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The good practices are available. Discover examples of WISEs working for the development of digital skills from all over Europe!
1. Smart assistive Augmented Reality work and training stations
About the practice
Where: Belgium
Start date: 2017
Status: active
Beneficiaries: 1. vulnerable groups (i.e., people with a (work) disability,
people with a temporary or structural (work) limitation, etc.);
2. associations, companies, governments and third parties who employ,
guide, train and support these groups
Funded by: Lichtwerk’s own funding; governmental subsidy
Contacts
Lieven Bossuyt [email protected]
OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICE
Lichtwerk’s goal is to create an inclusive labour market so that people with disabilities and other individuals with a certain distance to the labour market have access to paid employment. To achieve this, Lichtwerk provides smart assistive Augmented Reality work and training stations, powered by LightGuide AR software. The solution offers “cognitive support” through the projection of digital work instructions on any work surface, providing operators with visual guidance, feedback and confirmation. This helps them to better learn new complex processes. The solution replaces written and oral work instructions with an intuitive and intelligent guidance programme that complies with the highest quality standards and makes the workspace safer and more inclusive. The assistive technologies provided by Lichtwerk can be used as permanent support, but also for (re) training and educational purposes.
This solution has so far been installed in social enterprises, conventional manufacturing companies, schools and training centres.
THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
Lichtwerk develops and implements custom-made LightGuide AR solutions in co-creation with the operators (workers with support needs) and the supporters (job coaches, tutors, occupational therapists, etc.).
The practice is delivered by following a “Think & Design – Build & Implement – Maintain & Improve” approach, developed around the three following phases:
1. “Think & Design”
In this preliminary phase, behavioural analysis (tasks to be performed/skills and needs of people doing the jobs), scope refinement, final scope definition and impact calculation are the key activities. The aim is to provide the organisation benefitting from the practice with transparent insight into the specific added value of smart assistive LightGuide AR work and training stations, both on people (e.g., positive impact on their well-being, autonomy, proficiency level and skills development) and on business level (e.g., positive impact on product quality and overall work floor efficiency and productivity). In this phase, all expertise of all partners and the different groups of people involved (workers with support needs or job seekers and their supporters) is brought together in order to define, refine and document the needs, approach and estimated outcomes.
2. “Build & Implement”
During this implementation phase, the smart assistive LightGuide AR work and training stations are configured, tested and installed at the customer’s premises. The supporters get extensive training on how to create and improve existing and new digital work instructions.
3. “Maintain & Improve”
Once the smart assistive AR work and training stations have been installed, a lot of data is collected and analysed. This information is continuously used to improve and support workers, their supporters and enablers, the processes and the products.
TYPE OF SKILLS DEVELOPED
The technology is used for training, retraining (e.g., after a long period of absence, illness) or for permanent support to people who are in need of support. The training stations are especially suited for industrial tasks (assembly) or logistical tasks.
THE INNOVATIVE ASPECT
The innovation of the practice lies in its “Go Digital, Stay Human” approach, which aims at making work feasible and manageable for every employee or job seeker. Moreover, the software used collects different data to monitor the progress of the operator and capture his/her needs, thus making the implemented technology adaptable to each individual and each task.
The practice has also received many awards as recognition of its innovative aspect.
IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY
The assistive technology has a positive impact on the operator’s well-being, minimising the stress experienced when learning or executing complex tasks. It also encourages workers to be more autonomous in their work. This technology contributes to a more inclusive labour market, as more people with disabilities can find employment in social economy or conventional enterprises. . The implementation of LightGuide in educational settings contributes to this inclusiveness since it makes the transition to the labour market easier.
In order to guarantee the sustainability of the solution, Lichtwerk makes sure that the digital work instructions and training stations offered to organisations can always be adapted to new tasks and new employees. Moreover, by remaining updated about new technologies and market changes, Lichtwerk is able to anticipate future needs and adapt its services accordingly. Lichtwerk is also looking to expand its activities by working with international partners to reach more customers and push for more diversity across the economy.
