Assembly of European Regions

Connecting regions, inspiring Europe since 1985

You are here: Home / Archives for Inclusion

This is the tag for all posts relating to Inclusion.

Why Innovative Skills are the Catalyst for Rural Areas

By

On 25 March, the Assembly of European Regions hosted the “Ambitious Skills and Innovation Strategies: A Territorial Approach” webinar. The event was part of the series of webinars on EU funding opportunities organised within the Skillnet project (co-founded by the Erasmus+ Programme) to bring together experts in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and to establish collaborations for future EU project proposals.

We are now living in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where machines and artificial intelligence play a significant role in enhancing productivity and wealth. These changes have given rise to new skills requirements and a growing skills shortage among businesses and especially SMEs, which often struggle to find the talent they require. The new skills requirements are not only limited to high-tech and manufacturing competences but also cover interpersonal skills, as well as competences related to sales, human resources, care, and education.

In the context of regional innovation strategies, rural areas should play an essential role, not just as a source of raw material and places to locate space-intensive activities, but as genuine partners and drivers of innovation. Additionally, increasing attention should be addressed to the many interdependencies between regional development policies and the skills required to sustain innovation strategies.

Interreg EU Policy Learning Platform – Support for regions in delivering better place-based policies

Existing networks and platforms offer increasing support to regional authorities across Europe to develop and deliver better policies through a territorial approach. Among these, Elena Ferrario, Thematic Manager of the Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform (PLP), presented the services of the PLP as online learning, events, and personalised policy advice through a free on-demand peer review service. The latter is a service offered to local, regional, and national policy makers who seek advice on a specific policy framework through the design of a two-day knowledge-exchange experience with experts and peers. The cooperative approach within the Interreg community allows to identify the thematic experts who will set the to-do-list of actions within two working days (online or onsite), and after 12 to 18 months they will follow-up with the implementation results.

The application for the peer review service is open permanently and is an easy process. Interested regions can access the Terms of References and/or contact Elena Ferrario [[email protected]] to apply.

Additionally, the PLP outlines policy briefs, concise and to-the-point documents outlining recommendations and best practices for regional and local authorities and policymakers. In this context, Katharina Krell, Thematic Expert of the Interreg Europe PLP, highlighted the Skills for Innovation and Skills for Energy Transition briefs, which feature policy recommendations that draw on Interreg Europe’s experience with projects on the development of skills for innovation, and which aim to show regions a path towards better regional innovation policymaking.

Good practice from the Donegal County – Education and training for high tech skills

The ICT FinTech and engineering industries are key sectors within the Donegal County, contributing to regional development and boosting place-based innovation. To this aim, Mr. Vinny McGroary, Area Training Manager at the Donegal Education & Training Board (ETB), stated that the County encourages the continuous development of new skills through Donegal ETB. The latter provides second-level education programmes and Further Education Training which include a partnership of collaborations within the community, voluntary and private sectors, as well as with businesses.

The national strategy is focused on promoting growth through the improvement of working skills from the beginning of apprenticeships right up to the professional level. Additionally, Donegal ETB provides a number of full-time and part-time programmes for the development of skills tailored to the industry’s needs, and many of these courses are industry certified and endorsed by employers. Among these, the Skills to Advance and Skills for Work programmes are tailored to upskill people with a lower skill set and who need more opportunities to make progress in their professional careers. The Apprenticeship programme enables close collaboration with industries through a combination of learning in the workplace and education in the training centre.

The provision of these trainings focusing particularly on the ICT, FinTech, and Engineering sectors has been of core relevance to address the high rates of school drop-out. Additionally, it contributed to boost solid partnerships between people, businesses, and local organisations.

Funding incentives for territorial development

As presented by Agnese Pantaloni, EU Projects Coordinator at the Assembly of European Regions, the EU has deployed several means to support territorial development in rural areas. Among these we find:

  • The Common Agricultural Policy 2021-2027 (CAP) will be supported by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development which is designed to reduce economic, environmental, and social constraints in urban areas and outermost regions, fostering knowledge transfer and innovation while promoting social inclusion, and economic development.
  • Additionally, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) supports Technical Vocational Education and Training systems through investment on skills development for smart specialisation, employability, and adaptation to labour market changes.
  • The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) brings together the existing European Social Fund with the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI), the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) and the Fund for Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD). Initiatives supported through this newly established fund will likely focus on the acquisition of digital skills through schooling and education, support measures to improve the recruitment, and promote the socio-economic integration of newcomers from third countries.
  • Interreg Programmes aim at fostering a more competitive, smarter, greener, resilient and connected Europe. Interreg Programmes include cross-border, transnational, and interregional.
  • With a budget of over €28 billion, the ERASMUS+ Programme supports mobility and learning for all across the European Union and beyond. It provides opportunities for study periods abroad, traineeships, apprenticeships, and staff exchanges in all fields of education, training, youth and sport.
  • Horizon Europe finances research and innovation projects in thematic areas such as climate change, transport, health, food, agriculture, rural development, energy efficiency. Participating in Horizon Europe is open to all types of organisations based in the EU and all over the world, both public and private sector organisations, working on individual and collaborative based projects.

Where to find resources & support?

LEADER/ CLLD: European initiative that supports development projects to revitalise rural areas through bottom-up approaches.
European Network for Rural Development: Hub for sharing ideas & experiences on how rural development policies work in practice, facilitating knowledge sharing and networking among all rural stakeholders in the EU.
Smart Specialisation Platform: The platform that provides guidance and good practice examples, tools to facilitate strategy formation & mutual learning of the smart specialisation strategy (S3).
EIP-AGRI: European Innovation Partnerships that build bridges between science and practice, collecting knowledge and best practices for farmers, foresters, advisers, and others.
Policy Learning Platform: The second action of Interreg Europe programme that provides a space for continuous learning, where a network of policy makers can benefit from personalised expert advice, updated news and examples of peer-reviewed good practices.

Open and Future EU Funding Opportunities and Initiatives

To learn more, you can download the presentations from the webinar on the event webpage, and join discussions through the Peer Learning Clubs!

Photo from Unsplash @jeshoots

This webinar was organised as part of the SKILLNET series of webinars on EU funding opportunities. SKILLNET is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission. Through building transnational and cross-sectional partnerships, SKILLNET aims to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs. To this end, after each webinar, a bulletin with open and upcoming EU opportunities is circulated among relevant stakeholders.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

REGISTRATIONS OPEN: Improving the attractiveness of TVET for women

By

In the context of its activities around skills and the future of work, AER has been organising a series of webinar together with partners of the Skillnet project since Spring 2020. We are very pleased to invite you to join a webinar on improving the attractiveness of TVET for women.

