The Skills Builder Partnership is thrilled to celebrate the release of Egyesek’s research report, showcasing the effectiveness of the Universal Framework in robustly analysing project outcomes. This blog highlights the key findings of the research and demonstrates how the Universal Framework supports a comprehensive understanding of essential skill development.
The research involved 55 active youth workers and trainers from 13 European countries, participating in three Erasmus+ projects: ProfessionalED, Facilitate the Change, and Keys For Change Reloaded. The study aimed to assess the impact of these projects on participants' essential skills.
Why the Skills Builder Universal Framework was used
Initially, the research team planned to use three assessment tools for comparison. However, they realised that only the Skills Builder Universal Framework offered standardised indicators with numerical values, enabling robust assessment and evaluation. The Universal Framework provided a structured approach to building essential skills, which became the foundation of the research. Participants self-assessed their skills at each stage of the programme, and in the ProfessionalED programme, their fieldwork was evaluated by both themselves and two external assessors using the same framework. This consistent methodology ensured reliable data collection.
Furthermore, the Skills Builder Framework proved practical. Recognising the time and effort required for assessments, Egyesek chose the Universal Framework because it was easy to explain and understand, encouraging participant engagement and maximising data validity.
How the ProfessionalED Programme used the Universal Framework
The Universal Framework focuses on eight essential skills: Listening, Speaking, Problem Solving, Creativity, Staying Positive, Aiming High, Leadership, and Teamwork. Each skill is broken down into sixteen steps across four stages, from beginner to mastery. This open-source framework is backed by extensive research.
Before the program, all participants completed a self-administered diagnostic questionnaire based on the Skills Builder Universal Framework. This questionnaire assessed their baseline score in the eight essential skills. After each training session, participants completed a self-assessment to evaluate their progress.
For each skill, participants answered 15 questions addressing different components of the skill as set out by the steps of the Universal Framework. For example, a question for the "Speaking" skill might be: "I speak engagingly by using tone, expression, and gesture to engage listeners." Answers ranged from "Never" to "Almost Always," and the score for each skill was calculated based on these responses. External evaluators also used this scale during fieldwork assessments. The assessment process generated a numerical value for each skill, providing a quantifiable measure of progress.
Analysis and Outcome: Increased Essential Skills
The analysis revealed consistent improvement in participants' essential skills across the different training courses. The aggregate score, averaging 10.4 before the first training, rose to 12.6 after the final session, representing a 21% overall improvement. This indicates significant development in participants' essential skills throughout the program.
Qualitative research within the report reinforces the finding that ProfessionalED participants experienced significant personal growth, positively impacting their professional lives.
The graph below, from Egyesek's research report, shows the improvement in all 8 essential skills demonstrated by participants during the programs. The numerical scoring system provides a clear visualization of this progress.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Egyeseks's research provides compelling evidence of the Skills Builder Universal Framework's effectiveness in measuring and demonstrating skill development in youth work projects. The framework's structured approach, combined with its ease of use, allowed for robust data collection and analysis, revealing significant improvements in participants' essential skills. This research not only highlights the value of the Universal Framework for project evaluation but also strengthens the case for aligning Erasmus+ programs to the Universal Framework.
Skills Builder Partnership is proud to support initiatives like these and looks forward to further collaborations that empower individuals with essential skills for success.