2. ABZ*Digi-Cafés
About the practice
Where: Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland, Vorarlberg
Start date: August 2020
Status: Digi cafès have been implemented and finalised, however the practice can be replicated everytime new training needs emerge
Beneficiaries: All ABZ*AUSTRIA employees + course participants and women in ABZ* counselling service
Funded by: ABZ*AUSTRIA’s own funds (obtained through project assignments)
Contacts
Daniela Schallert
www.abzaustria.at
OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICE
ABZ*AUSTRIA is a non-profit women’s organisation that has been devoted to promote the equality of men and women on the Austrian labour market ever since it was founded in 1992. The practice of ABZ*Digi-Cafés was developed in order to respond to the changed framework conditions due to the Covid-19 situation and the resulting strong focus on digitization at work. The organisation decided to launch an internal digitization training initiative in 2020 to make sure all employees were able to use the new digital tools for distance learning and distance counselling that were made available. The most important part of the training consisted in the ABZ*Digi-Cafés, during which employees could have access to specific, uncomplicated and free training and peer-to-peer exchange about digital tools. The idea was to ensure that no employee who did not yet know the tool had to learn it all by herself.
Over 80 ABZ* employees were actively involved in the Digi-Cafés and all 170 employees have access to the recordings.
THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
The desire to discuss and learn about a digital tool is drawn from everyday practice in courses or in consulting.
The frequency of use of all digital tools is surveyed within the framework of the individual projects and then communicated to the Digi-Team members.
For every training, the ABZ*Digitalisation Officer is responsible for coordinating the topics, hosts and dates as well as sending out the invitation and documentation to the ABZ*Digi-Café. Employees can then decide whether the digital tool presented is of their interest and if they want to take part in the training. During the Digi-Café, which usually lasts 30-60 minutes, digital tools are explained and first steps are tried out. All information and links to the tool presented, as well as the video recording of the input part of the ABZ*Digi-Café, are made available to all employees so that they can have access to them at any time. Moreover, via a Digi-Café-Padlet, ABZ* employees can always exchange information and ask colleagues new questions, which are answered by experienced users of the respective digital tool. After the training, the ABZ* employees use the new digital tools in the ABZ* courses and in counselling, they train the participants in the use of these tools and expand the possible uses through their applications. If further possibilities for using a digital tool are found, the employees can in turn communicate this to their colleagues via ABZ*Padlet for the Digi-Café.
All staff members give regular feedback on their use of the digital tools. If more in-depth training on a specific tool is needed in a project, the Digi Team members can provide this training.
Since 2021, the ABZ*Digi-Cafés have been held every two months.
TYPE OF SKILLS DEVELOPED
ABZ*Digi-Café employees are trained on how to use specific digital tools. Selected examples of tools discussed so far include Trello, Edupad, Cryptpad, Scrumblr, Flinga, Mindmeister, Oncoo, Padlet, Easyfeedback and Loom.
THE INNOVATIVE ASPECT
The innovative aspect of the ABZ*Digi-Café lies in the exchange of all employees via Zoom, which allows all colleagues in all federal states to participate. The relaxed atmosphere in the Digi-Café, which does not have to adhere to the guidelines of a course schedule, also contributes to the fact that many employees use the Digi-Cafés for further training. By making the recording available to all colleagues, those who are prevented by appointments at the time of the Digi-Café can also learn about the contents of the training. Their comments and suggestions can in turn be read later via our Digi-Café-Padlet.
In addition, as a non-profit organization, ABZ*AUSTRIA has little to no budget for large-scale training and the chosen form of peer-to-peer training is cost-effective.
IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY
The ability to use digital tools and to pass on how to use them has increased. Inhibition thresholds in the use of digital tools are reduced. Moreover, digital tools continue to be used in face-to-face training to bring digitalisation closer to the course participants in the projects. Also, constant care is taken to ensure that the newly acquired knowledge is maintained by all ABZ* staff.
