Project information:
Official name of the project: Spectrum-Cohesion - Inclusion of the Students with Trauma and Neurological Disorders into Employment for Social Cohesion of Refugees and Host Communities
Duration of the project: 1.11.2023 - 31.10.2026
Project coordinator: V-Systems (Poland)
Project partners: Vaasa University of Applied Sciences (Finland), LUISS – Luiss Libera Universita Internazionale Degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli (Italy), MANS – Międzynarodowa Akademia Nauk Stosowanych w Łomży (Poland), EDITC LIMITED (Cyprus), Foundation for the Development of International and Educational Activity – FRAME (Poland), Innopares Consultores Y Formadores S.L. (Spain)
Funding: EU Erasmus+ Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices, Strategic Partnership for Adult Education, Development of Innovation
Budget: 400 000 €
Contact person in VAMK:
Tanja Oraviita, Project Manager (Design Centre MUOVA)
tel. +358 207 663 636, tanja.oraviita@vamk.fi
Project website: https://cohesionproject.eu/
Project Description
The Spectrum-Cohesion project aims to support the employment of students with neurological conditions or trauma and to strengthen their social inclusion. Many of these young people face structural barriers, discrimination, and insufficient support services when entering the labor market.
In collaboration with three higher education institutions and three SMEs across five European countries, the project develops practical solutions to help both students and employers foster inclusive employment opportunities and social cohesion. By doing so, the project promotes inclusion, diversity, and equal opportunities in the labor market.
Goals
The project aims to:
- develop solutions that connect the private sector with students who have neurological conditions or trauma,
- improve the skills and knowledge of company staff to work effectively with employees with neurological conditions,
- enhance the employability of students with neurological conditions,
- raise awareness and normalize inclusive employment practices.
The ultimate goal of the project is for these special students and workers to find not just any job, but a job that suits them and benefits from their special skills.
Results
The project will result in a comprehensive method for designing and implementing solutions that bridge the gap between working life and vulnerable students. It will also produce two training packages: one for companies and workplace organizations, helping them to better support and include young employees with neurological conditions or trauma, and another for students, providing them with concrete skills to adapt to the challenges of working life. These outputs will be complemented by awareness-raising activities, including events and communication, which promote diversity and inclusion as a natural part of working life. In this way, the project creates new opportunities for both students and employers and contributes to building a European practice where social cohesion and inclusion are seen as essential elements of sustainable labor market development.
