The unemployment rate of people in the European Union who have Intellectual and relational Disabilities is more than twice as high as for the general population.
EDGE is aimed at ideating and testing innovative approaches to foster the employability of young people with intellectual and relational disability, creating the ground for their inclusion in the labour market and in the society.
There are three type of actors involved in the issue: young people with ID, the employers and the society.
Enhancing Disabled-people Greatness and their Employability
The unemployment rate of people with Intellectual and Relational Disabilities in Europe is more than twice that of unemployment in general terms, despite legislative reforms concerning work and non-discrimination, and financial and tax incentives for businesses.
The EDGE Project is promoted by Consorzio SIR for the implementation of the European Erasmus Plus Strategic Partnership, in collaboration with agencies and organizations from the following countries: UK, Portugal, Greece, Austria and Lithuania.
EDGE intends to design and experiment with innovative approaches to promote the inclusion of young people with intellectual disability and relational skills in the labor market, leveraging win-win solutions that involve young unemployed people, businesses and society as a whole.
Objectives
- Creating and promoting innovative and effectivetraining methodologies for job insertion
- Optimize organizations and businesses to be proactivein employing young people with disabilities
- Promote the development of an entrepreneurial mindset, as well as skills and possibilities for self-employment
Target
- Young people(18 – 35 years) with relational and intellectual disabilities
- Educators and operatorsworking with young people with relational and intellectual disabilities
- Business Mentorstrained to support the path of self-entrepreneurship.
- Entrepreneursand HR managers, to be involved in creating inclusive work environments
As project partner, Melazeta will deal with a specific goal: to build an “EDGE Game” that will exploit Gamification mechanics to simulate working environments, in ordet to directly engage youngster with ID and supporting their problem-solving and decision-making skills.
The EDGE game is dedicated to the target of final beneficiaries (youth with ID) and will help them in getting used to the work environment, both corporate and self-employment setting, in order to feel more safe and calm with the real thing.
The game – multilingual and innovative in contents and method – will simulate the working environment and the possible scenarios, and the young participants can find a safe way to get used to specific features (related to logistics, timing, interactions) and also to acquire transferable skills such as troubleshooting, decision-making, and problem solving, by highlighting critical features, ensuring that students attend to what is important. Specific meditation sessions will be included.
Studies show that computer-based games and simulations are more effective when some form of guidance is provided directly to students. So in the design of the game features, a small group young people with ID will be actively involved. This is another point of innovativeness.
The EDGE game will be uploaded on the EDGE website, and on the partners websites and will be easily available as open resources for young beneficiaries from the whole countries and form all the EU (English version). It will be equipped by a short guide for families that will show the game features and how it should be used. It will be spread during dissemination activities in order to widen the impact, as well as throughout the organizations that could use it as assistive tool.
ASSOCIATED PARTNERS
Anffas Nazionale – www.anffas.net
Confcooperative Milano Lodi Monza e Brianza – www.milanocooperativa.it
Comune di Cesano Boscone – www.comune.cesano-boscone.mi.it
Weleda – www.weleda.com
Zini – La Pasta di Milano – www.pastazini.it