Introduction
The professional training provided to low qualified workers within industries with high psychosocial risk is often limited to the mere development of technical skills. Moreover, training in such industries can also be restricted, since equipment is expensive and mistakes can be costly, both financially and in terms of the employees’ health. One possible solution is that of providing training through Virtual Reality. Consequently, RISKREAL was conceived as a project co-financed by the programme Erasmus+ of the European Union that adopted a technological approach to address this gap in skills and offer digital tools for the evaluation and acquisition of psychosocial competences. The project RISKREAL started in September 2020 and ran up to August 2023. The initiative was in turn contributed by a consortium of seven partners from four different countries; these being Spain, Italy, Malta and Greece.
What Are Psychosocial Skills?
These skills have been operationally defined as psychological and social abilities that enable the individual to effectively deal with the challenges and demands faced in everyday life through behaviour that is adaptive and socially appropriate (UNICEF, 2003). UNICEF (2003) clusters these skills into three major categories, these being cognitive skills (analysis and use of information), personal skills (self-management and personal agency), and interpersonal skills (effective social interaction and communication).
According to Elias (1997), psychosocial competencies can be developed and acquired through the use of exercises and methods.
The Cost of Psychosocial Risks
The cost of ignoring such skills results in higher levels of psychosocial risks. The latter is responsible for lower productivity, absenteeism, a fifth of staff turnover, five times increase in the likelihood of accidents, brain drain from early retirement, and reduced performance (EU-OSHA, 2013). In terms of financial costs on a European level, injuries and illnesses related to work translate in the loss of 3.3% of work years in the EU (EU 28), amounting to the approximate cost of 476 billion Euro (Takala et al., 2017).
The Challenge Faced
RISKREAL targets the needs of low qualification jobs within industry sectors such as wind power energy, metallic manufacturing, moulding fabrication, and other similar positions in which psychosocial occupational hazards related with emergency management occur. However, psychosocial skills are comprised by a multitude of different competencies.
Prior to the project, there had been no significant endeavour to identify the most desired and relevant psychosocial skills for the above sectors. Moreover, the body of literature pertaining to the subject matter was particularly limited.
In response to the above challenge, the RISKREAL project relied on the Delphi technique. This method involves uniting a group of panellists or participants that were especially sampled due to their expertise in a field or a subject matter. Consequently; the project brought together a group of participants (N=40), 10 from each of the four partner countries (Spain, Italy, Greece and Malta); consisting of psychologists, HR specialists, trainers, educators, employers, industry representatives and NGOs, and policy makers. The end goal behind the process was the formation of consensus and agreement in order to generate new conclusions. As a result, 12 soft/non-technical psychosocial skills were chosen. These are: Empathy, Achievement Orientation, Learning Orientation, Pressure Management, Openness to Change, Conflict Resolution Capacities, Team Work, Communication Skills, Time Management, Problem Solving, and Adaptability.
Project Outputs
RISKREAL has developed three digital tools for the evaluation and acquisition of the psychosocial competences identified above. The first tool is a gamified app that evaluates the individual’s attitude and skills, in order to allow for training that is specific to the individual’s needs. In addition, RISKREAL provides digital theoretical training modules that facilitate the cultivation and coaching of psychosocial skills. Finally, the project also offers a virtual reality simulator that reproduces both general and wind maintenance scenarios, to better train workers in the project’s curriculum. These resources aim to contribute not only to the worker’s employability, quality of life and health; but also towards the competitiveness of their employers.
Gamified Assessment App
The project’s gamified assessment app is web-based, meaning no installation of software is required by the user. The app can be accessed through this LINK and can be used both by individual workers to evaluate attitudes & skills, but can also by employers to develop worker profiles and tests specific to their enterprise.
Theoretical Training Modules
The digital theoretical training modules aimed towards psychosocial development & coaching are freely available for download. Readers can also select a translated version by clicking on the desired language below:
Virtual Simulator
The project’s Virtual Reality Simulator reproduces work conditions and prepares potential workers through different scenarios within two settings (one specific to wind turbine maintenance & one being more general). The simulator aims to assist workers to better train and reinforce the material learned through the project’s training modules. These can be downloaded through the corresponding links below:
For a complete overview of the simulator’s minimum system requirements, together with video tutorials for the simulator’s primary features, please click HERE.
Article by: Keith Coleiro
from MECB Ltd., Malta
References
Elias, M. (1997). Promoting social and emotional learning. Alexandria, Virginia: ASCD.
EU-OSHA (2013). Campaign guide: Managing stress and psychosocial risks at work. European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. https://www.nationalwellbeingservice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/campaign-guide-en.pdf
Takala, J., Hamalainen, P., Nenonen, N., Takahashi, K., Chimed-Ochir, O., & Rantanen, J. (2017). Comparative analysis of the burden of injury and illness at work in selected countries and regions. Central European Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 23(1-2), 6-31.
UNICEF (2003). Life skills: Definition of terms. New York, NY: United Nations Children’s Fund.
