C. I. EQUAL The Knowledge based Coast IT-G2-TOS-0061 The Equal project of the Tuscany Coast – Italy between present and future developments Paolo Nanni President of Provincia di Livorno Sviluppo Brussels, 28th March 2008

The Local Development Partnership and the area Provincia di Livorno Sviluppo is the referee for the project; Provinces of Livorno, Pisa, Massa-Carrara, Lucca, Grosseto and 27 subjects are the local partners; The area covered by the project is the coastal Tuscany, 5 provinces, 42.7% of the regions population (1,510,60 inhabitants) with homogeneous development similar labour, economic and social problems, that allow a common action against unemployement.

The network and previous experiences The aim of the network (local bodies, social partners, transnational partners) developed through this one and other previous experiences to intervene in favour of employability and adaptability. Many projects were realized in the framework of C.I. (ADAPT and the two rounds of EQUAL)

The local situation and the projects aims The crisis of the Tuscany productive system, linked to the international one, required interventions on innovation, competitiveness and training and on the empowerment of the human resource; The general aim was to prevent and combat isolation of weakest workers to help - through continuos training and lifelong learning actions - relaunch of entrepreneurship competitiveness of the area with growth and improvement of human resources employed in it.

The target groups and some data Final beneficiaries: Employees that risk discrimination and inequalities in Labour Market / Disabled people / Immigrants Intermediate beneficiaries: Integrated policies actors (labour, training, education, welfare) / Trainers and tutors Duration : July 2005 to 31 May 2008 Total cost: 1,942,955.30

Status 5 local needs analyses about productive sectors in crisis; 84 training paths to update skills and competences (industry, agriculture, handycraft, public bodies, schools); over 1,100 employees in training; 250 people over 50 helped by the over 50 desk; Diffusion and information activities (conferences, workshops, spots, brochures, website).

Relevant priorities The project is on line with the new EES guidelines. In fact it takes as a parameter Full occupation Quality and productivity Social quality and inclusion Innovation Provincia di Livorno Sviluppo and the partnership answer the challenges issued by the New Pact for Labour of Tuscany Region, "training of human resources" and "a Tuscany competitive in quality", building an experimental system to strengthen the set of skills and competences of the workers These priorities are achievable only by the transnational work, cooperation and comparison.

About our 2 TCA Transnational activities (2 TCA: M2E and Coast Regada) have been very important; We participated in all workgroups of both TCA, organized meetings in Italy and coordinated the workgroups activities and outputs ; We have benefited from the transnational nature of this experience because transnationality is the real added value of Equal CI; We built networks that will offer other opportunities of cooperation in new European programmes.

Transnational results Joined activities among 8 European Regions Comparison of working styles, approches and culture Building of a virtual bridgeamong old and new Eu members 7 thematic work groups 7 research Guidelines, diffusion materials, video, CD, brochure, books

Future developments and follow up In order to continue and develop the action for employability and adaptability it will be provided for by the Regional and European Programming and At a Regional level the 5 provinces have defined: A mainstreaming action to receive the experimentation inside ordinary programming A new project of work inclusion by network action, funded by ESF To continue – with the Tuscany Region support - the transnational experience through policy learning and policy transfer activity with previous and new partners

Future developments and follow up The results achieved by the project encouraged us to look for further opportunities in the new European programs with short coming deadline calls, in order to continue, develop and enrich the activities carried out until now. For instance: Employment and Social Affairs - DG Employment and Social Affairs - Budget line : Support to European social dialogue Lifelong Learning Programme: - Key activity 1: Cooperation and Innovation policies; - Key activity 4: Dissemination and exploitation of the results Community Action Plan Programme in the sphere of employment and social solidarity - PROGRESS

Thank you for your kind attention Provincia di Livorno Sviluppo srl Tel +39 (0) /228 Fax +39 (0)