We can identify the following functions of the portfolio of the employability skills:
  • Self evaluation of the young people – the tool serves to enable young people reflect on their own competences
  • Planning further learning and development – if the tool is being used on a long-term basis, it is possible to use it for planning the learning process. For example within the EVS we can use the tool in the beginning, middle and in the end of the project, using the first time to see what the competences volunteers want to improve, and the second and last meeting as a monitoring and evaluation.
  • Support the employability of young people – the tool increases young people’s awareness about their own competences, therefore we believe that it can be helpful during job interviews - when the person knows that they can do something, it boosts their self-esteem, and helps them to perform better.  Besides while working with the Portfolio young people are asked to think about the concrete situations where/when they have used or practiced the competence, that can serve as well as a preparation for the job interview and help them ¨sell themselves¨
  • Support of the recognition – with this tool the recognition can happen on various levels, first the personal one, so young people can get aware of their own competences, then recognition by the organization, since we motivate the organizations to issue the tailor-made reference letter (you can download it here!), where the employability skills will be underlined; finally this will serve for the employers to recognize the learning in the mobility activities.
  • Support in writing your CV – the tool has a part dedicated to sum up each competence to be able to copy and paste text directly in your CV or in your LinkedIn profile. Make more relevant CVs!

EVS and NGO sector

For organizations

For youth workers
You may ask yourself how the tool we created can be useful for your organization or for you as an EVS tutor? It is very simple; this new tool has different characteristics:
  • Can be used for your mentoring sessions with volunteers you are receiving, coordinating or sending.
  • Is different from Youthpass but complementary.
  • Helps your volunteers and NGO sector to speak the same language as the employers’ one. As we mentioned before, we started OVPELO project being aware that learning and competences obtained by young people within the mobility projects (especially EVS) are not recognized by the employers and due to this, they do not serve as an added value within the job application process.
  • Is a portfolio composed of 9 competences, which are directly related to the employers’ needs, based on our researches in 7 countries.
  • Gives the opportunity to your EVS volunteers to better defend themselves in front of employers, preparing them to use common language.
  • Encourages a better recognition of transversal skills such as “soft skills” developed during an EVS into the labour market.
  • Adapts NGOs sector language to employers’ one.
In practical terms, what can this platform offer me as a worker in EVS field and NGO sector?
  • Make your actions more visible among stakeholders and local employers using the Portfolio with competences understandable by every sector!
  • Make the work on competences more users friendly for your volunteers! Give another approach to your mentoring sessions to make their motivation increase.
  • Earn time and improve the quality of following-up your volunteers identifying employability skills. Download portfolio here!
  • Earn time and give recognized certificates fully adapted to what the employers are looking for. Download template of reference letter for your EVS volunteers here!