European Centre Training Programme
Tailor-made training courses on social welfare issues

What?

We offer a range of tailor-made training modules on the following thematic areas:

EU Labour mobility and migration policy

In this module we present and discuss the main aspects of labour mobility in the European Union. The module covers an overview of migration typology, emigration and immigration trends in a comparative perspective, EU regulations on cross-border labour mobility within the EU, such as the Posting of Workers Directive, the Temporary Agency Work Directive, the coordination of social security schemes, EU and select national policies on third country nationals, migration and integration policies in the different Member States, the impact of migration in sending and receiving countries, and the challenges in the management of labour mobility from a policy and institutional perspective.

Active labour market policies

This training session aims at presenting and discussing innovative active labour market policy measures for vulnerable groups such as production schools and integrated case management. We explore policies at the interface of labour market and social policy and discuss challenges of implementing measures that provide integrated support for individuals at risk of exclusion such as youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, etc. Interactive methods will be used to exchange know-how on what works and what does not work and to discuss innovative solutions fitting to the diverse contexts.

Work 4.0

The objective of this training module is to familiarize participants with present and upcoming changes in the world of work such as increased labour market transitions that are due to increased automatisation and digitalisation processes ('Industry 4.0'). The training offers theoretical and practical insights that can be applied within the own organisation and within varying contexts. Interactive methods will be used when discussing innovative solutions.

Social innovation entrepreneurship, workplace innovation

This training module will present the concepts of social innovation, workplace innovation and socially innovative entrepreneurship. The objective is to learn about the pro's and con's of each approach as well as the links between the ideas. Challenges in applying the concepts within the EU will be shared and lessons learnt discussed. The training session also looks at good practices that are implemented in varying European contexts, offers tools for application (checklists, reflecting questions, etc.) and provides a comprehensive understanding of what is innovative.

Social partners, social dialogue

In this module, we discuss the actors, mechanisms and functioning of social dialogue at the national and transnational level. Special attention is given to the role social partners (can) play in policy-making both in core areas pertaining to employment as well as social policy. In particular, we will discuss collective bargaining, minimum wage setting, VET, ALMP, OSH etc.

Occupational Safety and Health

The occupational safety and health (OSH) module will look into the interplay between international, European and national legislation regulations on OSH. We will then proceed by exploring the various aspects of OSH protection, namely OSH training and monitoring in the workplace, the role of the state, the employer, and the social partners in OSH regulation enforcement, the differences across EU Member States in terms of OSH and other related regulations, the challenges to implementing OSH regulations, and vulnerable groups such as contingent workers, migrants and posted workers, as well as cooperation and challenges to cooperation among enforcement agencies across EU Member States.

Discrimination at the workplace

EU law prohibits discrimination in the labour market on the grounds of age, sex, disability, ethnic or racial origin, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. Equal treatment legislation at EU level sets out minimum levels of protection for everyone working in the EU, including the provision of reasonable accommodation. This training module provides an overview on the implementation of EU Directive 2000/78, focusing on the reasons of the persistent employment gap between persons with and without disabilities, as well as good practices on providing employees with reasonable accommodation at the workplace.

EU employment policy

The objectives of this training session are to present and discuss current challenges faced with regard to employment within Europe and responses provided by EU employment policy (legislation and practices both at EU governance and national levels). We will provide insights into specific burning issues such as posting of third country nationals, occupational safety and health, workplace innovation and entrepreneurship for long-term unemployed. Interactive methods will be used to exchange know-how on what works and what does not work and to discuss innovative solutions fitting to the diverse contexts.

Partnership & SDG17

This training session examines the partnership approach adopted by the UN Agenda 2030 and Goal 17 (partnership), criticises its present direction and presents partnership as a unique policy tool for collaboration between governments, the private sector and civil society to help transform our world. The training builds on real life examples applied in various territories of the world. This should help to better understand the complex issue and raise awareness of the need for more balanced powers between the economy, the social and the environment.