Important: The event has been postponed and will be held on 13 July 2021 at 10:00 CET. The change will not impact on the registrations already submitted for the initial date (19th of May) and no further action is needed by the registrants. Yet, for all those that have not registered, registrations are already open!

What about gender?

AER has been working on mainstreaming gender and equal opportunities in AER activities. This was reflected by the setting up of an Observatory on Equal Opportunities in AER more than 10 years ago, which was then turned into a Vice Presidency for Inclusion, Diversity & Equal Opportunities, currently held by Andrew Gibson, Hampshire (GB). In this context, the current focus on Technical and Vocational Education and Training provides an opportunity to look at the situation from a gender angle.

Bridging the gender gap in TVET

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training sector has a major role to play in providing the skills Europe will need in the future. Moreover, countries with well-designed vocational training programmes find it easier to avoid youth unemployment, even in times of crisis. However, this sector has traditionally been a predominantly male environment.

This is why the European Parliament underlined the need to

continue to address gender bias and gender-stereotypical choices by ensuring and encouraging the equal participation of women in vocational training for what are usually traditional ‘male’ professions and of men in ‘female’ professions; calls for the gender dimension to be reinforced in efforts to modernise VET systems and to make learning both at and outside work more accessible to women employees and those with family care duties, not least in sectors where women are under-represented, notably the digital, STEM and green sectors, in order to combat gender segregation in education and employment and combat gender stereotypes

European Parliament resolution of 17 December 2020 on the Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience (2020/2767(RSP))

The event will be held on 13 July 2021 at 10:00 CET and will provide an opportunity to share regional experiences and hear about support initiatives at the EU level.

If you would like to share an example from your region, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Birgit Sandu and Johanna Pacevicius

The events are part of the Skillnet webinar series AER is organising, which provides an opportunity for mutual learning around topics identified by AER members.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Register Now – Technical Vocational Education & Training and Civic Participation

By

We are pleased to invite you on 20 April 2021 at 10:00 CET to a webinar on how to encourage citizen participation of stakeholders in Vocational Education & Training

What is active citizenship?

Civic participation is a process in which people take collective action to address issues of public concern and can adopt many forms: from individual volunteering, community engagement efforts and organisational involvement to governmental support. With regard to governments, effectively engaging with stakeholders translates into better services, source ideas and knowledge, co-creation solutions and seizing new opportunities.

To achieve high-quality civic participation, it is however crucial to make sure to involve all regional stakeholders. Research shows there is a large participation gap between college students and other young people. Thus, this webinar will look at the factors that can improve civic participation of people in technical and vocational education and training, and how such multi-stakeholder strategies benefit regions.

About the webinar:

This webinar will look at:

  • Whether activities for youth participation are addressed to Technical Vocational Education & Training learners and tailored in a way that encourages participation;
  • how Technical Vocational Education & Training learners and teachers can be encouraged to contribute and be visible in political arenas;
  • identifying the systems which allow all segments of society to feel capable of contributing towards the fulfilment of SDGs.


Find out more and register here!

This webinar is organised as part of the SKILLNET series of webinars on EU funding opportunities. SKILLNET is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission aiming to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s role and capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs through enhanced transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is download.png
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is logosbeneficaireserasmusright_en_1.jpg
Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Job Vacancy: EU Projects & Policy Officer

By

Are you a motivated professional who is passionate about European policy? Do you have experience in the management of EU funded projects? Are you enthusiastic about knowledge sharing activities? If this sounds like you, and you are eager to reinforce an enthusiastic, international team with a wide range of responsibilities, you might be our new Project & Policy Officer. Apply now!

We are looking for a colleague to support our Project and Policy teams in the implementation of EU-funded projects, and the delivery of related activities. We want this to be combined with a knack for supporting our team in mutual learning activities, policy analysis, as well as contributing to our advocacy work.

We offer an initial 6-month, full-time Belgian employment contract, with the possibility of extension if our project activities continue to grow. You must have the right to live and work in Belgium. 

This position is to be based in Brussels. 

Are you our next colleague?

We need someone who is open-minded, a team player, organised, reliable and autonomous, and able to be operative from day one. In this position, you will be expected to ensure the proper implementation of EU projects within the AER portfolio, especially in the fields of education and training, culture, and inclusion. You will design and actively participate in mutual learning and knowledge sharing activities, as well as staying up to date on developments in relevant EU policy areas. You will work in our Project Unit under the guidance of the European Projects Coordinator, and additionally provide support to our Coordinators for Knowledge Transfer and Advocacy.

Key responsibilities

Project management – 40%

  • Implement project activities according to grant agreements, AER’s political priorities, and membership needs
  • Prepare project deliverables, monitor project progress, and evaluation
  • Prepare and process technical and financial reports
  • Cooperate with project partners, stakeholders, and member regions on a daily basis
  • Communicate and disseminate project activities, deliverables and achievements through AER channels
  • Support the AER team in scouting funding opportunities and establishing partnerships for AER member regions
  • Contribute to writing new project proposals within EU funded programmes
  • Participate in project meetings, webinars, workshops, etc
  • Being a small team all staff members are asked to perform additional transversal tasks and some secretarial work

Policy-related tasks: knowledge sharing and advocacy – 60%

  • Both in relation to knowledge sharing and advocacy, monitor policy development and draft briefings in selected thematic areas (examples: culture and inclusion, social cohesion, regional public services, or neighbouring topics). We will discuss with you the details of your thematic portfolio, taking into account your expertise and the topics of other team members.
  • Deliver project activities on knowledge sharing, capacity building and learning events, including conferences, webinars, workshops and training seminars.
  • Ensure the smooth running of these events including the participation of highly relevant speakers and stakeholders.
  • Support advocacy work and influencing activities. 

