The OnBoard project – Supporting European SMEs in improving onboarding procedures to defeat turnover and become more resilient – officially launched its activities with a Pre Kick-off Meeting held online on 28 November 2025. This initial coordination meeting marked a key milestone for the Erasmus+ funded project, setting the foundations for effective cooperation and a shared strategic vision among partners.
A European Partnership Addressing Workforce Challenges
OnBoard brings together a diverse European consortium composed of organisations with expertise in vocational education and training (VET), higher education, consultancy, innovation, entrepreneurship and SME support. Partners from Italy, Bulgaria, Denmark, Slovenia and Spain collaborate to address one of the most pressing challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises across Europe: high staff turnover and ineffective onboarding practices.
The Pre Kick-off Meeting provided an opportunity for partners to align on the project’s objectives, structure and implementation approach, ensuring a common understanding of roles, responsibilities and expected outcomes.
Laying the Groundwork for Effective Implementation
During the meeting, partners discussed the overall work plan and timeline, with particular attention to coordination mechanisms, communication and dissemination activities, and the next steps leading to the official Kick-off Meeting. Special focus was placed on ensuring smooth collaboration across work packages and on establishing clear processes for decision-making, reporting and stakeholder engagement.
The consortium also began aligning its approach to communication and dissemination, recognising the importance of visibility, accessibility and stakeholder involvement throughout the project lifecycle.
Supporting SMEs through Better Onboarding
OnBoard aims to support SMEs by developing structured, practical and transferable onboarding solutions that respond to labour market needs and evolving worker expectations. By improving onboarding practices, the project seeks to enhance employee retention, organisational resilience and long-term competitiveness of SMEs across Europe.
The Pre Kick-off Meeting set a solid foundation for strong cooperation and coordinated action, ensuring that partners are well prepared to move forward with implementation and deliver impactful results.
Follow the OnBoard project for updates as we move towards the official Kick-off and the start of project activities.