A digital bridge connects Italy to Tunisia through SHIFT, an innovative European project transforming vocational training in North Africa. OpenCom, a research center specializing in training and social innovation, operates at the heart of this initiative, leading the project’s technological development.
Funded by the Erasmus+ program, SHIFT (Shaping High-quality Inclusive TVET for Tunisia) creates new vocational training opportunities, focusing on rural areas and Tunisian women. “True innovation stems from combining technology with social inclusion,” explains Fabio Frangipani, General Director of OpenCom. “The e-learning platform we have developed will help overcome geographical and social barriers that often prevent access to traditional training.”
The project, coordinated by Spanish training agency Maude Studio, brings together strategic partners. Along with OpenCom, the Tunisian Agency for Vocational Training (ATFP), the Tunisian Agency for Agricultural Extension and Training (AVFA), the Elemtiez training institute, and the Turkish organization BOSEV contribute to a network that spans multiple Mediterranean shores.
A key project milestone will occur in May 2025, when OpenCom will hold an advanced training session for local teachers in Tunisia. “It’s essential for our partners to achieve full autonomy in using the platform,” emphasizes Erina Guraziu, OpenCom President and SHIFT project manager. “This will enable them to continue creating new courses and training students even after the project ends, ensuring long-term sustainability.”
SHIFT, which will conclude in November 2025, represents an essential piece in the mosaic of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. At a historic moment when the Mediterranean faces crucial challenges, projects like this demonstrate how training and technology can become concrete tools for socioeconomic development and reducing territorial gaps. Providing modern and accessible professional skills contributes to creating qualified job opportunities, which is particularly significant for young Tunisian generations.
The initiative fits into a broader vision of collaboration between Europe and North Africa, where exchanging skills and technological innovation catalyzes more balanced Mediterranean development. It stands as a concrete example of how international cooperation can deliver tangible benefits to local communities and promote constructive dialogue between the two shores of the Mediterranean.
