BACKGROUND Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) play an important role in the European economy. MSE are potentially particularly affected by a shortage of young talent, as they are unable to compete with the services offered by Medium-Sized Enterprises and large companies in various respects (e.g. job security, pay levels, promotion opportunities). MSE can and must react to this by paying special attention to maintaining the workability and employability of their existing workforces. In addition to the classic occupational health and safety measures, measures for the preventive maintenance of work and employability must be implemented to a greater extent, so that employees can and want to carry out their work until the planned retirement age. A comprehensive promotion of work ability can help to close this gap. Over the past few years, numerous research and transfer projects have developed and compiled instruments for the analysis and design of working conditions that make this comprehensive promotion of work ability possible. However, there is always feedback from consultants that the existing instruments cannot be used in companies with fewer than 15 employees: They are too complicated, do not fit in with the choice of words or can only be used with a larger number of employees. OBJECTIVE The aim of the AKKUEurope project is therefore the systematic development and testing of a multimedia toolbox suitable for the target group on the basis of existing instruments, together with the owners and employees of selected MSE companies. For this purpose, a research of existing instruments in the participating European countries of the partners of the project is carried out first. After the research of at least 200 instruments in the context of health and employability, a catalogue of criteria will be compiled, according to which the instruments will be evaluated. The primary evaluation criterion is the applicability in the MSE. On the basis of the criteria catalogue, the expert project consortium will select at least 30 instruments for the toolbox that can be used throughout Europe. The selected instruments will be adapted to the needs of MSE or developed for this target group and especially for the employees working there and tested together with model MSE companies in all European countries covered by the project consortium. After the test phase, a final adjustment of the instruments based on the test results as well as a medial implementation of the toolbox will follow. PROJECT PARTNER The AKKUEurope project represents highly motivated and experienced partners from 6 countries, each with specific expertise and experience in the field of employability and entrepreneurship in general. The partnership combines education providers with market relevance (micro enterprises) and IT partners. This composition ensures a geographical coverage and the possibility of dissemination of the project results throughout the EU. The partners have complementary skills and expertise that enable AKKUEurope to achieve objectives through solid and practical results. ACTIVITIES A) Analysis of existing instruments in the partner countries B) Adaptation of the instruments and completion of the toolbox C) Test phase of the toolbox in the company D) Media implementation of the instruments METHDOLOGY AKKUEurope is based on a practical, precise methodological approach: such a balance is ensured by the partners involved. The methodology is outlined along the following steps: - Analysis of existing instruments and their adaptation - Development of the toolbox - Pilot project for user-based validation - Completion - Complete introduction and deployment through the OER platform RESULTS AKKUEurope results will be practical and relevant solutions for micro and small businesses, available in multilingual versions, free and without restrictions through the OER platform. IMPACT AND BENEFITS AKKUEurope will increase the competitiveness of MSE and promote its growth. It will generate immediate and tangible impacts at local level and reach target groups and relevant stakeholders.
The aim of the AKKUEurope project was to systematically develop and test a multimedia toolbox suitable for the target group of employees in micro and small enterprises to improve the workability of its owners, employers and employees. The basis was the research of already existing instruments (O2), adapt them to the purposes of the target group and if possible, implement them multimedially on the OER platform www.akkueruope.eu. The research of existing tools took place in the participating European countries of the project partners. The primary evaluation criterion was its applicability into micro and small enterprises. On the basis of the catalogue of criteria, the methodology, the expert project consortium has selected at least 30 instruments that are suitable for the use with the AKKUEurope toolbox. The selected tools have been adapted to the needs of micro and small enterprises. Some new tools have been developed for multimedia purposes for the target group. After finishing the adaption process, programming and implementing the tools on the OER platform the micro and small enterprises and their employees had the possibility to test the tools and evaluate its usability via an online evaluation form.
MSE (1 to 49 employees) play an important role in the European economy. MSE are potentially particularly affected by the lack of young talent, as they cannot compete with the offers of medium-sized and large companies in various respects (e.g. job security, pay level, career opportunities). MSE can and must react to this by paying special attention to maintaining the work and employability of their existing workforces. In addition to classic occupational health and safety, which is also only partially and mostly not systematically implemented in these companies, measures for the preventive preservation of working and employability must be increasingly implemented. Comprehensive promotion of workability can contribute to closing this gap. Instruments for the analysis and design of working conditions have been developed and compiled in numerous research and transfer projects in the last few years, which enable this comprehensive promotion of workability. However, there is always feedback from advisors that the existing instruments cannot be used in companies with fewer than 15 employees: They are too complicated, do not fit in the choice of words or can only be used with a larger number of employees.