Value – able Erasmus Project

Project Title

Value – able

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: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Disabilities – special needs

Project Summary

TARGET( people with disabilities)
•People with disabilities account for 10-12% of the world’s population.
•0,1% of European citizens (740.000) are now living with Inettllectual disdabilities (ID)
•Prevalence of people with Down Syndrome, commonest (15-20%) identifiable cause of ID – is 1/2000: 370.000, in Europe. Their average life expectancy has increased; it is now around 60.
•The right to work is getting crucial to ensure their independent living and self-determination. People with ID face a much higher unemployment rate than the rate applied to the general population.
•Furthermore, the vast majority have never experienced any form of vocational training and this is a further limit to their access to the labour market.
THE VALUEABLE NETWORK
This proposal follows two Erasmus projects which have set up and developed the Valueable network , which is now present in 6 countries and counts on more than 100 member hospitality companies, that host internships and/or hire people with intellectual disabilities.
OBJECTIVES
General objective
•Enhancing the access of European citizens with ID to VET and employment in the hospitality sector, through long- lasting collaborative partnership between VET agencies and employers
Purpose
•Enhanced access to training and employment opportunities through the European Valueable network in the hospitality sector.
•Increased capacity of both VET providers and hospitality companies to operate together
Outputs
•One protocol for the involvement of large hotel/rest chains in the Valueable network as facilitators of job inclusion.
•One protocol to strengthen partnerships between VET providers and hospitality organisations;
•Two tools to enhance the access to training (HACCP and EUROPASS adapted)

PARTICIPANTS
In addition to the 11 contact persons of the partner organisations, who will be the core of the network and will exchange ideas, methods and practice about job inclusion of people with ID in the hospitality sector, there will be at least 36 participants in training activities. 24 of them will be people with ID and the other 12 will be VET professionals.
ACTIVITIES
1) Design, development and testing of:
a. a protocol for the involvement of large hotel/restaurant chains in the Valueable network.
b. an accreditation protocol for would- be Valueable VET providers with learning resources attached.
c. HACCP training scheme, adapted to the profile of trainees and workers with id, in agreement with hospitality companies and certification entities. Adoption by network members for any trainee/worker included by them.
d. Revised Europass set of documents, in accordance with National Europass centres and adapted to the features of people with ID, in terms of language and ranking.
2) E learning of hospitality staff
3) Internships of people with ID in hospitality companies
4) Blended learning of VET professionals
METHODOLOGY
• Developing the outputs, according to the same process: background analysis, design of the prototype and presentation at the meeting of the partnership, development of a prototype, field pilot testing (limited within the partnership), evaluation of the pilot, extended testing.
• Field testing through internships and work experiences of people with ID at “home” and abroad in hospitality companies, with decreasing tutorship.
• Evaluation of the impact since the beginning of the project.
• Use of easy- to- read resources for people with ID
RESULTS AND IMPACT
HOSPITALITY COMPANIES Increased awareness of both large chains and individual hospitality companies about providing people with ID with training opportunities.
VET PROVIDERS Enlarged scope, “horizons” of new accredited VET providers to set up an internship , in collaboration with hospitality companies.
VALUEABLE NETWORK. Extended (10 countries, 200 subscribers)
1) Geographical enlargement of the Valueable network, aimed at including people with id in European hotels and restaurants.
2) Increased number of Valueable companies.
3) Increased number of accredited VET providers.
4) Increased number of people with id trained and hired.
STAFF
VET professionals : increased pedagogical and organisational skills .
Hotel staff: raised awareness of training skills and needs of people with intellectual disabilities .
PEOPLE WITH ID
a) Enhanced independence and social skills
b) Improved employability
c) Better professional skills.
d) Enhanced curricula vitae
Impacts in the following areas:
a) Increased knowledge and awareness about intellectual disability-related issues
b) Long-term positive economic and social impacts
c) Long-term improvement of attitudes of different stakeholders (hospitality managers and entrepreneurs, employees and citizens in general) toward people with ID

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 325328 Eur

Project Coordinator

Associazione Italiana Persone Down onlus & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Turilima Empreendimentos Turísticos do Vale do Lima SA
• NH Italia S.p.A
• DOWN ESPAÑA-FEDERACIÓN ESPAÑOLA DE INSTITUCIONES PARA EL SÍNDROME DE DOWN
• Az Ertelmi Fogyatekosok Fejlodeset Szolgalo Magyar Down Alapitvany Hungarian Down Foundation
• Turkiye Down Sendromu Dernegi
• Solmelia Italia srl
• Hamburger Arbeitsassistenz GmbH