The aim of INNovaSouth project is to stimulate Southern European SMEs to implement new organizational models for the management of human resources and innovative solutions for the modernization of the workplace. The INNovaSouth innovative model of best practices of non-technological innovation will allow Italian and Greek SMEs to find simple, immediate and innovative solutions to increase employee’s motivation and productivity, which will be translated into added value for the business and more benefits for the entrepreneurs. The piloting scheme will be initially implemented in Sicily and Thessaly regions, giving rise to a multiplier effect boosted by a targeted dissemination strategy conceived and implemented by partners. The model designed will be developed within an Online Manual of Good Practice on Workplace Innovations based on a four-quadrant matrix, resulting from two categorisations of practices and workplace innovations. The categories are defined according to the economic nature of the solutions (Monetary and Non-Monetary Innovations) and the grade of complexity for the implementation of those actions (Short-term and Long-term Innovations). To adopt effectively these solutions, vouchers with value of € 8.000, funded by H2020 Programme, will be provided to be spent on workplace innovations activities, goods, and tools. Voucher provision will be regulated through an open call for projects that will ensure funds for 24 companies in the regions. In addition, SMEs managers and employees will have the chance to follow an online training programme in ICT WPI System offered by partners that will improve their competences in several topics. This new context-based mechanisms could attract more skilled workforce and generate entrepreneurial dynamism and widespread prosperity, stimulating other companies to adopt similar mechanisms.

The project will involve the following activities: 1. Organization of 4 transnational project partner meetings; 2. Conducting of 1 research on e-learning in the region; 3.Preparation of 1 e-guide to organizing webinar and webinar methodology; 4. Creation and regular updating of 1 regional portal on e-learning; 5. Organization of at least 36 webinars (12 by project partner) on how to organize a webinar and the benefits of webinar-based education. The 4 transnational project meetings will serve the purpose of regular project coordination and communication. Two of the meetings will be held in the first year of implementation and the other two in the second year of implementation. There will be one meeting in the countries of each project partner and two meetings in the country of the coordinator. The specific cities will be decided at the project outset, however they have no influence on the project budget since they will be in the 100-1.999km travel distance range. The research on e-learning will aim to provide an in-depth assessment of the availability of webinar and online course opportunities in the region, the supply and demand of such education opportunities, the reasons for and the factors behind the lack of such supply or demand, and the challenges learning providers have been facing with the organization of such educational processes. The following data collection methods will be used to produce the research: extensive online searches for data on e-learning opportunities, interviews (to be conducted via Skype or similar) with representatives of education providers across levels and sectors of education, as well as interviews with learners, young people and adults. In addition, data will also be collected via the web portal (online surveys). The research will involve the expert engagement of 3 researchers who will collect the data, and produce the analysis and recommendations. The research will be published as an e-document. Professional graphic design services will be hired for the design of the final document. The production of the e-guide will involve the effort of 3 experts/researchers. The guide will be published in an e-form. . Professional graphic design services will be hired for the design of the final document. The guide will be based, to some extent on the data collected for the research report, however it will also involve separate process of data collection, specifically for the purposes of the guide, for example of available technology, platforms for e-learning, key challenges, specific issues related to limitation on numbers of participants in different technologies and platforms used, limitations and advantages to video and audio communication, sharing of documents, etc. In addition, the guide will discuss particular issues related to e-learning methodology, such as difference between a physical and an online classroom, presentation tools, presentation length, style interaction, practical work, etc. The regional portal on e-learning will aim to serve as a central resource for education providers and learners who are interested in webinars and online courses. The portal will collect and disseminate information on: available webinars in the broader region (providers will be offered to post their ads for free); it store resources on e-learning will be collected from relevant stakeholders; it will feature articles and discussions on e-learning, provide technical advice, etc. The web portal will be managed by the coordinator, but all partners will take part in provision of content and data. They will be required to identify webinar opportunities, invite experts to contribute, write articles themselves, share content, promote the portal, take part in and moderate discussions, promote online surveys, etc. The portal will be a major effort in the project and it will act as the principal dissemination tool hence the contribution of each partner will be coordinated on regular basis. The project partners will organize at least 36 webinars during the project. Each partner will be required to organize at least 12 webinars (6 per year). The webinars will be a dissemination tool and they will focus on how to organize a webinar and what are the benefits of webinar-based teaching. Each partner will be responsible for broadly promoting its webinars, participant selection and registration, selection of presenters and discussants, and delivery of the webinar. The objectives of the webinars will be consistent and some of the core material will be common but the partners will have the autonomy to produce their own webinar. They could decide on selection of discussants, specific focus of their presentations, etc. The primary target of the webinars will be education providers across levels and sectors.

