LEONARDO DA VINCI TRANSFER OF INNOVATION PROJECT

Title of the Project
Keys for Women Economic and Labour Empowerment (KWELE): Gender-based learning model for disadvantaged women to acquire qualifications for office management

Project Reference No
LLP-LdV-TOI-2007-TR-042

Background
The EU aims to become the most competitive global region by 2010 (Lisbon European Council, 2000).  It will integrate fully its internal market, facilitate movement of workers and tackle gender inequalities in the Labour market by urging all European stakeholders to 'raise the female participation rate to increase economic growth'.

To enable SME's to compete effectively within the emerging knowledge based economy, employees will need to be up-skilled in key areas such as ICT and foreign language use, as well as have strong social and interpersonal skills.  There is a clear need to provide opportunities for women to acquire these competencies to enable them to enter the European Labour Market.

To address these issues and to contribute to a successful enlargement of the EU, this project aims to enhance cooperation in vocational education and training between Member States and candidate countries, by ensuring compatibility between the national approaches.

Aim
The project aims to develop a model (based on innovative former ones) to empower disadvantaged women with social and vocational skills for them to become or remain competitive on the Labour Market, and to be able to present certified qualifications to potential employers in and out of their country (in case of migration/mobility of the family). By assessing and adapting the women's needs to the current demands of the Labour Market, the project will also contribute to narrowing the gender gap visible in all European countries.

This project will develop and pilot a vocational training programme in Office Management for disadvantaged women.  The programme aims to equip women with relevant skills and knowledge for work within an SME.

Duration
December 2007 - December 2009

Target Group
The project will target disadvantaged young women in Turkey, Greece, Latvia and Poland. Disadvantaged women have been described in 3 categories:

Married women with children:
To address the low employment rates of women with children: 'Women with small children continue to show employment rates of 13.6%' (European Commission, Report on equality between men and women, 2005).  There is a need to provide young mothers with  specific non-formal learning leading to empowering qualifications that can facilitate their  return to the Labour Market on a part-time basis.

Women less educated:
Women who possess a secondary school certificate are one of the main target groups. Especially the ones who received a certification in a commercial-technical, administrative-technical or office-technical area also need to be up-skilled and trained on new office management techniques in order to compete effectively within the Labour Market.

Urban women coming from the countryside:
Female labour force participation rate is lower in urban areas especially among women who migrated into urban areas and who concern themselves with household work. They need to receive specific self-confidence courses, and pre-vocational skills that can lead to the acquisition of office based management qualifications.

Project Partners:
Applicant Organization: Mamak Municipality

Coordinating Organization: EDUSER Educational Consultancy Services Co. (Turkey)

Partners: Kolping Training Institute(Germany), VFA - Valter Fissamber Associates (Greece), EuroFortis Ltd.(Latvia), BD Center Consulting Pawel Walawender (Poland), Entrepreneurs Development Foundation (Turkey), Ballybeen Women's Centre (United Kingdom)

The project is funded by the European Union � LDV Education and Culture

Project Website:  www.euproject.mamak.bel.tr