The sustainability of the Digi-Cafés is maintained through regular use of the digital tools. The Digi-Team members always look into further possible uses of the tools, continue to gather feedback on this from colleagues and surveys the needs for further digital tools in the projects.
Securing the data and, thus, retaining the knowledge of the experts also plays an important role in sustainability. Knowledge should be quickly accessible and easy to understand in order to be used easily by each colleague.
Furthermore, since no travel is required to participate in a Digi-Café, the practice results to be sustainable also from an ecological perspective.
Lastly, due to the low cost of implementing the training program and the high added value for the employees, Digi-Cafés are also economically sustainable.
3. Online shadowing practise in Latvia
About the practice
Where: Riga, Latvia
Start date: September 2021
Status: active
Beneficiaries: New workers – both from disadvantaged and not disadvantaged groups
Funded by: Sonido’s clients internal resources
Contacts [email protected]
OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICE
Online Shadowing is a practice offered by Sonido, a call centre whose employees are knowledgeable in a wide range of subjects and industries. The aim of this solution is to practically show the specifics of the call center work practice to new workers. The latter are first offered a full understanding of the telework practice; afterwards, they are put together with more skilled workers so that they can follow their work practices through the Zoom platform. Since most of the training is based on the e-platform, it is easier for new workers to understand the practice and gain skills through observing and “shadowing” other workers. Online Shadowing is meant as the middle step to evaluating if the worker fits the position. Mostly it is one hour-long session which is also recorded to be watched afterward.
Five people have been supported through this practice until now.
THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
When a new worker starts the job, his/her qualifications are checked and needs are identified. Based on this, Sonido develops the learning path of the person that needs to be trained. After an initial theoretical explanation, the new worker is paired up with a more advanced one, who is chosen based on the skills level of the trainee. The two workers then connect through Zoom and the new worker starts following the other one in performing the job.
The progress of each participant is checked once the new worker starts performing tasks on his/her own.
TYPE OF SKILLS DEVELOPED
Online shadowing allows workers to gain all the practical skills they need to perform their job.
THE INNOVATIVE ASPECT
The innovation of this solution consists in the practice of shadowing the actions of other workers through the Zoom platform.
IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY
Workers are more equipped with practical learning through observation and the following of the actions of other workers.
The practice is sustainable as it does not require much extra costs for the companies that benefit from it.
4. Pilot MBO Praktijkleren – Roetz Bikes
About the practice
Where: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Start date: 2018
Status: active
Beneficiaries: People with a distance to the labour market (e.g., persons with intellectual and/or learning disabilities; NEETs; people who have been unemployed for a long time; refugees/asylum seekers)
Funded by: Perspectief op Werk (Job Perspectives)
Contacts
www.roetz-bikes.com/nl_NL/ourstory
OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICE
The pilot MBO Praktijkleren (practical learning) is a collaboration between vocational institutions (MBO), conventional companies, the Municipality of Amsterdam, sheltered workshops and the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency (UWV). The aim is to offer workers with support needs the opportunity to learn professional skills at the workplace. People are provided with a very accessible way to obtain a basic qualification in growing sectors of technology, hospitality, gardening/landscaping and healthcare. The skills are recognized by MBO and rewarded with a practical skills certificate.
One of the companies offering these types of apprenticeships is Roetz Bikes, a social enterprise that focuses on participation and circular economy. In order to achieve this, the company reuses and recycles old bikes by employing and training workers with support needs. At the bike factory, people learn and work in a safe environment. The objective of the practical learning pilot is to create perspective and wage value for workers with support needs with the aim of offering them a paid position in bicycle service or beyond.
In 2020, 79 people followed a learning trajectory at Roetz Bikes.
THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
The practice is delivered as an educational trajectory. The needs of each employee are evaluated within the framework of a personal development plan on the basis of which the training at the workplace is tailored. The progress is monitored by the job coaches and the daily supervision is done by the workshop manager. Usually, a learning trajectory at Roetz Fair Factory has a duration of six months, when working 32 hours per week. This can be adjusted depending on the needs of each participant. After the trajectory, the person trained can start working at a potential employer (usually a bicycle company), where he/she has a probationary period of 2 months. During that period, an assessment of whether such work can lead to long-term employment is carried out.
TYPE OF SKILLS DEVELOPED
Participants are trained to become experienced bicycle mechanics. Both soft and technical skills are developed.
THE INNOVATIVE ASPECT
The pilot can be considered innovative because of the efforts put in it by all the stakeholders. The practice has been improving the employability (with assistance) of people with a greater distance to the labour market offering them the opportunity to get a practical skills certificate. Pilot MBO fixes a gap in the Dutch educational system and is able to reach a target group that otherwise would have been left out of the educational system. Because of the focus on individual needs, it offers an approachable learning method for a large and diverse group of people.
IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY
People with a distance to the labour market and in vulnerable positions that are taking part in the training are able to gain the confidence and the experience to actively participate in the workforce. According to a yearly impact research conducted by Roetz, employees are very satisfied with the training and feel to be more confident and increasingly able to work independently. Thanks to the practice, their technical knowledge and productivity have increased as well.
To guarantee its sustainability in the following years, the pilot can count on funding from the initiative Perspectief op Werk (Job Perspectives). For this initiative, the Dutch ministry of Social Affairs and Employment has made 2 million EUR available per designated region. The funding contains three elements: funding for the educational aspect, funding for the support at the workplace and funding for the project management of the practice. The municipality and the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency are key partners in ensuring the funding of the project management and the educational aspect. Moreover, all the stakeholders agree on the fact that the costs of the support at the workplace should not become the sole responsibility of the employers, since this could endanger the willingness of employers to participate. Therefore, on a national level, they are working on subsidization to link these practical statement schemes to existing vocational educational funding.
5. Digi+
About the practice
Where: St. Pölten, Austria
Start date: June 2020
Status: active
Beneficiaries: workers with support needs and their supporters
Funded by: Arbeiterkammer (project Arbeit 4.0)
Contacts
Juergen Binder
OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICE
Digi+ consists of direct trainings in the field of digitalization targeting workers with support needs and their supporters. Started by Arbeit plus niederösterreich and the Ilse Arlt institute of the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences to speed up the process of digitalization in social and integrative enterprises, the main objective of this practice is to ensure a better inclusion of people in the process of digital transformation.
Beneficiaries are trained on two main topics:
- basics of computers and smartphones (what they are, how to operate them and what can be achieved by using them);
- the Internet and how to use it safely to gain personal advantage.
So far, 54 supporters and 95 workers with support needs have benefitted from this practice.
THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
Digi+ is implemented by using the following approach:
- The needs of each participant are evaluated by the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences.
- Based on the evaluation carried out, a process of adaptation is applied, either through the trainer on the training itself, or through a website which determines the level of digital qualification.
- Trainings are delivered at the workplace. On one hand, content is delivered directly to the workers with support needs; on the other hand, their supporters are instructed on how to do that (train the trainer). A website is also being developed to support the learning process.
- Progress of each participant is evaluated via personal tests in the trainings and quizzes on the website.
TYPE OF SKILLS DEVELOPED
Digital skills. In particular, at the end of the training, the trainees are able to use devices and the Internet to:
- stay in touch;
- find jobs;
- getting administrative things done from their home;
- have fun in a safe way.
THE INNOVATIVE ASPECT
The innovation of the Digi+ practice lies in the personal contact between the trainer and the worker combined with the use of the supporting digital website.
IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY
Thanks to this practice, beneficiaries can be more easily integrated into the labour market. Workers with support needs learn how to manage and use their e-mail addresses and how to find and use tools that can support them in finding suitable jobs.
The sustainability of the practice is guaranteed by the training of the trainers, who can support and educate new workers with support needs in the future. Furthermore, the website developed is barrier-free and can be therefore accessed and used by everyone. This will also allow replicating the practice in other contexts.
