FUSE: Turning Community Kitchens into Pathways to Employment Across Europe
Long-term unemployment remains one of Europe’s most persistent social challenges — even in sectors where workers are urgently needed. The food sector, including catering, hospitality and food production, continues to face skills shortages, while many people remain excluded from stable employment due to structural and social barriers.
FUSE – Food Unity and Skills Empowerment is an innovative European project that bridges this gap by transforming shared kitchens into powerful spaces for skills development, employment, and social inclusion.
What Is the FUSE Project?
FUSE is a three-year ESF+ Social Innovation project that supports people who have been out of work for a long time to re-enter the labour market through practical, community-based pathways in the food sector.
Rather than relying on traditional training models alone, FUSE combines:
Shared kitchen incubators as accessible learning environments
Tailored training, coaching and mentoring
Subsidised employment pathways with inclusive employers
Strong local partnerships across public, private and community actors
The project is implemented in four European regions, each facing different but interconnected labour market challenges:
🇮🇪 Roscommon / Leitrim (Ireland)
🇮🇹 Lombardy (Italy)
🇸🇰 Nitra and national level (Slovakia)
🇪🇸 Gipuzkoa (Spain)
By testing the model in diverse territorial contexts, FUSE aims to develop a replicable and transferable solution for other regions across Europe.
The Challenge FUSE Responds To
Across Europe, many people experience long-term unemployment due to a combination of factors such as:
Limited or outdated skills
Lack of work experience or professional networks
Care responsibilities or language barriers
Low confidence after long periods outside the labour market
At the same time, employers in the food sector struggle to find workers with practical skills, reliability and job readiness.
FUSE addresses this mismatch by connecting people, places and opportunities — using food as a common ground for learning, collaboration and employment.
How the FUSE Model Works
At the heart of the project is the FUSE Model, an integrated approach built around four key elements:
1. Shared Kitchen Incubators
Community and shared kitchens are used as hands-on learning spaces, where participants can:
Develop practical food-related skills
Experiment in a safe, supportive environment
Build confidence through real-life experience
2. Training, Coaching and Mentoring
Participants receive tailored support, including:
Technical food and hospitality skills
Transversal skills such as teamwork, communication and time management
Individual coaching and mentoring adapted to personal needs
3. Subsidised Employment Pathways
FUSE connects participants with inclusive employers, offering:
Subsidised job placements
Ongoing support for both employees and employers
Better job matching and retention
4. Local Employment Ecosystems
The project actively builds local partnerships between:
Municipalities and public authorities
Employment services
Social economy organisations and NGOs
Employers and shared kitchen operators
Together, these actors co-create sustainable employment pathways rooted in local communities.
Who Benefits from FUSE?
👩🍳 People Looking for New Opportunities
FUSE supports people who have been out of work for a long time by offering:
Practical, accessible training
Personalised guidance
Real job opportunities in the food sector
🏢 Employers and Food Businesses
Employers benefit from:
Access to motivated and supported candidates
Reduced recruitment risks through subsidised employment
Support with inclusive hiring and mentoring
🏘️ Local Communities and Authorities
Communities gain:
Better use of under-utilised local assets
Stronger local employment ecosystems
Innovative solutions aligned with social inclusion and economic development goals
A European Project with Local Impact
Funded under ESF+ Social Innovation, FUSE contributes to wider European objectives by:
Testing innovative approaches to long-term unemployment
Generating evidence, tools and lessons learned
Supporting policy learning and replication across Member States
Throughout the project, FUSE shares knowledge through:
Case studies and participant stories
Toolkits and practical guidance
Events, workshops and EU-level networks
Looking Ahead: Building a Replicable Model
By the end of the project, FUSE will deliver:
A validated and documented model for inclusive employment in the food sector
Practical toolkits and policy recommendations
Strong local partnerships capable of continuing the approach beyond the project lifetime
FUSE demonstrates that employment solutions can be inclusive, community-driven and economically relevant — when people, places and purpose come together.
Stay Connected
Follow the FUSE project to learn more about:
Ongoing activities in each region
Stories from participants and employers
Events, resources and opportunities to get involved
👉 Together, we are turning food, skills and community into pathways to employment.