MEETING WITH EUROPEAN PARTNERS IN BARCELONA, SPAIN FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE WORKSITE COMMUNICATION- (RECOMMIT) PROGRAMME UNDER ERASMUS+ FUNDING
Professor Dr. Olga Solomonos-Kountouris, the Director of the School of Social Sciences, Prof. Kyprianos Kountouris and the Lecturer of the School of Social Sciences, Dr. Maria Petridou, visited in early November the capital of Spain, Barcelona, to attend the fourth and last meeting with the European partners for the official completion of the European Programme woRksitE COMMunIcaTion- (RECOMMIT).
The research proposal was submitted in the framework of the European programmes for adult education (ERASMUS+ KA204 – Strategic Partnerships for adult education (KA220-ADU) with a partnership of four countries and five partner organisations. The coordinator of the project was Th.S.E.K., headed by Professor Olga Solomontos-Kountouri. The other partners were UcLAN, ENOROS CONSULTING from Cyprus, Epanodes from Greece, Universitatea Din Oradea from Romania, and the non-governmental organisation Associació Social Andròmines from Spain.
The aim of the project was to develop communication skills in the workplace and to prepare prisoners for job search after their release. RECOMMIT was an innovative project, as it used Virtual Reality technology (VR) using real-life scenarios combined with experiential workshops to develop communication skills and prepare prisoners for the labour market.
As part of the visit, an official meeting of the partners was held on Tuesday 5 November where the last outstanding issues for the completion of the project were discussed, an evaluation of the project was carried out and future collaborations in funded research projects were discussed. In the afternoon, the partners had lunch in a restaurant, while in the afternoon of the same day a visit to the premises of the NGO Associació Social Andròmines took place. During the visit, the officials of the organisation described how the organisation operates and their social work. All partners admired the organization they have for collecting electronic devices (e.g. computers, refrigerators, etc.) upgrading them and distributing them to prisons, schools or other vulnerable groups at reduced costs. This social project highlights solidarity and recycling of electronic devices to provide assistance to vulnerable groups. At the same time, Associació Social Andròmines officials offer training sessions on technology and computer use in prisons, actively contributing to the development of technological skills and media literacy of prisoners.
On Wednesday 6 November, all European partners had the opportunity to visit the newly established ‘Puig de les Basses Penitentiary Centre in Figueres’. During the visit, a tour of the prison premises was given and talks were held with both prison staff and some prisoners. Through the discussions it was highlighted that the modern prison facilities offer impressive programmes and facilities for prisoners, focusing on education, skills development and personal development. All of their principles focus on research-based findings and human values. It was a great inspiration to see such a positive environment within a prison dedicated to rehabilitation and reintegration. The day ended with lunch at a traditional Catalan restaurant and a visit to the museum of the artist Dali.
It is an honour for the academics of the Th.S.E.K. to take part in international and European collaborations, as this not only founds the research work of the School, but also becomes a way of offering knowledge and skills to vulnerable groups, improving their well-being, underlining the social work of the Th.S.E.K.
