Project Description

The growing unemployment rates have been one of the structural problems in the contemporary European societies. While the macro policies are not sufficient and create implications only in  long term, there is an explicit need for rapid solutions to existing challenges by the involvement of different stakeholders. However, the economic crisis which has being experienced in Europe also increase the number of existing societal challenges. As a result, 23 million people are currently unemployed across the EU which is equal to the 10% of the active population. In this regard; providing new skills and jobs has been also taking place within the priorities EU 2020 strategies as a flagship initiative starting by 2010. Similarly, in 2008 EU has started New Skills for New Jobs initiative  by the objectives of developing better matching between skills and labour market needs while bridging the gap between the worlds of education and work.  Within this picture,  based on the real life observations  and  also the existing researches,  the sector of art and music might be accepted as one of the most fragile sectors which is directly open to the any kind of side-affects coming with the crisis. As a result, the graduates of these sectors face with the threat of unemployment or not to be recruited in appropriate fields. For instance,  every year European Conservatories and University Music Departments graduate an ever-increasing number of students while the number of employment opportunities within the traditional European music establishment has either stagnated or declined. In the last decade and notwithstanding the  the present economic predicament, supply has by far outstripped demand.  There has, nevertheless, been a proliferation of new jobs within the larger music industry that require not only a traditional  musical knowledge but also skill sets not offered by a traditional music education.

In order to cope with this challenge, art and music students ought to determine their job markets beyond the traditional frontiers such as only music schools, orchestras or public institutions by extending and enriching their skills and competencies.  This kind of an approach taking art, music and culture to the focus,  is also  relevant with the strategies of the EU to provide growth and innovation.  For instance, one of the three objectives of the European Agenda for Culture  in 2007 was culture and economic growth, and Council conclusions on the contribution of the cultural and creative sector to the Lisbon strategy were adopted.

OMEGA project was stemmed from the awareness that in contemporary business sectors, there is an explicit need for the employees from the sector of art and music by the changes in organizational management and social (corporate) responsibility understanding in business life.  Todays business  enterprises does not only need operational staff but also a permanent staff who can design group-team building activities within the company, to organize social activities, prepare and implement social responsibility projects by using art and music. This need has been increasing as parallel to the awareness of the companies about their social/corporate  responsibilities towards their communities. In addition to different sectors, music and art industry needs team members who are capable to design art and music projects and manage them comprehensively by being competent in every phase and components including preparation and budget management in a concrete project cycle management approach.