Timothy Ghilain, Chief of Staff at EASPD: how the B-WISE project is shaping the WISE sector across EU

Timothy Ghilain, Chief of Staff at EASPD, spoke at Enterprising for Tomorrow 2024 conference about the B-WISE project – Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills in Work Integration Social Enterprises, an Erasmus + project coordinated by EASPD with the support of ENSIE.

“Digitalization cannot be done on its own. We need to have a coherent approach to train, retrain, and reskill in all skills and targeted skills depending on the needs of the individual.”

Timothy Ghilain, Chief of Staff at EASPD

Discussion Highlights

The B-WISE project is an initiative by the European Commission designed to create a model for increasing the skills of workers in work integration social enterprises (WISEs). It involves 27 partners across 13 countries and aims to develop a blueprint that can be replicated throughout the EU.

Research and Needs Assessment:

The project began with extensive research to identify the skills needs of staff in WISEs across the EU. This research highlighted significant variations in needs based on geographic and socio-economic contexts.

Digitalization and Skills Training:

A major focus of the project is on digitalization. The project seeks to bridge the digital skills gap by creating a coherent approach to training and reskilling individuals. This includes addressing the specific training needs before introducing digital skills training.

Development of Training Modules:

The project has developed various training modules tailored to the needs identified during the research phase. These modules are available on the project website and are being piloted in partner countries.

Certification and Adaptation:

Efforts are underway to certify the training modules with national authorities. The goal is to provide adaptable training programs that can be customized to fit the specific context of each country.

Importance of Government Support:

Timothy Ghilain emphasized the crucial role of government and local authorities in supporting digitalization efforts through funding, reskilling programs, and providing access to necessary resources.