Deinstitutionalisation

During the last couple of years, the European Union has supported the closing of institutional care and the creation of community-based social services in some Member States through significant amount of funding. This has been done in line with the EU’s own human rights obligations, as well as due to the realisation that in order to improve the economic situation in the EU, the social dimension of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) should also be considered. The training module will assess along different aspects the bottlenecks and impacts of these investments, provide a critical reflection on the deinstitutionalisation process and offer practical recommendations on making the transition process of social care services, smooth, inclusive and sustainable.

Social dimension of the EU

The objective of this training module is to learn and familiarize with initiatives taken by the EU and EU Member States to strengthen the social dimension such as the European Pillar of Social Rights. We will learn about the necessity to tackle root causes of social problems, about pitfalls when applying benchmarking in the social field and the necessity of setting benchactions following any benchlearning process. Moreover, challenges and drivers for social change will be explored. Interactive methods will be used when discussing innovative ways in contributing to social change process.

Integrated case management system

This training module aims at presenting and discussing an innovative measure that links active labour market policy with social policy for the benefit of marginalised groups. We will learn how this measure can be applied in various contexts, what is crucial for the measure to be successful and what potentials and caveats it offers. The objective of the training is also to raise awareness on the need for establishing good cooperation between actors of different policy fields, exemplified by real life cases of cooperation between the Public Employment Services and agencies responsible for social benefits at the local levels.

Social services

This training module aims at presenting and discussing key elements of Social Services planning and delivery, including monitoring & evaluation. The participants will learn how various service delivery models can be designed and developed to use key elements for accessible, efficient, effective and sustainable social services. The training will present common characteristics of successful provision of services, essential actions, funding models and delivery tools, as well as monitoring & evaluation tools.

Active labour market policies

This training session aims at presenting and discussing innovative active labour market policy measures for vulnerable groups such as production schools and integrated case management. We explore policies at the interface of labour market and social policy and discuss challenges of implementing measures that provide integrated support for individuals at risk of exclusion such as youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, etc. Interactive methods will be used to exchange know-how on what works and what does not work and to discuss innovative solutions fitting to the diverse contexts.

Rights of persons with disabilities

This training module provides an overview of the rights of persons with disabilities, building on specific provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), that are key to move towards the social inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities in societies. The module covers both European and national perspectives on existing legal and policy frameworks, bottlenecks and good practices to implement the CRPD in an inclusive and sustanable way. The training will highlight some challenging issues, like intersectionality, deinstitutionalisation, the disability benefit trap, employment gap or the collection of disability data.

Rights-based approach to long-term care

The European Centre has recently published a report, ‘Towards a rights-based approach in long-term care: Building an index of rights-based policies for older people in Europe’ which presents the findings of the Rights of Older People Index (ROPI) and the Scoreboard on Outcome Indicators, as well as policy recommendations for twelve European countries. This training demonstrates why a human rights-based approach is needed in long-term care policies across the EU and will walk participants through the structure and the results of the ROPI and the Scoreboard. By the end of the interactive training, participants will be acquainted with the domains, indicators and concrete policy tools that can be used in the development and assessment of policies for older people, in order to respond best to the social, economic and political challenges of an ageing population.

Evaluation in social policy

The training will build foundational and advanced knowledge of evaluation as a social policy-making instrument, aimed at managers and practitioners in the field. The training will introduce tools and methods required to evaluate social programs and projects at the local, national, and regional level. The training will also cover best practices to commission, manage and ultimately use evaluation findings for sustained decision-making. The training will discuss and exemplify evaluation standards and criteria that guide and ensure high quality evaluations. Finally, the training will provide ideas how to build an evaluation culture within an institution. The focus of the training can be tailored to the special requests of the client institution.

Social welfare, public health – and substance abuse

This module will provide insight and understanding of the impact that substance abuse, in particular alcohol consumption, has on social welfare and public health. Over the past decades there has been a strong tendency in European countries to downplay the negative effects of alcohol consumption on individual and public health and social welfare. The module will subsequently review possible interventions and their effectiveness at national and community level to reduce the harm associated with substance abuse. There is now a substantial amount of scientific evidence on the effectiveness of a great variety of possible interventions. The training event draws on expertise and materials available from the World Health Organization, various relevant projects carried out with support from the European Union and from the Alcohol Policy Network for Europe (APN). Participation will be of particular interest for persons in leading positions in health and welfare agencies and for policy advisers and policy makers at national and sub-national levels.

