ITrampoline FOR ALL Erasmus Project

Project Title

ITrampoline FOR ALL

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Access for disadvantaged; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment

Project Summary

The main project goal was to enhance employability and inclusion of people with fewer opportunities into the job market within the iT sector. The project idea is to develop a pilot training&couching and development tool to contribute to integration of the target group with special needs into the IT world. The model was developed to respect specificities and assess potential of the phisically disadvantaged job seekers.

he project idea stemmed from the facts characterizing the current situation at the regional (incl. cross-border) job market. There is unfavorably high unemployment rate of people with disabilities. On the other side there are the growing IT enterprises which lack work force and struggle with inefficient recruitment. 1 300 open positions can be currently matched by 560 graduates from the ICT relevant disciplines. It also reveals that in the years to come the IT workforce demand will grow. The studies also suggests that to meet the profile of the specific ICT positions it is necessary to command a certain mix of qualifications which are currently not available in the desired combination in the VET structure. People with special needs deserve to get a chance to take work positions if they meet the requested criteria. Diversity and our sensitivity towards diversity as well as our ability to accept it and valorise it is to become one of the key factors in developmnet of employability in the near future on both the local and European levels.

The cross-sectoral strategic partnership of 3 non-profit organisations (Carpathian Foundation SK, ZOM Prešov, SK, CJD, DE) and 2 IT enterprises (T-Systems Slovakia, IT Services Hungary) was united under the common interest: to enhance intergation and inclusion of people with special needs into IT work environment. Each of the partners contributed in its own expertise, know-how, experience, professional staff and contacts.

After an exchange of know-how and experience followed by train-the-trainers activity and fieldtrip to the German organisations integrating people with multiple hendicaps into automotive manufacturing, the training- coaching model was developed. It was then tested on the pilot target group of 29 participants. The inovative model contains of: (1) an intensive interactive trainig Trampline, (2) Vocational Potential Assessment Center (VPAC) and (3) Elevator Development Center (EDC). Out of 29 candidates 12 succeeded in VPAC and 6 in EDC. 5 of the EDC trainees were recommended to follow their future profesisional careers in the IT sector. 1 is currently working on a full time contract in T-Systems Slovakia, 1 is enrolled with T-Systems University Programme, 2 have taken a 1 month internship in the partner company IT Services Hungary and 1 has returned to his IT entrepreneurship in his home town. Intellectual outputs VPAC and EDC have been localized by the Hungarian and German partners and thus are availabel in 4 languages (SK, Eng, DE and H).

Multiplication event organized in Košice (SK) brought to one panel discussion reps of all involved sectors (schools, IT employers, regional government, NGOs, career counselors). They all declared that the door is opened for everyone, examples of good practice should be promoted and bariers should be identified, disadvanteaged job seekers should actively apply for open work positions and NGOs should step into active colaborations with employers.

The project outputs have a good level of adaptability and can be used as a source for further adaptation as well as multiplication with other target groups.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 93495,28 Eur

Project Coordinator

Karpatská nadácia & Country: SK

Project Partners

• CHRISTLICHES JUGENDDORFWERK DEUTSCHLANDS GEMEINNUTZIGER EV (CJD)
• IT Services Hungary Kft.
• ZOM Presov
• T-Systems Slovakia s.r.o.