Empowering organizations through continuous training and development: contributions from a service-learning experience in higher education

In today's competitive labor market, it's imperative to prioritize ongoing training and individual growth. Many organizations recognize the value of investing in the continuous development of their workforce, as employees who stay updated and continually enhance their skills are seen as assets. Continuous training is crucial for both the personal growth of employees and the overall advancement of organizations. This involves a thorough assessment to accurately identify areas where improvement and growth are necessary. Once these needs are identified, tailoring the training programs to address these specific requirements becomes paramount. By aligning training initiatives with real needs, organizations can effectively foster development among their staff, ultimately leading to improved services and contributions to the community. In this context, this work intended to explore the contributions from a service-learning experience in higher education, the project More aPTO - More Learning in Work and Organizational Psychology, in the continuous training of employees. This project involves students of the master’s in work and organizational psychology, from UCP Braga, through the Curricular Units of Organizational Diagnosis and Intervention (1st Year/1st Semester) and Psychosocial Risks (1st Year/2nd Semester). Through the service-learning methodology, the two teachers who run the project promote integration between the theoretical knowledge about the practices of organizational diagnosis and intervention and the application of that knowledge in practice to have a positive social impact in the community. More precisely, this project aims to respond to training needs in the field of occupational health/psychosocial risks at partner institutions. In this case, the partner institution was the Portuguese Catholic University, Braga Regional Center, and the target audience was 1st and 2nd cycle teachers. Initially, training needs in the behavioral field were identified through the application of a questionnaire. The results showed that conflict management was a priority need. Once the diagnosis had been made, the second aim was to help improve teachers' skills in this area by preparing and implementing a training course. The students, supported by the teachers, held several sessions which were structured as follows: presentation of the participants and the objectives of the session; reflection on the importance of conflict management in academic and professional life; identification of the main types of conflict and their management strategies; resolution of a case study (for application of the learning) and sharing in a large group (for consolidation); return of the results of the diagnosis; Discussion/Reflections/Final Suggestions. The participants evaluated as very useful the session to fill the gaps around conflict management, noting that it was adapted to their needs. For their part, the students said that it was an opportunity to apply the content of the courses involved to a real situation, which promoted their motivation and more meaningful learning.