CONTEXTThe Stone sector represents a worldwide increasing market. Within the European Union around 60,000 small and medium sized businesses work with ornamental stone in all aspects. This comprises a work force of more than 500,000 people engaged in and around ornamental stone industry with strong economic and social impacts at regional levels. This sector represents a worldwide highly increasing market where European production reaches approximately 35% with a total turnover of about 24 billion €. Nevertheless, know how is exported not only in the stone quarry business, including the closely associated high tech machinery where Europe has a leading position in the world market, but as well as all forms of modern applications of stone.However, the female workers are in a minority in the whole value chain of this industry due to lack of a gender integration, where the rate of feminization is only 7.25% at European level (source: Cluster Piedra):- Barriers among colleagues: In a mainly male sector, it is not well seen by traditional society.- Intrinsic barriers: It is thought that jobs in stone sector require brute strength and it cannot be carried out by women, but it is incorrect, because, currently, it is a sector that highly uses machinery.- Labour market barriers: Women think they do not have any possibility to work in this sector, because they do not have a positive mentality about their abilities to carry out the tasks of this sector or because they think that they do not have equal opportunities. But this mindset has to change.OBJECTIVES AND TARGET GROUPSOne of the challenges facing the 21st century stone sector is to highlight the issues of gender equity and female labour participation in a sector in which it must have an increasing presence. WinSTONE project claims that it is possible women integration in the whole chain value of stone sector, that is, provide resources and opportunities to recruit, retain, and advance, women in the stone industry.For that reason, this project will be focused on the following target groups:- Women -both at risk of exclusion, as young and over 45- (60);- VET centres (10) and vocational training teachers (150);- and entrepreneurs of the stone sector (50).In summary, WinSTONE will become a resource for women to broaden their perspective (personal) through meaningful strategic connections at any level of their career, so they can reach their full potential and accelerate or enhance their career growth. Therefore, the objectives of the project will be:- Expand on existing educational offerings.- Increase peer-networking opportunities by coordinating venues to connect and learn.- Develop a system of support and mentorship with other women in the industry. - Create opportunities for women to serve on key industry jobs.- Recognize emerging & experienced women who excel in the industry.- Create awareness of opportunities and career paths available to women considering careers in the stone industry.- Work with the WinSTONE Board of Directors and other committees and associations to achieve these goals.PRODUCTS AND METHODOLOGYIn order to achieve those objectives, the methodology of the project will be focused on main beneficiaries will participate directly in the activities (women) as well as stakeholders (VET centres and entrepreneurs), where the main products of the project will be:O1. Needs analysis report about gender equality in the stone sector of each participant country.O2. Establishment of common learning outcomes focused on opening gates for Women IN the Stone sector.O3. WinSTONE Open Educational Resource (OER).O4. Production of WinSTONE Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).O5. Implementation of Vertical Action Plan in the stone sector.IMPACTDNV (Deutscher Naturwerkstein-Verband E.V) decided to start a project to promote integration of women in stone sector across Europe, and got in contact with CTM (Asociación Empresarial y de Investigación Centro Tecnológico del Mármol, Piedra y Materiales), NTUA (National Technical University of Athens), iED (Institute of Entrepreneurship Development) and KSK (Klesarska Skola), which are organisations with a wide experience in coordinating EU projects in these fields. The consortium, as a whole, has the biggest competences in develop suitable training materials for stone sector from a gender perspective, being aware of the importance of them represent the main European stone products areas and, then, the most comprehensive knowledge about this matter. Finally, the partners of the project come from different countries with a broad tradition on natural stone, where all partners have close cooperation with entrepreneurs, universities and VET providers.

