What is GeNeus about?

GeNeus is a 2-year project funded by the European Commission - Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training, which aims at reducing gender inequalities in selection evaluations.

Six partners from five different countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal and Spain) are collaborating on this project, working together on the development, promotion and mainstream of a Set of Matrices of Gender Neutral Testings.

The lifecycle of the project will include different phases which aim at improving the selection evaluations, focusing on gender equality in the labour market and professional education.

The six different organisations:

As coordinator: Frauen im Brennpunkt / Austria
Inova+ / Portugal
Instituto Politecnico of Porto / Portugal
Bimec / Bulgaria
Centro per lo sviluppo creativo "Danilo Dolci"/ Italy
Servicio Regional de Empleo y Formación de la Región de Murcia / Spain

This innovative project could be amazingly impactive in women’s life helping them:

in reducing the drop out;
improving their succeeding rate in testing;
performance, contributing to equal educational and professional opportunities for men and women.

GeNeus Objectives

To get an overview of the reality, demands and gaps of the evaluation processes in different environments;
To assess and analyse these processes, in a gender-neutral perspective;
To produce and deliver useful and free materials guaranteeing a gender-neutral approach in selection evaluations.

At long-term:

To contribute to a gender-neutral access to labour market and professional education;
To reduce gender inequalities in the labour market, reaching out equality in leadership positions and in salaries.

GeNeus Results

Generic report on national selection evaluation: information on how SMEs, Public Administration and Post-Secundary Professional Education deal with selection processes and testing system in Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
Set of Matrices of Gender Neutral Testing: based on best practices and needs assessed, development of new forms of Testing that will improve recruitment and evaluation processes.
Guide on Implementation of Matrices: information on how to concretely integrate new testing methods in different areas of the labour market.
Set of Application of Gender Neutral Testings for SMEs
Set of Application of Gender Neutral Testings for Public Administration
Set of Application of Gender Neutral Testings for Post-Secondary Professional Education

Where are we now?

The Generic Report on Gender Neutral Testings it’s almost ready!

The first phase of the project is going to be concluded soon. In this first step, the project partners have conducted interviews with representatives of Public Administrations (1 in Bulgaria and Italy, 2 in Austria, 3 in Portugal, 4 in Spain), SMEs (5 in Italy, 6 in Austria and Portugal, 7 in Bulgaria and Spain) and PSPEs (2 in Bulgaria and Austria, 3 in Italy and Portugal, 6 in Spain), analysing how different countries recruit and evaluate employees and students. This long process of research will contribute to create the first Intellectual Output of the project, the Generic Report on Gender Neutral Testing.

This research has been developed in the following specific fields: education and training, labour market and remuneration. In particular, it has been evaluated what and how each target (SMEs, Public Administration and PSPEs) evaluate for the selection of candidates. The research has also implied an analysis on the existing legal regulations, a short overview over the gender equality situation in the partner countries and the results of studies on gender similarities and differences, such as brain capacities in both men and women. The research concludes with a reflection on the future of the labour market, taking into account the macro context of flexibility and insecurity that will have consequently an impact on jobs and careers.

The results show that all target groups evaluate both hard and soft skills – the professional and academic competencies of the candidates, as well as their personal ones. Which of them are seen to be more important depends on the target group. While PSPE organizations put more emphasis on academic competencies, SMEs and PAs focus more on personal and professional competencies.

The final result of the Research will be published in the next months.

Partner meetings

Kick off meeting:

On the 7th and 8th November, the first meeting of the project GeNeus - Gender Neutral Performance and Aptitude Testings - was held in Sofia (Bulgaria) attended by partners from Portugal, Italy, Austria, Spain and Bulgaria.

In this occasion partners have had the opportunity to review their foreseen work plan, scheduling next project’ activities.

The Second meeting in Portugal!

On the 18th and 19th April, the partners from Austria, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Bulgaria, met in Porto.

In this occasion there has been the opportunity to analyse the results of the carried out research. In particular, this has been an important occasion to plan the next project’ steps and the action that will be implemented to achieve the following project’ objectives.

Among the next results, special attention has been given to the development of the O2 -“Set of Matrices of Gender Neutral Testing” for the selection processes. It will assure first of all neutrality in the testing phases and it will be accompanied by an implementation’s guide – the O3 - Guide on Implementation of Matrices, which will serve as instructions manual for each target.

What’s next?

In the next months we have planned to work on the elaboration of the tests included in the O2. These tests will be an important pillar for the consequent promotion of equal opportunities and a neutral approach in the selection processes for both men and women.

Stay tuned!

You can check the latest news of the project on our Facebook and webpage!
And for more information about the project please contact giada.costanzo@danilodolci.org

Check the latest news of the project on our webpage!

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