Project

The unemployment rate of people in the European Union who have Intellectual Disabilities is more than twice as high as for the general population.

EDGE is aimed at developing and testing innovative approaches to foster the employability of young people with intellectual disabilities, creating the ground for their inclusion in the labour market and in the society.

There are three type of actors involved in the issue: young people with ID, the employers and the society.

Objectives

EDGE is aimed at improving the well-being and quality of life of young people with mental and relational disabilities, pursuing the following 3 main objectives:

  • Creating innovative and ad hoc training methodologies for a successful job placement;
  • Prompting companies to be more proactive about hiring people with intellectual disabilities;
  • Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets, competencies and possibilities.

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Operational line

Preparation of educational resources for work inclusion

  • EDGE trainers able to transfer soft and relational skills, including problem-solving and decision-making, necessary for young people with DI to adapt their behavioral background in order to facilitate their insertion in interactive organizational contexts
  • interactive tools based on gamification and robotic teaching
  • creation of a work-based training program, ready to be experimented by coaches and business facilitators, to accompany young people in the acquisition of tailor-made technical skills (in the food, cosmetics, tourism and IT sectors) directly in the company

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Innovations

EDGE is aimed at improving the well-being of young people with intellectual disabilities, and of society in broader terms, with a decidedly innovative footprint.
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Partnership

EDGE is implemented by a widespread partnership across 6 European countries

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Target

It will involve:

  • Young people (18 – 35 years) with relational and intellectual disabilities
  • Educators and operators working with young people with relational and intellectual disabilities
  • Business Mentors trained to support the path of self-entrepreneurship.
  • Entrepreneurs and HR managers, to be involved in creating inclusive work environments.

Families, schools, services for people with disabilities, local authorities and other stakeholders will also be involved in the project.

Strategies

EDGE has three primary strategies:

  • Supply-side approaches, focused on preparing the target group for employment and then facilitating their placement;
  • Demand-side approaches, focused on creating a desire in employers to hire them;
  • “Third way” approaches, focused on promoting self-employment paths.

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