BACKGROUNDThe BIMstone project is, in its nature, the production and development of multimedia materials based on BIM and taking into account challenges related to LCA (Life Cycle Analysis) of stone products, to be used as training material for both VET students and professionals in the sector, in order to satisfy a series of main objectives. The motivation behind the project BIMstone is the consideration that stone products is one of the most sustainable construction materials and, in spite of the changes of technology and design across the years, it lasts as the main construction material for different works: building facade, outside pavements, inside pavements, inside walls, etc. But the value of stone products totally depends on the quality of manufacturing and quality of the placement. Related to the manufacturing, during the last decades, the most of European companies in this industry have increased a lot the quality of their products. However, concerning placement, the development has not been the same, and it is much lower than required by the sector. Furthermore, if in the stone products manufacturing European stakeholders have created clear standards, in placing the stone products it has not been the same, using, except for some specific products, as building facades, the traditional methods, whether they are the most suitable or not.It is necessary to define and compile the most appropriate methods for placing stone products using the latest BIM technologies, those which bring high levels of effectiveness, starting from the local traditional methods, but comparing them, selecting the best ones for any specific stone product, and incorporating them into the curricula of the training organisations in the sector, both for initial training and for continuous training.Taking advantage of this situation of raising the BIM tool in countries with scope of our consortium, and also counting on a partner of a leading country and precursor of this tool, we consider that a perfect framework for the realisation of this project is created with the firm purpose to make education more plausible in the processes of placement and execution of stone products.Life Cycle Thinking implies a form of global analysis that not only includes the traditional parameters (manufacturing and production), but also considering all the processes that take place throughout its life cycle (from the cradle to the grave). In this way, the hidden impacts surface and the transfer of loads is avoided; Helping to make decisions and identify options.Institutions such as the United Nations Environment Program (through the UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Initiative) or the European Commission (through the European Platform for LCA) promote its application for the environmental improvement of products and processes in all sectors, Including construction.OBJECTIVES The idea of the proposal has arisen from the conclusions of different meetings of the European associations, aimed to solve the multiple demands of the national associations whose member companies, were aware that the placement has a big influence in the market of the stone products and manufactured products, giving an extra value to the product, when it is placed following the best practices, or making it looks like an “unsuitable” material, when the placement procedures are not the proper ones.PRODUCTSThe main results of the project are:O1. Establishment of common learning outcomes on stone placing methods, life cycle analysis and relative regulations.O2. BIMstone Multimedia Materials. New Interactive BIM-learning methods (IT production of BIMstone Multimedia Cards and Interactive BIM Tool).O3. ONLINE RESOURCE CENTRE.CONSORTIUM AND IMPACTDNV (DEUTSCHER NATURWERKSTEIN-VERBAND E.V) and RoGBC (Asociatia “Romania Green Building Council”), decided to start a project to improve the quality of stone products placement across Europe, and got in contact with CTM (Business Association of Research for Marble, Natural Stone and Materials Technology Centre), COAMU (Association of Architects of Region of Murcia) and Klesarska (Klesarska skola), organisations with a wide experience in coordinating EU projects in these fields. These partners have the biggest competences in placing the stone products, being aware of the importance of them represent the main European stone products areas and, then, the most comprehensive knowledge about this matter. Finally, the schools in the project come from different countries, where all partners have close cooperation with VET providers.In addition, all of them can bring to the project different uses of the stone products and different techniques for placing it, as well as the energy saving and sustainable design with the aim to achieve the foundation of a good design, and the whole society is aware of these facts.

This project was aimed primarily at Continuous Vocational Education and Training (C-VET), contributing to facilitate the acquisition of the basic level of competences in safety in stone placing and, at the same time, promoting on the workers of stone sector to change their behaviour regarding the following of the safety regulations. It is particular important for immigrants and refugees, which are currently the biggest number of employees in this sector in the EU developed countries. For them is particularly important to count with a multimedia material that facilitate the learning when the language skills are low . But the results are also extremely useful for students in Initial Vocational Education and Training, where the general behaviour is still against a wide use of the safety equipment and procedures, what finally results in a high level of labour accidents and professional illnesses. For achieving the allocated aim, consortium produced a Multimedia Resource Centre (MRC), to make available a multimedia and easy-to-use material to train stone placing workers. This MRC includes 10 animations developed in 3D, related to the main safety risk of the sector, and include not only the information on how to perform the different tasks with safety and using the safety equipment, but also shows those wrong methods used by the workers in the sector and somehow try to ridicule this mentality and show the risks this behaviour brings. For the purpose of developing the MRC with the proper content, consortium carried on an initial field research. The field research was carried out in all involved countries and it has a double purpose. Firstly consortium tried to highlight which were the main risks in the stone placing activities, both in terms of frequency and in terms of importance. Based on the results, consortium have produced a table with the most relevant risks and then structured them in 10 groups. The second purpose of the research is to highlight which are the most common wrong procedures used in the stone placing companies. This was made by holding discussions with responsible staff for security in the companies. These results have been used to represent those most common risk situations produced due to wrong working procedures. The field research was completed with a compilation of the normative related to security and healthy risks in the natural stone placing in the different countries, as well as the EU normative for those particular works where the normative is common in European Union. Both researchers were carried out. Before carrying out the research consortium considered important to structure the stone placing works in groups, in order to easier making possible their study. The structured works were the bases for the performance of the research and the production of the report. These works then were gathered in 5 groups and each partner coordinate the research for a particular group of risks. Once both researches were carried out, the reports produced with the results were discussed in a general consortium meeting. Then, consortium started the production of the content for the animations. Before starting the production of the scripts consortium have carry out a distributions of the risks among the different stone placing works to be represented. Frequently, we can find the same risk in different type of works. i.e. the need of using the harness and life-line is common to all works in high. Then, partner CTM was in charge of developing a table with a proposal for those risks that would be included in any type of work, which was widely discussed in the second meeting in Italy and approved after some changes. Based on the previous researches, partners develop first the storyboard and storyline and then the animations, based in the following schedule: -Definition of the characters. They must represent and promote the principals of European Commissions in terms of gender equality and intercultural relations: a female representing a young women from centre Africa, a male coming from North Africa or Middle East country, a male coming from an Eastern European country and a German woman, which would be the forewomen of the company-Definition of the backgrounds to use, in order to get the required homogeneity: a big building and a cemetery, in order to represent the tombs and other stone works related to grave art, which is an important sector in North and Central Europe.-Develop a basic script by partners. -Improvement of script by an expert in communication, in order to improve its communication capacity and to be more attractive for the user. -Develop the storyline and storyline by IT expert, being continuously revised by consortium partners. -Production of the 3D animations including sound. Also continuously revised by partners. -Testing of the animations in different countries and implementing proposed changes. -Production of the Web Platform.

