JOHANNA – Joint staff qualification in SB destinations to increase the skilled workforce in the SBS and by that ensure a sustainable SCS development in the SBS

Project description

The South Baltic Sea region is full of small/medium sized cities with economic potential, which unfortunately are not well-known or recognized outside the region. Young people often leave the area to go to other cities straight after finishing school or further education, as the prospects of finding a well-paid and fulfilling job are not great. As a result, there is a lack of skilled workforce and at the same time, the region is also not attracting new skilled workforce. Due to this, the regional differences between different parts of the country continue on growing and measures need to be taken to break the vicious cycle.

The JOHANNA project aims to tackle these problems and its main aim is to better educate and equip with appropriate qualifications the different target groups within the population by offering specific tailor-made qualification and training modules, such as:

1. Professional training of guides (regional knowledge, special needs of SCS passengers, education skills). Target group: students, part-time employees/parental leave.
2. University education in the field of cruise management (city and port development, marketing, tourism, cruise business). Target group: students, school graduates.

Aim: qualifying students as cruise managers who will be responsible for developing the cruise business in South Baltic destinations; and also retraining other staff in the business.

As a result, 80 guides will gain the relevant qualifications, 15 people will gain the qualifications of having trained with the trainer approach and 30 students will participate in the seminars and receive a certificate. The professional guide training program will further be implemented by several tourist offices and the university course will be transferred to several more universities.

The measures will strengthen the tourist sector, attract new qualified people and prevent emigration by opening new job perspectives for young people, and due to this, the share of skilled workforce in the South Baltic Sea region will increase.

Project website

Find the JOHANNA Project website here.