Graduate employability in rural economies

L'occupabilit\ue0 pu\uf2 essere analizzata a tre livelli, che comprendono le componenti principali della vita di un individuo: (1) livello macro, che \ue8 il livello di sistema strutturale legato alle politiche e a come i sistemi educativi sono coordinati all'interno del quadro nazionale e internazionale; (2) livello meso, che riferisce a come l'occupabilit\ue0 e l\u2019occupazione siano mediate da processi delle istituzioni, in questo caso universit\ue0 e imprese; e (3) il livello micro, costruito a livello personale, che comprende la relazione tra dinamiche soggettive, biografiche e psico-sociali, aspetti culturali e contesti individuali. Questo lavoro si \ue8 focalizzato sul meso e micro livello, analizzando le esigenze di occupabilit\ue0 dei laureati provenienti da universit\ue0 situate in contesti rurali, al fine di individuare elementi distintivi che possano orientare le universit\ue0 nell'elaborazione delle loro strategie di occupabilit\ue0 in relazione ai mercati del lavoro locali, che sono il pi\uf9 delle volte i mercati di destinazione dei laureati. Il lavoro sul campo ha compreso un caso di studio multiplo in tre universit\ue0 europee, questionari agli studenti e interviste a laureati in Beni Culturali e Turismo dell'Universit\ue0 di Macerata (Italia). I risultati evidenziano come le transizioni tra universit\ue0 e mondo del lavoro nelle economie rurali siano caratterizzate da elementi distintivi e individuano i principali aspetti che le universit\ue0 dovrebbero considerare per favorire l\u2019occupabilit\ue0 dei laureati

Collegare ricercatori, studenti e stakeholders in prospettiva internazionale / Linking researchers, students and stakeholders in international perspective

Negli ultimi decenni in tutta Europa le università sono state coinvolte sempre più profondamente nelle dinamiche sociali e imprenditoriali dei territori che le ospitano. Nel mese di novembre 2019, è stato organizzato un convegno presso l'Università di Macerata dal titolo Cibo e vino. Rappresentazioni, identità culturali e co-creazione di sviluppo sostenibile, con un duplice scopo:  da un lato si è cercato di approfondire il legame millenario fra il vino e il cibo e le pratiche culturali che definiscono le identità collettive, insieme alle espressioni letterarie ed artistiche di tale legame; dall’altro, si è voluto sottolineare il valore di un ateneo umanistico nel contribuire alla valorizzazione delle risorse culturali immateriali presenti sul territorio attraverso un processo di co-creazione che coinvolge docenti, studenti, stakeholder e comunità locali e che riguarda tutte le missioni dell’Università - ricerca, didattica e le relazioni col territorio.In past decades, all over Europe, the universities have been increasingly involved in the social and entrepreneurial dynamics of the reference territories. In November 2019, the conference “Food & Wine. Representations, cultural identities and co-creation of sustainable development” was organized at the University of Macerata. The conference had a twofold purpose: on the one hand, it sought to deepen the thousand-year-old link between wine and food and the cultural practices that define collective identities, together with the literary and artistic expressions of this link; on the other hand, it aimed to highlight the value of a humanistic-based university in contributing to the valorization of the intangible cultural resources of the territory through a co-creation process that involves teachers, students, stakeholders and local communities, and that concerns all the University's missions - research, teaching and relations with the territory

Research, education and co-creation: the university in place / Ricerca, formazione e co-creazione: l'università sul campo

In regional development strategies, universities are playing an increasingly decisive role as a knowledge generator and facilitator in the dialogue between local actors. This paper aims to understand the role that the University of Macerata can play in the process of interaction between business, public sector and research. Following a series of events organized by the University of Macerata with this objective, in this context will be analyzed the results of a focus group within an Entrepreneurial Discovery Process event. The participating stakeholders identified the university as the centre of a regional innovation ecosystem, where knowledge can be generated and transmitted.Nelle strategie di sviluppo regionale le università stanno assumendo un ruolo sempre più decisivo, quale generatore di conoscenza e facilitatore nel dialogo tra gli attori locali. Questo contributo ha l’obiettivo di capire il ruolo che può ricoprire l’Università di Macerata nel processo di interazione tra imprese, settore pubblico e mondo accademico. A seguito di una serie di eventi organizzati da parte dell’Università di Macerata con questo obiettivo, in questo contesto verranno analizzati i risultati emersi da un focus group all’interno di un evento Entrepreneurial Discovery Process. Gli stakeholders partecipanti hanno individuato l'università come il centro di un ecosistema regionale dell'innovazione, all’interno del quale poter generare e trasmettere una conoscenza diffusa.

