1st LTTA Meeting in Dojran, North Macedonia

The first Learning Teaching Training Activities Meeting of UNITY Project took place in Dojran, North Macedonia between 12-16 September 2022. The topic of the training was “Career counselling and professional guidance of persons with disabilities”.
Four members of staff from each partner attended the LTTA meeting and had the opportunity to learn and participate in several workshops, as well as reflective and collaborative activities concerning the characteristics and methods of working with people with sensory and physical impairment; the characteristics and methods of working with people with autism and intellectual disability; workplace adaptation; effective strategies and instruments for counselling; communication in process of career counselling and diagnostic as separate phases in career development – building trustworthy client (counsellor relationship); and professional orientation assessment.
In addition, participants had the opportunity to visit the premises of Pokrov organisation in Strumica (http://socialinnovators.eu/pokrov/), as well as a food factory that employs people with disabilities. Both visits were very beneficial for the participants who got an idea of examples of good practices for professional development and employment of persons with disabilities in North Macedonia.

2nd LTTA Meeting in Vila Verde, Portugal

The second Learning Teaching Training Activities Meeting of UNITY Project took place in Vila Verde, Portugal between 28-30 June 2023. The topic of the training was “Sensibilisation of the business community for employment of Persons with disabilities”. The training was organised by EPATV – Escola Profissional Amar Terra Verde, one of the three partners of the consortium.

Three members of staff from Cyprus and North Macedonia attended the LTTA meeting and had the opportunity to learn and participate in several workshops, as well as reflective and collaborative activities.

This short-term joint staff training event aimed the sensibilisation of the business community for employment of persons with disabilities which will result in social and labour inclusion of people with disabilities, their successful integration in the labour market as well as contributing towards building their self-esteem and decreasing the unemployment rates in the societies. This training course was intended for education professionals involved in educational and professional development of people with disabiliteis and employers and other stakeholders coming from business community. The profile of participants varied from education professionals to managers, employers and policy decision makers in labour force. The training course aimed to result with upgrading competences of trainees in: Establishing connections between education and training and working-life – Establish partnerships of educational institutions and companies. Reflective practice of crossinstitutional cooperative relationships with other educational institutions and working life, employability of people with disabilities, etc.

In the framework of the training, participants had the opportunity to visit the premises of Valoriza, in Amares (http://valoriza.pt/). Valoriza is a Local Development Association founded in 2010 with the mission of boosting local development, doing so through the social integration of disadvantaged or vulnerable individuals and social groups. Despite its scope in the district of Braga, it defined the municipality of Amares as a priority intervention area. Its objectives, emanating from its social nature, namely initiatives of a social, economic, cultural, environmental and sports nature, are aimed at supporting children and youth, children, young people and adults with disabilities, assistance to the elderly, the family and the community in general, as priorities. Secondarily, it aims to enhance the territory, through the consolidation of synergies, promotion of its products and training of its people, in terms of the development of handicrafts, tourism and other cultural, professional, educational and economic-social activities.