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Leeds Beckett secures £360k Erasmus+ grant to help young people make informed decisions when leaving school
Leeds Beckett University has secured funding for a new multi-national project that focuses on how best to support young people, predominantly from marginalized groups, as they plan to make the transition from compulsory schooling towards future positive destinations.
The 3-year PICAP project (Promoting Informed Choices for All Young People) starts in November 2019 and will be jointly led by Dr Marc Fabri from the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing, and Dr Mhairi Beaton from the Carnegie School of Education. The aim of the project is to reduce early school leaving and prevent young people from entering the job market with insufficient skills.
Project Aims
PICAP will focus on young people’s identity development: The project will develop a videogame that allows young people to learn about skills that are useful in different areas of life, education or work. Young people will identify the skills they already possess and be encouraged to think about how to attain new skills. The game will allow them to explore their possible future in a safe, playful and engaging way. Teachers will be involved in supporting the young people, benefitting from training modules which are also developed as part of the project.
Dr Marc Fabri will lead the technical elements of the project, especially the conception and design of the videogame. Dr Beaton looks after the educational and teacher training elements.
What's the impact?
In the long term, PICAP will contribute to increased employment, greater cohesion in society and economic prosperity despite the rapid changes in the employment market. This is particularly relevant for groups who are at an increased risk of not having the educational preparations and qualifications for a twenty-first century workplace and society.
Partners
- Leeds Beckett University, UK
- Ahead Partnerships, UK
- University of Tromso, Norway
- The National Education Institute of Slovenia
- Progresso Infantil, Portugal
- CESIE, Italy
For further information, please contact Dr Mark Fabri at the details below.
Dr Marc Fabri
Marc is a Reader in Participatory Design. He focuses on the design of technology that enables people to overcome challenges, move towards positive behaviour, and generally live better lives. His specific research interest is the participatory design of enabling technology.
