Navarra promotes the European INCLUS-IA project to improve the employability of people with disabilities in the field of Artificial Intelligence
The Government of Navarra, through the Directorate-General for the Planning, Coordination, Innovation and Evaluation of Public Policies (Department of Presidency and Equality), leads the European INCLUS-IA project, an initiative co-financed by the Interreg VI-A Spain-France-Andorra Programme (POCTEFA 2021-2027), whose aim is to improve the digital skills and employment opportunities of people with intellectual disabilities in areas linked to digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The project, coordinated by the Regional Government, brings together several entities from Navarra and the French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, with the aim of designing and launching a pilot programme for training and employment support adapted to people with intellectual disabilities.
The First Vice-President and Minister of Presidency and Equality, Javier Remírez, highlighted that the project reflects the Government of Navarra’s commitment to an inclusive digital transformation. “Emerging technologies and AI are transforming the labour market. It is essential that this transformation takes place without leaving anyone behind, and that people with intellectual disabilities can access new professional opportunities on equal terms,” he noted.
Remírez also underlined the value of cooperation between Navarra and Pyrénées-Atlantiques in sharing knowledge and developing innovative solutions that can be replicated in other territories.
Within the framework of INCLUS-IA, a specific training offer in digital transformation and artificial intelligence will be developed, adapted to people with intellectual disabilities, with the aim of improving their digital skills and facilitating their access to employment in emerging sectors. The planned content includes activities related to algorithm training, software testing, bias analysis in AI systems, and other tasks linked to technological processes.
A three-year action plan
The project consortium is made up of the Government of Navarra, through the Directorate-General for the Planning, Coordination, Innovation and Evaluation of Public Policies, as the lead entity, together with the public company NASERTIC, TASUBINSA, Fundación Ciganda Ferrer – Colegio El Molino, TeReSA and STEP (France). Associated entities include CRIC Pyrénées, ADAPEI64, LesPEP64, Cap Emploi, IA Pau and French Tech Pau Béarn. The total project budget amounts to nearly 1.8 million euros for a three-year implementation period, with 65% co-financing through the POCTEFA programme.
The action plan is structured into three phases: the design of the pilot programme, its implementation, and the development of a strategy for evaluation and dissemination of results. The programme aims to achieve a significant improvement in the digital skills of people with intellectual disabilities, an increase in their access to quality employment opportunities, and the strengthening of a cross-border cooperation network that is sustainable over time.
The project will directly benefit people with intellectual disabilities, inclusive companies, training and employment professionals, as well as the territories of Navarra and Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The added value of the cross-border approach lies in building a common, transferable and scalable model of training and inclusion, incorporating accessible digital content and a shared vision of inclusion.
The INCLUS-IA kick-off meeting will take place on 27 March at the VIDAAS Centre—an acronym in Spanish for Vanguard and Innovation for Active and Healthy Autonomous Development—in Sarriguren.
Source: navarra.es
