Project

B-WISE (Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills in Work Integration Social Enterprises) is an Erasmus+ project that aims to develop a European strategy (Blueprint) to address the skills needs, in particular regarding digital skills, in the Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs) sector.

WISEs?

Work Integration Social Enterprises are enterprises whose main objective is the social and professional integration of workers with support needs. They are at the core of the economic system and include a strong pedagogical dimension. Workers with support needs can be long-term unemployed, persons with disabilities, older persons, migrants, NEETS and other groups who are more at risk to be excluded from the labour market. 

The B-WISE project targets the skills needs of workers with support needs, their supporters (such as their job coaches, trainers) and their managers. The project also promotes the attractiveness of the WISE sector as a career choice and raises awareness on the importance of the use of digital technologies to support workers -who are more at risk to be excluded from the labour market- in work placement. 

The B-WISE project will:

  • Identify the skill gaps – mainly digital skill gaps – currently experienced by the WISEs sector;
  • Chart the skills that the sector will need in the future; 
  • Develop a credible and sustainable plan to match demand (employees/employers) and supply (VET providers) of identified skills needs;
  • Update the transnational vocational training curricula according to the new needs of the labour market;
  • Support the exchange of good practices at national and regional level, favouring the development of a sustainable community supporting skills growth, innovation and competitiveness in the sector;
  • Enhance the attractiveness of the WISEs sector as a career choice. 

To reach these goals and prepare WISEs to face future challenges, the project implements the following actions: 

  • Develop a report to provide an overview of the WISEs sector across Europe and identify the skills needs in the sector.
  • Design three training curricula to meet the skills gaps of workers in integration, their supporters and their managers.
  • Make those curricula a reality by testing them in 13 countries and validating them by certification authorities.
  • Develop a European Strategy to continue addressing the skills needs in the WISEs sector even after the end of the project.
  • Raise awareness to promote the WISEs sector as a career choice and on the importance of the use of digital technologies to support people who are more at risk to be excluded from the labour market in work placement.

The partnership is composed of 2 European networks, EASPD and ENSIE, 16 WISEs sector representatives, 13 VET providers and one European Research institute. The partners are from 13 European countries: Austria, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Spain.

The partners are supported by an advisory board that gathers 7 umbrella organisations, 1 international organisation and 8 representatives of national and regional authorities. 
 

 

The European Commission  support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

The B-WISE project, Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills in Work Integration Social Enterprises, is an Erasmus + project coordinated by EASPD with the support of ENSIE.