INNOVATION CASE – Accessibility and Inclusiveness
Humanwinety
Starting year: 2022
Objectives: Inclusion of people from minority groups in the world of wine and hospitality.
Involved subjects: Wineries, hotels, bars, restaurants. Partnership with Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo de Portugal, Associação Portuguesa de Enoturismo, Comissão Vitivinícola da Região do Alentejo
Innovation area: Accessibility and inclusiveness – social sustainability, business management
Summary
The wine, catering, and hospitality sectors are experiencing a significant gap in human resources. Prior to the pandemic, the Association of Hotels, Restaurants, and Similar Services of Portugal estimated a need for approximately 40,000 additional workers. By November 2021, the Hotel Association of Portugal estimated that the hospitality sector alone required around 15,000 new employees.
Conversely, there exists a segment of the population, particularly among minority groups, that faces substantial barriers to employment. These barriers stem from a combination of insufficient technical qualifications and emotional skills, as well as limited access to essential professional networks. For instance, according to Eurostat data, the unemployment rate gap between disabled and non-disabled individuals was 23.2% in 2020.
Humanwinety aims to address this disparity by contributing to the reduction of the human resources gap in the wine and hospitality sectors. The organisation seeks to provide professional integration opportunities for individuals from minority groups who have been historically excluded from the job market. To achieve this, Humanwinety will offer training and empowerment programs to enhance the technical and emotional skills of these individuals. Additionally, leveraging the extensive network of contacts maintained by the Humanwinety team and its partners, the organisation will endeavour to secure stable employment opportunities for its beneficiaries.
Difficulties
Financing and aligning the interests and locations of available human resources with available job positions.
Results
After the inclusion of individuals belonging to minority groups within some of our partners, several outcomes have been identified as factors of social innovation. These include increased financial autonomy for individuals who previously lacked such independence, heightened sensitivity among partners towards minority groups, improved company morale, and enhanced camaraderie within the organisation.