One Page Summary

Changes in global economy, rapid introduction of new technologies, and a series of reforms in the labour law and practice in Italy, have led to a more flexible labour market and the need for local communities to cope with growing insecurity, precarious nature of employment contracts, and people having to self-manage their economic autonomy. While formal education platforms are invested in offering entrepreneurship courses to help people develop the thinking and the practical skills to adapt to this changing environment, the most vulnerable groups, e.g., people in long-term unemployment, migrants, women and young NEETs (people who are not involved in higher education, or vocational training), face the greatest difficulty in accessing individual support and training.

This project will use an Inclusive Design methodology to adapt existing, evidence-based Creative Leadership training interventions, and design delivery strategies that foster creativity, train an entrepreneurial mindset and develop leadership qualities in unemployed and vulnerable groups living in the Metropolitan area of Bologna (Emilia Romagna region).

Inclusive Design is a proven research methodology designed to understand marginalised, overlooked and vulnerable populations to help them innovate for the good of society.

Creative Leadership is a training tool that has been developed by the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, combining Inclusive Design methodology with traditional Leadership theory to establish new opportunities for both individual growth and collective, organisational change. It is especially applicable in a context of social or economic need.

The project will bring Inclusive Design and Creative Leadership training, coaching and methods from the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design together with the expertise in financial education and start-up coaching of the Grameen Italia Foundation, with the view to generating social change in the area of Bologna.

The project will run over the four stages of the Inclusive Design double-diamond innovation and delivery model. The four phases running over six months are:

Phase 1: Discover; Understand the context, personal challenges, coping mechanisms and barriers to employment and entrepreneurship in the Metropolitan area of Bologna.
Phase 2: Define; Creative Leadership training and network building using co-creative methods.
Phase 3: Develop; Develop and test training programme in the Emilia Romagna region, training migrants to deliver.
Phase 4: Deliver; Iterate and improve the programme, looking at routes to scale and create a feeling of legacy and impact.

The impact from the project is far reaching – from empowering disadvantaged groups with new methods for individual and professional development, to enabling social innovation and collective growth for the start-up scene in the area of Bologna. Specifically, the project will create a programme that will train numerous long-term unemployed people, migrants, women and young NEETs in Creative Leadership, as well as providing an insight bank for use in future projects, and dissemination of new knowledge. As the programme will be co-created with individuals in the area, it is hoped that there will be a lasting legacy.