"TARGET( people with disabilities)•People with disabilities account for 10-12% of the world's population.•0,1% of European citizens (740.000) are now living with Inettllectual disdabilities (ID) •Prevalence of people with Down Syndrome, commonest (15-20%) identifiable cause of ID - is 1/2000: 370.000, in Europe. Their average life expectancy has increased; it is now around 60.•The right to work is getting crucial to ensure their independent living and self-determination. People with ID face a much higher unemployment rate than the rate applied to the general population. •Furthermore, the vast majority have never experienced any form of vocational training and this is a further limit to their access to the labour market.THE VALUEABLE NETWORKThis proposal follows two Erasmus projects which have set up and developed the Valueable network , which is now present in 6 countries and counts on more than 100 member hospitality companies, that host internships and/or hire people with intellectual disabilities. OBJECTIVESGeneral objective•Enhancing the access of European citizens with ID to VET and employment in the hospitality sector, through long- lasting collaborative partnership between VET agencies and employers Purpose•Enhanced access to training and employment opportunities through the European Valueable network in the hospitality sector.•Increased capacity of both VET providers and hospitality companies to operate together Outputs•One protocol for the involvement of large hotel/rest chains in the Valueable network as facilitators of job inclusion.•One protocol to strengthen partnerships between VET providers and hospitality organisations;•Two tools to enhance the access to training (HACCP and EUROPASS adapted) PARTICIPANTSIn addition to the 11 contact persons of the partner organisations, who will be the core of the network and will exchange ideas, methods and practice about job inclusion of people with ID in the hospitality sector, there will be at least 36 participants in training activities. 24 of them will be people with ID and the other 12 will be VET professionals. ACTIVITIES1)Design, development and testing of:a. a protocol for the involvement of large hotel/restaurant chains in the Valueable network.b. an accreditation protocol for would- be Valueable VET providers with learning resources attached.c. HACCP training scheme, adapted to the profile of trainees and workers with id, in agreement with hospitality companies and certification entities. Adoption by network members for any trainee/worker included by them.d.Revised Europass set of documents, in accordance with National Europass centres and adapted to the features of people with ID, in terms of language and ranking.2) E learning of hospitality staff3)Internships of people with ID in hospitality companies4)Blended learning of VET professionalsMETHODOLOGY•Developing the outputs, according to the same process: background analysis, design of the prototype and presentation at the meeting of the partnership, development of a prototype, field pilot testing (limited within the partnership), evaluation of the pilot, extended testing.•Field testing through internships and work experiences of people with ID at “home” and abroad in hospitality companies, with decreasing tutorship.•Evaluation of the impact since the beginning of the project.•Use of easy- to- read resources for people with IDRESULTS AND IMPACTHOSPITALITY COMPANIES Increased awareness of both large chains and individual hospitality companies about providing people with ID with training opportunities.VET PROVIDERS Enlarged scope, ""horizons"" of new accredited VET providers to set up an internship , in collaboration with hospitality companies. VALUEABLE NETWORK. Extended (10 countries, 200 subscribers) 1)Geographical enlargement of the Valueable network, aimed at including people with id in European hotels and restaurants.2)Increased number of Valueable companies. 3)Increased number of accredited VET providers.4)Increased number of people with id trained and hired.STAFF VET professionals : increased pedagogical and organisational skills . Hotel staff: raised awareness of training skills and needs of people with intellectual disabilities .PEOPLE WITH IDa)Enhanced independence and social skillsb)Improved employabilityc)Better professional skills.d)Enhanced curricula vitaeImpacts in the following areas:a)Increased knowledge and awareness about intellectual disability-related issuesb)Long-term positive economic and social impactsc)Long-term improvement of attitudes of different stakeholders (hospitality managers and entrepreneurs, employees and citizens in general) toward people with ID"

"CONTEXT OF THE PROJECT IDENTIFIED NEEDS 0,1% of European citizens are now living with ID (prevalence of people with Down Syndrome is 1/2000). Average life expectancy of these individuals has increased; it is now around 60. The right to work is getting crucial to ensure their independent living and self-determination. People with ID face a much higher unemployment rate than the rate applied to the general population. Furthermore, the vast majority have never experienced any form of vocational training and this is a further limit to their access to the labour market. Hospitality companies and VET providers for people with ID are two ""worlds"" which are still strangers. DATA According to US disability statistics (2015), only 25,6 % of the labour force with ID is employed (76% of non-disabled ). In UK (2016) people with ID have the lowest employment rate among all disabilities (only 23,9%). (House of Commons briefing paper 7540, 14/12/2016). OVERALL OBJECTIVE Facilitate the access of European citizens with ID to VET and employment in the hospitality sector, through long- lasting collaborative partnership between VET agencies and employers. PURPOSE Increased capacity of both sides of the network-VET providers and hospitality companies- to operate together both atlocal and at transnational level aiming at job inclusion of trainees with ID. OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES Strenghtening the network Exchange of good practice mainly between VET providers and hospitality organisations . *Sharing ideas, practices, methods and tools (app for trainees ,videos for their colleagues, e learning for hotel/restaurant managers): +Focused project meetings and monthly Skype meetings. +Tutored internships abroad of trainees with ID *Awareness raising of the managers of partner organisations belonging to the hospitality sector about the opportunity and feasibility of job inclusion of people with ID +on line training resources +study visits abroad . NUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS Main beneficiaries of the project have been: + 12 trainees with ID, who had their intership abroad; + 12 hospitality managers who took part in the study visit; + 30 hospitality managers who attended the learning course. ACTIVITIES Strengthening the network a. Structuring its governance and ensuring its sustainability b. Facilitating dialogue among the different partners, expecially those belonging to different ""worlds""also by promoting exchanges at many levels (managers, professionals and trainees) c. Drafting guidelines for internships of people with ID at ""home"" and abroad and study visits of managers to learn good practice. d. Providing e learning resources for managers and staff about job inclusion of people with ID e. Promoting internships of trainees with intellectual disabilities in a hospitality company abroad. f. Organising Study visits of hotel managers to hospitality companies as examples of good practiceg. Producing an e learning course for hospitality managers in 7 languages with evaluation questionnaires.h. Advertising the network through social media, interviews at the TV and radio, speeches at meetings (UN in NY as well) METHODOLOGY Strengthening the network: facilitating contacts among members, ensuring visibility to its members and testing the system through internships and study visits. Extending the network: diffusion of the Valueable-handing opportunities registered trade mark, to encourage the commitment of managers. Awareness raising of managers of potential members. Agreements with relevant stakeholders. Vocational training of people with ID: training on the job at “home” and internships abroad. Diffusion of the “On my own at work” app. Training of their colleagues with the videotutorials. RESULTS ACHIEVED 14 trainees abroad. Instead of 12. Half of them went to Axis Porto and the other half went to Hotel Melià Milano. During the project, the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Hamburg made itself available for hosting an internship of two youngsters from Campobasso (Italy). 12 managers took part in two study visits abroad. 6 Italians went to Porto (Axis Hotel) and 4 Portuguese, one German and one Turkish managers went to Milano (Hotel Melià). Thus 2 visits of 6 people were organised instead of three of four people. 30 managers trained with e-learning and coming from 6 different countries IMPACT OBTAINED VET providers for people with ID and hospitality organisations got aquainted and established long-lasting partnerships. More than 100 hotels, restaurants in 6 countries have subscribed the network, got the label (trade mark) and included people with ID within their workforce."