6. Zero-Coercion educational package
About the practice
Where: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Start date: 2021
Status: active
Beneficiaries: Service users, family members, mental health
professionals
Funded by: ŠENT own funds
Contacts
Gregor Cotic
OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICE
The Zero-Coercion educational package is a complex tool aimed at supporting service users, their families and mental health professionals in overcoming mental crises in a domestic environment. The practice has a strong digital aspect, as it relies on various apps, websites, video-calling software as well as a dedicated platform to be implemented.
30 people have been supported through this practice.
THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
The practice is delivered both face-to-face and online and has been carefully designed to be as accessible as possible to all levels. It has specific exercises, skills, theory papers, presentations and other documentation tailored to various levels of comprehension. Progress of each participant is evaluated individually, through group discussions and a questionnaire.
TYPE OF SKILLS DEVELOPED
IT skills, coping skills.
THE INNOVATIVE ASPECT
Zero-Coercion is adaptable and can be administered face-to-face as well as online. The practice has a strong digital aspect allowing for remote learning. Having been developed with pedagogical workers, it results to be more accessible and valuable as a teaching tool. Moreover, it was conceived jointly by seven countries, making it widely applicable.
IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY
Zero-Coercion teaches coping skills and IT skills, thus enhancing the personal health of the target groups. It is a long-term program, designed to be immediately usable without adaptation.
The sustainability of the practice is guaranteed through cultivating peer groups that use the practice as a model, thus perpetuating the skill set without the need for further funding.
7. UTILDECO[BF1]
About the practice
Where: Uricani village, Iasi county, Miroslava commune[1], Romania
Start date: 2008
Status: active
Beneficiaries: 1. Persons with disabilities
2. companies with more than 50 employees that, according to ongoing legislation, have to employ people with disabilities in a percentage of at least 4% of the total number of employees
Funded by: agreements signed with companies from all over Romania
Contacts [email protected]
OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICE
UTILDECO is an authorized shelter unit and work integration social enterprise founded by the Alaturi de Voi (ADV) Romania Foundation in 2002. The practice was developed as a way to create and maintain workplaces for people with disabilities and from other groups at risk, especially young people who had left the system of child protection.
UTILDECO has been recognized by the European Commission as a best practice and has also won the award EY Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016.
So far, more than 1,000 persons from groups at risk, including people with disabilities, benefitted from professional orientation and capacity building.
THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
UTILDECO offers different types of services depending on the target group that benefits from the practice.
1. Services addressing people with disabilities
UTILDECO supports persons with disabilities from Iasi county through a free integrated package of social and employment services, all in one place, according to the principle of “one–stop–shop”. The package includes:
• Internship within the UTILDECO Work Integration Social Enterprise, owned by ADV Romania, during which people can acquire basic skills in fields such as: manual book-binding, archiving, tailoring, printing;
• Professional capacity building acknowledged on the labour market in the field of manual book-binding and archiving.
The offer is personalized in accordance to the needs and profile of the customers, which are evaluated through: a system of professional counselling and orientation; a job coaching service; the use of the CASPER testing battery (a complex instrument for the assessment of people with disabilities allowing the creation of an “occupational profile” and identifying the best suitable job); and the testing with the CAS++ battery (a software for psychological testing).
Progress of participants is assessed by looking at: the satisfaction degree of the client with respect to the products/services they procured; the adaptability to the needs of the final beneficiary; the number of workplaces available for the employment of persons with disabilities; and the period for maintaining the employers within the company, mainly of persons with disabilities.
2. Services for companies
UTILDECO offers companies from Iasi county a specialized package of services and the possibility to procure goods and services based on Law 193/2020, which modifies and completes Law 448/2006 on the protection and promotion of the rights of people with disabilities. Some of the services offered are:
• Work protection equipment;
• Document archiving and storage;
• Bio-degradable packing;
• Digital printing services;
• Interior/exterior polystyrene decorations;
• Event organizing;
• Recruitment of persons with disabilities;
• Health and safety matters.
