This project aimed to encourage a positive social change in Croatian society and the inclusion of long-term unemployed women, by increasing the employability of 42 participants and promoting corporate social responsibility and social entrepreneurship among employers in the tourism and hospitality sector. Skills for Employability in Tourism and Hospitality was co-funded by the European Union and implemented in partnership with the Association of Small and Family Hotels, Bluesun Hotels and Resorts and the Women’s Group Karlovac 'Step'. The project was carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and the regional offices of the Croatian Employment Service in Karlovac, Sisak and Kutina.
What was the aim of the project?
The participants were empowered and motivated both for employment and an active role in their communities by increasing their work skills through education and training and gaining experience through work attachments with partner hotels.
At the same time, the partner hotels - members of the Association of Small and Family Hotels and Bluesun Hotels were encouraged to start or continue practising corporate social responsibility or social entrepreneurship in their business practices.
What was the project about?
42 women participated in the project and received training in English for tourism and hospitality, customer care and skills training for elementary occupations in tourism and hospitality (cleaners and helpers, food preparation and waiter assistants) as well as empowerment and networking training.
Following the training the participants were placed on one-month work attachments at either a small partner and family hotel or a large partner hotel chain. This enabled them to acquire knowledge and skills as well as first-hand work experience to help bridge the gap between them and potential employers.
Who participated?
The project participants were long-term unemployed prime age women from the counties of Karlovac and Sisak-Moslavina with low or inadequate skills and social care and assistance beneficiaries. They were recruited by our associates from the Croatian Employment Service offices in Karlovac, Sisak and Kutina and the Women’s Group Karlovac 'Step'.
Quick Start Handbook
Quick Start Handbook: Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Entrepreneurship in the Tourism Sector (by Teo Petričević, 2014) was published by British Council as part of the EU-funded Project Skills for Employability in Tourism and Hospitality.
It promotes corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social entrepreneurship in the tourism and hospitality sector as tools for sustainable growth. It provides an overview of twenty recent examples of good practice in the EU and Croatia and brings thirty simple and easily applicable guidelines for the application of the principles of CSR for businesses in the tourism sector. The added value of the handbook is in its adaptability to the needs of employers in various sectors and industries.
CSR is an example of innovative business practices based on sustainable methods for encouraging positive social change and social inclusion. CSR and social entrepreneurship encourage economic empowerment of disadvantaged and marginalised groups and support the environment and economic development.
CSR has been listed among the priorities of the Croatian Strategy for the Development of Civil Society. CSR is also part of the national Strategy for Fostering Innovation 2014 – 2020 and the Strategy for Development of Tourism up to 2020.
The handbook was promoted at workshops in Split (24 November 2014), Karlovac (25 November 2014) and Motovun (26 November 2014) . The workshops also included a talk about the UK perspective of social enterprise by Cliff Southcombe from Social Enterprise Europe, one of the founders of the social enterprise movement in the UK.
Quick Start Handbook is unique as there are currently no similar publications available in Croatian. You can download the handbook at the bottom of the page.
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This project is supported by the European Union. The contents of this webpage are the sole responsibility of the British Council and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.