On Friday 25 October 2024, the Portuguese Multiplier event of the JOBS4ALL project took place at the premises of APPDA in Coimbra, Portugal. 30 people participated in the event, which included adult Young People with disabilities (YPwDs), Youth workers, Special Education Needs (SEN) and VET trainers, Employers, Parents and Policy makers.
The event began with a warm welcome from Elsa Vieira, president and CEO of APPDA Coimbra, who introduced the objectives of the event and emphasized the importance of fostering inclusion and empowerment for YPwDs through innovative digital tools and collaborative initiatives.
After that, representatives of APPDA presented all four project results of the project in detail.
Rute Castela provided a comprehensive overview of the Jobs4All project, detailing its vision, milestones, and impact across the five partner countries. The presentation underscored the project’s commitment to addressing employability barriers for YPwDs.
Marta Teixeira shared insights from the first project result (PR1), focusing on the desk research and Focus groups discussions conducted to analyze the employment landscape for YPwDs and the existing gaps in training programs. Key findings included the need for more inclusive, tailored training methodologies.
The next session focused on PR2 and highlighted the Competence framework and rationale to develop the training model for the employability and the 3 jobs Skills and Competences. It also highlighted the dual training model developed to simultaneously equip youth workers and businesses with the skills and understanding necessary to support YPwDs. Examples of successful collaborations between the two groups during the project were shared.
Next, PR3 was presented where Marta Teixeira demonstrated the Jobs4All e-Platform, showcasing its innovative features such as e-learning modules and then discussed and presented the VR job simulations. Attendees had the opportunity to register on the Platform and experienced some of its features.
Finally, Rute Castela presented PR4 and discussed the establishment of Employment Hubs in partner countries, which serve as vital resources for YPwDs. The Employment Hubs established in partner countries will continue to serve as a legacy of the project, ensuring long-term impact. This segment included testimonies from participants who shared their positive experiences with the Jobs4All Programme.
Attendees had the opportunity to experience the advanced VR training simulations firsthand, through a live demonstration which illustrated the immersive and practical nature of the VR modules, designed to prepare YPwDs for real-world job tasks. Rute Castela concluded the event by thanking participants and outlining the project’s next steps. She encouraged stakeholders to continue advocating for the inclusion of YPwDs in the workforce and to exploit the resources developed by Jobs4All and stating that collaboration between youth workers, educators and businesses is essential for fostering sustainable inclusion.