<< Objectives >>This project aims to: - To transfer EU job carving/crafting knowledge as a work (re)integration approach;- To support the inclusion of vulnerable groups via strengthening their employment pathways; - To capacitate enterprises to serving as exemplary inclusive employers;- To enable mutual learning on new approaches that support inclusion and diversity in employment.<< Implementation >>1. Kick-off meeting2. Develop hand-on guidebook to help social mentors get knowledge on how to utilise job carving/crafting in enterprises3. Study visit to members of DIESIS practising job carving/crafting4. Training for inclusion mentors -social mentors with knowledge of job carving/crafting5. Testing the methodology in enterprises6. Validation workshop between PUBLIC and DIESIS network7. Exchange experience workshop with policy-makers<< Results >>We aim to see:- Companies employing vulnerable groups by adopting job carving/crafting mentoring; - Vulnerable people with improved skills for employability; - Adult training programmes better aligned to the needs of and opportunities offered by employers.

Context/background of the project:The field of social inclusion of people with vulnerabilities represents a difficult and articulated field of work per se. In particular, in recent years, also as a result of the economic crisis, the new migratory flows, and the increasingly rapid changes our multicultural societies face, social workers and organizations active on this topic are going through a phase of even greater difficulty.The specific changes related to the field of work, digitalization and the technological revolution prevailing in recent years, have further weakened the capacity of the sector, often only indirectly and passively involved in the digital revolution.Objectives:Taking these two elements into consideration, the ELASTIC Project (Exchange and Learning for Adult Social Workers: Training ICT Competences) aims to support and improve the digital skills of social workers and organizations active in the sector.Improving communication flows, providing effective digital tools and improving the effectiveness of their intervention are the strategic objectives of the project.Number and type/profile of participants and description of undertaken activities:The partnership included 10 organizations, from 5 European countries (Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Poland, Belgium).•4 Service providers in the field of social inclusion;•4 European or national NGO networks;•1 Training institution;•1 University.The participants in the project activities were (21 in total):•Adult social workers directly active in the social inclusion of vulnerable people (homeless, migrants, other minorities, etc.);•Managers involved in service management;•Other staff involved in administrative and communication related tasks.The project implemented 3 training and mutual exchange events, during which the participants were able to learn good practices, new tools, successful projects related to the use of ICT in the field of social inclusion. At the same time, exchange visits were carried out between the partners in order to further improve the content of the exchanges.Results and Impact:1.Participants have visited and exchanged practices with organizations active in their same field but in different countries with different political, social and life conditions, they have observed ad tested how different solutions could meet their same work-related tasks;2.Participants apply the acquired knowledge to their own original methodologies and practices to contribute to the redefinition of their organizations and the welfare system;3.Knowledge on new digital tools has been acquired and their use is more widespread inside the involved organizations;4.Participant organizations have a different and more open approach to digital systems and tools to exchange and manage information, communicate and work in teams;5.Strong partnerships among European participant organization have been built;Main result: •Enhanced digital skills and ICT tools use in social work organizations and their operators and, in general, their networks and collaborations. Impact: On Participants and Partners organizations:•Increased use of ICT tools learned during ELASTIC;•Better and more effective information exchange and systematization of the communication flows;•Strengthened communication among their local networks;•Strengthened efficacy of their intervention.IMPACT on the CONTEXT and STAKEHOLDERS•Support to social inclusion of vulnerable people;•Enhanced efficacy social inclusion service provision management by Public Entities, NGO and Public Bodies;

In the last forty years Europe has become a multicultural, multilingual and pluri religious society. Immigration phenomena cannot be considered an emergency anymore. As European citizens, we need to develop an intercultural attitude to be able to manage the cultural differences that increasingly characterize schools, job places, social services and public spaces. ObjectivesIntercultural skills cannot be improvised: they need specific training and a self-reflective attitude, which can be learned. In this project, we propose to:• fostering intercultural competences in different target groups by disseminating the MCE innovative intercultural approach thanks to training courses and multiplier events;• developing an intercultural approach in public and private life that can help to fight against discrimination, racism and extremism in schools, social services, public spaces, and so on;• developing, through the intellectual outputs and the joint staff training, a standardised competences framework, a course curriculum for intercultural training, original methods and new toolkits starting form Cohen-Emerique’s approach. Cohen Emerique’s intercultural approach:Cohen-Emerique noticed that migrants and professionals working with migrants often go through misunderstandings, cultural shocks and violent conflicts because of the different cultural frameworks and scale of values they act. When they live these cultural shocks, they fell vulnerable, angry, disoriented and their personal and professional skills are nearly paralyzed by these negative feelings. Instead of breaking off dialogue and relationship, Cohen-Emerique invites trainers, educators, volunteers and migrants to live cultural shocks as an opportunity to become aware of everyone’s cultural points of view, to share them by using words in order to promote dialogue and mutual understanding. Target groups: We address to intercultural trainers working in the social, education and health sectors, to professional educators working in social services, child protective services, in the juvenile justice field and in recreational public spaces, adult teachers working with migrants both in formal and non conventional schooling contexts, migrant parents, young migrants and volunteers working with immigrates in food stations, centres for first assistance and family clinics.Partners:Ruah (Italy) is a cooperative that aims at promoting social inclusion and an intercultural approach by offering intercultural training, language courses and welcoming first centres activities for refugees. Artemisszio (Hungary) is an independent private non-profit organisation that encourages continuous interaction between culturally, ethnically and socially diverse groups. They propose intercultural training based on the MCE approach and innovative methodologies such as forum theatre. CBAI (Belgium) is an association active in the fields of intercultural training, welcoming first-comers in the Brussels- Capital Region and supporting migrants associations. CESIE (Italy) is a European Centre of Studies that aims at stimulating change in educational, cultural and economic spheres. They have been working with the MCE cultural shocks methods in different domains (i.e.: diversity management in healthcare). Elan Interculturel (France) is an organisation that develops new methods to facilitate intercultural communication, collaboration and adaptation; the organisation’s staff has been directly trained by Margalit Cohen Emerique. Diesis (Belgium) is a European Research and Development Service for Social Economy which covers more than 10 EU countries through major national federations and national support networks.

<< Objectives >>DSEtools aims to deliver VET material for filling the knowledge gap between social and solidarity economy (SSE) actors (managers, entrepreneurs and workers) on the one hand, and open source communities on the other hand. It aims at enabling both populations to collaborate and co-design digital strategies meeting SSE principles and values of openness, democracy and sustainability.<< Implementation >>3 deliverables are foreseen: collecting best practices and consolidating them into a shared vision; designing a handbook; elaborating and promoting policy recommendations.Such deliverables will be produced and promoted during transnational events, involving project partners and external partners.<< Results >>This project will lead to the creation of a VET partnership between a European SSE network, and a transnational open-source community, together with their respective broader ecosystems. At the end of the project, both communities are expected to share collective knowledge and visions enabling them to design innovative digital strategies based on open-source and interoperable solutions, participating to the development of a sustainable and inclusive digital economy.