The deliverable “Mapping and Benchmarking: linking ICH Professions with EQF and ESCO” of Intellectual Output 2 (IO2) that maps the competences of the ICH professionals and benchmarks / links to the EQF and European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO), of the Erasmus+ project NICHE is now fully available in English.

The document describes in detail the results of the extensive desk research, in Intangible Cultural Heritage conducted by all partners at national level, in Greece (HOU), Iceland (HAC and Nýheimar Knowledge Center), Ireland (Irish Rural Link), Italy (Pescara Municipality and IDP), Spain (IWS) and Sweden (Halsingland Education Association). The EU landscape has been covered by Belgian partner (IHF).

On the website of NICHE are available for download, the long (Final report) and short version ((Executive) Summary) of the Report (in all partners’ languages).

Under the guidance of Hellenic Open University, Leader of Intellectual Output 2, partners mapped and identified employment dynamics in the intangible cultural heritage field. In particular, partners had the opportunity to:

ankara en iyi dershaneler

1. Map and identify employment dynamics in the ICH sector:
a) Identify typical steps and procedures for ICH activities and initiatives
b) Extrapolate from them the professional profiles and skills sets required, i.e. knowledge requirements and skills sets for ICH operators/professionals, planning, communication, project management, fundraising, logistics and infrastructure management, budgeting, etc.
c) What type of professions, jobs and occupational profiles are currently involved in ICH
2. Identify and classify professional profiles in the ICH sector
a) Develop professional categories extrapolating from the above
b) Profiling professional requirements, skill sets, and competences required to carry out those activities
3. Benchmark them against the ESCO: identify where those competences reside in the ESCO classification
4. Identify relevant EQF levels: position ICH profiles along the scale of the EQF, targeting an EQF from 3 to 5.

The EU Commission has proposed several initiatives but there is not a common framework for professional skills of ICH operators in particular with reference to the ESCO system. Therefore, among other results, IO2 pointed out the most frequent competencies defined in the Country Reports and would feed the design and development of training modules that will follow (IO3 - Develop and deliver training).

NICHE is a 24-month Erasmus + project that is currently running by a consortium of 9 partners from 7 European countries (Island, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Greece, Sweden, Belgium). The objective of NICHE (Nurturing Intangible Cultural Heritage for Entrepreneurship) is to enhance entrepreneurship in the ICH sector by developing innovative training for the underserved cohort of professionals (and prospective ones) who operate in ICH to promote entrepreneurial initiatives in the sector, enhance its competitiveness and sustain its growth.

The report (Final and Summary) is completely free and accessible from this link: https://www.nicheproject.eu/mapping.php