Employment for people with special needs or with double disadvantage is difficult in current work life. New networks and more sharing of experiences are needed to avoid the prejudices regarding people with disabilities ability to work productively. Social inclusion, employment for all, quality of VET has long been on the EU policy agenda. There are different levels of development in these fields in the participating countries.
The right of people with special needs and disadvantages to working on an equal basis with others is set in Article 27 of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. This includes the right to the opportunity to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in the labor market and work environment that is open, inclusive, and accessible to persons with disabilities. This Erasmus + funded Create Future project intends to meet the challenge described above through international cooperation and involving the end-users to co-creation.
Objectives:
At the project we aim to create a diversity toolkit for employers, guidance professionals and support workers who are working with people who have special needs. In the project, we look at existing coaching models and exchange information on different types of guidance methods with international partners.
In the project, all activities are based on co-development and during the project we intend to create a model of how co-development work can be implemented in international cooperation and project work. The aim is to involve experts in the field, representatives of working life and, customers in the design of new ways of working and the creation of models.
For final result the main goal is to find suitable forms of employment for people with disabilities. In particular, to develop the working skills of people in need of more support, identify possible ways of working and models that can be used in current housing and day services, both in individual and group situations that support bridging for future working life.
The target group at the project are educational staff, support services and workplace representatives.
The secondary target group is people with special needs and disadvantaged at education or employment services.
Activities:
We will organize four Transnational Project Meetings to work on the projects' Intellectual Outputs/ products and disseminate the results. And will also arrange two learning, teaching and training activities to involve the end users for modelling the products, and to get feedback for the improvement. We will also organize three multiplier events as dissemination workshops.
The products are:
IO1: Collaboration model of user-centred design prosses
IO2: Pilot Training in “3” Coaching Models for trainers/coaches
IO3: Toolkit for diversity training for employers and support service staff.
Learning, teaching and training activities:
LTT 1: The role of the Support Services for a person´s education and possibilities for employment
LTT 2: Multidisciplinary cooperation to support diversity
The purpose of these models and joint events is to give tools for teaching, guiding and training. The beneficiaries are educational and support services staff members and workplace representatives who work with people with special needs and with double disadvantages.
The expected impact and long-term benefits:
The immediate effect of the project is, that partner organisations staff members, training, and coaching skills will develop, and the methodological skills will increase. The mentioned new skills are learned, and knowledge about the existing coaching methods is exchanged in Learning, Teaching and Training activities, and when working on Intellectual Outputs.
Workplace representatives will benefit from the diversity training- and job coaching methods - materials which are produced by the project.
All the models and methods will be available on the internet. In particular, the handbook for the training model and the lecture materials are translated, by the partners, into their own country's language, which will ensure wider user-driven accessibility.
A toolkit for a diverse work life
CF Visualisation IO1 Involving end users in design
The 3 coaching models - Facilitator guide
The 3 coaching models - Facilitator guide - FIN
Creating support models for participation in future work life