The HELIOS analysis on the needs of Blue and Circular economy companies conducted during the project activities is now available.

Thanks to this document you will have an up-to-date frame of the needs situation of green SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) operating in the Mediterranean region.

This analysis provides an overview of the results from a series of surveys carried out by HELIOS partners regarding 178 companies operating in the Blue and Circular Economy (BaCE) in local partner regions. 

It is a needs/gap analysis to illustrate the existing situation in these sectors and to identify the specific skills needed to allow the BaCE to develop, providing employment in the local area. 

The results of the surveys allow the HELIOS project to focus on those green areas with high potential for sustainable job creation and to orient training courses and course curricula towards closing the skills mismatch.
 
The survey results ensure that young people and women participating in the courses are provided with the skills needed to fill those profiles and foster development in the local BaCE. 

For the local economies belonging to the HELIOS partners, the sector with the greatest potential was identified as the Blue and Circular Economy as partners are mostly located in coastal towns. In some partner areas, the fishing sector still plays a considerable cultural role, in other places this connection has been lost and the fishing sector no longer enjoys the esteem it once did, especially in the eyes of the younger generation. 

The HELIOS project seeks to generate interest in the BaCE and its huge potential as the basis for sustainable, regenerative and inclusive growth. 
Creating links with local industry to determine their specific needs is crucial for TVET institutions and course designers if courses are to be of use to the local economy and to vulnerable groups in society by providing job opportunities.

Links established with the local economy ensure that courses are tuned to local needs, provide the opportunity of work placements, provide updating for TVET trainees and facilitate skills matching. 

The aim of this survey is to maximize the effectiveness of the skills-matching process through three different steps: 
1.    Identify enterprise labour needs in the BaCE sectors
2.    Develop training courses tailored to fit those needs
3.    Maximize employability through specific methodologies integrated into the course curricula.

HELIOS uses a bottom-up approach, starting from enterprise needs, in order to obtain best results in terms of new employment and business creation. 

HELIOS strives to involve local enterprise in coaching and mentoring activities, during all stages of training, to promote self-entrepreneurship, especially in innovative BaCE activities, such as waste management. 

Activities are carried out in all partner countries, taking care to define common profiles and curricula with the correct degree of flexibility to take into consideration the different economic environments and backgrounds of the target groups.

Data collection activities for this report included surveys, direct interviews with local enterprise, workshops, meetings, questionnaires and statistics from relevant local authorities in order to collect data on subsectors of local BaCE with greatest potential for growth/job opportunities (COVID-19 measures permitting).

This report must be consulted together with Output 3.1 (click here for the article and here for the document) as both are to be considered complementary to acquire an understanding of the local partner contexts.

Click here and read the document now! 

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