Projects

About the project

The ICARUS project facilitates labor mobility in the restaurant and culinary business in the Romania-Bulgaria cross-border region by providing services and training aimed at building skills and increasing employment in the sector.The main objective of the project is to create preconditions for labor integration in the cross-border (CB) region by developing and piloting an Integrated Support Scheme, including the following key activities and tools:

• Development of vocational education and training (VET) programs concerted to the needs of businesses in the cross-border region;

• Developing methodology for testing and questionnaires for evaluation the personal skills of potential workers in 4 relevant professions;

• Conducting pilot vocational training in 3 selected professions in the field of catering with included cross-border mobility of trainees;

• Pilot assessment of the personal skills of potential employees, based on the developed methodologies and questionnaires;

• Establishing capacity of training and education providers to promote continuing vocational education and training and lifelong learning and mobility of trainees and workforce on both sides of the border;

• Establishment of a Cross-border center for facilitating labor mobility in the culinary and restaurant business as a separate unit within the Association of DABS, facilitating the links between VET providers, job seekers and businesses, and providing personalized consultaion services and consulting for mobile workers and employers from the cross-border region.

The activities are aimed at improving the possibilities to adapt the professional and personal skills of employees accordig to the business conditions across the border and to reduce the uncertainty (both for employees and employers) of the consequences of hiring or starting work from the other side of the Danube river.

The final result of the project implementation is to increase the readiness of the labor force for labor mobility and to increase the attractiveness of jobs in the cross-border region among employers and workers.

Achieved results:

  1. Conducted studies and analysis of the training and support needs of potential employees and employers in the culinary and restaurant sector in the Romania-Bulgaria cross-border region have been carried out in relation to the key professional skills needed to work in the sector:
  1. Conducted research and analysis of training and mobile support needs of potential employees and employers in the culinary and restaurant sector in the cross-border region Romania - Bulgaria - regarding the necessary "soft" (transversal) skills of the employees in the sector:

• Three focus groups were conducted to determine the employers' requirements for the "soft" skills of employees in the culinary / restaurant sector;

• Identified profiles of employees in 4 pilot professions, identifying the 5 most important "soft" skills that employees should possess, according to the business, to be relevant to the requirements of the labor market.

3. Integrated scheme to support mobility in training and / or employment in the Romania-Bulgaria cross-border is developed:

• 4 integrated vocational education and training (VET) curricula adapted to the cross-border region - with flexible paths to validate previous acquired knowledge and skills - for 4 key professions: 1) cook; 2) baker, 3) restaurant, 4) bartender;

• Developed a Model for assessing soft skills in these professions, which, based on situational tests, determines the degree of readiness to practice a particular profession

• Developed training programs to prepare for labor mobility in the cross-border area Romania - Bulgaria, which, within 5 training courses, acquaint the trainees with the most important aspects and features of: labor law and their rights as working in the CB region, culture and the culinary traditions of the CB region, guest relations and customer profiles in the hospitality and culinary sectors, as well as providing trainees with basic knowledge to acquire important presentation and digital skills required in their work .

4. Established Cross-border center for facilitating labor mobility in the culinary and restaurant business with contact points in the cities of Dobrich (for Bulgaria) and Constanta (for Romania).

The Center provides specialized training spaces for the provision of vocational training courses in the main professions in the restaurant and culinary sector, as well as individual intermediary and advisory services to interested persons seeking opportunities for cross-border study and / or work mobility.

5. Pilot implementation of the Integrated Scheme for Supporting Mobility in Training and Employment in the Romania-Bulgaria Cross-border Region:

• Conducted short vocational training courses in 3 selected professions - cook, waiter/bartender and baker/pastry chef with nearly 100 participants from Bulgaria and Romania;

• Over 100 participants involved in the Soft Skills and Job Mobility Readiness Initiative, who have undergone training and received an individual assessment of the 5 key soft skills, as well as the knowledge and possibility to develop a personal e-portfolio and consultation for employment and mobility.

6. Capacity of VET providers in the cross-border region for promotion and stimulation of  work mobility - by including 40 representatives of training institutions from Bulgaria and Romania in a two-day seminar.