Print version Recommend this page Project Management Agency for Innovation in Initial and Continuing VET
Service networks for initial and continuing VET processes (SENEKA)
Lead manager: RWTH Aachen (Aachen University), 27 sub-projects
Funding: 0 9.94 million
Project ends April 30, 2004.
Working to strengthen the innovative ability of small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, an alliance of various networks developed practice-tested services, methods and concepts for knowledge management, skills development and for developing workable network structures. Twenty-seven firms from a broad range of sectors, six research institutes and 35 national and international associated partners have worked together within this alliance since May 1999 with the aim of linking players in VET service networks with one another.
Another important aim of this project was to develop and test organizational and content management concepts for the configuration of the network interfaces.
Interdisciplinarity, the provision of flanking scientific support by the research institutes to the participating companies, and bringing the topics dealt with by the projects together under the conceptual umbrella of a "virtual institute" that communicates through a specially developed virtual platform are just a few of the outstanding features of this project. Problems put forward by the project partners, scientific methods and approaches to research provide the basis for project work.
The SENEKA catalogue currently contains 35 projects that integrate the social, organizational and technical levels of knowledge management. Examples of this include the introduction of a "Web-based Information Room", the development and execution of module-based, part-time continuing training for the occupation mechatronics fitter, the development of a knowledge management "starter" workshop, and the development and execution of training for the occupation production-related change agent.
The SENEKA project has spawned two new firms to date: Diversity Management GbR which offers companies support (in the form of guidance and training modules) in making effective use of multi-cultural workforces, and web it easy which helps small and medium-sized enterprises find and implement knowledge-management solutions that fit their needs. The project also collaborated on the European Guide to Good Practice in Knowledge Management. This enabled the successful transfer of the SENEKA project's findings and results to the European level. So-called Communities of Practice have been established that will make it possible to continue operating informal networks which offer an important point of departure for cooperation even after the project has ended.
