Social innovation for productive employment and decent work

The course addressed the urgent need to explore social innovation and how it can contribute to address employment challenges and foster the creation of meaningful and sustainable work. In particular, it explored the intersection between social innovation and the creation of decent jobs, focusing on how social innovators significantly fosters new competencies, opens up new markets, and ultimately leads to the emergence of new job opportunities. Through this lens, participants were able to understand the role of social innovation in building resilient, inclusive employment systems that promote decent work for all.

OBJECTIVES

The programme covered the following topics:

• Productive employment: what it is and future challenges;

• Social Innovation for decent work;

• Worker-led Enterprises and Recovered Businesses;

• Mutualism and Co-operatives: social innovation for decent work;

• The motivational divide: personal or organizational factors?

CONTENT

By the end of this course, participants were able to:

• Understand the evolving concept of productive employment and its relevance in today’s economy.

• Explore the role of social innovation and solidarity economy practices in promoting decent work.

• Analyse the potential of mutualism and cooperatives as models for fair and inclusive employment.

• Learn from real-world examples of worker-led enterprises and understand their contribution to labour rights and job retention.

• Identify strategies for fostering sustainable and socially impactful workplaces in a rapidly changing labour market.

METHODOLOGY

The course was delivered by using a dynamic training approach that merged theoretical and practical learning through interactive sessions. Its design was centred on actively engaging and inspiring participants.

Through hands-on learning, participants engaged with their environment through case studies, workshops, and collaborative group exercises.

Furthermore, a final assignment was required, whose successful completion was a key criterion for awarding the Certificate of Achievement.

NUMBER OF HOURS: 60 learning hours