Newsletter 5 – May 2024

From MOOC 1 to MOOC 2: Advising For International Job Mobility

Job Mobility is a key issue in Europe and a main asset in a professional career career

The EMoCC project, led by the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy), together with the University of Mannheim (Germany), Tuer an Tuer (Germany) Esmovia (Spain) and iriv (France) is meant to upskill career counsellors and professionals involved in guiding people regarding job mobility choices, to be better equipped in supporting candidates – youngsters or adults in the framework of the many opportunities suggested by the Erasmus + programme, professionals sent by their companies or people who were forced to leave their country (refugees, asylum seekers). The first part of the EMoCC project was dedicated to a data collection by a research study, while the second part is meant to design and test a first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) among career counsellors providing a general orientation counselling. The third part is dedicated to designing a second MOOC addressing career counsellors specialising in mobility/expatriation.

This Newsletter issue launches the testing of MOOC 2 Advising For International Job Mobility and insists on the difference between MOOC 1, addressing mainly counsellors specialising in professional orientation and integration, and MOOC 2, addressing counsellors specialising in mobility.

A new audience for MOOC 2: professionals specializing in international mobility

The first target group of the EMoCC, a direct public, is composed of career counselors; a final public or indirect public is composed of the clients of the career counselors.

The first target group is composed of two types of counsellors. The first one is the Career Counseling Providers (CCPs) who are professionals within “dispersed delivery networks” providing a career guidance without any formal training . The second one is the Career Counselling Experts (CCEs) with  an expertise in mobility willing to improve their knowledge and competence both in mobility and career counselling.

The EMoCC project provides both an initial and continuous professional development to trainers/mentors in work-based settings. Following the European Centre for the development of vocational training (CEDEFOP) , in its “Professionalizing Career Guidance” (2009),  competent career counsellors are crucial to support citizens in making effective career choices. However, within Europe, there is absolute heterogeneity amongst European countries as to career counselors’s training provisions, with the result that very often career guidance is delivered by professionals with completely different educational and training background and, subsequently, skills.

EMoCC is focused on the professional development of Career Counselling Providers (people who operate without having gone through specific training in vocational guidance), and of Career Counselling Experts (with specific training in vocational guidance but without expertise in work mobility), by mean of two different MOOC training paths.

An interview to Kelsie Ann Kerwin, coordinator of the MOOC 2 for Esmovia (Spain)

We asked Kelsie to provide her testimony on the MOOC she has coordinated, by focussing on its characteristics.

1. a different audience –The focus of this MOOC 2 is to target career counselors that are specialized in mobility, who have the tools and awareness of being able to guide future clients into this kind of experience. The difference here from the MOOC 1, is that there are topics that go deeper into diversity, self-awareness, and intercultural capabilities, as the professional needs to really understand themselves and their own situation, to be able to guide someone in this type of experience. There is a huge focus on soft skills, both the client and the counselor, so the two people can be joined in the experience together and connected throughout the steps.
2. a specific content – There are two perspectives shared here in this MOOC, as it is hugely important for one to know the tools that directly affect the client and the ones that directly affect the professional. This allows for a deeper dimension of understanding, as one needs to have this perspective-changing capacity to be able to look at things from different angles. A deeper understanding of this gives the professional the heightened capacity of empathy, and for our end users, it makes the MOOC more dynamic and therefore overall, more attractive.
3. a sensitive issue –The topic of diversity is huge in this MOOC, with the two different perspectives, counsellor, and client, reflected. One of the main components interlaced in with diversity is the element of self-awareness, so the counsellor becomes aware of their own profile and environment, and how that can have an impact on those they are working with. Once one has considered their own position towards others, they can then understand the different situations they will find themselves in. For example, differing situations where the culture of the client directly impacts the communication that can be had. There is also a focus on adaptation, for the professional to be able to respond to situations that are different.
4. a reflexive approach– The approach used here is reflective and holistic, meaning that the entire situation is looked at, not just one part of it. We are using the understanding that a strong professional is one who goes deeper into the elements of their client, analysing the differing components and their impact. We put emphasis on the fact that the profile of the client needs to be considered in the preparation period if possible, so future situations can be evaded or understood more directly and deeply. One of the elements we put focus on is expatriate guilt, which is something we encourage professionals to focus on BEFORE their clients find themselves in a different country, if possible!! This allows for one to interlace components that can influence positively or negatively the entire experience.
5. a new way to involve the learners– One of the most noticeable differences between MOOC 1 and MOOC 2 is the addition of the ACT NOW videos, that the end user will find after each one of the units. These are found very frequently, as the goal is for the user to have a quick video, encouraging action from their part. As indicated, these videos are composed of three action steps of things the user can do to directly implement the learned content into their life. We recognize that what truly counts from a course is the practicality of it, and how the user can implement into their life what they have learned. Not just take notes and consume the information, but bring it into their professional and personal life, so as to see the benefit.