Your profile

  • At least 2 years of professional experience in the management of EU funded projects
  • University degree (MA or higher; or BA with additional academic qualification) in relevant subjects (e.g. Political Science, European Studies, International Relations, Cultural Studies, Economics, Management, or other courses related to this profile)
  • Fluency in English and another major European language, oral and written
  • Knowledge of EU funding programmes and opportunities
  • Good knowledge of EU policy-making, including regarding regional political challenges
  • Good understanding of several topical EU policy priorities (examples: sustainable economic development, innovation and digitalisation, social and territorial cohesion, public services and good governance, culture and inclusion)
  • Beneficial: experience in associations, non-profit work, or the public sector 
  • Beneficial: experience in partnership development 
  • Self-motivated and a self-starter
  • Strong team spirit and a positive attitude; eager to contribute to common objectives 
  • Autonomous and independent in completing tasks, with good organisational and time-management skills
  • Ability to prioritise and multitask
  • Excellent interpersonal  skills coupled with well-honed verbal and written communication skills
  • Excellent organisational and record-keeping skills
  • Good ICT skills (Microsoft Office Suite, various online tools, e.g. Slack, Google Drive, etc)
  • Readiness to occasionally travel between Strasbourg and Brussels, and AER events elsewhere

How to apply…

If this piques your interest, here’s how you can apply:

Please send a cover letter (max. one page) along with your CV in English to [email protected] with “EU Project & Policy Officer” as the subject line. 

Deadline for application: Friday 9 April – midnight.

Anticipated interviews (indicative days): 

Round 1: 19/20/21/22 April
Round 2: 30 April/early May

Desired starting date: June 2021

Due to the large number of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

————–

Founded in 1985, the Assembly of European Regions is the political platform of regional governments in wider Europe, with direct membership of public authorities from 30 countries – from Norway to Turkey and from Portugal to Russia. As the largest independent network of its kind, AER promotes the regions as key players in the European project, as well as democracy and good governance. AER has offices in Brussels (BE), Strasbourg (FR), and a Southeast Europe Hub in Alba Iulia (RO).

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is an equal opportunity employer – our membership is diverse and so is our team. In line with our political priorities, we are an organisation committed to fostering inclusion and embracing diversity, including in our recruitment process. We therefore guarantee equal treatment of all applications regardless of sex or gender identity, ethnic, national or social background, political or religious belief, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Job Vacancy: EU Finance & Administration Officer

By

Are you a numbers guru, with experience in project management? Are you also a good organiser who is happy to reinforce an enthusiastic, small, international team with a wide range of responsibilities? If so, you may be our new EU Finance & Administration Officer. Apply now!

We are looking for a colleague to support our Project Unit in the financial management of EU-funded projects. We want this to be combined with a knack for supporting the AER team in administrative matters, internal planning, and coordination tasks.

We offer an initial 8-month, full-time French or Belgian employment contract, with the possibility of extension if our project activities continue to grow. You must have the right to live and work in the EU.

This position is to be based in Strasbourg or Brussels.

Are you our next colleague?

We need someone who is responsive, responsible, systematic, and attentive. In this position, you will be expected to constantly refine our EU projects’ finances, as well as recurring workflows of the AER in a proactive manner. You will be working in our Project Unit under the guidance of the European Projects Coordinator (Head of Unit), and additionally provide support to the Secretary General and other team members in related matters of administration.

Key responsibilities

EU finance & administration – 70%

  • Financial planning, budgeting, and reporting; outlining of contracts; processing payments; and monitoring budgetary performance for specific EU co-funded projects run by the AER, in close collaboration with the European Projects Coordinator and the Project Finance Manager.
  • Ensuring a high quality of finance-related workflows within the projects and in relation to our donors, notably the European Commission, as well as compliance with the specific guidelines provided by the European Commission. You will also be required to act as the contact point for the Project Unit and other members of the Secretariat when it comes to the European Commission guidelines for the financial and contractual implementation of projects.
  • Preparing monthly timesheets together with colleagues; collecting and archiving of evidence for projects as well as administrative and legal documentation.
  • Contributing to financial and administrative aspects of new project applications.
  • Organisational support for activities carried out as part of European Project implementation.

Internal administration – 30%

  • Supporting the Project Finance Manager in compiling data and documents for the AER’s overall budgeting under the guidance of the Treasurer and the Secretary General.
  • Processing and archiving of invoices, including in view of external audits.
  • Liaising with our external Social Secretariat to ensure the smooth processing of payslips and holiday rights; and assuming other tasks related to salaries, social security, and taxes.
  • Administrative support to the AER team: Correspondence with internal and external stakeholders; organisation of meetings.
  • Being a small team all staff members are asked to perform some secretarial work.

Your profile

  • At least 2 years of professional experience in financial management and implementation of European projects, as well as in the preparation of financial contributions for project applications
  • Broad experience in workflow management and administration
  • University degree (B.A. or higher) in relevant subjects (e.g. administration, finance, management, European studies, or other courses related to this profile)
  • Fluency in both English and French, oral and written
  • Knowledge of EU funding programmes and opportunities
  • Beneficial: experience in associations, the public sector, or non-profit work
  • Self-motivated and a self-starter
  • Strong team spirit and eager to contribute to common objectives
  • Autonomous and independent in task accomplishment
  • Ability to prioritise and multitask;
  • Excellent interpersonal skills as well as verbal and written communication skills
  • Excellent organisational skills and record-tracking
  • Good ICT skills (Microsoft Office Suite and particularly proficiency with Excel; various online tools e.g. Slack, Google Drive, etc.)
  • Readiness to occasionally travel between Strasbourg and Brussels or to AER events

How to apply…

If this piques your interest, here’s how you can apply:

Please send a motivation letter (max. one page) and your CV in English in one PDF document to [email protected] with “EU Finance & Administration Officer” as the subject line.

Deadline for application: Sunday 4 April – midnight.

Anticipated interviews (indicative days):

Round 1: 12-14 April
Round 2: 19-21 April

Desired starting date: 3 or 17 May

Due to the large number of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Founded in 1985, the Assembly of European Regions is the political platform of regional governments in wider Europe, with direct membership of public authorities from 30 countries – from Norway to Turkey and from Portugal to Russia. As the largest independent network of its kind, AER promotes the regions as key players in the European project, as well as democracy and good governance. AER has offices in Brussels (BE), Strasbourg (FR), and a Southeast Europe Hub in Alba Iulia (RO).

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is an equal opportunity employer – our membership is diverse and so is our team. In line with our political priorities, we are an organisation committed to fostering inclusion and embracing diversity, including in our recruitment process. We therefore guarantee equal treatment of all applications regardless of sex or gender identity, ethnic, national or social background, political or religious belief, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Active Participation & Social Inclusion To Harness The Diversity Advantage

By

On 16th February 2021, the Assembly of European Regions in cooperation with IOM and the Intercultural Regions Network hosted the webinar “Intercultural regions: Active Participation & Social Inclusion“.
This was the third webinar co-organised within the framework of the Includ-EU project which works towards building more inclusive and cohesive European Societies.

