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Community Center Paisij Hilendarski 1870 in Balchick

November 8, 2022

Bulgaria

eDigiStars

Type of document:

This document is a good practice information sheet

Author(s):

The information is prepared by VEDA

Publisher:

The good practice is carried out under the project eDigiStars , funded under the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme in the period 01-07-2020 – 31-12-2022. There are 3 partners from Bulgaria: Business Agency Association, Bulgarian Industrial Association – Union of the Bulgarian Business, and National Employment Agency.

Target audience

The project addresses the following target groups:

Elderly people/workforce representatives over 50 years, incl. representatives of disadvantaged groups (minorities, migrants or other vulnerable people).
Vocational training and adult training organizations, labor offices, NGOs, local governments, chambers of commerce, industry, economic development organizations.

Objective

The main project objective is to develop sustainable ecosystems which successfully turn older workers to the digital self-employed entrepreneurs. This is going to happen through development, piloting, and assuring of sustainability of the eDigiStars Innovative system, which consists of 3 modules –POWERYOU (to empower elderly for digital self-employment), CAMPUS (to adjust relevant courses to specific needs of Elderlies) and LABEL (to certify those Elderlies, who demonstrate enough digital skills).

Location /geographical coverage

The geographical range of the good practice covers Hungary, Austria, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovenia, Ukraine and 19 partners.

Introduction

Digital literacy brings countless benefits for the personal and professional lives. Unfortunately, digitally untrained people, in particular the older generation (50+), find it tricky to handle new technologies and therefore they often remain disadvantaged from the opportunities of the digital world. There are 2 common issues in countries of Danube macro-region:

First is the lack of employees or self-employed entrepreneurs who can provide specific simple digital services for SMEs. The other issue is the ageing of population and employability difficulties of the elderly population. At the EU level is concluded that workforce of 51 years or higher is affected.

The eDigiStars project deals with the tree common issues in the Danube macro-region:

Lack of skilled workforce in digital fields
Ageing population & employability difficulties
Lower competitiveness of the whole Danube region

The solution is hidden in eDigiStars’ innovative ecosystem based on three tools:

POWERYOU tool – how to reach elderlies and their change mindset that they can learn and scale up their digital career
CAMPUS tool – how to adapt training courses to the needs of elderly
LABEL tool – how to build trust and prove elderlies’ competences to employers

Partner(s) and Stakeholders

The project beneficiaries/partners include:

Hungary: Innoskart Business Development Nonprofit Ltd., Central Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency Nonprofit Ltd., Vocational Training Center, Székesfehérvár
Slovenia: Foundation for Improvement of Employment Possibilities PRIZMA, Municipality of Maribor, Employment Servce of Slovenia, Maribor Regional Office
Bulgaria: Business Agency Association, Bulgarian Industrial Association – Union of the Bulgarian Business, Bulgaria, National Employment Agency
Austria: Business Upper Austria – Plastics Cluster, WAGE-Network
Czech Republic: The Municipality of Prague, DEX Innovation Centre, Plus 50
Romania: European Center for Socio Professional Integration, Romarketing
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Development Agency of the Republic of Srpska
Ukraine: Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas, Ivano-Frankivsk region Employment Centre

A projekt kedvezményezettjei/partnerei a következők:

Magyarország: Innoskart Business Development Nonprofit Ltd., Central Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency Nonprofit Ltd., Vocational Training Center, Székesfehérvár
Szlovénia: Foundation for Improvement of Employment Possibilities PRIZMA, Municipality of Maribor, Employment Servce of Slovenia, Maribor Regional Office
Bulgária: Business Agency Association, Bulgarian Industrial Association – Union of the Bulgarian Business, Bulgaria, National Employment Agency
Ausztria: Business Upper Austria – Plastics Cluster, WAGE-Network
Csehország: The Municipality of Prague, DEX Innovation Centre, Plus 50
Románia: European Center for Socio Professional Integration, Romarketing
Bosznia-Hercegovina: Development Agency of the Republic of Srpska
Ukrajna: Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas, Ivano-Frankivsk region Employment Centre

Methodological Approach

The eDigiStars’ project methodological approach refers to development of an innovative ecosystem, based on three tools: POWERYOU tool, CAMPUS tool, and LABEL tool.