Contributions from the Partners

We have been asking the team the following QUESTION : what did you learn from the EMoCC project? From your initial expertise to the new skills and competences acquired both on the content (intellectual knowledge & skills) and on the form (technical knowledge & skills).

The answers from the ITALIAN TEAM

Diego Boerchi – In the EMoCC project, in addition to serving as a scientific officer, thanks to my expertise in guidance and psychometrics, I am primarily responsible for developing three self-assessment scales on motivation, skills, and satisfaction with international job mobility. In addition, I am in charge of designing some learning units about career counseling, career interest development, and job satisfaction. The project allows me to explore a topic dear to my heart, which arose in past years with projects on training practitioners and experimenting with skills assessments with political refugees and foreign-born students.

Viviana Campelli – Within the EMoCC project, I have the opportunity to join my two main professional passions – European project design and Project Management. The far-reaching dimension of EMoCC inspires me every day while carrying out my tasks: from dealing with the national funding authority, to coordinating, monitoring and reporting the overall project implementation. My legal background and professional experience, in project management and within the third sector, allow me to move easily within the various facets of this ambitious initiative. At the same time, its stimulating challenges give me constant occasions to further professional growth, as well as the close and trustworthy cooperation with the project team and partners.

Silvia Favagrossa  – In the EMoCC project I am in charge of disseminating information about the project on national social networks, both to possible end-users and to possible orienteers. In addition, I designed the final evaluations of the 5 end Topics of MOOC 1, creating case analyses based on the content and Learning Outcomes of the individual Topic Units. Collaboration with the EMoCC Project allowed me to delve into the aspect of assessment of participant learning, specifically the structuring of case analyses for end of Topic assessment.

Marta Rivolta – In the EMoCC project, I am responsible for the website and platform of the two MOOCs. In addition, I oversee designing some learning units on sustainability, emotional coping of career counsellors and best practices for migrants in career counselling.  The project allowed me to implement my knowledge on the topic of career counselling, which I developed mainly with migrant users, broadening my perspective of interest, in a European context of professional mobility. I was very interested in the European scope of the tools presented in the career counselling and the different methodologies proposed, which are valuable insights for daily work.

Teresa Rinaldi: In the EMoCC project, I dealt with several aspects: from the selection of the bibliographic materials that would frame and support the creation of the research implantation related to the interviews and focus groups for the first part of the project, to the analysis of the categories that resulted from this data collection in order to construct and pilot test the WoMSA questionnaire. In the second part of the project, I was responsible for, on the one hand, verifying and coordinating at the macro level the dissemination activities headed by UCSC and, on the other hand, content creation for some of the units of the MOOCs implemented.  As a result of my involvement in this project, I gained valuable skills and knowledge in project managing, in understanding the complexity of organizational machinery and project managing, I learned important notions about the MOOC’s meaning and in relation to content about the need to train people skilled in knowing how to support individuals in making work mobility choices taking into account the psychological mechanisms that may or may not aid such choices. I have also systematized notions related to research methodology, team building and group work for content design and production. This experience broadened my skills in career counseling and provided me with insights into best practices for supporting migrants in a European career counseling context.

The answers from the GERMAN TEAM

Peter Guggemos – Thanks to the EMOCC project, my understanding of labour market related to counseling situations and the possibilities to influence the behaviour of the clients seeking advice has grown a lot. While working on MOOC 2 learning units, I have detected new cross-cultural diversity challenges, for instance in company cultures and in performance evaluations. And my English has improved, through many subtitle translations and the production of text for the  learning units. After working on the MOOC  1, the work on MOOC 2 was a bit more structured and less jigsaw-like. On the other hand, the topics of MOOC 2 seemed to be much more overlapping and interrelated than those of MOOC 1, making it more difficult to distribute the learning goals and the content between the modules. But I am not sure whether this could also be an artefact: after working academically for a longer time on a topic (like Labour Market related counseling), clear drawers in one`s head have developed, to sort the material in. In the end, it still remains unclear whether the structure of a topic according to the academic division of labour fits the topic well (which also has a lot of holistic and interrelated aspects), or just mirrors academic categories – which clients might see in a different manner.

Veronica-Dana Sana – In the EMoCC project, I am primarily involved in the creation of training materials, as well as in all parts of the value chain – from researching specialist publications, creating slide sets and interview guidelines to recording and further electronic editing of videos, formulating learning objectives and control questions, as well as translating German subtitles for the videos. I got to grips with researching and developing topics from the labor market that were initially new to me just as quickly and just as well as processing intercultural topics that I am already familiar with. I also have the privilege and honor to be part of a professional, international and multilingual team, and this certainly contributes a lot to my personal and professional growth.