Exploring the role of ICT-enabled social innovation for the active inclusion of young people

This Report presents the final results of the study ‘ICT-enabled social innovation services for active inclusion of young people’ (IESI-Youth) which has been commissioned by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (JRC-IPTS) and implemented by Arcola Research in 2014. The overall objective of the study was to review the state of the art in the domain of active inclusion services for young people, with a specific focus on how ICTs can support active inclusion of disadvantaged youth to strengthen their skills and capacities and support them to participate fully in employment and social life. The study was conducted as preparatory activity contributing to the development of the broader research project on 'ICT enabled Social Innovation in support of the Implementation of the Social Investment Package (IESI) being implemented by JRC-IPTS in collaboration with DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL).JRC.J.3-Information Societ

Social Farmers’ Networking for Inclusive Tourism

Source at https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/52054.Social entrepreneurship plays a key role in making tourism an inclusive activity. Literature on the topic is increasing but needs to pay more attention to collaboration, which is crucial for social enterprises. To overcome this gap, the research focuses on the impact that social entrepreneurs’ drivers and barriers towards collaboration might have on providing decent work in rural tourism. The research considers the case of social farming, which has important implications for developing inclusive tourism

Exploring the Role of the University in the Creation of Knowledge Networks in the Aso Valley, a Rural Area in Marche Region (Italy)

Rural areas are often disadvantaged by their peripheral position, depopulation and the scarcity of primary services, but they also have specific characteristics, especially in terms of cultural capital, that can make them attractive as tourism destinations. Sustainable tourism paths can be developed through collaboration between various actors with complementary skills and areas of expertise, especially local cooperatives and associations. In this context, universities can have a crucial role in creating knowledge networks and enhancing “rural buzz” that is the flow of information and knowledge among the individuals, organizations, and businesses in a rural area through face-to-face interaction. This study focuses on an Italian case study from the Marche Region: the collaboration between the University of Macerata (UNIMC) and a local association, Agritur-Aso, has been chosen as an example of a network for the co-valorization of regional cultural capital

Dall'Università al mondo del lavoro. Il tirocinio come snodo per l’inclusione lavorativa e sociale

The university’s interconnections are played out through interlocked layers – from research to education, to the socio‐economic role. The university participates in networks both in business and social services at the territorial level and contributes to local development and well‐being. Concerning the inclusion of people with disabilities, it can play a sig‐nificant educational and social role within a territory: in addition to supporting enrolled students, it can be a hosting partner of traineeships co‐designed and co‐managed with social services. The paper reports a case study on Social Inclu‐sive Traineeship activated by the University of Macerata in cooperation with local social and health services institutions. It analyses the process and activities needed to implement inclusive environments and presents the achieved outcomes for those who are not higher education students, but are part of the university's community at territorial level. Findings highlight the relevance of the experience for the construction of the professional and social role of the intern. Conclusions stress the need for further research and joint work within the scientific community to strengthen the capacity of universities to implement inclusive practices with the territory and activate networks through meaningful traineeships.The university’s interconnections are played out through interlocked layers – from research to education, to the socio-economic role. The university participates in networks both in business and social services at the territorial level and contributes to local development and well‐being. Concerning the inclusion of people with disabilities, it can play a significant educational and social role within a territory: in addition to supporting enrolled students, it can be a hosting partner of traineeships co‐designed and co‐managed with social services. The paper reports a case study on Social Inclusive Traineeship activated by the University of Macerata in cooperation with local social and health services institutions. It analyses the process and activities needed to implement inclusive environments and presents the achieved outcomes for those who are not higher education students, but are part of the university's community at territorial level. Findings highlight the relevance of the experience for the construction of the professional and social role of the intern. Conclusions stress the need for further research and joint work within the scientific community to strengthen the capacity of univer‐sities to implement inclusive practices with the territory and activate networks through meaningful traineeships

