Project details
Title: BEESE Pro Bono Project - Boosting Employability and Empowering Social Commitment through Pro Bono
Running dates: 1st September 2018 – 31st July 2021
Programme: Erasmus+ KA2 | Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices | Strategic Partnerships for higher education | Innovation
Identification number: 2018-1-HU01-KA203-047732
Definitions
A Pro Bono Programme consists in the realisation of a professional consultancy in a key area of the organisation of one NGO run by a team of volunteers, which can be the employees of a company, free of costs. The company does it for the common good.
In the University framework, this pro bono programme is performed by the students under the guidance of a team of professional workers from a company.
Starting Point
To achieve Europe 2020 strategy's objectives of smart and inclusive growth and contribute to fight the high youth unemployment and social exclusion, the need to equip the future workforce with skills that increase their employability and equip students to participate constructively in social and working life in increasingly diverse societies, is clear.
Partners’ experience has shown that learners need real-life examples from their own communities to commit and be sustainably engaged. It has also shown that these social, civic and employability skills are most effectively acquired through work-based learning experiences. The BEESE Pro Bono Project Project respond to this need by offering uniques Pro Bono Programmes that unite students with businesses and community-based NGOs and recognise the voluntary work-based learning academically through ECTS credits.
Aims
The general objective of this Project is to contribute to the achievement of relevant and high quality skills in High Education students to improve their employability, by gaining practical experiences in their field under the guidance of professional experts from companies, and to promote social engagement and civic competences of students by working with NGOs.
Also, the Project aims to strengthen the role of High Education regionally with enterprises and NGOs.
Finally, NGOs will benefit from the free of charge consultancies developed by students and mentored by companies that they could hardly pay at market prices, thus professionalising their activity and increasing their social impact.
The project will be addressed to the following collectives:
- professionals from European HE Institutions,
- students of the last university courses,
- companies that look for young professionals, and
- NGOs.
Intellectual Outputs
During the project the following results - outputs (O) - will be carried out:
O1 In-depth understanding of students motivations to participate in Pro Bono Programmes in the University and recommendations in order to implement pro bono projects in Universities. Research conducted by the universities partners.
O2 Definition and planification in order to facilitate the implementation of Pro Bono Programmes at Universities. Partners will document the pilots of pro bono programmes carried out in each country.
O3 Facilitation of the implementation of Pro Bono Programmes with students in Universities. Publication of tools for European Universities to implement pro bono programmes within their institutions.