Technologies, Competences and Social Innovation for Work Integration Social Enterprises
SMEs in Central Europe currently face shortages of skilled labour force mainly in relation to the requirements posed by technological progress and economic innovation. This is particularly true for Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs) as social SMEs working for the integration of disadvantaged groups. Even though they represent significant economic actors in Europe (engaging over 14.5 million paid employees), WISEs are in fact disadvantaged compared to traditional SMEs since they often suffer from technological gaps due to low investment levels and lack of necessary skills. The INNO-WISEs project will tackle these weaknesses by improving the capacity of WISEs to offer qualified jobs to disadvantaged groups, hence contributing to greater social cohesion. Through the implementation of an integrated approach (tackling all development needs of the sector from technology gaps to skills shortages), and through the production of specific outputs for the WISE sector (including a knowledge management framework, a flexible ICT platform, training programmes etc.), the project is expected to significantly change the entrepreneurial mind-set, skills and attitude of the sector by building and promoting a stronger culture of entrepreneurship and greater social innovation capacities. To reach this ambitious objective, INNO-WISEs has a strong and highly qualified transnational dimension, involving, as partners, key research and technological entities, a group of WISE consortia in Central Europe countries and the European Network of WISEs located in Belgium, which will be a key factor in the successful implementation of the project since it will determine the high applicability and transferability of its results. INNO-WISEs will represent a ground-breaking project for the social economy sector since it will bring, adapt and make enterprises able to use technologies and skills which are currently out of their reach and which will represent a turning point for their development.