Project:  TRAIN BRAIN SOFT - DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDIZED CURRICULUM AND E-TOOL FOR SOFT SKILLS FOR PRIVATE SECURITY PERSONNEL

Description: Despite the growing global need of private security personnel, there is evident practice of early leave of employees and big turnover which alludes on systematic problem in this sector. Several international surveys had shown mismatch between skills acquired through private security basic training and the transversal skills needs at the labor market. At the same time, private security employers are struggling to find qualified employees and are interested in providing specialized trainings for their employees, however they all lack funds to do so.
The objectives of the project are: to improve the achievement in relevant and high-level transversal competences in a lifelong learning perspective for private security personnel; provide open and innovative training tool embedded in the digital era and improve and extend the offer of high quality learning opportunities for private security employees. The overall objective is to raise the awareness of the policy makers on how to strengthen current training policies for private security officers to effectively support andragogical practices that are conducive to developing transversal skills. Moreover, showcasing good practices in training and assessing transversal skills for private security personnel will provide extra value.
Project partners from Macedonia, Croatia, Norway, Romania and Slovenia, are representative national state organizations with public authorizations (organize official trainings and examinations for PS personnel). They are umbrella organizations for actors in the PS sector (private security companies and companies with in-house security).
The project aimed at development of standardized curriculum for soft skills for private security personnel and Modular Training Program for soft skills. The project produced 4 outcomes (Research on transversal competences of private security personnel with direct transversal skills needs assessment survey; Curriculum for transversal skills for private security staff; learning materials-Handbook for soft skills for private security personnel and Modular training program).
The project had additionally produced an Open on-line multimedia training tool with 3 entry levels: Basic Level module-for private security day-to-day work; Advanced level Module-for managerial private security positions and Train-the-Trainer module for acquiring know-how to further deliver continuous in-service trainings in the Private Security Companies.
The total number of participants in the project, trained for soft skills with the use of the project's e-training tool was around 6.500 private security personnel (approximately 25 % of the operative and managerial staff from the PSCs members of Project Partner Organizations). The trainees are employed in around 280 Private Security Companies (national and multinational companies).
The project had organized several small, medium and large scale, public events: experts round table discussions, public debates, promotional conference and workshops.
The project had used Critical Path Method, outlining a list of activities and a work-break-down structure. Spiral model “plan-do-review” was used for all project activities, including of several process groups. “Waterfall” methodology was used for e-training tool development.
The project is expected to result with dramatic improvement of the PS employees soft skills, resulting in their grater responsiveness for the labor market needs and customers demands. It will improve employability and carrier orientation, with more qualified and confident for the working needs individuals intending to find employment in the PS industry.
With this project PSCs are provided with meaningful tools for in-house training (Open on-line multimedia training tool, handbook for soft skills, methodological handbook for the training program) of their employees to further retain them satisfied and competent and remain competitive and be productive.
The potential longer term benefits will be to provide good-practice to ensure wider policy impact, initiate collaboration with the national policy-makers with intention to design legally regulated formal training for transversal (soft) skills for private security employees.