The project PAL PUSH II offered innovative learning opportunities for social inclusion groups, such as women, seniors, unemployed, migrants and Romani, using interactive techniques, topics, and digital tools. The main aim was to improve their social integration through employment or entrepreneurship. The project tackled several priorities, such as improving employability, upskilling, innovation, social mobility, and equality for the target groups. The project used advanced integrated approaches, such as blended learning, coaching, apprenticeships, and digital literacy. The specific objectives of the project were to enhance the entrepreneurial and employability competences, increase the knowledge and skills, deliver the tools to develop the digital competence, support the start-up of new enterprises, reduce the unemployment in post-COVID era, foster the cooperation and networking, boost the digital connectivity and innovation, and raise the growth potential of the entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups.
Disadvantaged, vulnerable groups are deeply affected by unemployment and social exclusion, as low-income families with children face difficulties in finding affordable childcare and migrants encounter unprecedented barriers in the job market. The project partners applied for this project because they wanted to create innovative learning opportunities for social inclusion groups, such as women, seniors, unemployed, migrants and Romani, using interactive techniques, topics, and digital tools. The main needs that they addressed were: • The need to boost the social integration of the target groups through employment or entrepreneurship, by enhancing their employability, upskilling, innovation, social mobility, and equality. • The need to develop a comprehensive approach and endorse a number of goals in entrepreneurial training and employment, in order to support the implementation of national inclusion strategies and the Council Recommendation of their Integration. • The need to improve the digital competence, connectivity, innovation, and business environment of the target groups, by providing them with access to online platforms, virtual learning environments, digital tools and resources.