Social entrepreneurship is an option that generates new opportunities for decent employment, eradicates disadvantage situations and promotes social cohesion. The goal of Sentim is to promote social entrepreneurship among immigrants who still suffer the effects of the crisis. The situation of crisis and unemployment has hit hard immigrants who suffer long periods of inactivity or suffer from job insecurity. These are situations that increase their sensation of personal fail. It is necessary to find new options that generate decent employment opportunities that eradicate situations of disadvantage and promote social cohesion.Taking into account those situations and the huge potential of social economy and its contributions to the local development, the main goal of SENTIM has been to explore and to take advantage of the potential of social economy considering the needs of the immigrants and by extension the needs of any other people who face labour market discrimination and social exclusion. After the experience developing Sentim project, we consider self-employment and social economy not only as an answer to the current situation of unemployment but as an opportunity for immigrants.In the framework of Sentim, we have had the opportunity to develop better models, adjusted to the needs of immigrants, with high transfer capacity and which will help stimulate economic growth and job creation at local level in the framework of the social economy:• Facilitating the implementation of new social economy initiatives through the development of new measures to accompany and support individual and social entrepreneurship.• Through the identification, evaluation and training in specific skills for entrepreneurship.• Identifying opportunities for the development of employment-generating projects in the framework of the social economy.SENTIM has been developed by four organizations: GO Bufalini (Italy), Step (Slovenia), IED (Greece) and Burgos Acoge (Spain), with a wide experience in entrepreneurship and social economy, working with immigrants, developing methodologies, providing VET services adapted to different people, development of skills and competences and social innovation. Taking advantage of this experience and diverse knowledge, within the framework of SENTIM, new methods and methodologies have been developed to improve entrepreneurship and the social economy, such as the following:- Methodology for the identification of interests for entrepreneurship.- Methodology to assess and train entrepreneurship skills.- Methodology to accompany and support individual and social entrepreneurship.- Methods to find business opportunities that can be implemented in the framework of the social economy.All these methods and methodologies have been tested and validated through different workshops, training and support activities in which dozens of people, both immigrants and professionals, have participated.SENTIM offers the digital publications of all the results and three open courses (Sentim e-learning) to train interested professionals, especially those who work with immigrants and people at risk of social exclusion; professionals related to training; who work in entrepreneurship centers; political leaders; and, of course, immigrants or people at risk of social exclusion. A change of mentality is already being perceived in our immediate surroundings: Professionals from the social, training and employment sectors are beginning to consider the social economy as an opportunity to create new jobs for immigrants and other disadvantaged people.Those who have had the opportunity to participate in the development of the project have discovered not only the benefits of transnationality, but also new ways of promoting entrepreneurship, new training tools and to accompany immigrants on the path of entrepreneurship. As a result of Sentim, Burgos Acoge is providing a new support service in entrepreneurship whose results, to date, are the creation of a cooperative with 19 immigrants (in progress) and the start-up of three new companies promoted by immigrants.In organizations that work with immigrants and other disadvantaged people, thanks to Sentim's workshops and other actions, professionals are better prepared and motivated, and can provide migrants with tools and personal resources to entrepreneurship. There is also a better disposition toward entrepreneurship, social initiatives are considered an option to create employment for immigrants. One example is the creation of a Social Economy Working Group within the Integration Commission of the Council of Burgos.Sentim's methods and results are being used by other organizations in workshops and courses to promote social entrepreneurship.

The project addressed the subject of recruiting young people interested in undergoing in-company vocational training (apprenticeships) in SME. Focusing on acquisition, selection and integration of young people in enterprises, it promoted a new concept of sustainable apprentice recruitment.Against the background of major social and economic challenges in Europe (youth unemployment, skills shortages, skills mismatches), the project reacted on a growing interest across Europe in in-company training and a need of more young people participating in it. Adequate strategies and methods of apprentice recruitment are hereby major facilitators of successfully creating access to in-company training. However, in this respect businesses do not fully exploit their potential. Poor recruitment policies have been identified as a key factor for difficulties in filling training positions.Thus, the project aimed at supporting enterprises, mainly SME, in optimizing planning, implementing and evaluating apprentice recruitment as to fully adapt them to current frame conditions. It thereby contributed to the improvement of strategic development of SME which provide training – improvements which eventually allow optimal access to in-company training for all young people. In more detail, the project tackled the following issues:• Encouraging companies, especially SME, to participate in high-quality in-company training.• Extending knowledge of companies as to the need of establishing adequate apprentice recruitment mechanisms.• Providing enterprises with practical instructions and information which allow or facilitate the development and / or adaptation of (new) recruitment procedures according to current frame conditions. • Providing enterprises with an overview on suitable tried-and-tested recruitment methods and instruments.• Providing enterprises with guidance as to ensure high quality of recruitment procedures.Those issues were elaborated in four intellectual outputs – high-quality guidance and orientation material, to be provided as online publications and paper brochures. They were targeted at and strictly tailored towards the direct use of SME. Outputs were disseminated towards target groups – mainly SME and enterprises but also other relevant stakeholders in the field of VET such as social partners, political decision makers, representatives of vocational schools and educational research – by means of various activities. Most important were several multiplier events (seminars, workshops, conferences) executed in each partner country with target groups. Thus, nearly 600 enterprises and another 400 other stakeholders across Europe were reached directly and introduced to the project output. Moreover, by means of the internet and other indirect ways of contact, around 71.800 stakeholders in partner countries and beyond were reached out to.The project thereby contributed to:• More enterprises provide young people interested in in-company training more high-quality apprenticeship positions.• Enterprises better manage the apprentice recruitment process and better deal with connected challenges.• Enterprises apply improved methods of engaging with teenagers from various backgrounds and with different levels of competences, of committing young people interested in in-company training as future skilled employees, and of attracting young people.• Other relevant stakeholders in VET promote in-company training and contribute to disseminating the project output.• Young people interested in in-company training including those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds have improved access to in-company training.