Intercultural interaction at the core of positive diversity management

Policies and practices that foster intercultural interaction and inclusion are instrumental in enabling cities and regions to manage diversity positively. This third webinar focused on regional and local experiences facilitating migrant’s active participation and social inclusion.

Political will, effective methodologies, a learning environment

The webinar, which was moderated by Irena Guidikova, Head of Division of the Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Programmes at the Council of Europe, presented different experiences of the pivotal role of regions in building inclusive and welcoming communities, where no one is left behind.
Ms. Guidikova highlighted the slow evolution of concepts around migration, from the assimilation approach, which considered that individuals had to completely conform to the host society without the latter changing in any way and where all efforts were aimed at avoiding change, to the intercultural approach, in which aims cities and regions strive to become more inclusive and to harness the diversity advantage.

To this aim, the Intercultural Cities Network, which brings together over 140 cities in Europe and beyond, developed a variety of tools and methodologies as well as a mutual learning environment for cities. This inspired the creation of the Intercultural Regions Network, led by the Council of Europe and the Assembly of European Regions.

Are all animals equal?

Conny Brännberg, co-chair of the Intercultural Regions Network at the Regional minister of culture in Västra Götaland (SE), started his intervention citing George Orwell and asking whether in Europe some may be more equal than others. Building intercultural and cohesive regions can only be achieved by truly treating people equally.

The EU Action Plan: Lessons learned and upcoming changes

Angeliki Petrits, Policy Officer at the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs – DG HOME of the European Commission provided an overview of the main actions & principles underpinning the new EU Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion (2021-2027), built upon the lessons learned from the previous EU Action Plan.

In this context, the sectoral areas of actions regard:

  • Inclusive education and training, meaning better equipment for multicultural classrooms, as well as an easier recognition of qualifications and continued language learning.
  • Improving job opportunities and skills recognition by bringing together different labour market partners, and facilitating the assessment of migrant’ skills, especially for women.
  • Promoting access to health services, while ensuring that people are informed about their rights, and recognise the specific challenges faced by women.
  • Provide adequate housing, through the EU funding opportunities and the boost of mutual learning, both at the national and local level.

Ms. Petrits, underlined the importance of reinforcing strong multi-stakeholder partnerships of cooperation, as well as supporting the use of digital tools for integration and inclusion through the EU funding opportunities.

Overcoming barriers

Have you ever heard about quality social contact?

Jobst Koehler, Senior Integration & Migrant Training Specialist at the International Organisation for Migration – IOM, presented different solutions to overcome social barriers to integration and thus achieve a quality social engagement.

Understanding the possible targeted solutions to overcome the different barriers to participation is pivotal to address the latter. Whether they are individual, social, or institutional barriers Mr. Koehler stressed the importance of collective experiences and a social mix of activities, which combined with local communities’ communication around integration can influence the perception of host and migrant communities and helps to defeat the barriers to participation.

Experiences from the regions

The webinar presented two experiences from the regions:

Catalonia: community involvement at the core

Arancha Garcia Fresneda, the representative from the Secretariat for Equality, Migration, and Citizenship of the Government of Catalonia provided a quick overview of the activities implemented with migrant communities whose main features are cross-cutting approach, consensus, intergovernmental coordination and cooperation, and dialogue with civil society. In this context, Ms. Fresneda presented the activities carried out by the Association EAMISS – Equipo de Atención y de Mediación Intercultural y Socio sanitaria whose president is Jossie Rocafort.

Ms. Rocafort explained the strong presence of the Filipino community in the region and how their potential contribution to the development of an integrated society is hindered by the lack of communication with social services, among other challenges. In this context, the EAMISS Association aims to combine internal and external services to raise awareness within the community, among which language courses, social and legal assistance, as well as more activities aimed at boosting gender equality through the recognition of women’s rights.

The University of Padua & the Mentorship project

A very successful local example is the mentorship project organised by IOM to ease the inclusion process of TCNs in Italian universities by implementing peer to peer support scheme. In this mentorship programme implemented at the University of Padova, student committees are supporting foreign students’ integration by providing them with administrative, academic and social support.
Elena Tubertini, a Tutor and Team coordinator in the Mentorship project, presented the work they carry out, as well as the results of a mapping exercise to analyse needs and barriers of foreign students currently studying at the University of Padova.

Wrap-up & next steps

The event provided both insights on the barriers to active participation and examples of approaches and practices which improve active participation and inclusion.

The Includ-EU website will be launched in Summer, where anyone will be able to provide good practices & foster mutual learning.

Regions interested in joining the Intercultural Regions Network should contact Vania Freitas – [email protected]

Watch backClick here
AgendaClick here to download
Handouts Angeliki Petrits –  DG HOME – The Action Plan on Integration & Inclusion 2021-2027
 Jobst Koehler – IOM – Barriers to Participation
 Jossie Rocafort – Catalonia – Equipo de Atención y de Mediación Intercultural Sociosanitaria, EAMISS
 Elena Tubertini – University of Padua – Mentorship Project 2020/2021
Contact[email protected]

This webinar is organised in the context of INCLUD-EU, an EU project funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration fund (AMIF) which contributes to building more inclusive and cohesive European societies by enhancing knowledge, driving innovation, and stimulating cooperation between local and regional authorities in the European Union. To know more about the project, visit the project webpage, and consult this info sheet.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Interested to join a new project from Umbria to support the integration of migrants?

By

Are you interested in joining projects within the Transnational Actions on Asylum, Migration and Integration Call? TAMAT, a non-governmental organization located in AER’s member region Umbria, is looking for partners to join their new project to support integration and social inclusion of migrants.

About the Transnational Actions on Asylum, Migration and Integration Call – Topic 1 Developing and Implementing Local Integration Strategies through Multi-stakeholder Partnerships 

Even though integration mostly occurs at the local level, local plans and strategies have to coordinate interventions of different stakeholders. Thus the AMIF-2020-AG-CALL-01 aims to support the development and implementation of multi-stakeholder local integration strategies including various aspects of the integration process. The integration and social inclusion of migrants are crucial not only for ensuring the cohesion of EU societies but also for addressing skills gaps, labour shortages, and overall economic performance.

The maximum grant for a project is 1.5 million euros having the grant up to 90% of the eligible costs. The deadline for submitting the project proposal is the 16th of February 2021, 17:00:00 Brussels time.

