Knowl Social Enterprise is a Greek Education Platform for lifelong learning. They design and implement education, training and mentoring social programs that aim to inspire, evolve and -change the lives of the people who participate.

Knowl Social Enterprise

The present case study presents Knowl Social Enterprise (S.E.) which is an innovative institution in the field of lifelong learning and social development in Greece. Established in 2012, Knowl S.E. has grown into one of the powerful educational and training organizations aimed at providing the gifted individuals and communities with appropriate education. In a remarkable manner, this organization has also served the purpose of social good by providing free training to over 5000 individuals and assisting more than 850 people to find a job. Due to its advancement, Knowl S.E. has won several prizes including the European Enterprise Awards in the year 2020, and the Education Business Awards in the year 2016. This case study tells the story of Knowl S.E., its achievements in the area of social justice, and the ways the organization encourages reinvestment of profits towards its objectives making it one of the leading social enterprises in Europe.

KAFKAS

Founded in 1975, KAFKAS has grown to become the leading company in Greece in the field of electrical equipment, lighting, building automations and energy solutions. KAFKAS has developed a powerful market position thanks to its capabilities in new construction and renovation and infrastructure works. The company values professional and personal growth of its over 1,400 employees and spends great efforts on their skills’ improvement through regular training. Approved by Knowl Social Enterprise, KAFKAS also implements special training focused on soft skills and growth coaching targeting each employee’s professional experience ensuring they have a coach. It further enables KAFKAS to uphold a continuous learning environment and this in turn helps create a productive workforce.

The partnership

Knowl emphasizes cooperation with KAFKAS through the offering of tailored training services. Knowl develops customized training programs for the employees of KAFKAS with the help of an Evaluation of Strengths profile, which is widely used. The participants complete the evaluation via the Internet and then receive feedback and further counseling on how to increase their performance and reach their objectives in direct coaching sessions. This partnership that begun in 2018 has thus far, been sustained through multiple contracts on several projects which have provided strong learning ' attach and implement the needed approaches to all incoming people and projects It aims to highlight the fact that one-size-fits-all solutions when it comes to corporate training do not work. Each team in KAFKAS has different needs. Knowl feels that the partnership is a very valuable learning experience as it exposes them to industry insights, market opportunity and growth.

“Every time Κafkas chooses our services, we return it to society by offering free training and high-quality counselling to vulnerable groups (unemployed, immigrants, refugees, start-uppers, people aged 45+) and to people excluded from education, upskilling and / or the labour market. We dedicate part of proceeds to provide unique personalised (FREE) programs, of great value and quality to tackle unemployment, marginalisation, and poverty”.

- Dr. Ioannis Salamouris, President of a knowl Social Enterprise for Education and Lifelong Learning

One of the most valuable lessons learned for Knowl with this collaboration is the importance of customization in training programs. Whilst off-the-shelf solutions may offer convenience, true impact and engagement arise when training programs are tailored to the specific needs, challenges, and goals of the organisation. Investing in bespoke training not only enhances employee development but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and growth. Additionally, the advantages of completing a profile test and receiving face-to-face coaching sessions have proven instrumental in providing personalised insights, honing individual skills, and ensuring a more effective implementation of tailored training initiatives.

- Katerina Voutsa, HR Director at KAFKAS

The Impact

Every service purchased by KAFKAS means free training and high-quality counseling by knowl to vulnerable groups (unemployed, immigrants, refugees, etc.) and to people excluded from education, upskilling and/or the labour market.

Because of their achievements Knowl was awarded the Best Collective Social Cooperative Enterprise – Greece at the European Enterprise Awards 2020 and at the Education Business Awards 2016 as well as winning awards at the Sustainability Awards 2018 & Best City Awards 2018 for “Mellon Skills Accelerator”.