Michael Scharpf – The EMoCC project has shown that the topic of career mobility counselling is very complex and requires special methodological components in addition to the content. It is important to offer counselling suitable for the relevant target groups. In my opinion, the e-learning concept is ideal for counsellors to learn the content quickly and from any location. The content is didactically very well prepared so that participants can regularly check their learning success. For me, the EMoCC project is a useful professional follow-up of the AMICO project (Erasmus+), which also promoted counselling for mobility seekers. The transnational exchange between the project partners allowed specialised knowledge and intercultural aspects to be integrated in the learning modules. All project partners benefited from this. This makes the project results especially valuable and offers very good approaches for further projects.

Anne Güller-Frey –  In the EMoCC project I am responsible for conducting interviews – individual and focus group interviews and a report – as part of the pilot study. Target group is the civil service sector, associations that easily reach the target audience. Conducting the interviews helped me a lot to understand, what kind of advice clients need. In addition, I am in charge of designing some learning units about intercultural competences within the workplace and mobility competences regarding the recognition of qualifications – from a clients perspective.  The challenging process now is the translation and revision of subtitles. The EMoCC project allows me to further develop my expertise on labour market integration issues of migrants and refugees, where I have been working since 2005 in the Network IQ, and in various other projects on national, EU and international level. The dissemination of information about EMoCC is also part of my activities. My many years of networking experience on national and international level – e.g. Metropolis International – ease the process.

The answers from the SPANISH TEAM

Maria Angeles Ruiz Gámez – In the EMoCC project, in my role of partner coordinator, I oversee the comprehensive development fo the project as well as the production of project outcomes within the ESMOVIA team. My responsibilities extend to organizing training sessions and managing logistics for LTTA in Valencia. Additionally, I lead efforts to facilitate collaboration by creating various tools for the partnership. With a focus on project outcomes, I actively promote the testing of MOOCs on Career Counseling among Spanish stakeholders. I also provide support to the ESMOVIA team by aiding in content creation, tool identification, and the promotion of MOOC testing on European Mobility. Engaging in this project allows me to enhance both my coordination and collaboration skills within an international setting.

Kelsie Kerwin – In the EMoCC project, I am in charge of leadership of the MOOC 2 content creation and organization. I have studied a Master’s in Entrepreneurship & Leadership, which allows me to have these capacities and put them into practice in this project, using my communication capacities. I am also in charge of the content for ESMOVIA, and the recording of the videos, which is something I have been trained in: public speaking. In this project I must be able to relate to the public we are working with, and in my day-to-day, I do coaching and emotional intelligence with teachers and students, which allows me to really give a lot to this project. During this project, I am learning about the target market and their needs. Learning how to lead wonderful professionals from different countries, with differing backgrounds and expectations. Have gotten better at organization and understanding of European projects.

Clemence Hugon – In the EMoCC project I am the person responsible for financial oversight of ESMOVIA team, registering and reporting the costs. I also handle various administrative duties like preparing and reporting documents, such as employment contracts, letters of employment, timesheets etc. for all personnel involved in the project. A significant aspect of my role involves promoting the project and dissemination information about its objetives and outcomes. Through strategic dissemination efforts, I aim to maximise the project’s visibility and impact within relevant communities.  By actively contributing to various aspects of the project, I enhance my skills in financial management, administration and communication. Additionally, the collaborative nature of the project enables me to thrive within an international team environment, fostering rich learning experiences and meaningful connections.

The answers from the FRENCH TEAM

Bénédicte Halba – Thanks to the MOOC 1, I could reflect on my experience as “experimental counsellor” among a migrant audience (international students and qualified workers) during a monthly club I conducted for 10 years. This counselling was meant to test tools or strategies designed in EU projects to identify and value the experience acquired through a migratory path for enhancing opportunities on the labour market. In the MOOC 1, I could describe the obstacles & barriers identified in the process and compare with others. The MOOC 2 is focused on diversity, my field of expertise. In a theoretical approach, I could insist on the specificity of the European framework (compared to other models). In a practical approach, I could reflect on one EU project on diversity & creativity. Working on our mutual clichés and stereotypes is crucial for building a sustainable relationship in a multicultural environment. Managing diversity is a highly sensitive exercise, the MOOC 2 combines different approaches & expertise, while associating different European countries (together with an international perspective) and tackling  the issue of corporate culture. Mobility is another  expertise I could improve thanks to the MOOC 2 with the necessary questions to be asked for implementing a project of expatriation, on a personal, social, and professional basis.

In the previous issues

Issue #1 – January 2023- general presentation with some feedback on the survey (PR1), edited by the UNICaTT

Issue #2 – May 2023 edited by iriv combining presentation of the survey and testimonies of the partners

Issue #3 – October 2023 edited by iriv reminding the 3 results with a focus on the PR1- survey and PR2- MOOC1

Issue #4 – March 2024 edited by iriv reminding the 3 PRs with a focus on the study (and a mobility profile) and the  testing of the MOOC1 with an achievement: the certificate the testers may gain

© This fifth issue was edited by dr Bénédicte Halba, iriv, Paris, May 2024, with the contributions of all the team from: UCSC (Italy), HDBA (Germany) and Esmovia (Spain).