<< Background >>BACKGROUNDAt least 16% of the EU working age population has a disability, many with the ability and the will to work. People with disabilities constitute a significant potential for contribution to the economy and the labour market. The employment rate of disabled people is 50% as opposed to over 68% for non-disabled people, is already an indication that the potential of people with disabilities remains greatly underused. People with disabilities are almost twice as likely to be inactive compared to non-disabled people. Moreover, the likelihood of disability increases with age, and, in the light of the current EU demographic situation, the occurrence of disability is expected to increase. It is crucial to address the needs of people with disabilities in order to allow them to better integrate into the labour market and to participate in society.Many of the disabled people who can and want to work are unemployed. The unemployment rate among disabled people is considerably higher than in the total active population, reaching over 80% in some countries. When people with disabilities work, they often do it in jobs where they are paid less and where they have little chance of career advancement. Employment is a determining factor for inclusion.The development of a Training path and Training Content on Therapies for Disabled based on Manufacturing Processes and Techniques employed in the Stone Sector will be a tool for the recognition and validation of knowledge, skills and transversal capacities for promoting Labour Inclusion of disabled people in sectors as traditional as Stone is. The objective of the project is to help the integration of people with disabilities in the world of work through the use of innovative training systems adapted to the digital age and encourage the development of skills and abilities through the Stone sector.The main target groups are both persons with disabilities and all those involved in the support of the disabled (therapist, occupational staff, entrepreneurs, students and professionals in Human Resources, etc). Also, companies and associations, because they will learn by doing and participating in their cooperative learning process as a key for the implementation of the project in the labour market of the stone sector.NEEDSAlthough there are some initiatives at the individual level, in the case of the stone sector, accessibility is a pending issue. The stone sector is a highly mechanised sector at present, which offers the possibility of adjusting jobs to the different abilities of the worker. It is necessary to consider labour inclusion in order to value both the added value of diversity and the potential economic impact of integrating a new labour force into vocational training. This is one of the most important issues, which does not receive the attention it deserves. In general, people with disabilities are one of the groups with the highest risk of exclusion when it comes to accessing a job, and those who suffer the most significant wage gap.Companies should try to have a socially responsible inclusion policy to favour the access of people with disabilities. Valuing the skills and abilities as the improvement that members of this group have, including issues such as equal opportunities, non-discrimination of people with disabilities and universal accessibility to the values and philosophy of the company. It is essential to address the needs of people with disabilities in the stone sector professions so that they can be better integrated into the labour market in this sector. This industry offers the possibility of adapting the workplace to the needs of the person and still obtaining the best results.<< Objectives >>The project for the development of an itinerary and Training Contents on Therapies for the Disabled based on Processes and Manufacturing Techniques used in the Stone Sector, InclusiveSTONE, will be a tool for the recognition and validation of knowledge, skills and transversal abilities to promote the labour Inclusion of people with disabilities in a traditional sector such as the stone sector, which requires adaptation to a new society of social integration, and which is possible thanks to new technical and technological advances in the sector, which allow greater accessibility for all and at all levels of the industry's production chain.The main objectives of this project are the following:- To help the integration of people with disabilities into the world of work and to promote the development of skills and abilities through the stone sector.- To raise awareness in education with learning phases in order to implement a series of steps, results that guarantee a good impact on the target group and a sustainable effect over time.- Sensitise and create awareness in the companies of the sector about the recruitment of people with disabilities.- Providing employers with mechanisms to adapt workspaces to people with physical or motor disabilities. A company where all workers have the same profile cannot be considered inclusive. It is not a positive environment for those who work there.- Encourage diversity in a sector as traditional as the stone sector, thus facilitating the promotion and awareness of equality at all levels.- Provide support tools for the development of actions that enable the inclusion of people in vulnerable situations in the labour market, adapted to the digital transformation and focused on distance learning.