SMELT Final Conference: the conclusion of a path characterised by professionalism, humanity and empathy

The journey of the SMELT project – Skilling Marginalised people to Enter the Labour market, started back in 2020, came to an end.

After two years of hard work, on January 16, 2023, the Final Conference of the project took place in Schio (Italy) within the framework of the fifth and last Transnational Partners Meeting.

During the Final Conference, the project partners presented to the audience, composed of Local Authorities, Civil Society Organisations, Associations and professionals working in the field of social inclusion, the achievements and results of the project.

After a brief but in-depth introduction made by Cooperativa Samarcanda Onlus, leader of the project, the three Intellectual Outputs were showcased.

The first one led to the creation of a manual, so-called ‘Easy Handbook’, aimed at bringing marginalised people closer to the labour market. The Easy Handbook is composed of two different parts, one addressed to operators/staff working in NGOs, VET Institutions or other entities entitled of delivering the training to facilitate access to the labour market of vulnerable groups, and another part directly targeting vulnerable people.

The second Intellectual Output resulted in the production of a ‘Training Manual’, a guide that includes basic knowledge on how to look for a job in the welding sector. It contains the labour regulatory frameworks of the countries involved in the project, it explores the different steps foreseen during the application procedure (e.g. how to write a CV, how to manage an interview etc.) and the soft skills needed to succeed in the recruitment process.

Finally, the partners presented the Intellectual Output 3, a collection of projects addressed to the ‘people on the move’ (refugees, migrants etc.).

Each partner conducted this third and last phase in a very different way, according to the tools and expertise at their disposal. During the Final Conference, the prototypes of Cooperativa Samarcanda, which conducted a Hackathon with more than 50 participants, were showcased.

The Final Conference represented a great conclusion for a successful project which exceeded the expectations of the partners, who not only shared professionalism and good practices but also humanity and empathy, values that characterised SMELT from the beginning to the very end.

The project partners will continue, with their daily work, promoting the insertion of vulnerable people into the society, through employment and other means. Despite the formal end of the project, the tools achieved by its implementation are timeless.