On June 12th, the Castle of Vila-seca hosted the territorial event of the IN-WORK Project, an event marked by the presentation of the pilot test results, the recognition of collaborating entities, and the graduation of students from the Inserlab program of the ONCE Foundation who participated in this test.
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Teresa Torres, who emphasized the importance of community involvement in designing relevant and meaningful work-integrated learning (WIL) activities for students. Dr. Torres explained that the pilot program consisted of 150 hours of training, including 70 hours of internships in companies, 60 hours of learning and service activities, as well as entrepreneurship projects, and hours dedicated to the development of digital skills, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities.
The program boosted students’ self-esteem and confidence, fostered learning, creativity, personal growth, and improved their teamwork and communication skills. Challenges faced by participating organizations were also highlighted, such as the special motivation needed to host students and balancing the work pace with the attention required for students.
During the event, an informative document was distributed about the opinions of the stakeholders involved, and two WIL initiatives were presented by IN-WORK project members and program students. The first, presented by Silvia Alcoverro and Judith Porras, was an activity evaluating the accessibility of the Museum of Casteller by students from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili with special educational needs. The second, presented by Pau Palau and Blanca Vilchez, was the First Inclusive Sports Day organized by students from the Cal·lípolis Institute in Tarragona.
Albert Canadell, CEO of Promociones Blaumar, acted as the keynote speaker and emphasized the importance of university-business collaboration. Following this, a panel of experiences featured representatives from various sectors, including Silvia Duarte from the ONCE Foundation and Lucía Teruel from the Vila-seca City Council.
Finally, the Rector of the URV recognized the collaborating companies and organizations. The event concluded with a networking coffee break, which provided an informal space for meaningful conversations and networking.