- Provide information, increase the strengths in labour inclusion and redefine the weaknesses.- To provide digital training adapted to the current situation so that no person is left behind and to face the challenges that conventional training currently presents.- Create resources that promote the social, functional and occupational integration of people with disabilities.- Extend the training levels of workers, preparing them to access a job with guarantees of success.- To offer innovative training resources to social educators, teachers, workers and employers with the aim of providing them with the necessary skills to be able to promote and facilitate the integration of people with disabilities in the stone sector.In essence, the main objective of the InclusiveSTONE project is to support the integration of people with disabilities into the labour market and to promote the development of skills and abilities through the stone sector.Raising awareness in education with learning phases. For example: a first initiation phase in which a first contact with stone is made, to move on to the handling of small machinery (drill, grinder, etc.) and sanding by hand. Always taking into account the percentage and type of disability that the person has, adapting the job to the specific needs of the person. In order to raise awareness among companies in the sector so that they hire people with disabilities.<< Implementation >>In order to achieve the main objective of the project, a series of steps will be put in place, products that will guarantee a good impact on the target group and a sustainable effect over time. All expected results of the project are listed in the project outcomes, activities and multiplier events, as well as in the sharing and promotion of the project results and outputs.The three main results to be implemented in the project are as follows:R1 Educational approach for people with different skills focused on transversal capacities in stone sector.R2 Complete Training Path Guide for teaching stone sector's professions for people with different skills.R3 VR-Adaptative Training Content and Evaluation.All these results will be implemented in different activities and tasks that will be developed during the whole process of project execution, as specified and developed in the point Production of Project Results of the present proposal.In short, people with disabilities or functional diversity will strengthen work and personal skills, enabling a sustainable improvement in the possibility of getting and keeping a job. Individual awareness and responsibility will be created in people, also in companies, thus avoiding mismatches in the supply and demand of employment, by offering a quality adaptive Virtual Reality (VR) learning methodology based on the digital era. The number of unemployed will be reduced and jobs will be adapted to the specific needs of each individual, thus promoting an increase in diversity and the social added value that this entails.The overall methodology of implementation of the InclusiveSTONE project to achieve the objectives and expected results will be divided into different parts: 1. Management and quality plan. 2. Development. 3. InclusiveSTONE Course Curriculum.4. Exploitation of products. Implementation of training courses.5. Sharing, Promotion and Use of the Project's Results.<< Results >>All the expected results of the project are listed in the project results, activities and multiplier events, as well as in the sharing promotion and use of the project’s results. In summary, InclusiveSTONE assumes the following products and activities:PROJECT RESULTS:R1. Educational approach for people with different skills focused on transversal capacities in stone sector.R1-A1. Roadmap of the Methodology.R1-A2. Awareness of needs surveys to identify specific learning difficulties.R1-A3. Report of data analysis and conclusions.R1-A4. Handbook for an educational approach for people with different skills focused on transversal capacities in stone sector.R1-A5. Report on the results of First International Seminar in Split.R2. Complete Training Path Guide for teaching stone sector's professions for people with different skills.R2-A1. Definition of Training Units and Learning Outcomes.R2-A2. Design and Organization of Training Paths.R2-A3. InclusiveSTONE Course Curriculum.R2-A4. Report on the results of Workshop in Murcia.R3. VR-Adaptative Training Content and Evaluation.R3-A1. Implementation plan.R3-A2. Training materials.R3-A3. Defining and structuring the key VR-scenarios.R3-A4. Production of virtual reality (VR) immersive Adaptative Training Path.R3-A5. Define a Recognition and Validation tool for the assessment of all skills and transversal competences.R3-A6 Recognition and Validation of Knowledge, Skills and Competences (EQF – ECVET).R3-A7. Implementation of the pilot courses.MULTIPLIER EVENTS:E1. First International Seminar in Split (Croatia) of Educational approach for people with different skills focused on transversal capacities in stone sector.E2. Workshop in Murcia (Spain) of Complete Training Path Guide for teaching stone sector's professions for people with different skills.E3. Final International Seminar on InclusiveSTONE project in Würzburg (Germany) on VR-Adaptative Training Content for people with different skills in the stone sector.