The project has six development agents placed in each participating organisation. (Finland, France, Italy, Belgium and the United Kingdom). The development agents co-ordinate the local and transnational development work during the project. They are in charge of the project's information content and publicity at a national, regional and local level.
Development agents gather expertise, models, instruments and methods about employment issues within their own country. Local partnership development agents create evaluation standards for good practices and instruments.
The development agents familiarise themselves with the National Employment Strategies and Local Action Plans of their chosen twinned country. The agents arrange the form and content of direct exchange programmes for development teams. After the exchanges, where expertise is shared, all development agents gather together to exchange and process the information learnt from the individual exchanges.This informatiom is then disseminated through the various mediums like the newsletters.
Gabriella Morfoni, Inforcoop, Italy.
Ms.Gabriella Marfori possesses extensive experience as a leader of microbusiness, co-operative promotion and training projects.
As a development agent she believes in the importance of the Social Economy in local development due to it's creativity and multiplicity. Thus shethinks that the social-economy model can balance out some of the negative tendancies in the globalisation process.
Regarding employment policy, Gabriella states that "the transnational exchanges of expertise have provided us with further opportunities for reflection on the innovation/protection debate and on the need to identify the right balance point between these two trends in the labour market." Contact: g.marfori@inforcoop.it
Ian Hill, West Cumbria Council for Voluntary Service, The United Kingdom.
Ian describes his role as a Development Agent is "to ensure that the project links with other initiatives that are already underway within the territory - such as the United Kingdom's domestic employment programmes. This involves the dissemination of information to all partners, and acting as an advocate for transnational work, which is organising, facilitating. leading the study visits and helping partners to share learning and information after the study visits have taken place." Contact: ian@westcumbriacvs.solis.co.uk
Roberto Puppin, Mirec, Belgium.
Mr. Roperto Puppin is the TechnicalSecretaryfor REIISS and the development agent for MIREC. Roberto is interested in the intergration of the handicapped and the diabled into society and employment, new job creation and development of the local economy in severely degraded urban areas, temporary work schemes and social economy networks for local development. Roberto recognises the value of development agent work as it increases "our ability to better understand local situations and to associate with european strategies." Contact: mirec_roberto_puppin@hotmail.com
Stuart Gibson, Blackpool Challenge Partnership, The United Kingdom.
Mr. Stuart Gibson is the Regeneration Programmes and European Manager of Blackpool Challenge Partnership. Stuart believes in an equal chance for everyone. Equal chances a Neighbourhood Renewal strategy, is the first crucial output by Blackpool Challenge Partnership in it's role as the towns Local Strategic Partnership.
Stuart recognises local people as the key to neighbourhood renewal and aims to improve local services ensuring priorty is given to the worst disadvantaged first. Major goals include education, health, crime,housing and environment and employment."If Blackpool is to grow in strength, the gaps of disadvantaged in our community must be closed so that everyone can play their part." Contact: stuart.gibson@blackpool.gov.uk
Cristel Seigneur, MEF, France
Ms. Christel Seigneur is a European Project Officer. Her studies are in the field of languages and she has sucessfully attaines a postgraduate diploma in local development and European projects from the University of Caen. Christel continues to teach a related course at this university. Christel works closely with her colleagues on projects like the workshop for the Development Council. Sheenvisages the idea of the workshop as a ´laboratory and a think-tank, which proposes projects´ to improve the employment situation within the Pays du Contentin region in France. Contact: christel.seigneur@mef.cherbourg.com
Sanna Itäsaari, Cetral Uusimaa partnership, Finland
Ms. Sanna Itäsaari presents Central Uusimaa partnership from Finland. Sanna co-ordinates the local employment strategy work in the Central Uusimaa region. There are currently ten people in our development team, presenting the public, private and third sector. The development team work began by indentifing our strenghts and weaknesses concerning the issues under four pillars of EES. Based on our strengths and weaknesses we have started to build our vision for better employment within the Central Uusimaa region. Contact: sanna.itasaari@dlc.fi
Ms.Gabriella Marfori possesses extensive experience as a leader of microbusiness, co-operative promotion and training projects.
Ian describes his role as a Development Agent is "to ensure that the project links with other initiatives that are already underway within the territory - such as the United Kingdom's domestic employment programmes. This involves the dissemination of information to all partners, and acting as an advocate for transnational work, which is organising, facilitating. leading the study visits and helping partners to share learning and information after the study visits have taken place." Contact: ian@westcumbriacvs.solis.co.uk
Mr. Roperto Puppin is the TechnicalSecretaryfor REIISS and the development agent for MIREC. Roberto is interested in the intergration of the handicapped and the diabled into society and employment, new job creation and development of the local economy in severely degraded urban areas, temporary work schemes and social economy networks for local development. Roberto recognises the value of development agent work as it increases "our ability to better understand local situations and to associate with european strategies." Contact: mirec_roberto_puppin@hotmail.com
Mr. Stuart Gibson is the Regeneration Programmes and European Manager of Blackpool Challenge Partnership. Stuart believes in an equal chance for everyone. Equal chances a Neighbourhood Renewal strategy, is the first crucial output by Blackpool Challenge Partnership in it's role as the towns Local Strategic Partnership.
Ms. Christel Seigneur is a European Project Officer. Her studies are in the field of languages and she has sucessfully attaines a postgraduate diploma in local development and European projects from the University of Caen. Christel continues to teach a related course at this university. Christel works closely with her colleagues on projects like the workshop for the Development Council. Sheenvisages the idea of the workshop as a ´laboratory and a think-tank, which proposes projects´ to improve the employment situation within the Pays du Contentin region in France. Contact: christel.seigneur@mef.cherbourg.com
Ms. Sanna Itäsaari presents Central Uusimaa partnership from Finland. Sanna co-ordinates the local employment strategy work in the Central Uusimaa region. There are currently ten people in our development team, presenting the public, private and third sector. The development team work began by indentifing our strenghts and weaknesses concerning the issues under four pillars of EES. Based on our strengths and weaknesses we have started to build our vision for better employment within the Central Uusimaa region. Contact: sanna.itasaari@dlc.fi