Empowerment and Engagement in small enterprises – the case of the Tuscan Wine Hub / Responsabilizzazione e coinvolgimento nelle piccole imprese - il caso del Wine Hub della Toscana

Moving from the diffusion of hubs in the last decade and the potential role they can play in fostering community empowerment and developing social innovation, this paper describes steps, activities and implications related to the setting up of the Tuscan Wine Hub, within the European project The Wine Lab. After the definition of the wine business scenario and hub main peculiarities, the analysis moves to the description of the main outcomes of the activities carried out within the Tuscany Wine Hub, highlighting the potential of this tool to foster collaboration among different stakeholders and promote innovative practices in rural and disadvantaged areas.Partendo dalla diffusione che hanno avuto gli hub nell’ultimo decennio e dal ruolo potenziale che possono svolgere in termini di rafforzamento della comunità e innovazione sociale, il contributo descrive le principali fasi, attività e implicazioni legate al Wine Hub nato in Toscana nell’ambito del progetto europeo The Wine Lab. Il lavoro, dopo aver illustrato le principali caratteristiche del settore vinicolo italiano e dello strumento degli hub, si focalizza sull’analisi dei principali risultati conseguiti attraverso le attività organizzate nell’ambito dell’hub toscano, sottolineando le potenzialità di questo strumento per favorire la collaborazione tra stakeholder diversi e promuovere pratiche di innovazione nelle aree rurali e svantaggiate

Assessing the Learning Outcomes of Food-related Educational Tourism Events for University Students: The Case of the International Student Competition of Fermo, Italy

This paper examines the International Student Competition on Place Branding and Mediterranean Diet held in Fermo, Italy, in the context of the development of rural areas. This one-week food-related educational programme was organised by the University of Macerata’s Department of Education, Cultural Heritage and Tourism in collaboration with The Piceno Laboratory on the Mediterranean Diet, a local network of public and private stakeholders committed to the promotion of Fermo area as a touristic destination based on traditional gastronomy. The aim of this study was to understand how and to what extent such food-related educational events may contribute to providing students with the knowledge, expertise and soft skills needed for careers in the food tourism sector. Of interest also was how such events may benefit the development of rural areas. The ISC was founded in 2016 and continued in 2017, 2018 and 2019. In order to assess students’ perceptions about the experience, specifically regarding what they felt they had learned about food tourism, and which soft skills they had acquired or honed, 13 students who participated in the 2017 event were interviewed for a qualitative study. Moreover, the authors drew upon information gleaned from interactions with students and teachers, as well as with several important actors of the local food and tourism sector, including tourism and hospitality entrepreneurs and representatives of government agencies, with whom they collaborated in the context of planning, running and evaluating the events. The findings show that the ISC can provide students with a good general understanding of the territory and practical knowledge about place branding and food tourism. In terms of career preparation, the combination of fieldwork activities with traditional lectures and group activities was particularly fruitful in promoting soft skills such as communication, efficient use of social media, teamwork, problem-solving and decision making

Higher Education Instruments and Smart Specialisation Innovative Industrial Doctorates and Higher Technical Institutes in Puglia

Universities have been mainly included in the S3 debate as creators or vectors of knowledge, their higher education mission has been somewhat overlooked. For this reason, in March 2016, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission has started a project on the role of Higher Education in Smart Specialisation (HESS). This document reports the action-research activities conducted under the HESS project in the region of Puglia (IT). The authors explored two instruments at the opposite end of the higher education spectrum: ● Istituti Tecnici Superiori (ITSs), i.e. Higher Technical Institutes, a form of technology-based vocational education and training. ● Innovative Industrial Doctorates (IIDs) . These new instruments have not been explicitly taken into account during the development and early implementation of the strategy; however, it has become increasingly important to reflect on the process of human capital creation for S3. The two instruments appear suited to this reflection as they implement curricula designed in collaboration with the local private sector and with an explicit focus on technological development and employability. The report explores the challenges and opportunities ITSs and IIDs pose, as a first step to understand their potential contribution to Smart Specialisation.JRC.B.3-Territorial Developmen