Year 2009

Project Type Transfer of Innovation

Status running

Country EL-Greece

Marketing Text In certain regions among the EU-countries living standards remain quite low and the rate of unemployment among older people and especially women is quite high. Working opportunities for women over 50 years old in these areas are limited to the production of local, traditional products and to the offer of these products only to the visitors of their region.
Their production is based on traditional recipes that pass from mother to daughter, using almost exclusively local materials.

Overall aims of the project are to support women over 50 years old to take part in training activities in order to continue producing their products in the same way, but according to EU legislation and to promote them to a wider market through e-commerce.

Summary Despite the ongoing improvement of quality of life of people around Europe in general, there are still certain regions in the EU-countries, where living standards remain quite low and rate of unemployment among older people and especially women quite high. The working opportunities for women 50+ in these areas are limited to the production of local, traditional products and to the disposal of these products only to visitors of their region. Many of these products are based on traditional recipes with exclusive use of local materials.
Overall aims of the project are to support women 50+ to take part in training activities in order to keep producing their products in the same way, but according to EU legislation and to promote them to a wider market through e-commerce.
The objectives of the proposal include support of the development and adaptation of innovative ICT –based content, services, pedagogies and practice for lifelong learning through promoting the training materials, and delivering training in order to raise the competence level of the target group. These will be achieved through adaptation of training materials and piloting them, on the following topics:
• Organization of the production of local, traditional products in harmony with the conditions and limitations set by the EU as far as production, conservation and packaging are concerned.
• Organization of the procedures for e-commerce distribution so that the market will expand from local to national and European level.
• Provision of information to women on the procedures and requirements necessary for their products to be characterized as biological.
Expected in/tangible outcomes:
• Decrease of unemployment among the sensitive target group of women 50+, of underdeveloped regions and/or with minority origin, at their majority with low educational level.
• Upgrading of their economic & social status.
• Preservation of traditional production of local products.
• Promotion of local traditions to inhabitants of other parts of the country or Europe.
• Production of products according to EU legislation and for biological products
• Limitation of internal migration of people coming from underdeveloped regions.
• Increase the possibility of employability for the younger members of local societies through these activities
No of Trainers 10-15 (2-3 persons/group) 20 h training/group
No of Trainees 50-100 (5 groups, 10-20 each, in 4 countries) 150h training/group.

Description The project will give to the local people access to lifelong learning, involving them in flexible training activities which is one of the priorities of the LLP. It will also answer to the priorities of the National strategy for lifelong learning for the period 2008-2013 approved by the Council of Ministers.
In reference to the European Reference Framework for Key Competences for Lifelong Learning the project proposal will develop at least four of them:
- Digital competence-through equipping the participants with knowledge about ICT;
- Learning to learn;
- Interpersonal, intercultural, social and civic competence;
- Entrepreneurship
The transfer of innovation related to ICT, to e-commerce and EU regulations for bio-products will tackle problems, common for all the partnership countries and declared as priorities in the Memorandum for Lifelong learning as well as in Lisbon strategy.
More specifically the trainees will learn to:
- sell via Internet (E-Commerce)
- produce, to pack and to preserve according to the EU legislation
- produce biological products and to certify them as such
- use the basic trading terminology and communicate in English

Themes     ICT
    Enterprise, SME
    Equal opportunities
    Utilization and distribution of results
    Lifelong learning
    Access for disadvantaged
    Quality
    Language training

Sectors     Activities of Households as Employers; Undifferentiated Goods- and Services-Producing Activities of Households for Own Use
    Education

Product Types material for open learning
modules
CD-ROM
distribution methods
teaching material
website

Product information The educational level of women aged 50+ living in underdeveloped, areas is below average and their computer knowledge and its potential uses, is minimal to non-existent. Also their ability to use English language and especially trading terminology is very low.
The two previous projects include:
The first a complete training package for trainers and trainees which, with adaptations and additions, can be used for training women in computer basics. It includes instructions for trainers that have to instruct women-trainees who have no prior computer experience.
The training material also includes photographs and sketches which facilitate understanding of the text. Finally, it includes many stories from women who started from zero and finally managed to use computer successfully at work.
All of the above factors created the conditions in which the previous project “E- Chance for Women” was able to develop into an extremely successful project and its products are still used today, years after the project has finished, by organizations in many countries in basic computer training for women.
The second, EFTAM project, provides us with training material, for beginners in English language to teach them the use of English language basic communication and International Trading terminology.
The current project anticipates the creation of training material which will be divided into 5 parts:
Ma. Training in basics on computer use
Mb. Training in the role of computer in the organization and of e-commerce for the specific products produced by the Participants
Mc. A chapter which includes reference to EU legislation for safe production, packaging and maintenance of products.
Md. A chapter dealing with conditions which must be met in order for a product to be considered biological and the way in which the relevant stamp may be obtained
Me. A chapter of English terminology for international commerce (with the aid of the program “English for International Trade” which was produced by the EU project EFTAM)
Parts Ma and Me are covered by previous projects. Parts Mb, Mc and Md are being developed under the current project, taking into consideration the modern-day demands of e-commerce and the relevant legislation. One of the partners of the current project, DIAN (P1) has participated as a Partner in E-chance for Women and to EFTAM. P1 has the rights to use the Products of those projects for commercial exploitation or for other project based on an agreement among the partners

Projecthomepage www.e50plus.eu