Digital Marketing Capacity Building - Empowering Persons with Physical Disabilities for Remote Work (DI-MARC)

Project duration: October 2023 – September 2025

Call/Program/Scheme: ESF+

Client / Financier: European Commission

Participating institutions:

Institute of Economic Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia
Regional Agency for Development and European Integrations, Belgrade, Serbia
Association of persons with disabilities Belgrade, Serbia
Local administration municipality of Erdut, Croatia
Entrepreneurship development center of Erdut Municipality local development Agency Ltd, Croatia
Centre for Entrepreneurship Osijek, Croatia
Association of person with intellectual disabilities „JAGLAC", Orahovica, Croatia
Local administration municipality of Kotor, Montenegro
MAMM Ltd, Niksic, Montenegro
Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro

Principal investigator (PI): dr Vladimir Simovic, Institute of Economic Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia

The role of IEN in the project: IEN is a lead institution

IEN project team (manager/coordinator, team members):

dr Vladimir Simovic (Principal Investigator)
dr Ivana Domazet
dr Jovan Zubovic
dr Aida Hanic
dr Valentina Vukmirovic
dr Milena Lazic
dr Petar Mitic
dr Milena Kojic

Description:

Remote work creates huge potential for employment either through remote work platforms or remote work arrangements. Employment rates of the persons with physical disabilities (PWPD) are significantly lower compared to persons without any disabilities - 13% in Serbia, 36% in Croatia and appx. 11% in Montenegro. This project addresses key challenges that PWPD in Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro face: detachment from the labor market, digital exclusion and lack of digital competences and skills needed for transition into new jobs by (1) assessing the level of their digital marketing skills and competences, and (2) offering up/re-skilling professional training programs focused on building remote work capacity. Digital marketing was selected due to growing demand for remote positions in this field. Firstly, the current levels of digital marketing competences of PWPD were assessed using relevant methodology. Job postings of the most popular remote work platforms were examined, and the required digital marketing competences were mapped. The gap analysis provided insights into the critical areas for improvement upon which training programs were designed, prepared, taught (in-person) recorded, edited and hosted on a selected distance learning platform for future use. Training curriculum based on the empirical evidence collected under this project is one of the most important project results. The project also generated training materials hosted on a learning platform for future use.

Keywords: digital marketing, capacity building, remote work, persons with disabilities, inclusive trainings

Project webpage