Thе purpose of Career4All Train-the-Trainer Academy was to collaboratively develop an innovative training methodology and implement it in the partner countries, to enhance the capacity of social and education professionals, volunteer youth workers/activists and/or HR specialists in Austria, Bulgaria & Hungary so they can provide career guidance to young people with disabilities and chronic illnesses, women with disabilities, migrants with disabilities and mothers of children with disabilities (PwD). Our goal was to train trainers who could gain the necessary knowledge and skills to empower PwD through the implementation of a set of accessible training courses. After completing the training, the trainers provided career guidance to PwD under project’s mentorship phase for a period of 3 months. The long-term aim of the project is creating a multiplier effect where the selected ones in our program and many more trainers are enabled through our methodology to support more mentees with disabilities powerfully in their career journey to find inclusive and sustainable jobs. We are happy that during and after the completion of the project, we already have successful stories of talents who started their professional journey.
Regardless of a country's level of social and economic development, people with disabilities and chronic illnesses (PwD) experience systemic discrimination and do not have equal access to a career and professional development. While PwD often remain a large pool of untapped human capital, companies are facing high employee turnover and lack of skilled candidates. All the partners of the project aim to build an effective bridge between PwD and the corporate sector for mutual dialogue and bilateral empowerment. In this way both sides can receive social and economical benefits from this interaction. PwD have extraordinary potential, but they need support to gain the necessary skills and motivation. Despite various organizations working in disability inclusion, there is a need for overarching programs that train trainers to give such career guidance and motivation to PwD. By multiplying the partner’s resources, the aim of this project was to empower career and social inclusion of PwD in Austria, Bulgaria and Hungary through investment in the capacity building of a pool of trainers. With the obtained knowledge and necessary skills, they are now able to create more opportunities for accessible employment for talents with disabilities.