IRIS II

1) OBJECTIVE

To promote equality of opportunity in vocational training, raise the profile of training for women, expand such training and establish and strengthen links throughout Europe.

2) COMMUNITY MEASURES

IRIS II Programme (1994-1998)

3) CONTENTS

Eligibility

The members of IRIS are vocational training organisations for women, employers' or trade union organisations and companies which are organising continual vocational training with a focus on equality or which have undertaken positive action schemes which include training.

IRIS II focuses on five priorities:

• identifying and disseminating expertise in training for women;
• including within the IRIS network (as membersassociates) the social partners and training organisations;
• establishing a national organisation in each Member State to stimulate vocational training for women;
• encouraging intra-Community exchanges of information about good practice;
• establishing synergy with schemes carried out by the ESF and the European Commission Task Force on Human Resources.

IRIS II activities in 1994

• establishing closer links with the employers and trade unions in both the public and private sectors;
• opening up Community training programmes to all IRIS members;
• wider scope for putting forward projects;
• organisation of awareness-enhancement sessions on training for women, aimed at Community decision-makers;
• creation of a "target group" of important journalists in each Member State with an eye to special media campaigns and specific action at Community level;
• organisation of a competition open to people who have found work after having completed a training course organised by a member of IRIS;
• organisation of European, national and regional IRIS seminars;
• IRIS reference projects can apply for a publicity grant to organise an exhibition or to produce publicity material;
• research on the priority topic for the year to strengthen initiatives undertaken by the network on teaching methodologies and the development of qualifications;
• organisation of a summer school for training staff;
• production of a basic information package on the various aspects of teaching to be used in the training of training staff;
• establishment of an information service for projects wishing to improve their evaluation techniques;
• planned exchanges for training staff, group and company visits, and publication of an information brochure about such visits;
• organisation of a contact seminar for IRIS members, visits to determine the feasibility of partnerships and a partnership information exchange;
• development of sub-networks covering specific topics at the request of IRIS members;
• presentation of an IRIS diploma to trainees having undergone training as part of a reference project;
• aid and assistance, provided by an IRIS member in each country, in the use of electronic mail.

European coordination of IRIS II has been entrusted to

the CETEC Consortium. This joint venture is coordinated by CREW (Centre for Research on European Women) in Brussels and comprises ACEREP (France), DIMITRA (Greece), CREW (Belgium), DONNALAVORODONNA (Italy), VIA (Belgium) and WETT (United Kingdom). These organisations have been selected because of their specific skills and in order to form a transnational structure which is capable of managing the future development of the network and to respond even better to the new needs of its members.

Duration

IRIS II covers a period of four years (1994-1998).

Budget

The annual budget of IRIS is ECU 1 million.

Communications support

The IRIS Bulletin (twice a year) will publish analytical articles dealing with topical aspects of training for women, case studies and interviews.

The current series of "IRIS special dossiers" will continue to be published.