EDUKOSI.TURIZAM – short info on the project progression and an invitation to persons with disabilities to take part in it!

The plan of the EDUKOSI.TURIZAM project, financed by the ESF, envisages a number of different activities that ensure access to the labor market in the field of tourism for PWDs, with the following goals:

1. Development and acquisition of professional knowledge of persons with disabilities, necessary for work in the tourism and hospitality sector, through the development and implementation of training programs and organized practical classes at the employer’s workplace, by creation of a training program for PWDs, designed according to the needs of employers in the tourism and hospitality sector, and its implementation promotes and opens access to the labor market for PWDs.
2. Improvement and improvement of professional and andragogic knowledge of experts from the tourism and hospitality sector, i.e. lecturers and mentors for working with persons with disabilities
3. Promotion of access to the labor market in the tourism and hospitality sector for persons with disabilities, by creating a digital platform as an innovative approach to the labor market for PWDs, the accessibility of the tourism and hospitality sector for PWDs is promoted and increased, by connecting PWDs who are looking for employment with prospective employers, and connecting employers with job offers for PWDs, and adult education institutions that offer education adapted to persons with disabilities. The organization of workshops and a round table for employers promotes the employment of persons with disabilities in the tourism and hospitality sector.

The target number of participants who will be supported by the end of the project to empower and strengthen their competencies for work in tourism, through social services in the community, is 110 PWDs. So far, we have empowered them through 6 social skills strengthening workshops, career development workshops and training for digital marketing in tourism:

• 12 persons with disabilities from the County of Istria were included in education/training for digital marketing in tourism according to a customized program. The training is provided by the Poreč Public Open University. DIP experts supported the lecturers in creating a customized educational program.
• In cooperation with the Rijeka branch of the Croatian Employment Service, 17 persons with disabilities from the Primorsko-goranska County participated in the activities and “job development”, and the activities were carried out by experts from the DIP and the Dante School.
• 20 persons with disabilities, in cooperation with the Center for Inclusion and Community Services in Pula, participated in empowerment activities for work – exercises to strengthen teamwork, work ethics and responsibility, and workers’ rights.
• In Rijeka, 13 persons with disabilities from the DIP association took part in the empowerment activities for work – managing emotions, resolving conflicts and more.

A total of 62 unemployed persons with disabilities actively participated in the project as of June, 2023. In the continuation of the project, we invite other unemployed people with disabilities to join the project. The plan is to continue activities in the counties of Istria and Primorsko-goranska County. By the end of the project, we will include at least 57 more persons with disabilities.

The activities carried out are in the field of empowerment for work – training of socio-emotional skills necessary for work in the tourism and hospitality sector, professional guidance of PWDs for work in the tourism and hospitality sector, and individual career counseling of PWDs for work in the tourism and hospitality sector.

The number of unemployed persons with disabilities who completed education / training for jobs in digital marketing in tourism is 10. The education was conducted online. Given that the participants are from different parts of Istria, online training was organized for the participants, so that they could devote themselves to the training from the comfort of their homes.

The result of the project is a developed occupational standard. The occupational standard has been prepared and referred to the procedure, on the occupational standard proposal form, to the competent ministry. The developed standard is for the occupation Agent for Internet sales of tourist products.

The goal was also to improve formal training programs for persons with disabilities to acquire competencies for work in the tourism and hospitality sector. For this purpose, a “Proposal form for an educational program for adult education” was created for an already existing training program for digital marketing, the quality of which is improved with content from the field of tourism characteristics and tourism products. Teaching materials – scripts – were created.

6 experts participated in the creation of the program and empowerment activities. Likewise, 6 experts in the field of training adults in tourism were trained in the field of providing social services.

Among the aforementioned activities, the DIP developed training programs for lecturers and mentors for working with persons with disabilities. Dante got involved with its lecturers. An employee from the partner organization, “Polidor”, was a mentor during the practical part of the training for PWDs.

The goal is to include another 50 persons with disabilities by the end of the project. The plan is to include persons with disabilities from Poreč, the Center for Inclusion and Community Services from branches in Istria, as well as persons with disabilities from the Primorsko-goranska County.

Likewise, a digital platform for finding and offering jobs in tourism, on the open labor market, and offers for training and education for adults with disabilities is also being finalized.

As part of the training plan for employers in tourism, we also held a lecture and a round table for employers from the PWD employment sector, at the Promohotel fair https://dip.hr/esf-edukosi-turizam-poziv-za-poslodavce-22-2-2023- u-1300-porec/.

The EDUKOSI.TURIZAM – EDUCATION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN TOURISM project is financed from the European Social Fund, within the framework of the Call for Improvement of Access of Vulnerable Groups to the Labor Market in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector II published by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and is implemented within the Operational Program Effective human resources 2014-2020. The approved total value of the project is HRK 1,240,441.74, and it will be financed in the amount of 100% of the total eligible expenses of the project.

People’s Open University, Poreč https://www.poup.hr/projekti-eu-a/edukositurizam/ is the sponsor, and the project partners are: Society of Invalids Poreč, https://drustvo-invalida-porec.hr, DANTE – institution for adult education, Rijeka, https://dante-ri.hr Society for research and support, Rijeka, https://dip.hr/ and Mini caravan servis d.o.o. – Polidor Camp Funtana,  https://mini.hr/. The project lasts 20 months. The start of the project is March 11^th, 2022 and lasts until October 11^th, 2023.