Rights of persons with disabilities

This training module provides an overview of the rights of persons with disabilities, building on specific provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), that are key to move towards the social inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities in societies. The module covers both European and national perspectives on existing legal and policy frameworks, bottlenecks and good practices to implement the CRPD in an inclusive and sustanable way. The training will highlight some challenging issues, like intersectionality, deinstitutionalisation, the benefit trap, the employment gap or the collection of disability data.

Rights-based approach to long-term care

The European Centre has recently published a report, ‘Towards a rights-based approach in long-term care: Building an index of rights-based policies for older people in Europe’ which presents the findings of the Rights of Older People Index (ROPI) and the Scoreboard on Outcome Indicators, as well as policy recommendations for twelve European countries. This training demonstrates why a human rights-based approach is needed in long-term care policies across the EU and will walk participants through the structure and the results of the ROPI and the Scoreboard. By the end of the interactive training, participants will be acquainted with the domains, indicators and concrete policy tools that can be used in the development and assessment of policies for older people, in order to respond best to the social, economic and political challenges of an ageing population.

Long-term care (coordination and integration, financing, workforce development)

This training module provides an overview on recent developments in emerging long-term care systems in Europe. Key challenges are underpinned by most recent data and policy trends. Based on a theoretical framework that addresses the interfaces between health and social care, and between formal and informal care, key areas for improvements in person-centred, integrated and sustainable delivery of long-term care will be presented and discussed. A special focus is being put on 'learning from good practice' and 'adapting good practice in my national/regional/local context'.

Active Ageing

This training provides insights to current policy approaches practiced in the EU Member States as a response to current challenges of social welfare systems in the context of demographic change and population ageing. We will draw attention to the need for designing integrative policy responses where locally embedded solutions will link different policies such as employment, social policy, education and the economy. Moreover, we will look at innovative ideas to tackle current obstacles and discuss the concept of 'Ageing 4.0' as a new policy framework, including new life-course approaches to social security and inclusion.

Deinstitutionalisation

During the last couple of years, the European Union has supported the closing of institutional care and the creation of community-based social services in some Member States through significant amount of funding. This has been done in line with the EU’s own human rights obligations, as well as due to the realisation that in order to improve the economic situation in the EU, the social dimension of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) should also be considered. The training module will assess along different aspects the bottlenecks and impacts of these investments, provide a critical reflection on the deinstitutionalisation process and offer practical recommendations on making the transition process of social care services, smooth, inclusive and sustainable.

Rights-based approach to long-term care

The European Centre has recently published a report, ‘Towards a rights-based approach in long-term care: Building an index of rights-based policies for older people in Europe’ which presents the findings of the Rights of Older People Index (ROPI) and the Scoreboard on Outcome Indicators, as well as policy recommendations for twelve European countries. This training demonstrates why a human rights-based approach is needed in long-term care policies across the EU and will walk participants through the structure and the results of the ROPI and the Scoreboard. By the end of the interactive training, participants will be acquainted with the domains, indicators and concrete policy tools that can be used in the development and assessment of policies for older people, in order to respond best to the social, economic and political challenges of an ageing population.

Ethical aspects of concepts of ageing well

This training will introduce participants to different concepts of ageing well (active, healthy, successful ageing) and to research perspectives which take a critical stance towards them. It will particularly focus on ethical issues that arise in connection with concepts of ageing well in the policy context. Participants will learn to identify ethical issues and discuss ways to address them.

For whom?

The training courses target:

  • Policy makers
  • Practitioners
  • NGO staff
  • Service providers
  • Social partners
  • Researchers, interested in applied research

How to participate in the trainings?

  • Interested entities and organisations, who would like to train their staff on these specific areas, have the possibilities to mix&match across the different thematic modules and areas.
  • Trainings may take place in Vienna, in the premises of the European Centre, or in a location preferred and arranged by the client.
  • Details about the syllabus and the duration of the training can be individually negotiated.
  • Information about the price is available on request.

For more information, please contact: training@euro.centre.org