SIMPLE stands for the social inclusion of migrants through peer learning experience. The project will exchange good practices regarding the use of peer learning techniques to promote the social inclusion of migrants and refugees into the vocational education and training (hereafter VET). SIMPLE reacts towards the immense immigration to Europe. The average age of migrants is between 16 – 30 years old and the expected number of long-term unemployment of this target group is estimated at 55 %. Therefore the need of a successful integration into education is extremely important. The access and integration to education will minimize the risk of unemployment and lead to a sustainable social integration. SIMPLE will be exchanging methods of peer learning which have been used for the integration of migrants in VET. Those methods prevent segregation and discrimination and furthermore teachers and trainers are able to deal better with cultural diversity, conflicts and to build up a heterogenic learning environment. The participants of the SIMPLE consist of teachers, migrants and students who have been involved in peer learning activities in VET. The project includes six transnational meetings. In each meeting the partners will visit peer learning groups and activities and identify common methods for a successful implementation of peer learning methods. On each meeting two local VET teachers as well as a local student and migrant will take part and report about their personal experiences regarding the difficulties and advantages of the social inclusion through peer learning techniques. Peer learning has mostly been used in non-formal education environments but originally targeted core skills of students. In the last years the methodology has been modified and adapted for emotive learning processes. Social and emotional gains through peer learning are nowadays as important as cognitive gains. SIMPLE uses those processes for the social inclusion of migrants. The outcome of the project is to identify methods of peer learning in VET which shall be used for the social inclusion of migrants and other target groups as the results can easily be adapted by other sectors. Therefore SIMPLE will produce a paper of recommendations and pedagogical materials about how to integrate migrants into VET through peer learning experiences. The impact of SIMPLE will be an increase of migrants in VET and a cost-efficient assistance for educational staff for the social inclusion of migrants. On a long term perspective SIMPLE will affect the reduction of unemployment of migrants and foster the social integration into the society. Finally the involved students and migrants will gain skills and competences e.g. critical enquiry and reflection, communication skills and team work. In addition the peer to peer experience will help migrants to understand social and civic rules and experience them in their daily environment. On a regional level the project partners of SIMPLE will present the results to local VET schools, secondary schools and companies to cause the effect of imitation. On a national level the project shall be seen as a role model for other institutes and motivate them to commit themselves to the social inclusion of migrants. On a European level SIMPLE shall enhance a better understanding of the need of social inclusion, common European values and the prevention of discrimination especially in the group of students and migrants who have not dealt with intercultural conflicts and diversity yet. The number of migrants requires a sustainable strategy of inclusion especially in the group of 14 – 25 years old as this group will possible stay in Europe for a longer period and is in need of finding options to integrate themselves. To achieve the described impact of SIMPLE the dissemination of the project will be one of the project priorities before, during and after the project duration. The dissemination activities will include the implementation of SIMPLE on social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) as well as the presentation of the project results on events, webinars and towards the existing national and European network of the partner organizations. The network consists of VET and secondary schools, EfVET, Trade and Industry chambers, youth organizations, national education departments and will be extended during the project duration.
SIMPLE stands for the social inclusion of migrants through peer learning experience. The project has identified, exchanged and put together European "good practices" regarding the use of peer learning techniques to promote the social inclusion of migrants and refugees into the vocational education and training (hereafter VET). Thereby, SIMPLE reacts to the immense immigration to Europe since 2015. The average age of migrants is between 16-30 years old and the expected number of long-term unemployment of this target group is estimated at 55 %. Therefore, the need for a successful integration into education is extremely important. The access and integration to education minimizes the risk of unemployment and leads to a sustainable social integration. SIMPLE has identified methods that prevent segregation and discrimination and, furthermore, teachers and trainers are able to better deal with cultural diversity, conflicts and to build up a heterogenic learning environment. The participants within SIMPLE consist of teachers, migrants and students who have been involved in peer learning activities in VET. The project included six transnational meetings. In each meeting the partners visited peer learning groups and activities and identified common methods for a successful implementation of peer learning methods. At each meeting two local VET teachers as well as local students and migrants took part and reported about their personal experiences regarding the difficulties and advantages of social inclusion through peer learning techniques. Peer learning has till now mostly been used in non-formal education environments. In the last years, the methodology has been modified and adapted to emotive learning processes. Social and emotional gains through peer learning are nowadays as important as cognitive gains. SIMPLE has recorded the project's results in a “paper of recommendations” to integrate migrants into VET through peer learning experiences. The impact of SIMPLE is supposed to lead to an increase of numbers of migrants in VET and to represent a cost-efficient and fast assistance for educational staff for the social inclusion of migrants. Finally, the involved students and migrants can improve skills and competences in the areas initiative of one’s own, communication skills and team work. In addition, the peer to peer experience helps migrants to understand social and civic norms and experience them in their daily environment. On a regional level, the project partners of SIMPLE pass the results on to local VET schools, secondary schools and companies to cause effects of imitation. On a national level, the project can be seen as a role model for other institutes and firms and motivate them to commit themselves to the social inclusion of migrants. On a European level, SIMPLE shall enhance a better understanding of the need for social inclusion, common European values and the prevention of discrimination especially among students and migrants who have not dealt with intercultural conflicts and diversity yet. To achieve the described impact of SIMPLE the project activities have been disseminated before, during and after the project duration. The dissemination activities include the implementation of SIMPLE on social media channels, the participation in conferences, lectures, the development of print material as well as the presentation of the project results in the form of webinars and in view of the existing national and European network of the partner organizations. The network that is being used for the dissemination consists of VET and secondary schools, EfVET, Trade and Industry chambers, youth organizations and national education departments and has been extended during the project duration.