MS Net

MS-NET “How to access training through the net”

www.esclerosismultiple.com/msnet

INTRODUCTION

The development and execution of this project is aimed to people suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, specially women. Due to the specific characteristics of MS, and the high percentage of mobility loss that it produce, a lot of PwMS lose or have to leave their job, due to the impossibility to move to the workplace. For the same reasons they also have difficulties for training. The chances for attending training courses at specialized centres are low because of both physical and architectonical barriers, so their adaptation to technological changes is very slow or impossible, depending on the basic training they already have or the job they carry out.

Therefore, their illness not only leads to labour instability, often ending in unemployment, but it also conditions directly their aptitude for the maintenance of updated knowledge and skills. This is specially relevant if we take into account the growing need for reskilling of workers at all economical sectors.

MS-NET it is brought up in order to solve reskilling difficulties of PwMS. Learning how to manage the new technologies means a great opportunity for people with mobility problems, since they would be able to get the necessary training without travelling to training centres, achieving training through the net.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the project is to improve the quality and the access to professional continuous training, allowing lifelong acquirement of aptitudes and competences. Learning how to use NTI’s, improves access to training, and their possibilities for professional insertion and reinsertion are increased.

The specific objectives of the project are the following:

· To know and detect continuous training needs on NTI’s of PwMS.
· To involve social partners and entrepreneurs in the quantitative research, through the elaboration of surveys aimed to the beneficiary collective and to experts in the target collective, in training and in new Technologies of Information.
· To offer the target collective a training tool that allows them to obtain the necessary knowledge in the field of NTI’s.
· To promote the participation of experts both in New Technologies and in training, in the validation of the training tool, so that it permits the application of multidisciplinary methods and processes.
· To establish a design process of the tool allowing all the involved entities in its participation without travelling.
· To sensitize about the learning needs concerning the use of new Technologies for the improvement of accessing continuous training.
· To evaluate throughout the execution of the project, the evolution and implementation, as well as the methods and processes for its performance.
· To establish the basis for the creation, in a short term, of a net of Special Employment Centres that will offer continuous training to those who can’t accede to it due to mobility problems.
PARTNERS

The development of the project is being carried out by partners from different countries, each of them linked to the object and focused on the attainment of the results in their own territory. This means a significant enrichment of the final results, and it will contribute to the constitution and maintenance of a permanent net that, once the project is finished, continues promoting and supporting the access to continuous training of PwMS.

Partners of the project :

– Federación Española para la Lucha contra la Esclerosis Múltiple (Promoter)
Ponzano 53 / 28003 Madrid (España)
Tfn: 34 91 441 01 59
Fax: 34 91 451 40 79
info@esclerosismultiple.com

– ALONSO Y GARAY S.L.- ASIMAG (Coordinator)
Alameda Urquijo 85 / 48013 – Bilbao (España)
Tfn: 34 94 439 92 69
Fax: 34 94 439 87 04
proyectos@asimag.es

– Asociación de Esclerosis Múltiple de Bizkaia (ADEMBI)
C/ Ibarrekolanda 17 Trasera / 48015 Bilbao (España)
Tfn: 34 94 476 51 38
Fax: 94 476 60 96
info@emfundazioa.org

– Fundación Esclerosis Múltiple (FEM)
Tamarit 104 / 08015 – Barcelona (España)
Tfn: 34 93 228 96 99
Fax: 34 93 424 27 77
fem@svt.es

– Pragma Engineering S.r.l.
Via della Pallotta 5 / Perugia I 06129 (Italia)
Tfn: 39 075 30418
Fax: 0039 075 33202
mail@pragmaeng.it

– U.O.R.I.N. (Unita’ Organica di Riabilitazione Intensiva) – ASL3
Piazza Garibaldi / Trevi I 06039 (Italia)
Tfn: 0039 0742 339810
Fax: 0039 0742 339810
apan@krenet.it

– WESTERN GREECE AND EPIRUS U.E.T.P
Agiou Andreou 138 street, GR-26221, Patras (Grecia)
Tfn: 0030 2610 622 655
Fax: 0030 2610 272 425
madamopoulou@wegre.org

– BMI Association
Cesakova 424 / 180 00 Praha 8 (República Checa)
Tfn: 420 2 6671 0622
Fax: 420 2 6671 0622
bmi@brezen.cz

– Association SELOS FR
1 bis, rue JLB Cocquerel/ F- 62650- Hucqueliers (Francia)
Tfn : 333 21 06 54 54
Fax: 333 21 06 54 54
selos@wanadoo.fr
ACTIVITIES

During the execution of the project, a series of activities directly leading to accomplishing of pre-established objectives are developed. That is how three main phases were defined and carried out:

PHASE I: Analysis of needs for continuous training in the Information Society

Development of this phase has permitted getting to know what is the training level of PwMS as far as NTI’s is concerned, and what are their needs. The first activity was a revision of bibliography in all countries participating in the project, which allowed us getting to know the situation in this area and the differences existing at a transnational level.

Based on the revision of bibliography, a quantitative research was designed, taking into account socio-demographic, socio-laboral, motivational and training parameters. It helped us to define a profile of a person suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, especially in relation with their training in new technologies, their motivation training in this field, what they would prefer as far as the course is concerned, and for example the methodology to be used. We have also found out what difficulties they usually face during training, etc.

PHASE II: Design, elaboration and validation of the training tool

Based on the information gathered during the execution of the first phase, a training course was designed during the second one. It should respond to the needs of persons suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, not only from the point of view of methodology or the training material, but also other aspects that should make easier the integration of these persons into the Information Society.

Validation is a specially interesting element of the training material that guarantees that it is really fullfilling the requirements of PwMS. This validation is carried out at two levels: among final users and among independent experts. All of them can give us very precious information about necessary modifications or corrections, which will help us to develop an optimal tool.

PHASE III: Dissemination of results

It is obvious that all these activities that we have accomplished have no meaning, if the beneficiaries do not have notice of them. That is why the dissemination phase is extremely important. It will also allow us receiving comments, suggestions and different points of view, which will help us improving our work on this project and future ones. If you want to share information with us, please contact us at the e-mail direction that you will find at this Web Page.

We are also inviting all interested people to participate in our Workshop, which will take place in Bilbao, Spain. Details about time and place will be published at this Web Page on time.