The company Katus d.o.o., in cooperation with project partners the Novi Otok society and LAG5 local action group, is implementing the project entitled “Cloud of knowledge for an island of possibilities”, financed in the amount of HRK 824,525.06 from the European Social Fund, operational programme Effective Human Resources 2014–2020 until 26 March 2021. The project is intended to educate unemployed young persons and those who are members of vulnerable groups on the island of Korčula who are actively seeking work. Participants will acquire market-demand competencies, while students in Korčula secondary schools will receive professional orientation as part of the early intervention programme.

The project aims to launch an online educational platform through the accessible e-corner in Vela Luka. This will enable ongoing learning for participants, and promote life-long learning among islanders as an important factor in the life of every person.

The objective of the project is to educate 41 unemployed persons who are members of vulnerable groups (youth, long-term unemployed, women, those over 50 years, Croatian war veterans, member of war victims’ families, and children of Homeland War volunteers, children of Croatian handicapped veterans, persons with disabilities, national minorities, and members of other vulnerable groups). Training programmes, prequalification programmes and professional development are provided to ease their inclusion in the labour market for the currently most required professions on the island: cook (16 persons), pastry chef (7 persons), caregiver for the elderly and infirm (4 persons), reception desk clerk (7 persons) and housekeeping (7 persons).

CLOUD OF KNOWLEDGE FOR AN ISLAND OF POSSIBILITIES – ACQUIRING MARKET-DEMAND COMPETENCIES VIA E-LEARNING

The project also envisages the inclusion of 30 secondary school students in early intervention and professional orientation, adapted to the current situation on the labour market, to help them better prepare for their upcoming entry onto the labour market. In schools, five focus groups of 6 students each will be formed, to determine their interests and level of information about what competencies are in demand on the market today.

Training for simple professions is based on certified programmes of external partners and higher learning organisations. The training programme includes 140 hours of lessons for the profession cook, 155 hours for the profession pastry chef, 500 hours for the profession caregiver for the elderly and infirm, 205 hours for the profession of reception desk clerk, and 160 hours for the profession of housekeeping.

The main objectives of the project are to secure employment and to adapt education to the needs of the economy, to obtain the necessary qualified work force and reduce emigration from the island, and also to promote lifelong learning. Participants will have access to the cloud, a specially designed online platform for the training programmes, which participants can access via the Internet with their user name and password.

The programme will also enable unemployed persons on the island of Korčula to obtain market-demand competencies via e-learning, and the project also introduces early intervention in the form of professional orientation for secondary school students. Students will have access to materials for professional orientation and counselling, information about education and employment opportunities, aimed at motivating them to remain in the system, and professional support in making adequate decisions about the selection of educational programmes and employment.