About the TAMAT’S project proposal 

The project proposal developed by TAMAT “Local integration supporting scheme, through multi-stakeholder partnerships, for the social and job integration of regular migrants in resilient, sustainable and prosperous living places in urban, periurban and internal areas” will address Topic 1 of the AMIF Call.

The project proposal tackles regular migrants, particularly women and youth, and strives to integrate them in the social life and job market in urban, suburban and internal areas.  Local integration supporting schemes will help migrants to:

1. join third sector social services and job public services

2. acquire a personal coach or advise

3. participate in mentoring activities

4. access working spaces and/or related services

5. access the finance (micro-credits)

6. access the networks

The project will also support the networking of organizations working in the field of regular migrants integration through facilitating mutual learning, the exchange of good practices, and the emergence of strategic collaborations among public administration, business support organization, no-profit-organizations and the third sector. 

Expected duration of the project is 36 months.

In order to ensure transnational cooperation between relevant stakeholders in the development and implementation of local integration strategies, TAMAT as a coordinator of the project is seeking partners from France, Germany and Belgium. 

If you are interested in joining this project proposal and contributing to its further development, don’t hesitate to contact us by 5 February 2021.

Contact: Agnese Pantaloni, European Projects Coordinator E-mail: [email protected]

Contact: Simone Foresi, Project Manager E-mail: [email protected]

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Intercultural Regions: Active Participation & Social Inclusion

By

On 16 February AER will organise a webinar on how regions can foster active participation & social inclusion of third-country nationals for better integration policies and practices, together with IOM and the Council of Europe

Mutual learning to foster integration policies & best practices

Regional and local authorities are at the forefront when it comes to addressing integration needs in practice. It is therefore particularly important to create opportunities for structured and meaningful mutual learning on integration. This will enable regional and local authorities to share good practices and improve policies and practices.

Participation & Inclusion for Cohesion and Economy

Organised in the framework of the Includ-EU project, an EU-funded project which contributes to building more inclusive societies by enhancing knowledge and stimulating cooperation between local and regional authorities in the European Union, this third webinar will focus on active participation & social inclusion.

Policies and practices that foster intercultural interaction and inclusion are instrumental in enabling cities and regions to manage diversity positively and realise the diversity advantage. This webinar will therefore focus on regional and local experiences facilitating migrant’s active participation and social inclusion.

This event will be facilitated by the Council of Europe and will feature practices identified in some of the countries involved in the Project (Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain). DG HOME will provide an overview on measures promoting active participation, especially in the decision-making process, as per the new EU priorities included in the updated Action Plan.

This webinar is organised in the framework of the Includ-EU project, in close collaboration with the Intercultural Regions Network. The Intercultural Regions Network is a platform for regions to share knowledge, resources, and experiences to promote intercultural integration at the regional level, which is based on the experience and tools of the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities Network.

This event will be recorded. By registering for this event, you agree to allow the Includ-EU consortium to publish the recording online and use it for the promotion of the project, capacity building, and mutual learning.

Register here

Includ-EU is funded by the European Union’s Asylum Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). The project runs from January 2020 to December 2022 and involves the following partners: The International Organization for Migration, the Assembly of European Region, the Associazione Nazionale Comuni Italiani Sez. Reg. Toscana (IT), the City of Tilburg (NL), the Secretariat for Equality, Migrations, and Citizenship of Catalonia (ES), and the Region of Crete (GR).

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Intercultural Regions: Active Participation & Social Inclusion

By

We are pleased to invite you to a webinar on how regions can foster active participation & social inclusion of third-country nationals, together with IOM and the Council of Europe

 

When? 16 February 2021 10:00 CET
Where? Gotowebinar

 

Organised in the framework of the Includ-EU project, an EU-funded project which contributes to building more inclusive societies by enhancing knowledge and stimulating cooperation between local and regional authorities in the European Union, this third webinar will focus on active participation & social inclusion.

Policies and practices that foster intercultural interaction and inclusion are instrumental in enabling cities and regions to manage diversity positively and realise the diversity advantage. This webinar will therefore focus on regional and local experiences facilitating migrant’s active participation and social inclusion.

This event will be facilitated by the Council of Europe and will feature practices identified in some of the countries involved in the Project (Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain). DG HOME will provide an overview on measures promoting active participation, especially in the decision-making process, as per the new EU priorities included in the updated Action Plan.

This webinar is organised in the framework of the Includ-EU project, in close collaboration with the Intercultural Regions Network. The Intercultural Regions Network is a platform for regions to share knowledge, resources, and experiences to promote intercultural integration at the regional level, which is based on the experience and tools of the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities Network.

This event will be recorded. By registering for this event, you agree to allow the Includ-EU consortium to publish the recording online and use it for the promotion of the project, capacity building, and mutual learning. 

Watch back!  Click here!
Agenda  Click here to download
Handouts Angeliki Petrits –  DG HOME – The Action Plan on Integration & Inclusion 2021-2027

 Jobst Koehler – IOM – Barriers to Participation

 Jossie Rocafort – Catalonia – Equipo de Atención y de Mediación Intercultural Sociosanitaria, EAMISS

 Elena Tubertini – University of Padua – Mentorship Project 2020/2021
Contact [email protected]

Includ-EU is funded by the European Union’s Asylum Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). The project runs from January 2020 to December 2022 and involves the following partners: The International Organization for Migration, the Assembly of European Region, the Associazione Nazionale Comuni Italiani Sez. Reg. Toscana (IT), the City of Tilburg (NL), the Secretariat for Equality, Migrations, and Citizenship of Catalonia (ES), and the Region of Crete (GR).

Building the Circular Economy through Circular Skills: Regions and Universities leading the Change

By

The transition towards a circular economy is among the core objectives of policy-makers at all levels of government. Yet, its full and effective achievement strongly depends on the readiness of all the societal and economic actors. In this regard, a growing mismatch between skills and labour needs can hamper both the transition as well as the possibility to exploit its great potential for employment and social inclusion. To counter this trend and facilitate the adoption of effective models by regions and vocational educational and training (VET) organisation, AER launched a dedicated webinar within the 2020 edition of the Skillman International Forum.  

During the first day of the Skillman International Forum (10-11 December 2020), AER held the webinar ‘Circular Economy: Opportunities and Needs in the Labour Market’. The session gathered around 30 regional policy makers and international experts working in the Vocational and Educational Training (VET) system with the aim of sharing knowledge and concrete examples of how regional authorities and educational institutions are assessing and building the professional skills needed in a circular economy.

