Abstract:

The Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of Europe of 18th December 2006 identifies “Key Competences for Lifelong Learning” (2006/962/EC) that are essential in order to adapt to a rapidly changing and highly interconnected world. “Key Competences are seen as combination of knowledge, skills and attitude that all individuals need for personal fulfilment and development, active citizenship, social inclusion and employment. The Reference Framework sets out eight Key Competences such as: communication in the mother tongue; communication in foreign languages; mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology; digital competence; learning to learn; social and civic competence; sense of initiative and entrepreneurship; and cultural awareness and expression” (2006/962/EC). The European project Creative Learning Communities (CLC) - www.skills4me.eu - in the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci funding programme of the LLP (2011-2013) focuses on the development of so-called Key Competence 7 (KC7) – a sense of initiative and entrepreneurship. KC7 is an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action, including creativity, innovation and risk-taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects. KC7 means the ability to identify opportunities, including ‘bigger picture’ issues that provide the context in which people live and work, such as economics and the opportunities and challenges facing organisations. KC7 means translating ideas into new products and processes, and taking novelty out into the world in an effort to create value or improve upon existing products, systems or practices.

KC7 seeks to identify opportunities, allocate resources, create value and is frequently connected with organisational acumen including personal qualities and skills such as pro-activity, determination, leadership, creativity, risk-taking and initiative. KC7 also means to have the ability to produce something new through imaginative skill; whether a new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic object or form.

CLC seeks to identify the needs of VET trainers and at-risk learners, focusing on promoting creativity as part of KC7, to provide creative teaching tools for VET trainers and to streamline creativity teaching throughout Europe.
CLC indirectly stimulates entrepreneurial mindsets and attitudes of the target groups and fosters culture that is friendlier to entrepreneurship in the VET sector. Additionally the project seeks to innovate VET teaching, integrate individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds into work and education in order to be more creative and self-confident, whilst responding to recent EU policy developments and contributing to the development of the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQARF).

Keywords:

Innovation, Education, Creative Thinking, Creative Communities, Key Competences.