MOMENTS OF THE FIRST IN-PERSON PROJECT PARTNER MEETING

On Wednesday, February 28, in the Atrium of the lead partner ZRC SAZU, the first Kick-off meeting of the project was held. All partners involved reviewed the project activities and determined the next steps of the project. Partners are committed to improving the position of women in peripheral industrial regions and aim to contribute to a more accessible, inclusive, and efficient labor market for women.

The next day partners went on a study visit to one of the pilot regions in the project and visited the Municipality of Trbovlje, where Deputy Mayor Vesna Jesih and museum senior curator Gregor Jerman presented the history of women's employment and addressed the challenges they face on the labor market. Then partners visited Katapult - a support environment for entrepreneurs, where project manager Olga Knez introduced them to the operation of Katapult and the company Dewesoft, as well as the training they offer. Partners also visited the premises of Katapult and met the robot, Lili.

In the second part of the study visit, partners were able to listen to a round table on the topic of ‘Strengthening the employment of women in the municipality of Trbovlje’ in which the deputy mayor of the Municipality of Trbovlje, Vesna Jesih, took part and presented when the municipality recognized the problem in the employment of women and how they overcome these challenges, a youth worker at the Institute for youth and sport in Trbovlje Tjaša Golob, presented the programs and activities of the youth center to promote the employment of young women, young entrepreneur Stella Čebin, presented her story and experience of being an entrepreneur in Trbovlje, director of the Zasavska Chamber of Commerce Tjaša Polc, spoke about how women can be encouraged to choose higher positions, and Vilma Strniša, director of the employment institute of the Republic of Slovenia in Trbovlje, presented employment programs. 

In conclusion, the project partners exchanged experiences from their regions through the method of the World Cafe. They sought solutions to the challenges faced by women in the industrial areas in terms of employment and talked about programs to support them in joining the labor market, promoting female entrepreneurship, and improving their employability.