Opening gates for Women IN the stone sector Erasmus Project

Project Title

Opening gates for Women IN the stone sector

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Access for disadvantaged; Gender equality / equal opportunities; Open and distance learning

Project Summary

CONTEXT
The Stone sector represents a worldwide increasing market. Within the European Union around 60,000 small and medium sized businesses work with ornamental stone in all aspects. This comprises a work force of more than 500,000 people engaged in and around ornamental stone industry with strong economic and social impacts at regional levels. This sector represents a worldwide highly increasing market where European production reaches approximately 35% with a total turnover of about 24 billion €. Nevertheless, know how is exported not only in the stone quarry business, including the closely associated high tech machinery where Europe has a leading position in the world market, but as well as all forms of modern applications of stone.
However, the female workers are in a minority in the whole value chain of this industry due to lack of a gender integration, where the rate of feminization is only 7.25% at European level (source: Cluster Piedra):
– Barriers among colleagues: In a mainly male sector, it is not well seen by traditional society.
– Intrinsic barriers: It is thought that jobs in stone sector require brute strength and it cannot be carried out by women, but it is incorrect, because, currently, it is a sector that highly uses machinery.
– Labour market barriers: Women think they do not have any possibility to work in this sector, because they do not have a positive mentality about their abilities to carry out the tasks of this sector or because they think that they do not have equal opportunities. But this mindset has to change.

OBJECTIVES AND TARGET GROUPS
One of the challenges facing the 21st century stone sector is to highlight the issues of gender equity and female labour participation in a sector in which it must have an increasing presence. WinSTONE project claims that it is possible women integration in the whole chain value of stone sector, that is, provide resources and opportunities to recruit, retain, and advance, women in the stone industry.

For that reason, this project will be focused on the following target groups:
– Women -both at risk of exclusion, as young and over 45- (60);
– VET centres (10) and vocational training teachers (150);
– and entrepreneurs of the stone sector (50).

In summary, WinSTONE will become a resource for women to broaden their perspective (personal) through meaningful strategic connections at any level of their career, so they can reach their full potential and accelerate or enhance their career growth. Therefore, the objectives of the project will be:
– Expand on existing educational offerings.
– Increase peer-networking opportunities by coordinating venues to connect and learn.
– Develop a system of support and mentorship with other women in the industry.
– Create opportunities for women to serve on key industry jobs.
– Recognize emerging & experienced women who excel in the industry.
– Create awareness of opportunities and career paths available to women considering careers in the stone industry.
– Work with the WinSTONE Board of Directors and other committees and associations to achieve these goals.

PRODUCTS AND METHODOLOGY
In order to achieve those objectives, the methodology of the project will be focused on main beneficiaries will participate directly in the activities (women) as well as stakeholders (VET centres and entrepreneurs), where the main products of the project will be:
O1. Needs analysis report about gender equality in the stone sector of each participant country.
O2. Establishment of common learning outcomes focused on opening gates for Women IN the Stone sector.
O3. WinSTONE Open Educational Resource (OER).
O4. Production of WinSTONE Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
O5. Implementation of Vertical Action Plan in the stone sector.

IMPACT
DNV (Deutscher Naturwerkstein-Verband E.V) decided to start a project to promote integration of women in stone sector across Europe, and got in contact with CTM (Asociación Empresarial y de Investigación Centro Tecnológico del Mármol, Piedra y Materiales), NTUA (National Technical University of Athens), iED (Institute of Entrepreneurship Development) and KSK (Klesarska Skola), which are organisations with a wide experience in coordinating EU projects in these fields. The consortium, as a whole, has the biggest competences in develop suitable training materials for stone sector from a gender perspective, being aware of the importance of them represent the main European stone products areas and, then, the most comprehensive knowledge about this matter. Finally, the partners of the project come from different countries with a broad tradition on natural stone, where all partners have close cooperation with entrepreneurs, universities and VET providers.

Project Website

http://winstoneproject.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 218619 Eur

Project Coordinator

DEUTSCHER NATURWERKSTEIN-VERBAND E.V & Country: DE

Project Partners

• INSTITUTE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
• ASOCIACION EMPRESARIAL DE INVESTIGACION CENTRO TECNOLOGICO DEL MARMOL Y LA PIEDRA
• Klesarska skola
• NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS – NTUA