The event counted upon an international panel of experts in the field as Eva Hallström, the Regional Councillor of the Region Värmland (SE) and Chair of AER Working Group on Environment and Climate change. Mrs Hallström opened the discussion providing insights on the importance of achieving a full circular economy transition and the work that international organisations and institutions – including AER, the EU, and the UN – are doing to this aim. Inspiring examples of how the Värmland region is moving towards an inclusive circular economy were also shared. Värmland is at the forefront when it comes to the green transition through an established system of schools and a dominating university that prepares youngsters to work in a circular bio-based economy, an innovation park, and the recognition of “paper region” due to its long experience with the employment of sustainable materials as paper in the replacement of plastic and over 100 dedicated companies.

Additionally, Belén Gracia, PhD Area Coordinator at Campus Iberius (ES) and Coordinator of the Eramus+ Project PackAlliance, explained how the PackAlliance project is tackling the skills shortage in the circular packaging industry seeking to align academic curricula with industry’s needs, develop a post-graduate programme tailored to this emerging value chain, and extend the model for replication in other contexts. The project is based on open innovation and co-creation approaches that empower the main actors affected by the circular skills transition, as well as on transnational cooperation with higher educational institutions and private companies based in several EU member states. Students and SMEs cooperate in detecting the professional skills shortage in the circular packaging industry, and – through the support of educational institutions – in designing a new post-graduate programme focused on the needed competences.

Lastly, Øyvind Nordstrand, Advisor at the Inland County Council (NO), presented the regional and national efforts to strengthen the bioeconomy in the region and build upon its potential. According to a report published by SINTEF in 2018, 25.000 new jobs related to bioeconomy can be created in the region by 2050. To ensure that SMEs and workers in rural areas in the region are able to meet the future with the necessary competences, the region has launched the Competency Pilot project financed jointly by the County and the Ministry of Local Governments and Modernisation as part of a broader national initiative. Specifically, the project focuses on addressing the competency needs in the forest industry – being Inland the largest wood region in Norway – by applying the competency broker model, and connecting national and regional governments, local businesses, academia and education institutions, and the civil society. Competency brokers visit and liaise with local SMEs to map their needs in terms of skills, and on the basis of the results, the region develops a training programme that can be customised to the specific needs of the SME. At the same time, the project will provide the region with a more general framework that can be applied for other sectors and replicated by other regions.      

The examples and discussions held within the webinar emphasised the importance of directly engaging with local business to understand what skills are needed for a circular economy and to jointly develop educational or training programmes that can meet the needs of the future. At the same time, collaboration among regions and VET organisation across Europe and beyond becomes crucial for designing a model that can be broadly applied and declined to different societal contexts and economic sectors.

To know more, download the webinar’s presentations and engage in the discussions through the Peer Learning Clubs!

Open and Future EU funding opportunities and initiatives:

Photo from Unsplash @resul

This webinar was organised as part of the SKILLNET series of webinars on EU funding opportunities. SKILLNET is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission aiming to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s role and capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs through enhanced transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships. To this aim, after each webinar a bulletin with open and upcoming EU opportunities is circulated among relevant stakeholders.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

New mobility services: qualification profiles and skill needs

By

On 11 December as part of the 2020 Skillman International Forum, the Assembly of European Regions hosted the webinar “New mobility services: Anticipating skills and job roles“. This webinar brought together experts working in the new mobility sector, who exchanged perspectives and examples of how emerging skill needs and professional profiles are being integrated into this growing sector by regions and private stakeholders.

The event was part of the series of webinars on EU funding opportunities organised by AER within the Erasmus+ project Skillnet. These webinars bring together experts in different fields linked to vocational education and training (VET) and aim to build partnerships for future EU project proposals. 

Transformation of mobility services and the need to embrace the change

New mobility services offer potential solutions to a wide range of growing challenges like congestion, lack of space, rising populations, air quality, noise pollution, social inclusion, health, economic development, and job creation. However, the sector must be fully prepared if we are to make the most of these opportunities. Edwin Mermans, Senior advisor at the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure of the Noord-Brabant Process (NL) and process manager of New Mobility Services, highlighted that there is a growing skills shortage in the mobility services sector which could seriously delay the development of the services and hurt customers’ expectations. To bridge this gap, it is vital to understand what skills the future workforce will need, and retrain workers so they can make the best of this emerging labour market.

Regional perspectives on re-skilling for new mobility services

Two examples from regions were presented during the webinar, which shed light on how regions are tackling the skills shortage within new mobility services.

Ms Federica Rossetti, Innovation Manager at Innovazione Automative e Metalmeccanica based in the Abruzzo region (IT), presented the Erasmus+ project ‘A.U.T.O 4‘. This project focused on meeting the skill needs within manufacturing companies in the area of smart technologies by developing tailored training and education programmes; supporting the transition towards new mobility services.

A.U.T.O 4 brought together partners from four countries (Italy, Spain, German, and the UK) who worked together in the identification of “qualification profiles” and/or “occupational profiles” for the workforce in the automobile production. Using a mutually developed methodology, they identified newly required skills that have been analysed to define existing job profiles to adapt, as well as new job profiles to be boosted. As a result of the analysis, a new job profile, “Automotive Digital Mechatronic X.0.”, has been identified at the European level.

As explained by Carlo Poledrini, Director at the Arst (Sardinian Regional Transport Entity), new mobility services also offer solutions for the creation of new jobs. Mr Poledrini provided a detailed overview of the how the transport sector has evolved in the Sardinian region, the new skills demanded by the sector, and how the region is assessing these needs. He underlined that a greater emphasis on soft skills, digital skills, and enhanced specific managerial competences are fundamental and urgent for the development of the sector. Actions must be supported with innovative and up-to-date education and training schemes, as well as the establishment of specific career paths from secondary school onwards (as for the electrical transition of buses and rolling stocks).

Both speakers concluded that the mismatch between the current skills and the new mobility services sector’s needs can only be tackled through joint action, and underlined the importance of EU funding opportunities in bridging this gap.

Currently open EU funded opportunities and activities:

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Skills, motivation, success: 2 webinars announced!

By

How to encourage young people and provide them with adequate support so they remain interested in learning in a global context that is particularly challenging? AER is proud to announce two webinars, which will provide an opportunity to share regional experiences and hear about support initiatives at EU level.

Enthusiasm for technical & vocational training

One of the challenges in Technical and Vocational Education and Training is that it is often associated with negative representations such as the difficulty to follow general education or attend university.

