Cies Onlus is an Italian Non-Governmental Organization founded in 1983, which has an extensive experience in running multi-country co-development projects throughout EU and in the global south: Southern Africa (Mozambique, Angola), Sub Saharan Africa (Ethiopia and Senegal) Northern Africa (Tunisia), the Balkan area (Albania). Cies Onlus contributes to the active participation of people, civil societies and institutions through the implementation of projects on various thematic areas like good governance, health services, environmental protection, education, gender equality, job counselling and placement, vocational training, towards the promotion of growth and development, always valuing diversity.
In coherence with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), CIES onlus specifically promotes processes of social, economic and cultural inclusion through the implementation of activities and services as:
- Establishing and fostering formal and informal networks and platforms for collaboration among Civil Society Organizations and Institutions and strengthening and support social services providers.
- Training courses for Civil Society Organizations operators on Good Governance practices;
- Job orientation and professional profile definition, vocational training, job placement, on- going professional training, micro and social entrepreneurship training sessions for adults, young people, woman and NEETs;
- Support the promotion of gender equality;
- Socio-economic integration activities of migrants in Italy and in the Countries of origin through Vocational Training and Professional Counselling Desk (SOFeL);
- Intercultural mediation services, global citizenship education and awareness raising;
- Research and broad-based technical assistance for the application of social innovation models for the sustainable development and the enhancement of territorial and cultural heritage;
- Monitoring and evaluation of interventions within the framework of the TOC (Theory of Change) and SROI (Social Return Investment);
Cies onlus is specialized in socio-economic inclusion programs dedicated to displaced people in international and local contexts. Specifically, Vocational Training and Professional Counselling Department (SOFeL) of CIES onlus aims to increase employability and economic inclusion of Youth, NEETs and women, in Italy and abroad. It is specialized in vocational guidance, training and job placement, micro-enterprises development, using a participatory method that includes a range of activities like an individualized needs assessment, to enhance and recognize the target beneficiaries’ professional and interpersonal skills, attitudes and aspirations and creating new professional profiles. SOFeL provides also Companies with support and strategies implementation for creating a truly inclusive multicultural workplace. Furthermore, since last year, SOFeL offers a business incubator service that helps new and startup companies to develop by providing services such as management training, marketing support and access to some form of financing.
