The Pilot Design for the Majella Madre Community was focused on implementing a tailored training strategy to address the unique socio-economic and environmental needs of this region in Italy. By leveraging insights from local maturity assessments and stakeholder engagement, the pilot has been aiming to enhance digital literacy, green skills and entrepreneurial capabilities among diverse community members.
The recipients of the training are:
- Older Adults
- Younger People
- Municipal Staff and Professionals
- General Practitioners (GPs)
- Tourism Service Providers
- Agrifood sector entrepreneurs and employees
- Schoolteachers
- Waste management companies’ employees
The training team of the Italian pilot engaged volunteers, municipal staff, nurses and schoolteachers who served a dual purpose: they were both the target audience for upskilling/reskilling, as well as key contributors and drivers for the broader implementation of sustainable initiatives in the area. Teachers, on the other hand, were involved also in the effort to integrate digital tools and entrepreneurial thinking into their educational practices, thereby empowering younger generations with skills in digital literacy, green awareness and community engagement.
Each participant engaged with at least one of the NES training tools, MOOC Platform, Microlearning App, NES Toolbox or the Diagnostic Tool, according to their learning preferences and access conditions.
To facilitate this process, the enrolment process was supported by a dual approach: local coordination was provided by schoolteachers and a representative of the Pacentro municipality, while remote support and technical assistance were ensured by the University of Naples helpdesk.
Moreover, each Municipality provided Wi-Fi and IT equipment where needed. This comprehensive support has ensured that potential barriers to entry were minimized so to promote accessibility and encourage broad participation across diverse sectors. Once interest was generated, the later registration phase provided a streamlined process to guide participants through enrolment.
By allocating trainees to specific courses based on their professional background and the identified training needs, the program has ensured that participants are placed in modules that best match their learning objectives.
This strategic distribution has allowed for an efficient use of resources, maximizes the impact of training on both individual and community levels, and supported the overall objectives of the NES framework in fostering sustainable development and digital inclusion. The training was implemented through a step-by –step process starting from a launch of the training, followed by registration to courses, then full users’ participation and course completion.
The initial step characterized by the launch of the event was useful to outreach the local community and stimulate interest, encouraging participation by highlighting the value of the courses. It was also anticipated by local media networks, such as Facebook1, website and press as well as direct contacts to attract potential participants. During the local launch, information was provided by the training team to introduce the NES Learning Toolkit, the training structure and available tools.
The evaluation phase for the Pacentro and Majella Madre Community pilot tailored to measure the impact of the training on participants’ competencies and their practical application within the community. An Italian online survey has been created to collect structured feedback on quality, satisfaction, content relevance and usability of the NES training modules and how coherent with the local context may be so to leave a lasting impact on the territory.
The importance of this project has also been received by other Italian cities that expressed their interest to join NES community: Bacoli, Ercolano, Torre Del Greco, Pollica. The Italian pilot will therefore be expanding in the future.