Description:

One of the main challenges in the Mediterranean region is to reduce the high rates of NEETs and prominent skills mismatch which currently prevail. Curricula for skills courses are often not based on a strategic analysis of the local economy and/or consultation with local enterprises in order to determine sectors of potential growth capable of absorbing new trainees.

HELIOS will tackle this issue focusing on the Blue and Circular Economy (BaCE), identified as an economic sector with great potential for regenerative economic growth among NEETs.

The project will provide curricula for innovative targeted and tailored skills training courses oriented towards specific needs of the BaCE labour market and the needs of NEETs, based on direct interaction with local enterprises. This will be achieved through soft skills coaching and mentoring actions, as well as the creation of e-learning tools and methodologies supported by new technologies to facilitate skills learning for NEETs and women.

General objective:

On the one hand, local economies will be enriched thanks to the increase of labour workforce trained consistently with actual business needs, upgrading of professional skills of vulnerable unemployed people, and professional mobility across the Mediterranean region. On the other hand, it is expected that low skilled people will increase their chance to find employment. Finally, a stronger link between Technical and Social Education and Training (TVET) institutions and the needs of local enterprises will be established.

Expected results:

The main results will be:

• a fresh approach to engaging vulnerable young people and women through social media tools;
• curricula for innovative targeted and tailored skills training courses oriented towards specific needs of the BaCE labour market and the needs of NEETs, based on direct interaction with local enterprise and NEET profiling;
• soft skills coaching and mentoring actions and the creation of e-learning tools and methodologies supported by new technologies to facilitate skills learning and to monitor success and access to the labour market.

The project will use the actions piloted during its lifetime and partner experience to create a methodology e- tool to be cascaded down to other towns in the programme area with similar high NEET rates.

The main beneficiaries will be NEETs/women, MSMEs, TVETs and LAs who will subsequently have access to the BaCE materials developed, new methodologies and capacity building gained during the project.

Expected outputs:

• 1 software for profiling the situation of NEETs in each involved area
• 6 specific sector identified with high potential for employment within the blue and circular economy
• 9 professional curricula oriented to the needs of the labour market
• 6 agreements between training institutions and BaCE businesses to better connect TVETs with market needs
• 1,720 NEETs and women trained in the Blue and Circular Economy
• 4 art events around the topic of the blue economy
• 24 young people and women involved in cross-border traineeships