The objective of the first webinar, which will take place on 27 January 2021 at 10:00 CET, is to learn about regional policies and practices aimed at making young people more aware of the opportunities related to Technical and Vocational Education and Training, in order to:

  • avoid early school leaving because of the inadequacy of training pathways and the risks associated with the feeling of failure
  • encourage young people to see Technical and Vocational Education and Training as a pathway for success: for the Technical and Vocational Education and Training choice to be a positive choice
  • recruit talented young people in Technical and Vocational Education and Training

Kjerstin Torpmann-Hagen, Policy Officer at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (EMPL) will provide an overview on existing support and funding opportunities for Vocational Education Training and initial training.

Boosting self-confidence

In order to help young people to thrive and prevent early school leaving, boosting self-confidence is instrumental as confirmed by projects such as JET-CD and detailed in the CEDEFOP VET toolkit for tackling early leaving under the intervention approach “Building motivation to learn“.

Trust is also essential to make positive choices or to believe that existing opportunities are actually accessible. In fine, that success is available. This is why self-confidence will also be addressed during the webinar.

Vocational Training in Times of Lockdown and Pandemic

In the context of the pandemic, it is not just learning modalities, which have been dramatically changed, it is the role itself of schools and teachers which was challenged. With lockdowns episodes across Europe, vocational education and training (VET) schools had to convert physical classrooms and work-based learning spaces into digital learning environments overnight. In this context, the virtual class became a place for community. Keeping the attention, motivation and good spirit of students became a major focus of teachers as global events increased uncertainty especially for young people.

Since Septembre European countries have implemented different measures to ensure the continuation of education and training. Teachers are faced with unprecedented challenges, as the abrupt move to digital environments increased social inequalities and the digital divide and often made learning particularly difficult for students with special needs.

This is why the second webinar AER is organising on 28 January at 10:00 CET, will focus on Vocational Training in Times of Lockdown and Pandemic. Experiences from the regions will be shared, with a focus on preventing early school leaving during the pandemic.

A toolkit to tackle early school leaving

The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) is one of the EU’s decentralised agencies. It supports the development of European vocational education and training (VET) policies and contributes to their implementation. The agency is helping the European Commission, EU Member States and social partners to develop the right European VET policies.

Early school leaving has impacts in many aspects of life, including employment but also health, happiness, or civic participation.

In order to support stakeholders to address early school leaving adequately, Cedefop developed a VET toolkit for tackling early leaving. This toolkit is a source of support to policymakers as well as education and training providers. Irene Psifidou Expert at the Department for Learning and Employability of Cedefop will present this toolkit at the 28 January webinar. Indeed, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic the risk of early school leaving increased substantially. A recent article by Cedefop underlines the impact of the pandemic and distance learning on dropout risk for vulnerable learners. The good practices, publications, toolkits, and recommendations of the Cedefop Toolkit for tackling early school leaving are therefore all the more relevant.

Go to the events!

The leaflet about the Cedefop toolkit is available in seven languages.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Defining the new skills for an inclusive future at the Skillman International Forum 2020

By

As a proud partner of the Skillnet project, AER is very pleased to provide an overview of the very first virtual 6th edition of the yearly SIF – SKILLMAN.EU INTERNATIONAL FORUM 2020, about redefining the future of learning, which took place on December 10th and 11th 2020. Practitioners, innovative academics, and industrial experts in the field of  Vocational Education and Training joined forces to promote an approach to curricula design based on skills foresight analysis.

This year the Forum adopted a holistic approach to face the new challenges risen during the pandemic in the context of skills and job opportunities. The underlying theme of the event was the importance of assessing and therefore providing key skills that people have to possess, especially in the Advanced Manufacturing sector, to actively participate in the society of tomorrow.

Let the curtain open!

The Skillman International Forum kicked off with the welcoming statements from Giovanni Crisonà, founder of the Skillman.eu consortium. The participants had the opportunity to hear that the skills mismatch between demands and labour offer, as well as the consequences of the pandemic, can be resolved by rebranding the Vocational Education and Training systems (VET). In this regard, it is instrumental to look at this shift of paradigm internationally by setting cross-sectoral collaborations and integrating the IT tools in any field of training.

Morning session

The morning session was the perfect venue to hear about the challenges for VET systems for the uptake of skills that can aid in the twin ambitions of the green and digital transition. In this context, providing a real on-the-job experience that makes it easier to acquire both hard and soft skills is instrumental, as well as strengthening collaborations between the public and private sector. Additionally, the pandemic is providing an opportunity to rethink how digital learning can be best integrated into VET curricula, by developing digital labs and web applications able to ensure that no one is left behind.

Afternoon session

During this session, participants had the opportunity to choose the pavilions according to their topic of interest: The IVETA pavilion addressed the issues that TVET stakeholders need to consider with regard to accessibility and inclusivity, from the work-life balance and wellbeing to the shift to the digital learning platforms. The EAPRIL pavilion focused on describing Skillman’s self-assessment tool for VET excellence, which detects labour market needs to foresight skills. The AER pavilion highlighted how VET programmes can support the transition towards a circular economy by boosting new skills in the population

The first day of the SIF 2020 ended up by expressing the instrumentality of virtual mobility in providing valuable opportunities both to participants and entrepreneurs, and the exchange of best practices from all around the world.

Second round!

Morning session

On the occasion of the second day of the event, participants turned the attention to the skills needed to master the challenges of the labour market of the 21st century. The impact of the pandemic has dramatically accelerated the need for VET systems to re-engineer certain parts to make them more responsive to changing labour market needs, and flexible to provide training to a broad audience, including adults in need of re-skilling.

Participants in the late morning had the possibility to attend different pavilions, among which the AER for those interested in the skills needed for the New Mobility Services sector, and break-out rooms listening to best practices, new assessments, curricula design and digital learning tools, such as SELFIE tool for digital-age learning in VET schools and companies, presented at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre break-out room.

Afternoon session

The final session of the event showed the importance of integrating training and engagement by using innovative technology learning devices. In this regard, the development of high-technological tools and applications play a key role in reproducing work and learning experiences while entertaining users, a key asset in increasing the interest in VET centres.

Participants promoted the “action-driven” model of vocational education centres where expertise and good practices are transferred also at the regional level creating synergies and collaborations, through a sustainable and multistakeholder approach. Eventually, the event presented the result of the discussions of the Peer Learning Clubs, the four groups of discussion which we are glad to invite you to join to shape the future of Vocational Education and Training centres, allowing exchange and empowerment via online and on-site activities.

Wrap-up!

