Central issues of the European Agenda and priority of policy in different countries are focused on the topic of individual and social inclusion and integration into the labour market of refugees and asylum seekers as well as adults at risk of social exclusion, target with common difficulties of "transition" between countries and of integration into the labour market. On the one side are the numbers to make this issue an emergenc: more than one million refugees and asylum seekers arrived in Europe in the past year and three out of five European citizens lack an orientation and psycho-social support for the prevention of unemployment, poverty and risk of social exclusion. Until now, the policy on transparency of competences and skills identification and qualifications in the European countries have been focused on building standards (within national frameworks - NQF), and validation practices mainly based on the formal requirements of the education and training systems. To respond adequately to the specific needs of the considered target, such practices require adaptations and tailorisation of these requirements, procedures more calibrated in timing and methods of implementation on this target of population. New approaches are requested by practitioners who work in wider and complex contexts with respect to the traditional and formal context of the national education and certification systems. The scope of Social SELF-I project is aimed at providing a useful and concrete contribution to add value to the system and processes of the reception of refugees and asylum seekers and of inclusion of individuals at risk of exclusion from the labour market. Furthermore, one important scope is the sharing of best practices with respect to the Analysis and Identification of skills, Orientation, Counseling and support to self empowerment of practitioners and professionals in these sectors. In order to promote the exchange of best practices on these issues the project will realise two transnational meetings and three short-term training events addressed to 12 beneficiaries: professionals, experts, such as: vocational and career guidance advisors, training and education, psychologists, trainers, tool developers, skills assessors, etc., working in public and private organisations. Participants will be identified on the basis of their proven experience in the different areas of activities, in relation to the contribution they can give to the realisation of the project.The contents of the three short-term training events are focused on these key themes: Guidance and Counseling as processes and methods to self empowerment; the Identification of skills as a key methodology to better define a personal profile, training paths and qualification of specific target groups, to manage transitions and analyse the skills and qualification gaps, as barriers to inclusion of the concerned target-groups; Transferability of: a) skills, learning gains across a variety of work positions, working environments, social and cultural contexts, having different aims and objectives; b) best practices as a vehicle and driver of dissemination of these experiences into the local contexts and organizations in 4 countries (Italy, France, Germany and Greece) and in national and European contexts. At the end of the project participants will have acquired a set of transversal skills to be able to work with vulnerable people (refugees and asylum seekers and adults in transition), methods and tools, knowledge and skills to be able to transfer best practices in their work and social context. This will be possible thanks to a fruitful cooperation between partners, whose diversity of National and professional background, experience and diverse culture will allow to approach these issues with a wide and multidisciplinary know-how, informed by the principles of a European society based on fundamental values of solidarity, labour inclusion and social integration.
The Social SELF-I Project, with the creation of a strategic partnership formed by ASPIC Lavoro (Italy), HdBA (Germany), INSUP (France), EOPPEP (Greece), carried out its activities in a 2-year period referring to central issues of European relevance, priorities in the countries of the beneficiaries involved, in relation to aspects assumed by the migration phenomenon in these years, still an urgent issue. The project is based on the evidence of numbers (more than one million asylum seekers arrived in Europe during the year of the beginning of the project), on the new training and qualification demands, and the need to appropriately equip professionals whose work has an impact on the inclusion processes. The latter is a central theme, in the individual, social and work aspects of specific target groups (refugees, asylum seekers and segments of the adult population experiencing career transitions in conditions of vulnerability and risk of exclusion, e.g. mental and health issues, low-skilled; it is crucial to develop the methodologies for identifying skills, guidance and personal and professional empowerment. The activities of the project made a contribution to the capacity of welcoming and inclusion the individuals identified above, sharing the best training, methodological and orientation practices, an intense training program, involving testimonials and invited experts of great personal and professional value, and developing "recommendations and methodological indications" stemmed from a common work and shared reflection on these issues. The methodological and operational inputs, knowledge and know-how, were aimed at professionals, operators, lecturers and researches involved in teaching and training career guidance practitioners, trainers and consultants, teachers of L2, project developers, belonging to training and employment organizations and agencies, extended also to national and local stakeholders, local associations, in order to increase the mastery of approaches, tools and new targeted qualification paths. The main activities consisted in 3 training events in a 4-day period (Bordeaux, Mannheim and Rome), with intense and continuous cooperation. The focus of the contents concerned three key themes: methodologies, tools and processes of guidance and career counseling as ways to support self-empowerment; the Identification of skills to define the personal, training and qualification profile, as well as to manage transitions and analyze skill and qualification gaps; the transversality and transferability of methodologies, practices and tools in individual practices, with respect to purposes, contexts, recipients. The recommendations, consistent with the issues of the project, highlight how the different methodologies (relating to the transparency of skills and qualifications; career counseling, orientation, psycho-social intervention approaches, etc.) require adaptations and to be “tailored” with respect to formal standards and requirements as well as more calibrated procedures in terms of timing and implementation methods. They also put emphasis on the importance of developing the transversal skills necessary for operators and professionals working in very diverse contexts. Particular emphasis was given to the helping relationship, the ability to build a relationship, the "understanding of needs" (each person is different, from the other, has his or her own particular history, skills and competences); "active listening", "'empathy", "respect for diversity", "multicultural perspective and competence", as well as being able to deal with cases of traumatic experiences and vulnerable situations, which may be associated with the target groups addressed. Beneficiaries of the activities were staff and members of the partner organizations with expertise and experience in different disciplinary fields and professional roles (university professors, experts from national public agencies, members of non-profit associations, professional psychologists and psychotherapists, guidance consultants and trainers, researchers in the economic and sociological field). Precious was the presence of staff, trainees, indirect participants, experts invited to the training sessions who contributed with testimonials and feedback to the extension of the impact of the project activities in heterogeneous local and national contexts. In each training event direct incoming beneficiary participants worked together with members of the hosting organisation, indirect participants, experts and stakeholders involved in the training activities. High commitment to disseminate contents and results to various audiences (reaching over 1500 people), also through training activities, seminars, conferences and workshops at different levels, testimony of an impact on partner organizations, on the personal and professional know-how of the participants as well as on the dimensions of training and work policies through the events.