The managers of UTILDECO maintain permanent contact with the clients in order to make sure the final beneficiary is satisfied with the goods/services received.
3. Online services accessible at national level
Through the www.utildeco.ro site, UTILDECO offers at national level the possibility to order and procure different products/services from the available list of goods.
TYPE OF SKILLS DEVELOPED
Participants who benefit from the practice are able to discover and develop their native as well as professional skills that can support them in finding a job in the labour market. In particular, people receive training and develop skills in the field of archiving (including digitization of archived documents) or manual binder, tailoring and digital printing.
THE INNOVATIVE ASPECT
UTILDECO is the only service of this type in Romania offering an integrated package of services adapted to the needs of people with disabilities.
The intervention package uses two innovative tools:
a) a job matching service;
b) a job coaching service – helping people to maintain the job and avoid the failure in employment.
IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY
Thanks to the job matching and job coaching services, UTILDECO has been supporting people – especially people who have not completed their studies, have no qualifications and have never worked – in developing valuable skills and finding and maintaining employment in social enterprises or the open labour market.
The sustainability of UTILDECO is guaranteed by its capacity to reinvent, adapt and adjust the practice itself to customers’ demands.
8. The Kennisalliantie inclusie en Technologie (Knowledge Alliance Inclusion and Technology: KIT)
About the practice
Where: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Start date: 2017
Status: active
Beneficiaries: People with mental, physical or psychological disabilities
Funded by: pilots are funded by different stakeholders depending on where the pilots take place
Contact
OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICE
The KIT is a platform in the field of inclusive technology that was founded in 2017. It is a partnership between TNO (The Dutch organization for applied scientific Research), Cedris (the national association for an inclusive labour market and sheltered workshops) and SBCM (the center of knowledge and funds for social employment). The objective of KIT is to help as many people with mental, physical or psychological disabilities as possible to find and keep suitable and sustainable job by using technology in the broadest sense of the word.
To test inclusive technology in the workplace, multiple pilots have been developed so far with approximately 20 participants in each of them. However, the group of people potentially benefitting from the innovation tested in the pilot can be bigger.
THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
The KIT connects stakeholders and serves as a catalyst to initiate, supervise and evaluate research and experiments and share this knowledge with other sectors. The following ones are examples of some of the pilots that have been carried out so far:
- Cobots at UW Utrecht: In this pilot, the KIT investigated whether the production of solar panels at the sheltered workshop UW Utrecht could be made less labour intensive with the use of technology. In this case, it was examined whether a collaborative robot (cobot) could take over repetitive tasks since this often places a great deal of physical strain on workers.
- Smart beamer at Amfors: In the pilot at Amfors, the Operator Support System (OSS) was tested to assist step by step through the assembly system employees with cognitive disabilities. The system projects the work instructions onto the workplace via a smart beamer. As a result, workers know exactly what to do and in which order.
- Operator Support System at Senzer: workers with support needs In the pilot the OSS, a technology supporting employees in performing assembly tasks was tested. Work instructions were projected onto the workplace in the right order and time. Tailored to the work and the needs of the worker, the OSS can provide feedback in case of incorrect actions and is equipped with a pick-to-light module (a system assisting working to pick items accurately).
- Smart beamer at Inclusief Groep: In this pilot, a Smart beamer is tested. Employees are actively supported by a smart projection system through all production steps. The beamer indicates with arrows and/or images which action the workers has to take and which tools or material are needed. With the use of the beamer one worker can successively carry out multiple steps at once. The beamer is also programmed to check the quality and quantity of the products.
In the individual pilots, the needs of each worker are evaluated so that the technology can be tailored on the basis of this assessment.
TYPE OF SKILLS DEVELOPED
Workers benefitting from this practice are able to develop skills in the technological field which help them to find more and more suitable job opportunities.