The process includes development of the tools by cooperation of vocational training and adult training organizations, labor offices, NGOs, local governments, chambers of commerce, industry and economic development organizations and disadvantaged target groups.
Developed tools are tested and adjusted according to the feedbacks of actors. The project started with the POWERYOU tool and trained the employees of labour offices or NGOs targeting elderlies how to build positive attitudes towards elderly, how to engage and motivate elderlies. In each territory was selected one education provider who, based on CAMPUS tool, adjusted one existing training course.

Afterwards this course was carried out with the 40 unemployed elderly recruited / selected per territory (320 in total) at the end of POWERYOU tool pilot. Furthermore, certification of elderlies and building trust towards employers with the LABEL tool pilot was carried out.
The LABEL tool is targeting actors working intensively with industry or representing them, e.g., chambers of commerce, industry associations and other business supporting institutions. With the help of this tool two things are to be achieved: First of all, widely recognised certificates for participants of eDigiStars. Secondly, trust in the (re-)qualified target group 50+ (in total 120 persons) was established, that they are valuable contributors to the digitalised working environment.

Validation

The partnership references the project tools to the Digital Competence Framework 2.0 of the EU. The Digital Competence Framework was closely analyzed by both the LABEL and CAMPUS working group and a common evaluation of each territory’s input showed that on average an intermediate level should be targeted within the eDigiStars project (level 3 or 4 of the Digital Competence Framework). However, due to the different territorial conditions and demands, it is not possible to set a general level for all territories for starting the eDigiStars training or for achieving the eDigiStars certificate. But it was important to note that the assessment of the start and target level is aligned with the EU Digital Competence Framework 2.0.

Impact

To demonstrate the impact, the project piloted the whole eDigistar System and delivered the following measurable impact in territories:

40 elderlies with employability difficulties (320 together) empowered and engaged.
1 selected “digital” course adapted per territory (8 together).
20 Elderlies build the digital competences (160 together).
At least 15 of them (120 together) certified by eDigiStar LABEL.

Innovation and Success Factors

The project delivers the so called eDigiStars Innovative System, comprised of three tools, aimed the building of capacities of employment market organizations.

POWERYOU Tool aims to support Labour Offices and NGOs or associations working with seniors to build awareness and motivate elderlies with employability difficulties to become digital employees or entrepreneurs.

CAMPUS Tool aims to support with methodological guidance the requalification centers, training providers and other organizations in adjusting their courses to the needs of seniors.

LABEL Tool serves as a guidance for chamber of commerce and other organizations to create a quality certification system for elderlies who gained relevant digital knowledge within the eDigiStars System.

Constraints

eDigiStars’ partners faced all challenges related to supporting the development of the digital entrepreneurial skills of the 50+ generation and the promotion of self-employment, including Women 50+ , who are left outside the labor market and need to find new inspiration for a new career, rather than retirement. The project tried to find a way so the older workforce to be motivated to enter their next level with knowledge and inspiration.

Lessons learned

Some of the lessons learnt refer to the following main points:

It is crucial to pay attention to very high-quality criteria when selecting the training institute and the training course, to be well recognised by the industry.
It is important to ensure that both the selected training courses and the certification processes are adapted to the needs of the 50+ target group as documented in POWERYOU.

There are plenty of digital trainings offered on the market, however, they are not specifically adjusted to the needs of the generation 50+.

Sustainability

The sustainability of the eDigiStars system and LABEL after the end of the project timeline was a topic which the project partners addressed during the meetings. The ideas among the partnership varied and therefore, each partner have to form close alliances with the organizations of their territories in the next step of the development of the eDigiStars LABEL to ensure funding for the system.

The identified steps for ensuring sustainability include:

Research what possible funding options exist in each own partner’s territory.
Contact relevant stakeholders and promote eDigiStars.

Selection of the optimal sustainable financing system in the respective territory (in combination with already existing financing options).

Replicability and/or up-scaling What are the possibilities of extending the good practice more widely?

The eDigiStars Innovative System, with its three tools, could be easily adapted and use in other EU countries.

Conclusion

The benefits of the eDigiStars Innovative System:

Provides a complete training program from selection of participants to certification.
Provide specific tools to be used when selecting members of challenging target groups (seniors, minorities, migrants),
Provides valuable suggestions for the adaptation of digital courses to seniors’ needs. In this aspect, CAMPUS Tool will help in the development of training courses that are unique in many of EU countries.
The high quality of the System is ensured by the involvement of an international consortium and their territorial stakeholders from various fields.

Contact details

Email: edigistars (at) innoskart.hu
Website: https://innoskart.digital/projektek/edigistars/

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