organisation.
In-house Training
Soufflearning takes place at the work place instead of sending staff to external seminars. In small companies employees can hardly be spared due to their professional duties. Furthermore, internal training can be better tailored to real needs and thus often gains greater regard and importance in comparison with external training.
Real work situations
Employees are trained on the job while doing their “everyday work”. They are accompanied at their workplaces and get personal feedback afterwards. The trainer refers to their experienced situations, for example how they dealt with different customers, how they handled a difficult situation, how they cooperated with each other in the team.
Individual training
Soufflearning is always adjusted to the specific personal situation and individual progress of each employee. Employees get personal feedback after having been accompanied. Each participant finds out about his individual skills and points of optimization. The trainer provides proposals for work action and the employee decides on which point he wants to concentrate the next days. According to the different needs of employees further personal talks and accompaniments follow.
Motivating effect
Soufflearning has a motivating effect on employees because the trainer believes in the abilities of the participants and that they want to improve their personal skills. During the vocational training sessions he takes their individual way of learning and personal situation into consideration. That is why employees feel more understood and supported. Learning then feels easier which also has a positive effect on the workflow.
2. Analysis
Sustainable impact
A balanced mix of accompaniments and self-learning sequences help employees to develop their personal skills step by step. By applying their knowledge to their every day working situations they easily retain and solidify what they have learned. Thus a high grade of learning transfer and long-lasting impact can be achieved.
Soufflearning is different from the classic forms of vocational training that usually take place outside of the companies and which often relates more general information instead of directly addressing the individual needs of the companies. The Soufflearning method is therefore of much more interest both for companies and trainers.