At least 16% of the EU working age population has a disability, many with the ability and the will to work.
People with disabilities constitute a significant potential for contribution to the economy and the labour market. The employment rate of disabled people is 50% as opposed to over 68% for non-disabled people, is already an indication that the potential of people with disabilities remains greatly underused. People with disabilities are almost twice as likely to be inactive compared to non-disabled people. Moreover, the likelihood of disability increases with age, and, in the light of the current EU demographic situation, the occurrence of disability is expected to increase. It is crucial to address the needs of people with disabilities in order to allow them to better integrate into the labour market and to participate in society. Many of the disabled people who can and want to work are unemployed. The unemployment rate among disabled people is considerably higher than in the total active population, reaching over 80% in some countries. When people with disabilities work, they often do it in jobs where they are paid less and where they have little chance of career advancement. Employment is a determining factor for inclusion. The development of a Training path and Training Content on Therapies for Disabled based on Manufacturing Processes and Techniques employed in the Stone Sector will be a tool for the recognition and validation of knowledge, skills and transversal capacities for promoting Labour Inclusion of disabled people in sectors as traditional as Stone is. The objective of the project is to help the integration of people with disabilities in the world of work through the use of innovative training systems adapted to the digital age and encourage the development of skills and abilities through the Stone sector. The main target groups are both persons with disabilities and all those involved in the support of the disabled (therapist, occupational staff, entrepreneurs, students and professionals in Human Resources, etc). Also, companies and associations, because they will learn by doing and participating in their cooperative learning process as a key for the implementation of the project in the labour market of the stone sector. NEEDS Although there are some initiatives at the individual level, in the case of the stone sector, accessibility is a pending issue. The stone sector is a highly mechanised sector at present, which offers the possibility of adjusting jobs to the different abilities of the worker. It is necessary to consider labour inclusion in order to value both the added value of diversity and the potential economic impact of integrating a new labour force into vocational training. This is one of the most important issues, which does not receive the attention it deserves. In general, people with disabilities are one of the groups with the highest risk of exclusion when it comes to accessing a job, and those who suffer the most significant wage gap. Companies should try to have a socially responsible inclusion policy to favour the access of people with disabilities. Valuing the skills and abilities as the improvement that members of this group have, including issues such as equal opportunities, non-discrimination of people with disabilities and universal accessibility to the values and philosophy of the company. It is essential to address the needs of people with disabilities in the stone sector professions so that they can be better integrated into the labour market in this sector. This industry offers the possibility of adapting the workplace to the needs of the person and still obtaining the best results.
The project for the development of an itinerary and Training Contents on Therapies for the Disabled based on Processes and Manufacturing Techniques used in the Stone Sector, InclusiveSTONE, will be a tool for the recognition and validation of knowledge, skills and transversal abilities to promote the labour Inclusion of people with disabilities in a traditional sector such as the stone sector, which requires adaptation to a new society of social integration, and which is possible thanks to new technical and technological advances in the sector, which allow greater accessibility for all and at all levels of the industry’s production chain. The main objectives of this project are the following: – To help the integration of people with disabilities into the world of work and to promote the development of skills and abilities through the stone sector. – To raise awareness in education with learning phases in order to implement a series of steps, results that guarantee a good impact on the target group and a sustainable effect over time. – Sensitise and create awareness in the companies of the sector about the recruitment of people with disabilities. – Providing employers with mechanisms to adapt workspaces to people with physical or motor disabilities. A company where all workers have the same profile cannot be considered inclusive. It is not a positive environment for those who work there. – Encourage diversity in a sector as traditional as the stone sector, thus facilitating the promotion and awareness of equality at all levels. – Provide support tools for the development of actions that enable the inclusion of people in vulnerable situations in the labour market, adapted to the digital transformation and focused on distance learning. – Provide information, increase the strengths in labour inclusion and redefine the weaknesses. – To provide digital training adapted to the current situation so that no person is left behind and to face the challenges that conventional training currently presents. – Create resources that promote the social, functional and occupational integration of people with disabilities. – Extend the training levels of workers, preparing them to access a job with guarantees of success. – To offer innovative training resources to social educators, teachers, workers and employers with the aim of providing them with the necessary skills to be able to promote and facilitate the integration of people with disabilities in the stone sector. In essence, the main objective of the InclusiveSTONE project is to support the integration of people with disabilities into the labour market and to promote the development of skills and abilities through the stone sector. Raising awareness in education with learning phases. For example: a first initiation phase in which a first contact with stone is made, to move on to the handling of small machinery (drill, grinder, etc.) and sanding by hand. Always taking into account the percentage and type of disability that the person has, adapting the job to the specific needs of the person. In order to raise awareness among companies in the sector so that they hire people with disabilities.
Project code: 2021-1-DE02-KA220-VET-000033276
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
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