VOCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT PIPELINE PROJECT (VIPP)

(Link to project website)

The project is financially supported by Leonardo da Vinci Programme of EC.

Project duration:24 months
Start: 01.10.05
Finish: 30.09.07

Partnership:
7 partners from 5 countries in Europe
* Remploy Ltd.(UK);
* Marie Curie Association (Bulgaria);
* Ehlabe (Spain);
* Cedris (Netherlands);
* Samhall AB (Sweden);
* Jobcentre plus (UK);
* Usel, UK (Nothern Ireland);

Target groups:
* Unemployed disabled people including those with learning difficulties and/or mental health needs;
* Disabled people who are underemployed, currently working in sheltered workshops and/or those on supported employment programmes and who may wish to move into other vocational areas or higher level jobs;
* Employers interested in the specific vocational pipeline sectors of retail, health social care and recycling;

The potential and final users of the projects results include:
* Training and disability organisations;
* A variety of enterprises and employers including SMEs, large enterprises (with more than 250 employees) and public sector organisations;
* Sector organisations and employer umbrella groups such as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
* National and European Disability organisations and policy advisory units such as Department for Work and Pensions in the UK, The Unit for Integration of People with Disabilities and The European Parliament Disability Intergroup in the EU;
* Trade unions;
* University partners;

Community Vocational Pipelines is a transnational network of specialist disability support organisations and their employer partners who have come together to develop sectoral vocational pipelines in order to progress disabled people into open employment in the vocational area of their choice.
Project aims:
* vocational pipeline development and support of disabled people into open employment
* meeting the needs of employers in the targeted vocational sectors
* promoting the mainstreaming of equality of opportunity amongst employers and raise their knowledge and understanding of diversity management practices through social dialogue, training and support
* to create a multi−lingual, on−line knowledge

The results include:
* Reduction of job vacancies amongst sector employers
* Enhanced support for employers to promote good diversity management practices including job retentions
* Changes in attitude and poor perceptions of employers relating to the abilities of disabled people and hence the removal of barriers to recruitment, retention and development of disabled people in their workforce.
* Changes in attitude, skills and confidence of disabled people relating to entering employment and improving their performance in work, job satisfaction and their proactive involvement in this project.

More information at: www.vipp.org.uk