DEMANDS-AUTO
Skills validation, onboarding support and retention for automotive workers in transition
About the project
DEMANDS-AUTO is a European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) Social Innovation initiative designed to support automotive and automotive supply-chain workers facing employment transitions linked to the green and digital transformation of the sector.
The project pilots a practical Skills Guarantee approach, connecting workers with real labour-market opportunities through a vacancy-first pathway. Employers identify and validate vacancies, workers are screened and profiled according to their skills and experience, and suitable worker–vacancy matches are documented and confirmed by employers.
Where specific skills gaps are identified, workers receive targeted bridging training linked directly to the requirements of the vacancy. Following placement, structured onboarding, mentoring and early-warning support help workers remain successfully in employment, with particular emphasis on verified six-month retention.
Objectives
- Identify and profile automotive and related supply-chain workers who are at risk of unemployment or undergoing employment transition;
- Engage employers and identify real, validated vacancies linked to emerging labour-market needs;
- Match workers with suitable employment opportunities based on their existing and transferable skills;
- Identify specific skills gaps and provide short, employer-validated upskilling or reskilling pathways;
- Support workers during onboarding and the first months of employment through mentoring and structured follow-up;
- Improve sustainable employment outcomes by monitoring and verifying employment retention after six months;
- develop a practical and transferable model that can be replicated by employer organisations, training providers, public employment services and other labour-market stakeholders.
Project start date: 01/07/2026
Project end date: 01/07/2028
Activities
Mapping, Outreach and Matching
Workers are identified, screened for eligibility and profiled according to their work experience, technical and transferable skills, employment needs and transition constraints.
At the same time, employers are engaged to identify and validate genuine vacancies. Worker profiles are then matched against vacancy requirements, with employer confirmation forming an essential part of the matching process.
Upskilling and Reskilling
Where a worker–vacancy match reveals specific skills gaps, an Individual Learning Path is developed and targeted bridging training is provided.
Training is therefore linked to verified employer needs and real vacancies, rather than being delivered as generic training.
Employment Support and Retention
Following placement, workers receive structured onboarding and in-work support, including mentoring, scheduled worker and employer check-ins and early-warning mechanisms to address potential difficulties before they lead to early job exits.
Employment outcomes are followed up to the six-month point in order to assess sustainable labour-market transition.
Dissemination and Replication
The project will share its methodology, tools and lessons learned with employer organisations, chambers, training providers, public employment stakeholders and other European actors.
A practical replication package will support the transfer of the DEMANDS-AUTO model to other organisations, regions and employment-transition contexts.
Partners
DEMANDS-AUTO brings together organisations from the vocational training, automotive, employer-network, higher-education and regional-development sectors.
Training 2000 – Italy
Project coordinator, leading management, reporting, quality assurance and bridging training.
FEV ECE Automotive – Romania
Provides automotive industry expertise, supports vacancy definition and validates training against workplace needs.
APRA Europe – Belgium
Mobilises its European automotive network and leads dissemination, communication and replication.
Cradle4SDG – Greece
Leads worker profiling, matching, placement monitoring and employment-retention support.
University of West Attica (UNIWA) – Greece
Supports profiling, matching and retention tools, and delivers employer workshops in Greece.
CNA Marche – Italy
Engages SMEs and employers, supports vacancy collection, matching and placement facilitation.
RCCI – Bulgaria
Supports employer outreach, vacancy development, matching and labour-market coordination in Bulgaria.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.
Project Number: ESF-SI-2025-SKILLS GUARANTEE-01-0007