Workshop: Skills Map & Portfolio
🎯 Workshop overview
👥 Target group
Age: 18–30
Size: 15–20 people
Format: In‑person
Language: Polish
⏱️ Timing
Duration: 180 minutes (3 hours)
Breaks: 1 × 10 min
Energisers: 2 × 10–13 min
🎯 Main goal
Participants identify their competencies (soft/hard/language/digital), translate them into measurable examples (STAR) and create a one‑page mini‑portfolio with a 4‑week gap‑filling plan.
📋 Final products
- MP1 — Competency inventory
- MP2 — 3–5 STAR achievements
- MP3 — One‑page portfolio
- MP5 — Gaps map & 4‑week plan
📚 Learning outcomes
Knowledge: Differences between soft vs hard & transferable skills; competency evidence (certificates, projects, references, repos, links).
Skills:
- Names at least 6 competencies and assigns evidence
- Describes 3–5 achievements using the STAR method
- Builds a one‑page mini‑portfolio with headline, strengths, achievements, “evidence” and contacts
Attitudes: Agency, concreteness, plain language, truthfulness (application ethics).
💡 Inspirations from stories
- H1/H9: Language barrier broken with small steps → relational competence & determination
- H4: Stress & family responsibility → crisis management, resilience
- H7: B1 + new skill → development path and “evidence” in portfolio
🔄 Process logic
🔍 Self‑audit
Identify experiences from the last 2–3 years
🏷️ Competencies
Translate experiences to recruitment language
⭐ STAR
Evidence & achievements in STAR
📄 Portfolio
Assemble mini‑portfolio + plan gaps
🗓️ Detailed agenda (180 minutes)
🚀 Opening
Goal: Safe start, clear success criteria
Instruction: Present final products (MP1–MP5 + one‑page portfolio); rules: voluntariness, pause, respect
Materials: Slide “Goal & products”, flipchart “Rules”
⚡ Icebreaker “3 superpowers”
Goal: Trigger thinking about strengths
Instruction: Everyone lists 3 “superpowers” + short life examples. In pairs, exchange and add 1 hidden strength noticed by the partner
Outcome: Starting list for MP1
📊 Mentimeter PRE
Goal: Baseline measurement
Instruction: 3 questions from evaluation; capture averages to docs
📝 MODULE 1 — Competency inventory
Goal: Name & classify competencies + link to experiences
Materials: Card MP1, marker
Detailed steps:
- List experiences from last 2–3 years (work, studies, volunteering, family care, projects, hobbies)
- Assign competencies to experiences (from MP1 hints):
- Soft: communication, teamwork, organisation, problem‑solving, adaptability, stress resilience
- Hard/sector: software, accounting, sales, design, logistics
- Languages: Polish/English/Ukrainian/Russian (A1–C1)
- Digital: office suite, online tools, 2FA, basic analytics
- Transferable: planning, learning, running meetings, care/facilitation
- Mark TOP‑6 competencies to work on today
Success criteria: Min. 6 competencies with context examples (where used)
🔄 MODULE 1B — Translating experiences → competencies
Goal: Convert “life” experiences to recruitment language
Material: Card MP4 — Action verbs
Verb examples: coordinated, implemented, optimised, led, co‑created, reduced costs by…, increased attendance by…
Instruction: For 2–3 experiences from MP1 choose verbs & add numbers/results
☕ BREAK
Time to recharge and mingle
⭐ MODULE 2 — STAR achievements
Goal: Write 3–5 concise achievement descriptions
Materials: Card MP2 (5 STAR frames)
Instruction: For each frame fill in:
- S (Situation): Context, where? when?
- T (Task): What needed to be achieved?
