Early plans for the Competence Centre training announced
The first details of the science communication training that will be offered by the European Competence Centre for Science Communication have been revealed.
Key target groups for the Competence Centre’s training have been identified and the nature of the training has also been defined, based on a mixed methods study.
The training will initially be aimed at science researchers, communication officers at universities and other research centres, staff working at science museums and science centres, as well as policymakers and non-specialist journalists. It will focus on competencies needed to communicate science effectively based on the recently published European Competencies Frameworks, co-creation among the COALESCE team behind the Competence Centre as well as insights from relevant experts.
Early plans for the training were outlined at a meeting of science communication educators and other members of the science communication community in advance of the PCST 2025 conference in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Ilda Mannino, Scientific Coordinator at Venice International University (VIU), described how work started on the Competence Centre training by investigating the training needs of different groups who communicate science as well as identifying current gaps in science communication training provision across Europe as perceived by the different groups. It also involved consolidating research from early SwafS-19 projects.
The Competence Centre is being developed within the European Commission-funded COALESCE project that involves universities and businesses across Europe. Staff at VIU in Italy and the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) in the UK have been leading the development of the training offer concept and future provision.
The Competence Centre will offer a core suite of training that will be delivered online. It is also envisaged that the COALESCE Hubs, a network of organisations across Europe involved in science communication which have a formal link to the Competence Centre, will also provide in-person training, adapted to language and national cultural contexts.
“We don’t intend to compete with the existing science communication training available in Europe, we will complement it,” says Joana Magalhães, co-coordinator of COALESCE, who works at Science for Change in Barcelona. “We are also exploring synergies with relevant actors so that we can develop a balanced plan that responds to community needs. The Competence Centre will provide a centralised space for people to access bespoke training and trainers.”
