Key Action 2 – Cooperation among organisations and institutions
Purpose and priorities
The overall priority of the programme is ‘Inclusion and diversity in all fields of education, training, youth and sport’ delivered through a programme of training and partnership exchange focusing on the needs of adult youth workers/leaders.
With a focus on capacity-building of youth workers who are working with marginalised young people, online and well as face to face practice, the outcome of which will be shared widely as part of a wider disemination process.
Aims and objectives of the programme
Our overarching aim is to increase access to opportunities delivered through a competence-based approach to the education and training of paid and volunteer youth workers who are from migrant and refugee communities by achieving the following outcomes:
1. increasing quality, innovation and recognition of youth work; and
2. improving the competences of educators and other adult education staff.
The proposed project provides for existing partners to develop on youth work professional training and practice begun under earlier Erasmus supported cooperative programmes. This project includes exchanges, training courses, observations of practice in situ, visits as well as the production of learning resources and the wider dissemination of learning, recognition and validation of competence (i.e. Youthpass).
What are the objectives of the project
By focusing on the needs of youth workers who are working with migrant and refugee communities, we hope to increase their access to opportunities so as to build their capacity and simultaneously identify educational pathways for those youth workers who would otherwise be blocked from such opportunities due to systemic discriminatory practices.
The programme objectives
1. To provide cross national recognition through institutional co-operation at local levels within partner countries in Europe working with migrant and refugee communities;
2. To recognise and validate the achievement of youth workers’ competence evidenced through the adoption of the European Portfolio Competence (self-assessment) framework recognised through the achievement of the Youthpass certificate;
3. To provide training and understanding of youth work practice which focuses on creative tools to engage and encourage greater participation and involvement in the democratic processes within respective countries in line with the priority of the EU Youth Strategy.
4. To provide an innovative training model of the youth work practice which focuses on supporting access to opportunities delivered through mentorship models that build skills and facilitate coping and developmental competence;
5. To build on the quality standard framework developed through the Black to the Future programmes for the recognition of organisations working with migrant and refugee communities and youth.
The programme delivery model
The exchange programmes will facilitate the development of competence-based training linked to the European Youth Work Portfolio Functions 1 to 8. Each exchange visit will have a focus that covers particular Functions. The overall design allows participants within each country to develop Function 6 through a ‘project-based’ approach as part of a ‘learning set’ in between the exchanges.
The method of delivery will include:
1. Formal sessions during each mobility – each partner will lead on a theme within the exchange/training programme:
2. Experiential learning involving visits will take place during and in between mobilities as part of the community of ‘practice’ and project work components: (a) each mobility will involve placement visits; (b)participants will undertake a project in their own country linked to their ‘learning set’.
3. Project-based work: a group-based ‘learning set’ linked to the delivery of a project agreed by the group (x4) will report using a ‘Group Diary’ approach (portfolio of evidence). The outcome of these projects will be presented at an online session hosted by each partner with their respective participants.
The key themes (or work packages) are:
- Theme 1: Youth work training in working with migrants and refugee communities: competence-based approach [NL]
- Theme 2: Youth and community participation in the decision-making process [Portugal]
- Theme 3: Quality mentoring standards and practice [Italy]
- Theme 4: Quality standards for the recognition of organisations working with migrants and refugees [Germany]
Who are the target groups for the project?
The main target group for this project are new and older generation youth workers from the (African) Diaspora communities.
The project will engage directly 80 youth workers (20 per country overall) from different organisations, notionally reaching 300 young people as a result of the work they will be engaged in as a direct result of their involvement on the project (especially through the project based process). Thus:
- Youth workers from the older generation (aged 45yrs+)
- Young people between 19 and 30yrs from the (African) Diaspora communities.
- Municipal staff and NGO representatives working on social inclusion and integration of young migrants in the selected cities (i.e. community stakeholders).
- Policy and decision makers at local levels from the selected cities to learn about the programme as part of the wider dissemination and sustainability approach (i.e. the multiplier event).
Expected impact and details please refer to the document summary_
