In today’s fast-evolving digital landscape, craft enterprises face a unique...
Read MoreMENT aims to contribute to innovation in vocational education and training by promoting the application of the Reverse Mentoring methodology within the craftsmanship sector, as a tool to develop digital upskilling, foster intergenerational exchange and implement innovative resource and business management tools.
Reverse mentoring is an innovative approach where younger or less experienced individuals mentor their older or more experienced counterparts, typically in areas related to technology, digital skills, and contemporary workplace trends. This encourages growth, digital readiness and resilience, while fostering competitiveness within the labour market, while providing an innovative resource management tool to boost employability and resilience in the workforce.
The project aims to address these challenges by introducing an innovative tool for resource management and training, that is Reverse Mentoring. This approach fosters intergenerational relationships where younger employees become mentors to their more experienced counterparts. Reverse mentoring not only enhances collaboration but also helps achieve common objectives and inspire innovation, particularly regarding digital transition and entrepreneurship. It aims to bridge the skills gap by facilitating knowledge exchange and mutual support between generations, resulting in strengthened sense of belonging and identification with the enterprise and its mission, professional fulfillment, loyalty, and engagement. By leveraging reverse mentoring and innovative methodologies, the project aims to enhance productivity, foster innovation, and facilitate upskilling and reskilling processes. The project’s uniqueness lies in its potential to transform traditional craft enterprises and align them with contemporary demands in terms of digital transition and business innovation and support the growth, sustainability, and competitiveness of this vital sector within the Italian economy.
MENT aims to contribute to innovation in vocational education and training by promoting the application of the Reverse Mentoring methodology within the craftsmanship sector, as a tool to develop digital upskilling, foster intergenerational exchange and implement innovative resource and business management tools. Reverse mentoring is an innovative approach where younger or less experienced individuals mentor their older or more experienced counterparts, typically in areas related to technology, digital skills, and contemporary workplace trends. This encourages growth, digital readiness and resilience, while fostering competitiveness within the labour market, while providing an innovative resource management tool to boost employability and resilience in the workforce.
The project’s primary motivation stems from the unique characteristics and challenges faced by micro and small enterprises, particularly craft enterprises, within the Italian and European business landscapes. Craft businesses represent a significant portion of Italy’s economic fabric, accounting for 23.3% of businesses in the country, with 63% of them being self-employed individuals. However, there are notable gaps in the sector concerning the adoption of new technologies and innovative digital tools that could enable them to meet evolving customer demands, personalize products, and access new markets. In the Italian region of Marche, for instance, the craftsmanship sector is mainly constituted by micro-enterprises grappling with competitiveness challenges and issues related to employment and human resources management. Data from the Excelsior Information System reveals a limited inclination among craft businesses to hire qualified personnel, with only 1.6% of new hires seeking candidates with degrees. Despite this, there is a growing demand for specialist roles and technical skills in the medium term, signalling a shift in the sector’s workforce needs. As craft businesses move away from conventional production methods, there is a growing emphasis on activities that span the entire spectrum of production, both before and after the manufacturing process. This shift is notably underscored by the ANPAL database in its 2021 report. To support this shift, it is crucial to develop methodologies for skill development tailored to the craftsmanship environment. Furthermore, there is a pressing need to facilitate the intergenerational transition within an evolving workforce by finding new and flexible ways to preserve and pass down valuable experience within the workspace.
The project aims to address these challenges by introducing an innovative tool for resource management and training, that is Reverse Mentoring. This approach fosters intergenerational relationships where younger employees become mentors to their more experienced counterparts. Reverse mentoring not only enhances collaboration but also helps achieve common objectives and inspire innovation, particularly regarding digital transition and entrepreneurship. It aims to bridge the skills gap by facilitating knowledge exchange and mutual support between generations, resulting in strengthened sense of belonging and identification with the enterprise and its mission , professional fulfillment, loyalty, and engagement. By leveraging reverse mentoring and innovative methodologies, the project aims to enhance productivity, foster innovation, and facilitate upskilling and reskilling processes. The project’s uniqueness lies in its potential to transform traditional craft
enterprises and align them with contemporary demands in terms of digital transition and business innovation and support the growth, sustainability, and competitiveness of this vital sector within the Italian economy.
The Institute of Vocational Training AKMI is the largest VET provider in Greece and one of the 7 largest in Europe. It was founded back in 1989 and today is active in 9 cities across Greece (Athens, Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Herakleion, Larissa, Rhodes, Chalkida, Elliniko, Alexandroupoli) representing almost 60% of the total VET sector in the country providing postsecondary education, of EQF levels 3-5. Every year, approximately 18.000 active students are enrolled with the aim of studying one of the 112 specialties, in more than 380 laboratories in 14 different sectors within more than 37.500 m2 of infrastructure across the country. AKMI leverages extensive experience in managing European Funds and executing large-scale projects. Specializing in Training Needs Analysis, Curricula Design, and Training Material Development, AKMI shapes project education frameworks effectively. Through reverse mentoring principles, AKMI fosters inclusive learning environments, promoting knowledge exchange among learners of diverse backgrounds. Additionally, AKMI’s advanced infrastructure, including Digital Cinema, Multimedia Workstations, Network Infrastructure, supports innovative learning methods. These facilities enable hands-on experiences and multimedia-rich content creation, enhancing training effectiveness.
