AECA

Over the past thirty years, AECA (Associazione Emiliano Romagnola di Centri Autonomi di Formazione Professionale) has committed itself to the training of young people, adults, women, foreigners, disabled people, wishing to enhance their human and professional capabilities to increase their opportunities, skills, competitiveness and personal satisfaction in a professional environment. AECA was set up in 1973 under the initiative of a group of vocational training bodies jointly engaged in the promotion of training initiatives aimed at achieving a full-fledged development of individuals. Today, this association encompasses as many as 15 vocational organisation – and 25 centres - many of which with a longstanding history. The AECA Centres are in constant and close with enterprises and they co-operate in a network that counts more than one thousand enterprises. They address themselves especially to people belonging to the weakest brackets of society, at risk of social and professional exclusion. All the associated Centres share the same mission. Hence, over the past thirty years they have been engaged together along the same path, i.e. leading towards a comprehensive educational project centred on the human being. This project does not just pursue the growth of vocational skills of individuals but also the overall development of their potentials, thus linking together the ethical, cultural and social dimension. Moreover AECA participates in complex projects, including integrated school-training university projects, as well as research and support initiatives for trainers’ training. Since 1988, AECA has committed itself to promoting and carrying out transnational actions, thus establishing strong co-operation relationships with several partners throughout the European Union. The association believes in the value of co-operation as a way to plan and initiate activities and projects, through the sharing of innovative ideas, practices and results. This has clearly proved to be the right way, especially in the implementation of Community Programmes. These occasions have allowed AECA to make useful experiences and to establish long-lasting relations with the other partners, to plan and implement joint activities, with the local authorities’ involvement in the sharing of resources, means and tools, thus leading to the transfer of the best practices. Over the years, AECA partners have become full-fledged members of the AECA working community, with a very positive impact on training quality and on the promotion of equal opportunities, to the benefit of disabled people, as well as young people. This approach has also undoubtedly contributed to the development of innovative ideas and projects, to a stronger co-operation between the members of the association, to a widening of the relations network and to the creation of a true European vocational training system. The principles on which AECA bases its daily work can be easily listed as follows: • strong and solid experience and expertise in the field of human development, in particular education and training of young people and people in need; • consolidation of AECA network which has the task to protect and support its members in their self-development processes and integration on the territory; • comparison and openness to the experiences of excellence at European level; • training of human resources; • preparation of new proposals with the aim of building and setting regional and national educational system, strengthening at the same time the role of vocational training. In addition, since 2008, AECA has been the representative body of the Temporary Business Group (RTI), composed of 42 Accredited VET Providers of the Emilia-Romagna Region, which are responsible for a project totally devoted to activities aimed at facilitating the fulfilment of compulsory education. The basic goal is, in fact, the educational success of young people and the struggling against school drop out in the age range between 15 and 17 years old. The project has been involving over 8,000 young people each year (of which about 40% of young women and 60% of young foreigners). Since 2011, AECA, in the role of the representative body of Temporary Business Group of 42 Accredited VET Providers, has been supporting the regional system of vocational education and training (art. 11, RL 5/2011), with particular reference to interventions aimed at developing basic skills and professional qualifications of young people in order to facilitate their transition between the education system and the system of education and vocational training, with a specific attention to students at risk of dropping out of school and training. European Union granted project in past 5 years EU Programme Project Identification Leonardo Partnership -1-LT1-LEO04-04863 ESF -RER AECA ESF -RER AECA Leonardo LLL Mobility -1-IT1-LEO01-02638 Leonardo Transfer of Innovation -1-IT1-LEO05-02810 Leonardo Transfer of Innovation 2013 L/13/T/0003 Leonardo Transfer of Innovation -1-GB2-LEO05-10789 Erasmus Plus -1-IT01-KA Erasmus Plus -1-IT03-KA Erasmus Plus 2016 VET MOVING Erasmus Plus 2016 Moving generation 2020 Erasmus Plus 2016 Tecod