The project aimed to design, test and validate a coherent and inclusive orientation model supporting vulnerable women in accessing the labour market. Its core objectives were to strengthen women’s self-awareness, motivation and confidence; identify and valorise both formal and informal skills; define realistic professional goals; and reinforce essential transversal competences such as communication, problem-solving and adaptability. The project also sought to provide adult-education and career-guidance professionals with practical, replicable tools, fostering a shared methodological approach across countries. By implementing the model in Italy, Spain, France and Türkiye, the partnership intended to demonstrate its transferability and adaptability, promote structured peer learning, and build a European framework for inclusive orientation. Ultimately, the goal was to improve employability, autonomy and participation of women facing multiple barriers, while strengthening the capacity of organisations to deliver sustainable, user-centred guidance pathways.
Orient2Work was conceived to address a shared European challenge: the persistent exclusion of vulnerable women from the labour market due to intersecting barriers such as disability, migration background, low education, family responsibilities and long-term unemployment. Partners observed that existing guidance services in Italy, Spain, France and Türkiye were often fragmented, short-term and not adapted to women’s real needs. The project responded to this gap by designing an inclusive, competence-based and person-centred orientation model, accessible also to low-literacy users and adaptable to diverse socio-cultural contexts. During implementation, this need was further confirmed by the results of transnational workshops and the piloting phase, which highlighted structural obstacles (limited training access, discrimination, childcare constraints) and the importance of strengthening transversal skills, self-confidence and personalised support. The project therefore aimed to empower women through a structured three-phase pathway and to improve the capacity of professionals and organisations to deliver effective, sustainable and gender-sensitive orientation services.