THE INNOVATIVE ASPECT
The pilots from KIT can be considered particularly innovative because they support the development of skills by means of digitalization and technology.
IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY
The practice has a direct impact on the employability of workers with support needs, who increase their confidence and independence at work. The different pilots presented different results regarding the development of the skills. For instance, the Amfors pilot showed that employees using OSS can handle more and more complex tasks with less personal guidance than employees not using OSS. At UW Utrecht, the pilot revealed that the participants became more involved at the workplace and started to think about how their workplace could be improved.
To guarantee the sustainability of the practice, the current government and the UWV are conducting a trail in which companies can apply for subsidies for innovative improvements.
9. Digital Workplace
About the practice
Where: Spain
Start date: November 2019
Status: active
Beneficiaries: ILUNION Social Business Group and Fundación ONCE’s employees
Funded by: ILUNION Social Business Group’s own funds
Contacts
Oscar da Pena
OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICE
Digital WorkPlace is a digital and cultural transformation project stemming from the organization’s commitment to technological evolution, digitalization and transformation with a person-centred approach. The initiative is based on three main pillars – individual and collective productivity and agile methodology – and has four main objectives: increasing personal efficiency and productivity; promoting teamwork through collaborative platforms; flexibilizing the access to information; digitalizing and automatizing data, while ensuring accessibility.
Employees are provided with an intuitive web portal that offers all the reference audio-visual materials, as well as the recordings of online training sessions. In order to foster the implementation of the initiative, Digital WorkPlace has introduced the figure of the “Champions”, digital ambassadors with the mission to guide workers in the digital transformation process. The project has also fostered the development of digital skills with Microsoft 365 tools through online training.
So far, over 15 webinars have been delivered, with 10.000 participants/views.
THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
The practice takes the form of events, webinars and workshops delivered to workers through Microsoft Teams, a web portal on SharePoint and a user Community on Yammer.
Contents are shaped taking into account the needs of all the participants, as well as the information gathered through the Champions, surveys and forms. Accessibility and usability of contents and tools are key aspects that are taken into account in the design of the trainings.
Progress of participants are evaluated through a follow-up on the evolution of the project implementation through monthly analysis of KPIs and comparison with the initial assessment.
TYPE OF SKILLS DEVELOPED
Participants acquire digital skills and knowledge on new digitalisation processes that can help improving workers’ productivity.
THE INNOVATIVE ASPECT
Digital Workplace is an innovative practice as it is based on an online training model, complemented by a web portal, which encourages and allows all workers to participate in a flexible way (synchronous or asynchronous learning). A collaborative space was created on YAMMER for participants to share results and news, as well as asking questions, etc. The project has allowed the full implementation of Microsoft technology and, consequently, the digitalization of many processes.
IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY
Although the project was launched in November 2019, the initial assessment and gathering of requirements was being carried out when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. The lockdown boosted digitalization and made this project even more relevant and necessary, especially for all those workers in non-essential activities who were working from home. Training sessions started in April 2020 and since then indicators have been improving: all the webinars got over 10,000 participants/views on the web portal; over 12 million documents were transferred to OneDrive from network drives; nearly 6,000 sites were created on SharePoint; the use of Microsoft Teams as a collaboration and communication tool was consolidated.
The sustainability of the practice is guaranteed by the figure of the Champions. As members of the staff, they are a closer reference for workers. They are also in charge of the promotion and follow-up of the project and its results in their companies, as well as for the identification of needs, issues and concerns.
