The WorKit project is aimed at facilitating the access of adult migrants to the labour market of the host country through equipping them with a set of language and communication skills necessary for finding a job and providing them with information about local labour market opportunities in 5 EU countries (The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and the UK). Languages are central to many of the challenges posed by migration and thus migrants have some of the most urgent language learning needs of any language learner. The barriers faced by migrants for finding a job in the receiving country include, among others, insufficient skills and experience (especially language barriers, low level of education or a lack of local work experience) and difficulties in navigating host-country labour markets (including poor information about how to present themselves and look for a job). WorKit will address the above needs and challenges through the application of innovative context-related and learner-centred tools providing language information linked to the migrants’ immediate needs for employment. The main project products (Job Language Kit for Migrants, WorKit Online Interactive Tool and WorKit Mobile App) will provide language information on work and employment, addressing specific areas in the process of seeking, finding and keeping a job. Thus WorKit will allow migrants to quickly achieve progress in adaptation and language learning, directly help them to find their place on the labour market and match requirements and needs of employers. The project objectives are focused on: - Improving language competences of adult migrants for the purposes of labour market orientation and participation - Developing attractive products for non-formal language learning and thus improving the capacities of organisations working for the integration and language training of adult migrants - Facilitating the access and inclusion of adult migrants into the labour market by providing them with employment-specific information for local labour market regulations in 5 EU countries with urgent migrant integration needs The Job Language Kit for Migrants and its on- and offline learning applications will be developed as an attractive language tool with educational and informative character that will offer instant, on-the-go support to migrants in their job seeking. It will allow them to quickly achieve progress in adaptation and language learning and facilitate their access to the labout market through learner-centred language education. The WorKit outcomes address, on one hand, adult migrants, but on the other, also (volunteer) educators providing language training to migrants. They will be offered new attractive methodologies and products, encouraged to multiply their effects at local level and apply them in a language teaching environment in order to improve the quality, attractiveness and accessibility for migrants. This will also improve the capacities of organizations and providers addressing migrant integration issues and especially of organisations from countries which currently face problems with dealing with intensive migrant flows and providing support to migrants, including for learning of the host language. WorKit will reach its target groups through creating a Europe-wide network of organisations working for the integration and language training of adult migrants, such as migrant organizations and communities, organisations providing language and integration courses for migrants, language and VET providers, employers’ associations, workers unions, job coaching providers, etc. The network will be used throughout the project for needs analysis, development of main products, feedback, dissemination and impact opportunities. The identified stakeholders will be involved in training workshops demonstrating the created methods and products and their applicability with the end-users. Events for exploitation of the project outcomes will also serve as a forum for discussion and feedback from the associated partners and an opportunity to kick-start a discussion among stakeholders and policy makers on current issues regarding the integration of migrants. The main project results include: - improved language and communication skills of adult migrants for the purposes of labour market integration - developed context-specific and learner-centred language products which to support non-formal learning of adult migrants as well as (volunteer) language educators of adult migrants - improved capacities of migrant organisations with new approaches and motivational boosters for engaging migrants in a process of integration in society - facilitated access and inclusion of adult migrants into the labour markets of 5 EU countries - effective methodologies for labour market integration of migrants from 5 European countries and beyond (good practices) - continuous dialogue between stakeholders from the worlds of education, training and work.
“WorKit: Job Language Kit for Migrants” aimed at facilitating the access of adult migrants to the labour market of the host country through equipping them with a set of language and communication skills necessary for finding a job and providing them with information about local labour market opportunities in 5 EU countries (The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and the UK). WorKit addressed EU policies on migrant integration and adult language education through the application of innovative context-related and learner-centred tools providing language information linked to the migrants’ immediate needs for employment. The main project products provide language information on work and employment, addressing specific areas in the process of seeking, finding and keeping a job. Thus WorKit allows migrants to quickly achieve progress in adaptation and language learning, directly help them to find their place on the labour market and match requirements and needs of employers. The WorKit objectives were focused on: - Improving language competences of adult migrants for the purposes of labour market orientation and participation - Developing attractive products for non-formal language learning and thus improving the capacities of organisations working for the integration and language training of adult migrants - Facilitating the access and inclusion of adult migrants into the labour market by providing them with employment-specific information for local labour market regulations in 5 EU countries with urgent migrant integration needs These objectives were achieved through the development of the Job Language Kit for Migrants and its on- and offline learning applications – a high-quality, attractive language tool with educational and informative character developed as a multimedia product creating and improving language and communication skills on employment matters through language learning approaches in diverse forms. The Job Language Kit includes three elements (Textbook, Phrase Fan and Route Map) providing employment-related language information divided into different topics and necessary information on work and employment issues in each partner country. The Kit was produced as a paper-based product in 1,000 copies in the 5 partner languages (NL, IT, ES, BG, EN) and spread among numerous migrant organisations and language and VET providers working with adult migrants. The Kit is supported by an Online Interactive Tool and a Mobile App which are based on the content of the Kit and offer instant, on-the-go support to migrants in their job seeking through animation, audio and video materials. The WorKit outcomes address, on one hand, adult migrants, but on the other, also (volunteer) educators providing language training to migrants. They were offered new attractive methodologies and products, encouraged to multiply their effects at local level and apply them in a language teaching environment in order to improve the quality, attractiveness and accessibility for migrants. The Job Language Kit and its on- and offline applications were piloted within 7 demonstrational workshops training 91 (volunteer) educators to use them with learners. The training workshops created a substantial multiplication effect and numerous follow-up events demonstrating the Kit were organised both by the workshop participants and by the project partners upon request from organisations. The Job Language Kit was provided to more than 100 migrant organisations and language providers which are currently using it within numerous language courses for migrants. In addition, 10 events for exploitation and sustainability of the project results were organised involving over 280 relevant stakeholders. The WorKit project was widely disseminated within over 120 dissemination events reaching more than 8,000 people; thousands more were reached through social media (Facebook, LinkedIn) and online dissemination. All materials developed under the WorKit project are available on the project website (www.workit-project.eu), which already has registered nearly 5,000 unique visitors and 450,000 hits.