Context/background The average unemployment rate among young people, which is almost 20% in the European Union, has been identified by the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament as one of the most serious challenges for the Union. The young generation needs a personal and a professional perspective, as well as participation in society. Well educated and trained young people are the most important asset to an economically sustainable development and an inclusive society. There are many reasons for unemployment and social exclusion. However, there is a common concern throughout Europe about socially disadvantaged young people, young people with a migration background or asylum seekers and refugees with little or insufficient vocational qualifications and civic participation. Objectives The objective of this project is to overcome discrimination and social exclusion of disadvantaged young people as well as the risk of radicalization through development of soft and professional skills, social competences and personality. This should lead to better inclusion of the target population and increased mutual respect between different groups of society and ultimately, to a better understanding and a more prosperous future of Europe. To reach these objectives the projects proposes: • An innovative approach by combining European practices with intergenerational cooperation of mentoring and coaching. • Non-formal education and training for disadvantaged young persons by skilled volunteers having long-term experience in various professions • Personalised assistance to young people in the form of coaching and mentoring with a view to facilitating their education, training and access to the work place • Empowerment of mentees to reconsider existing attitudes, behavior and prejudices and to develop critical thinking. The outcome should be that young people, especially young asylum seekers and refugees are empowered and qualified to find a job, to accelerate their integration into society and thereby develop an increased mutual respect and a better acceptance of diversity and European values. Number and profile participants : Eleven organisatons of skilled volunteers - SES , ISES, associated with SENIORES, ECTI in association with AGIR and OTECI, EXCHANGE, ASEP, CESES, Comenius University of Bratislava, Helsinki Vocational College, and the Bonn Chamber of Commerce have agreed to share their know-how, evaluate their methods and practices with the objective to improve their mentoring and coaching for young disadvantaged people. Activities • Kick-off meeting of the steering group • Desk study • Three transnational meetings with all partners and their respective associates (chambers of commerce, handicrafts, VET institutions, universities, ministries, educational institutions, social partners, young people and their mentors) •three short term training activites on good national practice in another setting. • Follow up activities to sustain the outcomes of the project Methodology • Collection and analysis of existing practices and the conditions of implementation - desk study • Peer review and academic evaluation to explore transferability of existing practices and implementation methods, based on the finding of the desk study • Dissemination of results Results and impacts The workplace is considered one of the best instruments to integrate young people not only into the country’s economy, but also into the fabric of society. Therefore, every young person who is in education, training or work is likely to identify with and integrate into the society he/she lives in and to become an active member of this society. Project results • Increased motivation of young disadvantaged people to start, pursue and finish their education and training and to participate actively in society • Improved knowledge and skills, particularly soft and transversal skills of target population • Enhanced chances for disadvantaged young people to access the labour market • Increased level of participation in society • Better understanding of workplace requirements • Improved attitudes towards societal values and norms, diversity and European values • Reduced sympathy of young people for extremism and radicalization • Increased number of young people assisted by a mentor • Improved competences for the mentoring of refugees and migrants Long term benefit Every young person from a disadvantaged background who has successfully finsihed education and found a job will feel empowered to participate in society activly . He /she can be role model to show that professional qualification and individual responsibility are prerequisites for an equal participation in the economic and societal development .
Context /background Against the background opf an avearage of 20% unemployed young people in the EU, 9 Senior Expert Organizations from 6 countries ( Austria, Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Italy), all acting to supporting young people in need, came together to exchange their best practices for the assistance of young people, to analyse their transferability into different national educational systems and –if possible - start the transfer of identified good practices. They selected three target groups: trainees in Germany, NEETs in France, asylum seekers and migrants in all all partner countries. Objectives Support young people through best practices tested in the home countries of the Seniors, learn from each other, avoid mistakes and shorten the testing times Number and Profile of Participants 9 partners are Senior Expert Organizations, one of them, the European Federation of Senior Expert associations - CESES-, who are active both at a national level to support young people but also at a global level to help in particular small and medium-sized enterprises in countries on their way to development to help themselves. To give scientific advice, the Comenius University of Bratislava joined as a partner, as well as the Vocational College of the City of Helsinki that gave input on methods to integrate migrants and also served as a testing ground for mentoring. Undertaken activities Main contents of the project were the exchange of best practice during 5 TPMs and 3 LTTAs. 1. Development of a questionnaire on partners’ activities. This served as the basis of the cooperation and the compilation of best practice published at the end of the project. ANNEX 2. Creation of a dissemination tool- CESES ANNEX 3. Explanation of practices and the national education system, identification of potential barriers and ways to overcome those. 3. Invitation of representatives of Chambers of Commerce, of ministries and public authorities 4. Production and translation of flyer in English, German and French 5. Compilation of good practices and recommendations for projects on mentoring 6. participation in many internal and official meetings . The most high ranking one took place at the New Year's Reception in 2019 of the wife of the Federal German President in Berlin. Her office asked for more information on MYDI. 7. Input in preparation of follow-up project - accepted by the Italian Erasmus+ agency 8. Input in the discussion of a European Recommendation on intergenerational cooperation 9. Contacts with European Parliament, in particular MEP Manfred Weber, on the recognition of Senior work Results /Impact 200 students in Helsinki Vocational College mentored according to the VerA model. Mentoring following the VerA model starts in Lyon. Mentoring introduced in the Luxemburg Senior Expert Service – not even a project partner but invited as a member of CESES to 2 meetings Mentoring following the VerA model in other cities in France, Italy and Spain. Recommendations on mentoring for third parties. Possible extension of MYDI activities to Central Europe In put in European Union recommendations Long term benefits Even closer and smoother cooperation among the French, German, Italian, Austrian, Finish and Belgian Senior Expert organizations in the Confederation of Senior Expert Organizations – CESES - which is reflected, among others, in the running of a common platform for experts existing beyond the MYDI project. The three French partners stressed that their collaboration had much improved through the project. Connectivity between Germany and France in the field of vocational training. Higher awareness for the benefits of European Cooperation among but also within the partner organizations. Reports on MYDI and Follow-up have for example become a regular point on the agenda of Senior Experts‘ meetings in SES. Comenius University sharpened partners’ awareness about the need to establish Senior Expert Organizations in Central and Eastern Europe. A seminar on the German-Polish cooperation based on MYDI experiences is presently planned in Görlitz, Eastern Germany. If integrated in European Recommendations recognition of ther benefit of Senior work Quotes from partners and stakeholders “ Through the comprehensive explication of the different collaborators from the VerA initiative in Bonn and through the presentation of VerA by our own volunteers in Paris we became so convinced of the model that all three French partner organizations together started a pilot on VerA in Lyon in fall 2018.” OTECI “the cooperation between our 3 French partners has improved through the common effort in the MYDI project OTECI, AGIR, ECTI” “MYDI contributes to the connectivity of German French cooperation in the sector of vocational training” German Federal Ministry of Education and Research“ “The mentoring of Seniors for trainees who have difficulties is a great asset to our work” Chamber of Commerce Bonn, responsible Head of Training