10. ENTELIS+ Digital Accessibility
About the practice
Where: Greece
Start date: July 2021
Status: active
Beneficiaries: Persons with intellectual disabilities, people of third age as well as professionals and service providers
Funded by: ERASMUS +
Contacts
OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICE
ENTELIS+ is a project co-founded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Key Action 3 “Support for policy development and cooperation” and its consortium is made up of 10 experienced European partners with complementary skills and knowledge. Thanks to this project, people with intellectual disability are trained in accessibility and digital accessibility through an easy-to-read adaptation of a training manual developed by ENTELIS+ partners. The participants learn about accessibility and why it is useful for all people – regardless of age, disability, gender or other reasons – to receive accessible services. Additionally, the beneficiaries are trained into altering existing resources into an accessible form. This practice enhances their digital skills and trains them into being more inclusive, in order to promote accessibility and assist more people. Lastly, the beneficiaries are trained into using a roadmap that will help them reach the ultimate goal, meaning having access to information and places and thus, participating equally in the society.
THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
Prior to the training, a focus group about accessibility is organized in order to evaluate the needs of the participants and adapt the training accordingly (e.g., easy-to-read version of PowerPoint presentations, voice over in Greek, alt-texts in images, digital games, simulation games). After the training, a questionnaire and an interview are organised with the participants and the lead trainer in order to evaluate their knowledge and skills relevant to digital accessibility.
This plan is based on ENTELIS+ manual, which provides the necessary theoretical knowledge and tips for its practical implementation. In collaboration with the learners, the trainer co-produces the training tools that will make the information accessible to them.
The evaluation of beneficiaries’ progress is carried out through practice, exercises and the creation of accessible resources. The trainers also fill a trainer’s logbook in order to track the progress, difficulties and strong points of the learners they support and, consequently, improve the accessibility of the resources and focus on the educational goals that need more practice.
TYPE OF SKILLS DEVELOPED
ENTELIS+ training activities focused on the development of the digital skills of persons with disabilities and older people in order to make them able to participate in the digital society. At the same time, ENTELIS+ trained important key actors that are in charge of designing and implementing facilitating frameworks (public authorities and service providers).
THE INNOVATIVE ASPECT
Partners in this ENTELIS+ consortium have rich experience in digital accessibility and digital skills and have been innovating in the sector of disability and technology for many years. This expertise is materialized in the innovative methods and practices that promote inclusive education as well as in the capacity to foster digital skills and competences of digitally excluded groups.
In particular, ENTELIS+ was able to:
- Raise awareness about the importance of accessibility as an enabler for inclusive learning and teaching through multiple training and events in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Sweden.
- Develop the digital skills of persons with disabilities and older people to participate in the digital society in the above mentioned countries. More than 90 total people participated in ENTELIS+ training events.
- Build the capacity of key actors in charge of designing and implementing facilitating frameworks (public authorities and service providers).
IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY
ENTELIS+ generated impact by raising awareness about the importance of accessibility as an enabler for inclusive learning and teaching through multiple training and events in 7 countries (Greece, Austria, Ireland, Italy, Cyprus, Sweden and Belgium). During the trainings offered by the project, participants strengthened their skills regarding accessibility, learned more about their rights – specifically about their right on accessibility and how this is protected by EU policies and national laws – and discovered existing resources in order to make different digital services and environments more accessible.
The sustainability of the project is
ensured through the links and cooperations established with other organizations
and professionals that support the idea of empowering people with disabilities
and older adults through accessibility digital skills as a way to overcome the
digital divide and open a wide range of social, career development and job
market opportunities for these user groups at risk of exclusion. ENTELIS+
materials will be also made available to those interested in order to guarantee
continuous training of service users and their families on digital
accessibility.
[1] A commune (comună in Romanian) is the lowest level of administrative subdivision in Romania. The country does have 2,686 communes. The commune is the rural subdivision of a county, while urban areas, such as towns and cities within a county, are given the status of city or municipality.
[BF1]I have an observation that I would submit to Pauline’s attention: I have noticed that the description of this good practice is almost 3-pages long, while most of the good practices in this document have a length comprised between 1.5 and 2 pages). In your opinion this is not relevant or do you think that the good practices should have more or less the same length? If the latter, this description should be shortened.
Bunele practici sunt disponibile acum! Click aici pentru a descoperi exemple de intreprinderi sociale de insertie WISE din intreaga Europa care contribuie la dezvoltarea abilitatilor digitale
