IRefSoS aims at developing an effective system for social support and rapid employment integration of refugee populations. There is empirical evidence that refugees receive limited or no support by the receiving countries in terms of preparation for their final destination countries. Therefore, the main concept of this proposal is the effective and efficient use of time young refugees spend in receiving countries, in order to support their integration in their final destination (host) countries. IRefSos consists of two distinct phases: Phase 1 starts from the arrival of the refugees at the receiving country (country of initial reception) ad it evolves alongside with the asylum seeking procedures The main objective is the formulation of a “personal (e)-portfolio” which will include knowledge, skills and qualification the target population, as well as the (training, counseling) needs identification.. Phase 2 includes training programs, guidance-counseling and certification activities which will take place in the receiving country (first reception). Diversified training and counseling courses will be developed and implemented. The ultimate goal is the full implementation, monitoring and evaluation of personalized social integration plans.. The main objectives of the project are: 1. To develop good and innovative practices that enable the target groups to quickly adapt and become functional in the host countries (local communities and labor market) 2. To provide target groups some necessary social and horizontal skills for the above mentioned integration. 3. To promote sustainable partnerships between public authorities and social partners in order to facilitate the integration of target groups into the local societies and labor markets 4. To promote knowledge and exchange of experience between receiving and final destination (host) countries regarding requirements and integration mechanisms. This project should be carried out trans nationally as the phenomenon of refugees’ inclusion in the European societies is by its nature an international problem and, therefore, sustainable partnerships should be developed between member states to promote the integration of target groups into the labor market. The strategic partnership consists of four Organizations from three countries (Greece, Germany and Turkey) representing public authorities, social partners and private training provider, acting in the Youth/VET field Activities are: (a) Background reports, from Turkey and Germany on young refugees and labor market needs, correspondingly (b) A specific methodology for selection of participants – young refugees, age 16-24, from the newly-arrived migrants in Greece- to attend pilot implementation of linguistic/intercultural training, counseling and guidance (c) Development of a personalized e-portfolio for each participant (d) Profiling and implementation of personalized approach – Drawing individual plans – Training needs analysis (e) Design and pilot implementation of counseling, vocational guidance, mentoring, coaching and intensive linguistic/intercultural support training package, tailored to the participants’ needs (f) A specific methodology for promoting integration of young refugees into the labor market of the relocation countries A variety of methods will be used to accomplish the project; desktop research, data collection, use of best practices, personalized approach, e-tools development, field-testing innovation, partner consultation, curriculum and assessment development, documentation and reporting The project is considered of high importance and is expected to bring precious added value at the following areas: (a) There is a great need for exchange of know-how on a target group with such particular characteristics and needs, especially for countries receiving massive refugees populations, with limited previous experience (b) Partnership participants are nationally strong stakeholders in Youth/VET field and aim at integrating into national/organizational education strategy and study programs/measures the resulting lessons, practices and intellectual outputs; therefore the project is expected to produce impact at Youth/VET field national and transnational level (c) Intellectual outputs are planned to be transferable and largely disseminated, in order to be further valorised also for other target groups/countries. The project addresses the issue of youth migrants with a European spirit and their outcomes will contribute to the construction of a common base of experience and knowledge useful for all European countries. The development of e-portfolio as well as the courses outcomes will allow improving the quality of services provided in youth migrants and will make a positive impact on learners.
The project idea was born within a context characterized by the mass arrival of refugees in Greece, from Turkey and other countries, mainly during the period 2015 to 2017.Thus, there was a great need to intervene for the benefit of the group of young refugees, aged 16-24, based on their characteristics and problems, as well as their wishes, such as relocating to a EU country. Relevant intervention should facilitate their integration into society and labor market, handling their difficulty to communicate in the Greek language, their difficulty to find a job, due to lack of relevant skills, as well as their difficulty to be integrated into a formal educational context, due to lack of relevant documents. In view of the above, at a time when other National Authorities’ relevant action was not yet developed, with the exception of the Ministry of Education, the Manpower Employment Organization/OAED, the Greek PES, in conjuction with Strategic Partners, designed and implemented this two-year project, under Erasmus+ for Youth (2017-2019). In this strategic partnership, OAED had the leading role. Partners were the GSEE Center of Educational Policy Development/KANEP/GSEE, the Turkish Ministry of National Education/ MoNE, and the German Training Organization “DEKRA”. I.Ref.SoS scope was to develop an effective transnational system of reception, social support and rapid integration of young refugee populations, inspired from the empirical finding about limited use of the long time period required from arrival in the countries of entry to the time of final settlement in the host countries. It was, therefore, considered that, this period should be positively used to support the steps for social and occupational integration in host societies. The project objective was to develop and test innovative VET pathways, methods and tools to enhance skills of young refugees and professionals in the field, in order to achieve development and implementation of a rapid integration mechanism and relevant good practice, at national and transnational level. Within the framework of the I.Ref.SoS project, studies were initially carried out on young refugees, aiming at gathering the necessary information, on their profile and needs, as well as on the labor market needs of potential host countries. Based on a specific methodology, process and appropriate criteria, forty persons, young adult asylum seekers with legal residence in Greece, were selected to participate in the pilot implementation. An intensive/accelerated language and intercultural training package was designed, for Greek language learning and teaching, enriched with intercultural elements, including tools addressed both to Trainers and Trainees, published in print and digital form, for use on tablets. The program of linguistic and intercultural training was implemented, at pilot level, testing the training methodology and tools. Both the participating young refugees and their trainers used the tablets and the printed material during the lessons. The participants’ needs were analyzed during Guidance/Counseling parallel implementation, based on personalized approach, via interviews with each trainee. The participants’ skills acquired during these interventions were reflected in an individual E-portfolio, whose design and production were also supported by the project. A Vocational Guidance Package was subsequently designed and implemented, oriented to technical and tourist occupations and entrepreneurship, including visits of young refugees at VET schools and laboratories. The action included development of material for vocational guidance counselors. A methodology was furthermore developed to promote the integration of young refugees into the labor market of potential host countries. All the above mentioned project outputs and products cover a wide range of methods and tools for young refugees’ social support, to be further used and/ or transferred to better prepare target group(s) for integration in the host society and labor market. Project results and relevant impact, however, are wider, including important networking and debate, at local, regional, national and transnational level, through multiplier events, with all the involved stakeholders, public authorities, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, social partners’ organizations, practitioners in the field, policy makers. A post-project dissemination strategy is adopted by all the four partners to sustain produced impact. In Greece, interaction with relevant actors, at local/national/transnational level, led to finalization of the project’s results and to a proposal for national strategy. This was an essential result of high importance, which is already yielding results, as it has paved the way to a wider project in the field, at national level, making use of the project lessons, practices, tools and networking, but also including actions to promote refugees’ integration in the labor market.