In the wide environment of the European initiatives in the field of adult education, we hear more and more often about actions focusing on teaching mentoring practices. An interesting project that shares some objectives with YEP! has been launched in the framework of an Erasmus+ project (Strategic Partnership for Adult Education) called “Muinin-Confidence – Building institutional confidence in work/life learning and experience”, that began in 2016.
The project aims at increasing the number of disadvantaged learners successfully using Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)[1] to improve their life chances. In particular, Muinin focuses on professionalising the supports provided to disadvantaged learners in terms of their understanding of RPL, accessing the process and successfully completing it to validation.
In this context, mentoring here is seen as the base of the educational process leading disadvantaged adults to a wider awareness of RPL. The Muinin consortium elaborated a working plan whose purpose is to define the role of the mentor and to provide with tools supporting his/her mission.
Therefore, the following focused actions have been implemented:
• description of the ideal mentor facilitator in terms of their roles and responsibilities;
• the identification of the competencies required to professionally exercise these functions;
• setting out the teaching and learning strategies and produce the pedagogic materials needed to impart these skills and knowledge to potential RPL Mentors;
• development of a useful and accredited Mentor Facilitator Programme.
The project will result in the creating a new role for mentors in the workplace and in the community; it will develop competencies for the role, a blended learning training programme which will be tested through the lifetime of this project.
