First Training Course, Liège (Belgium)
The first training course for the project VIP and new technologies took place from the 19th to the 25th November in Liège. Organisations from Belgium, Italy and Spain brought some participants to test the latest version of the EU founded project to improve the access to job market for visually impaired people. Views International hosted this course and provided materials, accommodation, food and free time activities. While the first morning of this course was dedicated to get some general information on the project and to break the ice in the group the official website testing started in the afternoon.
Have you ever asked yourself how to write a CV? Do you still have problems with writing your applications? Do you feel uncertain how to prepare for a job interview? Or are you just interested in knowing your rights as an employee? Then wait for the next training course to come or till 2020, for the provided test website had information on all of these topics.
It was divided in 6 sections. Next to the already mentioned topics : how to write your CV, how to write an application/a letter of motivation, how to act during a job interview and know your rights the web page also offers some helpful tips and tricks in applying for a job as well as information about how to get a job with social media. The participants checked, together with the national leaders all the information regarding contents and accessibility.
The leaders of the Spanish and Italian team have always provided a presentation of the displayed things on the website so the participants could exchange and discuss a topic before testing the online contents on the webpage. The feedback round after every website reading offered an opportunity for everyone to suggest some improvements on the contents, complete things on the webpage or complain about inaccessibility. These feedback rounds took place in a warm, open and constructive atmosphere.
To raise team spirit and group dynamics there were also some energizing games prepared by each organization and views International as a host took care for some evening activities such as a concert, a city tour or an adapted Yoga course for those who wanted. The highlight of the free time activities was definitely the cultural night where each of the participating countries presented some games and specialties from their regions. In the end of the project everyone from the group mentioned a good cooperation amongst each other, as well as a good organization of the course and an excellent first draft for the job finding website. Now everyone awaits the next training course in Granada.
Second Training Course, Granada (Spain)
Between September 3rd and September 7th, we took part at the second part of the process of creating an international platform consisting in giving an accessible webapp for blind and partially sighted persons to look for a job.
This project is called VIP-Tech-Job and wants to facilitate access to job market for young visually impaired around Europe. Four groups gathered in Granada (Spain) to test the new job research web-app. VIEWS International from Belgium, Aforisma Toscana and Istituto Rittmeyer from Italy and Docete Omnes Foundation from Spain are leading this project to give better chances for blind to search easier a job.
The main goal of this week was to test this webapp with different devices to check the accessibility. Partially sighted persons and blind are using different OS like Android, IOS, and also on computer some are using Windows, Mac… We gave feedback and what we would like to be added or improved on in this webapp. We also learned new uses between each other, we exchanged some IT knowledge. We could learn and compare how the job market is different in Belgium than Italy and Spain.
We did try some Spanish food like the yummy Tortilla, went to assist to a wonderful flamenco spectacle, and visit some place like the famous garden of Alhambra.
Friday the 6 of September 2019, we participated to the first real pubic launching of this project that officialize the creation of this webapp and the on-line training platform. The 11th of October 2019 in Florence in Italy will be the Italian launching and in Belgium it will happen the 5th of December in Brussels.
If you are around, and interested by this project, do not hesitate to join us in one of those events. We are looking for partnership and support, so come back to us if you want to help in any way.