Digital media in social enterprises

"How can we use digital media in social enterprises for vocational qualification of disadvantaged people?"- From November 2018 to August 2021, six partners from five EU countries exchanged views on this within the framework of Erasmus+. Initially at workshops in Cologne, Sfantu Gheorghe and Kaunas and then monthly via video conference under the direction of the Diözesan-Caritasverband für das Erzbistum Köln. Among other things, an e-reader with ten examples of good practice was produced, which can be downloaded free of charge from www.digi4se.eu along with further information on the course of the project.

Erasmus+ Project "Digital media in social enterprises” successfully completed

The project was innovative for us, because as an organisation it was the first time, we had the opportunity to travel and exchange best practices focused on digitalization. An innovative approach for us was the organisation of internal webinars for our employees, members and beneficiaries about the usage of digital tools and online applications

says Christos Makliri from KOISPE Diadromes in Athens, referring to our Erasmus+ project which ended in August 2021.

Over a period of almost three years, six partner organisations from five EU Member States, under the leadership of the Diözesan-Caritasverband Köln, exchanged ideas on how digital media can be used in social enterprises for the professional qualification and integration of disadvantaged groups. The focus was on people with health restrictions such as disability, mental illness or addiction, as well as long-term unemployed people who are employed and qualified in the social enterprises of the partners.

Initially, workshops lasting several days were held in Cologne, Sfantu Gheorghe and Kaunas. Experts from science and practice were invited, and interesting projects were visited on site. Due to the Corona pandemic, the partnership then met digitally with Zoom for monthly exchanges from May 2020. Together, a training on digital tools was designed and implemented, in which 50 professionals from the partners participated in "European learning groups". In addition, a comprehensive reader with good examples of the use of digital media in social enterprises was produced in English, which is now available for free download on the project website.

The transnational partners have agreed to use and expand the use of digital media in their social enterprises in vocational guidance and education work with disadvantaged people beyond the end of the project.

I really appreciated the very good communication between the partners, the common understanding of the project work and active involvement in all the activities. I didn't expect that the project work will continue so well in this pandemic period, but the partners did a very good work even online and managed to share a lot of interesting best practices models in Europe and experiences

was the final conclusion of Alina Birsan, officer at Social Firms Europe (SFE CEFEC), a network of 60 social enterprises in Europe.

Further information on our project website: www.digi4se.eu