EMPOWERPLAY – Enhancing Job Skills through Gamification for Youth with Intellectual Disabilities
Problem to be solved
The problem of employability for people with intellectual disabilities is global and exists in every country in the world. Statistics show that the employment rate among people with intellectual disabilities is less than 10% in all European countries, while for the general population it is over 75.3% (Eurostat, 2023). Therefore, the motivation behind this project is to generate change and pave the way for the right to work for people with disabilities, specifically by working with young adults with intellectual disabilities.
The EMPOWERPLAY project aims to work collaboratively and in partnership with new generations to reduce this employment gap and, therefore, comply with the EU Charter of Human Rights, since equal access to employment is a human right recognized by both the European Union and the United Nations.
Objectives
This project aims to tackle the great labor gap that exists in people with intellectual disabilities (ID), through action with
youngsters; promoting the employability of this group with the development of digital and gamified educative material and
specific face to face and online courses for special educators and the labor market actors of Tourism, Manufacturing and Health Care economical sectors, identified by partners as most promising for this objective.
Specific objectives
- Provide the necessary knowledge to special educators to guide and accompany young adults with disabilities in their search for employment.
- Raise awareness of the importance of inclusive employment in the business sector; Through informative and engaging courses that inform them about the capacities of people with intellectual disabilities and the benefits of their employability.
- Give youngsters with intellectual disabilities the tools and conceptual and technical knowledge to seek and get a job in the economic sectors of Tourism, Manufacturing and Health Care.
- Strengthen the EU Values of Human dignity and Equality, by helping disadvantaged young people to get a dignifying job and equal access to the labor market, regardless of the condition of disability.
Tasks performed
This project includes the execution of 5 work packages:
- PT1: Project management and coordination
- PT2: Creation of job descriptions
- PT3: Creation of a video game for learning about job positions
- PT4: Creation and implementation of courses for professionals and employers.
- PT5: Project dissemination and promotion
Achieved objectives
The objectives we aim to achieve with this project are:
- Increased interest among young people with intellectual disabilities in learning a trade, thanks to the learning materials and serious games proposed in this project.
- Improved job search skills among young people with intellectual disabilities.
- Greater awareness in the private sector of the importance of creating inclusive spaces and promoting the employability of young people with intellectual disabilities.
- Improved social inclusion for young people with intellectual disabilities.
- Greater personal satisfaction and economic independence for the beneficiaries.
- Increased dynamism and collaboration between the vocational workshops of organizations that support young people with intellectual disabilities and companies in the private sector.
File and execution period
File number: 2024-2-SE02-KA220-YOU-000292355
Start date: 01/03/2025
Duration: 24 months
Status: In progress
Subsidized amount: 39.850,00 €
COORDINATOR CONTACT
Name: Raúl Esteban Crespo
Telephone: 965554475
E-mail: raulesteban@aiju.es
The “EMPOWERPLAY” project is co-financed by the European Union. The opinions and views expressed in this communication are solely those of the authors (FUB, AIJU, SUSTENTO, and IOVA) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Swedish Youth and Civil Society Agency. Neither the European Union nor the Swedish Youth and Civil Society Agency can be held responsible for them.
