As a part of a major European project, funded by the Leonardo Da Vinci initiative, TFEI was asked, as the Project Partner, to conduct a UK survey, with particular reference to identifying employment opportunities for the disabled.   ECO-Training Survey 1   ECO-TRAINING Survey 2: Organisational Strategies ECO-TRAINING Survey 3: Employment Strategies This ECO Training project intends to establish a modality to integrate these disadvantaged categories in the labour market. This modality consists in elaborating of an evaluation methodology and a vocational training system for disabled people, as well as their testing, to be integrated as sub-systems in the frame of national vocational training systems. The activities of the project were:

• a market research in order to select the demanded professions that offer good employing chances for the persons with handicap, with identifying of the selection criterions for each profession;

• elaboration of a methodology for the continual evaluation of people with handicap, with reduced work capacity during the school (through personal sheets and questionnaires) regarding their skills and capacities;

• elaboration of specific vocational training systems for disabled people (one in each of the following countries: Romania, Czech Republic, UK, Spain), in collaboration with representatives of interested SMEs and governmental institutions;

• an evaluation of people with disabilities, applying the created evaluation methodology; the evaluation will be simultaneously realized in Romania, Czech Republic, UK, Spain, with selection of a group of 15 persons from each country;

• testing the specific vocational training systems (15 persons with disabilities with reduced work capacity from Romania, Czech Republic, UK, Spain);

• elaboration of a complex vocational training system by synthesis of the systems from the partner countries;

• evaluation and validation of the created vocational training system and its integration as sub-system in the frame of the national vocational training systems;

• spreading and dissemination of the results; through other dissemination activities, Prof. Constantin Popovici foundation – CFP from Romania will create a web site with information about the experiment, conclusions and recommendations for all persons who work within a vocational training system for people with disabilities. By this web site, persons interested in this problem can establish professional links with any partner in the ECO-TRAINING project. Prof. Constantin Popovici foundation – CFP will manage the web site.

The “Initiation and sustainable vocational training for disabled people” project proposal has the following characteristics:

• the proposed approach has special effects on people with handicap. Disabled people consider their rights have been infringed, they feel isolated, have little control over their own lives, have little confidence in their own abilities, have poor social skills. They expressed strong desire to be more independent and make their own decision and they need assistance to achieve this.

• it approaches the vocational training issue for disabled people in EU countries with a view to the sustainable development perspective;

• it creates a necessary bond between the objectives of the educational system and the strategy for sustainable development in all partner countries;

• Considering the transnational nature of the economic activities and the need for sustainable development, the vocational training of the participants acquires itself an European character

• it initiates and develops the youth’s aptitudes and abilities in a new context: that of sustainable development, in which, as it is known, the human factor is the central element; it is understood that this approach of the vocational training problem from the initial stage lowers the risks of a subsequent loss of jobs and, implicitly, of the necessity for professional reorientation

As a conclusion, the project deals with the vocational training faced with different economic, social activities, services, etc, complying with the rigors of sustainable development. It is achieved thus not only the training itself, but also the professional orientation, helping in this way the process of seeking a job.