The Skillman International Forum 2020 provided food for thought of possible initiatives to re-engineer the VET systems by changing the pedagogical approach, innovating the teaching method facilitating the all learning process with the right digital support, and last but not least by increasing the motivation and excitement of people to enact the right change. Building on discussions of the sessions and the overall findings, this is just another step to explore the pathways of VET may develop to address the future challenges that also the pandemic has posed. The transition should go beyond digital transformation and focusing also on the new models of work-based and community-based approaches that boost inclusive and lifelong learning.

Partnership in Focus

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Join the webinar on “New mobility services: Anticipating skills and job roles”

By

The Assembly of European Regions is glad to contribute to Skillman International Forum by hosting the webinar “New mobility services: Anticipating skills and job roles”, organised within the Skillnet project co-funded by Erasmus+ Programme. The webinar will take place online on the 11th of December, 11:15 – 12:15 CET. 

The event is part of the Skillnet series of 18 webinars designed to bring together experts in different fields linked to vocational education and training (VET), with the purpose of establishing relevant groups of collaboration and partnerships for future EU project proposals.

The webinar will highlight regional examples on the integration of new mobility services and the development of skills and job roles needed in the sector. 

New mobility services are offering solutions to today’s growing challenges in terms of congestion, lack of space, growing population, air quality, noise, social inclusion, health, economic development, and the creation of jobs. These solutions require skilled and adaptable individuals who are able to drive and support change. However, there is a growing skills shortage in the mobility services sector which could seriously delay the development of the services and hurt customers’ expectations. 

Thus it is required to look into new skills for the future workforce but also opportunities realized through reskilling the workforce. In that context, the webinar aims to bridge the gap between the skills and job roles needed for the new mobility services sector and the workforce.  

To this end, the event aims to:

  • Highlight the relevance of EU funding opportunities and European cooperation in bridging the skills’ gap in the new mobility services sector 
  • Share good practices about how regions and local companies can foster the relevant skills in the population
  • Boost a network of cross-sectoral experts interested in the new mobility services that can be applied for future EU funding opportunities.

Important: How to join the webinar?

Only one registration is given for all the events within the Skillman International Forum (SIF). Hence, to join the event, you have to register to Skillman International Forum and participants will be re-directed from the plenary (main room) to the various sessions in the course the event through break-out rooms.

If you cannot attend the whole SIF, you may access the event at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the webinar “New Mobility Services: Anticipating Skills and Job Roles” (starting time: 11:15 am) so that you can be re-directed to the session.

After registration, you will receive the email with the list of separate sessions among which you have to choose 23 AER – PAVILLION d2.

REGISTER HERE

This webinar is organised as part of the SKILLNET series of webinar on EU funding opportunities. SKILLNET is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission aiming to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s role and capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs through enhanced transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Join the Webinar ‘Circular Economy: Opportunities and Needs in the Labour Market’

By

Save the date! We are pleased to invite you to the webinar ‘Circular Economy: Opportunities and Needs in the Labour Market’ that will be held online on 10th December from 15:30 to 16:30 as part of the 2020 edition of the Skillman International Forum focused on “redefining the future of learning in the advanced manufacturing sector”!

The event is part of the Skillnet series of 18 webinars designed to bring together experts in different fields linked to vocational education and training (VET) with the purpose of establishing relevant groups of collaboration and partnerships for future EU project proposals.

It will offer regions and stakeholders engaged with circular economy the opportunity to learn and exchange about how regions, companies, and VET organisations can support the transition towards a circular economy and exploit its employment potential by fostering the needed skills in the workforce.

The circular economy is among the core policy priorities of regional, national, and international policy-makers being a major tool to counter negative environmental trends while offering new opportunities for employment and social inclusion. The core pillars of the circular economy – reuse, repair, remanufactured, and recycling – imply a more labour intensive process than the linear economy where resources are wasted or lost. This results in an unparalleled potential for the promotion of employment, with the expected creation of approximately 700 000 new jobs linked to the circular economy (the so-called circular jobs) by 2030 in the EU (Cambridge Econometrics, Trinomics and ICF, 2018).

At the same time, the transition is a broad process involving an overarching redefinition of the economy as a whole, as well as requiring the readiness of all economic and sectors in order to be fully realised. To this extent, this year, the European Union has adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan for the achievement of a “cleaner and more competitive Europe in co-creation with economic actors, consumers, citizens, and civil society organisations”. As suggested in the document, the labour market plays a fundamental role in this process in that if able to anticipate and prepare for the transition, it can accelerate and maximise the potential of a circular economy. Hence, both the realisation of a circular economy and the effective uptake of its employment opportunities strongly depend on the readiness of the labour market.

In this context, the webinar aims to:

  • Provide information about what are the skills needed in a circular economy with particular regard to the advanced manufacturing sector.
  • Offer the possibility to learn from, and exchange with, experts about how VET can support the circular economy transition by developing new curricula tailored to skill and upskill the ‘circular workforce‘.
  • Create a space for debate and network for experts in the field in order to establish relevant partnerships that can be applied within future EU funding opportunities.

Agenda of the webinar

  • Introduction to the webinar and opening remarks: Eva Hallström, Regional Councillor of the Region Värmland and Chair of the Working Group on Environment and Climate change
  • Assessing the skills shortage of the circular economy: Findings from the PackAlliance project. Belén Gracia, PhD Area Coordinator at Campus Iberius and Coordinator of the Erasmus + Project PackAlliance
  • Competency Pilot: Addressing the competency needs of tomorrow: Øyvind Nordstrand, Advisor Innlandet County Council

Important: How to join the webinar?

Only one registration is given for all the events within the Skillman International Forum (SIF). Hence, to join the event, you have to register to Skillman International Forum and participants will be re-directed from the plenary (main room) to the various sessions in the course the event through break-out rooms.

After registration, you will receive the email with the list of separate sessions among which you have to choose 10 AER – PAVILLION d1.

If you cannot attend the whole SIF, you may access the event at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the webinar “Circular Economy: Opportunities and Needs in the Labour Market” (starting time 15:30) so that you can be re-directed to the session.

REGISTER HERE

This webinar is organised as part of the SKILLNET series of webinars on EU funding opportunities. SKILLNET is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission aiming to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s role and capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs through enhanced transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships.

Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Library

Statutory Documents
AER Strategies
Minutes
Media Kit
Activity Reports
Newsletters
European Regions Map

Join AER!

Become a Member

Job Opportunities

Sign up for our Newsletter

Search

Website map