There is an old story about the three stonecutters. Once upon a time, a traveler came across them and asked what they were doing. The first replied sadly saying that he has the hardest job in the world. He said he was cutting a stone. The second one said his job was very hard but at least could earn the money to feed his family. He said he was building a stone wall. When the traveler met the third stonecutter, the man was covered with dust but looking happy and cutting a stone with a smile on his face. The traveler asked him the same question: What are you doing? The stonecutter simply answered with shining eyes: I am building a Cathedral.Exactly two years ago the Prometheus partners posted their first publication on the Peer Network and started this outstanding project together with the words: “We come from six different European countries – Bulgaria, Austria, Greece, Ireland, Italy and the UK. We put expertise, perseverance and heart in what we do, we are friends and allies, we are the stonecutters that build cathedrals. This time we invite you to join us in building the Temple of the nowadays Prometheuses – the career counsellors and guidance practitioners.”Two years later the project has been successfully implemented in the partners’ countries and has attracted interest and achieved impact beyond their borders.The partners named the project Prometheus after the Greek god that gave fire to the people and whose name in Greek means forethought. He stands as a symbol of the human progress and the gift of fire and hope and is the best metaphor one can find for the nowadays career practitioners. The project team includes 6 partners: BFE (BG), CIAPE (IT), BEST (AT), IED (GR), Aspire-igen (UK) and CIT (IR). They are all committed to adding value to people’s realization and actively working for their enhanced employability. The team launched and maintained the Prometheus Platform – PROMETHEUS-EU.NET - a One Stop Virtual Space for Career Counselling and Guidance Services. As a result of the team joint efforts 5 more intellectual outputs have been produced and uploaded on the Platform - Career Pathways Research and Analysis Report, 100+ Enlightenment Best Practices e-Book, Peer Network and Empower Talk Movies, Online Career Counselling Guide and Toolkit with 5 career mobile apps. All the intellectual outputs have been elaborated, validated and finalized in English, Bulgarian, German, Greek and Italian languages. They will be available for free of charge use at least until the end of 2021.The intellectual outputs have been presented through different publications, seminars, meetings, multiplier events and the Final Prometheus Conference that took place in June, 2016 in Sofia, Bulgaria.The outputs elaborated and outcomes achieved are directly addressing the strategic partnership priority for re-skilling and up-skilling of adults through increasing incentives for adult learning, information on access to lifelong learning services such as career guidance and by offering tailored learning opportunities to individual learners. They facilitate the enhanced participation in learning as well as the employability by developing quality career guidance, counselling and support services.The project team also took into account the Erasmus+ Program priorities for innovating and increasing the quality and range of initial and continuing training, including new pedagogies, ICT-based methodologies and use of open educational resources as well as the production and adoption of open education resources in diverse European.The impact on the partners’ organizations and the other participants in the project activities is significant and the career practitioners are now equipped with professionally elaborated theoretical and practical solutions to their main challenges and needs related to high quality provision of career services with large variety of approaches and types of activities. These benefits contribute to the improved performance in their role on the labour market as the meeting and matching point between the market requirements and the employability of their clients. The impact for another one of the main target groups - the young adults is the enhanced potential for their employability as a result the project’s activities and results. They are better informed about the benefits of a constant development and the participation in lifelong learning possibilities for better personal and professional realisation and 10 of them shared own experience through the Empower Talks.The whole society including the stakeholders, employers, individuals, etc. as indirect target group of the Prometheus project benefit and will benefit in the long-term from the innovative and practical solutions to some of the most challenging nowadays problems. The main impact of the successful implementation of the project for the society is the reinforced interaction between practice, research and policy seen in the Peer Network.