AKMI prioritizes tailor-made training and mobility activities, promoting lifelong learning and professional development. By offering personalized learning pathways, AKMI ensures participant engagement and empowerment. With a learner-centered approach, AKMI equips individuals with skills for success in a digital landscape.
For further information visit the website
https://akmi-international.com/
Contact Details
23 Evmolpidon Str., 118 54, Athens, Greece
+30 210 34 68 265
Confartigianato Imprese Macerata – Ascoli Piceno – Fermo was born in 01 January 2019 through the merger by incorporation of Confartigianato Imprese Ascoli Piceno and Fermo into Confartigianato Imprese Macerata. The Association is a trade union, autonomous and non-partisan organization. It is the unitary expression of the representation, in their respective territories, of artisan enterprises, self-employment, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) belonging to the Association.
It can also associate agricultural, trade, tertiary, tourism, cooperation and services companies, atypical and parasubordinate workers, consortia and business combinations, business networks and non-profit organizations.
The Association is not for profit and proposes the protection of the economic and trade union interests of the members, promoting their development and activating any initiative useful for their social, economic and cultural progress.
Confartigianato offers Trainings, Digital business innovation and Business creation services. Through the Training Services division, Confartigianato empowers its members with the knowledge and skills necessary to evolve in business landscape. By incorporating principles of reverse mentoring, Confartigianato facilitates intergenerational knowledge exchange and a boost in digital business innovation for its members. Digital Business Innovation services provide members with cutting-edge strategies to enhance their competitiveness in the digital marketplace. Leveraging the insights gained from the reverse mentoring project, Confartigianato emphasizes the importance of adopting innovative approaches and staying abreast of industry trends. Confartigianato support for Business Creation provides aspiring artisans with the guidance, resources, and mentorship needed to launch and grow their businesses, to contribute to the long-term sustainability and vitality of the craft sector.
For further information visit the website
www.confartigianatoimprese.org
Contact Details
1 Piazzale Tambroni Armaroli, 62100, Macerata, Italy
+39.0733.3661
The Way Srl Società Benefit (TW) is an incubator and accelerator founded in January in 2023. Founders are seniors skilled in different field and with experiences in entrepreneurship, academy, association with a deep knowhow of the territory and a relevant network all over the world. TW’s founders decide to formally create a company to combine their actions towards the start-up universe and the open innovation to offer the market a single interlocutor that aims at the evolution process for the new ideas. TW’s mission is to support innovative ideas through high skilled partners knowledge, competences, training, innovation, technology, networks and a current and feasible mindset, all of which is necessary to ensure sustainable and scalable Development. Over time, a local but above all national and international network has been built with companies, associations, universities which offers the possibility of finding the best option for each different need we encounter.
Despite its recent establishment, The Way Srl benefit company has quickly established strong partnerships with experienced stakeholders in training project development. Led by Luca Nardella, President of the Board of Directors and partner at CED Servizi Srl, The Way prioritizes innovation and excellence in education. With over 20 years of combined experience among its core team, The Way emphasizes reverse mentoring and intergenerational learning, introducing innovative methodologies since 2019. By integrating reverse mentoring, they offer fresh perspectives on professional and personal growth, fostering connections across generations. Through their forward-thinking approach, The Way demonstrates a commitment to innovation and continuous improvement in training and development. By promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange, they create dynamic and inclusive learning environments, enhancing lifelong learning and skill development for participants.
For further information visit the website:
Contact Details
84, Via Ungaretti, 62100 Macerata, Italy.
+39 0733.1778683
The goal is to upskill the entire workforce, enabling enterprises to meet contemporary industry demands, particularly with regard to digital transition. This will help craft businesses remain competitive in the evolving business landscape.
The project aims to promote a culture of lifelong learning within craft enterprises. It seeks to create an environment where employees are motivated to acquire new skills and knowledge throughout their careers, contributing to the long-term growth and sustainability of craft businesses.
The project fosters digital readiness in craft businesses through the intergenerational exchange of skills and technological knowledge, supported by the innovative practice of Reverse Mentoring. This will help craft enterprises transition digitally and innovate effectively.
Best practices and innovative business management tools in the VET field, such as Reverse Mentoring and new business models, will be gathered and shared internationally.
The project contributes to innovation in vocational education and training by enhancing the technological proficiency of craft enterprise employees and supporting the implementation of innovative resource management tools. This will foster innovation within vocational education and training.
Through reverse mentoring and upskilling, the project will equip business owners with the necessary skills to foster digital resilience and adaptability within craft enterprises. This directly addresses the challenge of digital transformation in these businesses.
The project inherently promotes inclusion and diversity by targeting a wide range of participants in terms of age and roles within the enterprises. This intergenerational and inclusive approach will help foster a diverse learning environment.
In today’s fast-evolving digital landscape, craft enterprises face a unique...
Read MoreFunded by the European Union. However, the views expressed belong to the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the granting administration. Neither the European Union nor the granting administration can be held responsible for them.
Designed and developed by: Atteggiamento Digitale