- A (Action): What exactly did you do? 2–3 action verbs
- R (Result): Metric: number, %, time, quality, feedback
Peer feedback (10’): In pairs using rubric MP‑R (criteria 1–4): concreteness, measurability, your role, clarity
Success criteria: Min. 3 full STARs with number/quality
⚡ Energiser “Claim → Evidence”
Goal: Shorten statements
Instruction: Take 1 STAR and compress to one sentence: “I did X, which delivered Y within Z”
📄 MODULE 3 — Building the one‑page mini‑portfolio
Goal: Assemble materials for recruitment
Material: Card MP3 (ready layout)
MP3 sections:
- Header (name, contact, link to profile/portfolio if any)
- Strengths (3–5 bullets) — short sentences with action verbs
- Achievements (3–5) — shortened STARs
- Evidence (links/certificates/portfolio/projects) — QR/link
- Languages & tools (level + how you use them)
- Volunteering/projects (role, outcome)
- References (optional) or space for 2 feedback quotes
Work: 20’ assembling; 10’ table‑to‑table peer review (carousel)
Success criteria: One page fits on A4, is legible, contains min. 3 achievements and 2 “evidence” items
📊 Mentimeter POST + 4‑week plan
Goal: Closure and decisions
Instruction: POST (same 3 questions). Then fill MP5: missing “evidence” (e.g., project link, course certificate, reference letter) and a 4‑week plan (what/when/how)
🎯 Closing
Instruction: Photos of example portfolios (no sensitive data), collect 4‑week plans (for follow‑up)
📑 Printable workshop materials
Format: A4, one per person
CARD MP1 — Competency inventory
My experiences (last 2–3 years): …
Soft skills: communication, teamwork, organisation, problem‑solving, adaptability, resilience, initiative… (tick ☑)
Hard/sector skills: …
Languages: … (level)
Digital: …
Transferable: planning, running meetings, learning, mentoring, care…
TOP‑6 to work on today:
1) … 2) … 3) … 4) … 5) … 6) …
CARD MP2 — STAR achievements (5 frames)
| S (Situation) | T (Task) | A (Action — 2–3 verbs) | R (Result — number/quality/time) |
|---|---|---|---|
CARD MP3 — One‑page mini‑portfolio layout
Header (contact details)
_______________________________
Strengths (3–5)
• _______________________________
• _______________________________
• _______________________________
Achievements (3–5)
• _______________________________
• _______________________________
• _______________________________
Evidence (links/certificates/projects)
_______________________________
Languages & tools
_______________________________
Volunteering/projects
_______________________________
References (optional)
_______________________________
CARD MP4 — Keywords & action verbs (60+ list)
Action verbs:
managed, coordinated, implemented, improved, mapped, optimised, designed, conducted, reduced, increased, prepared, analysed, co‑created, negotiated, organised, supervised, developed, trained, moderated, facilitated, mediated, presented, documented, reported, monitored, evaluated, adapted, innovated, solved creatively, communicated effectively, planned strategically, implemented systematically, acted proactively, collaborated constructively…
Example metrics:
- % growth/decline
- Number of participants/clients/projects
- Delivery time (shortened by X days/weeks)
- Satisfaction level (1–10 scale)
- Budget (savings/increase)
- Reach (audience size)
- Quality (error reduction by X%)
Your own verbs:
_______________________________
_______________________________
CARD MP5 — Gaps map & 4‑week plan
| Missing “evidence” | Why needed? | How to obtain? | Deadline | Partner/support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
RUBRIC MP‑R — Portfolio assessment (0–2 pts/criterion, max 10)
| Criterion | 0 pts | 1 pt | 2 pts | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. One A4 readability | Illegible, chaotic | Partly legible | Clear, logical | ___/2 |
| 2. Concrete strengths | Generic statements | Verbs + context | Concrete + examples | ___/2 |
| 3. Measurable achievements (STAR) | No numbers/effects | Partly measurable | Full STAR with metrics | ___/2 |
| 4. Evidence & links | No evidence | 1–2 pieces | 3+ pieces/links | ___/2 |
| 5. Languages/tools aligned | Missing or irrelevant | Basic info | Level + use case | ___/2 |
| TOTAL: | ___/10 | |||
Interpretation:
- 0–3 pts: Starting — needs more concreteness
- 4–7 pts: Solid — good base, minor fixes
- 8–10 pts: Ready to use — apply now!
📘 Trainer guide
🏢 Logistics
Room: “U‑shape” + 4 tables; 1 flipchart + markers; projector
Printouts: A4, 1/person: Cards MP1–MP5 + Rubric MP‑R
Evaluation tools: Mentimeter PRE/POST (scale 1–5)
- Safety: Use anonymous story examples (H1/H4/H7) instead of personal ones if needed
- Numbers & specifics: Encourage %/time/quantity; if data missing — use reasoned estimates (“about 20 people”, “in 3 weeks”)
- Plain language: Short sentences, action verbs; avoid jargon
- Equal chances: Value non‑formal experiences (childcare, migration, volunteering) as valid sources of skills
- Language barrier: Allow UA/RU/EN notes on cards; peer‑translator; simple Polish examples
- No projector: Hand out A4 portfolio examples; draw STAR on flipchart
- Less time (120’): Shorten M1 to 20’, M2 to 20’, M3 to 25’; leave MP5 as “homework”
- More time (+30’): Add simple LinkedIn/JustJoin/NoFluff profile or PDF/Canva portfolio
- Mentimeter PRE/POST: 3 questions (see Evaluation)
- Outputs: MP1–MP5 + one‑page portfolio (photo/scan)
- Rubric MP‑R: Apply to 3 random portfolios for quality
- Attendance & consents: Attendance list; consent for photos of outputs
Before the workshop:
- Printouts MP1–MP5, rubrics
- Mentimeter prepared
- Portfolio examples (A4)
- Timer
- Flipchart & markers
- Projector working
After the workshop:
- Photos of portfolios (no sensitive data)
- Collected MP5 (plans)
- Saved Mentimeter results
- Attendance list
- Documentation per project requirements
On cards and slides:
- “Bridges of Hope” logo
- EU flag + “Co‑funded by the European Union”
- Erasmus+ logo
- Partners (KIS, Asociația Se Poate)
- Space for project number & info clause
📊 Workshop evaluation
Mentimeter questions (PRE & POST)
📈 Success indicators
- Average PRE → POST increase: Min. +1 point on each question
- Final products: 100% participants complete MP1–MP3
- Portfolio quality: Min. 70% score 6+ points in Rubric MP‑R
- Development plan: Min. 80% have MP5 with concrete deadlines