A competence based approach to empower young jobseekers: tools and practices from JES NGO Youth employment seminar Tallinn - 19/10/2010
Who is JES? • Urban city laboratory • Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels • Create chances for young people living in those cities for: -
Creative and meaningful free time activities Employment and training Mental and physical space Social participation Participation in policy making
• On the crossroad of youth work, training and labour market integration Youth employment seminar - Tallinn
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The City of Antwerp
Almost 500.000 inhabitants Population trends: growing, rejuvenating & diversifying Nine districts Most important economic sectors:
Industry Port Distribution
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City of Antwerp: factsAntwerp and figures Flanders District Antwerp Foreign nationality
District Deurne
District Borgerhout
6%
16,7%
24,4%
13%
21,4%
Foreign origins
/
30, 7%
41,8%
25,8%
44,5%
School delay in secondary school
/
51,5%
56,9%
53,0%
62,3%
Unemployment rate
7,1%
14,6%
/
/
/
Unemployment pressure Belgian nationality
/
9,6%
12,4%
8,8%
12,3%
Unemployment pressure non-EU
/
19,2%
19,2%
20,0%
20,6%
Unemployment pressure - 25
/
15,4%
16,4%
16,2%
20,7%
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Why are young people unemployed?
School dropout! → Lack of qualifications, low-skilled – Realistic vision on their future? – Aspirations? – Disillusion, low self esteem, lack of aspirations due to experience of failure, no sense of agency – Wellbeing (psychological, physical, material, …)? The quality of the social network? Take advantage of existing institutions and services? – Knowledge on codes, institutions, rights and duties in society? – Accessibility of institutions (in the field of welfare, education, employment, free time, childcare, mobility, …)? – Cooperation and cohesion between institutions in different fields?
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Unemployed population by origin and level of education
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How it all began: informal learning and RAC
Objective: reduce the negative consequences of school dropout by reinforcing the recognition of informal learning / acquired competences (RAC) 2004:
Adoption of RAC in youth work as one of the political priorities for the City of Antwerp Steering committee on RAC
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How it all began...
2006-2007: ESF-projects:
WACKER City of Antwerp, organisations for youth work, education, labour market reintegration
Common competence framework
Methods for competence identification
C-STICK JES vzw Digital portfolio Competence framework Methods for competence identification and assessment Youth employment seminar - Tallinn
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How it all began....
2005-2009: ERDF-projects: - YCC Kronenburg (Deurne): social economy project » » »
Infrastructure for youth work Workplace for repairing and leasing bikes Competence based approach
- YCC in 'het Kiel' » »
Renovation of an old school ball room Organization of (international) concerts and parties
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How it all began...
2008: YCC De Branderij (Borgerhout) -
Existing Youth Centre Youth culture, city adventure and multimedia workshops, training for youth workers and youth leaders, local youth work activities Labour market reintegration Training on key competences Competence based approach (C-Stick, WACKER)
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YCCs: concept Local youth work Training for youth work volunteers Cultural youth work activities
RAC
WAC
meets young people where they are Networking Youth employment seminar - Tallinn
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YCCs: mission
Mission
Accessible and welcoming centres Maximal opportunities and counselling for development towards adulthood Attractive to youngsters Integrated and customized counselling and activities Needs and lifestyle of youngsters are central
Integrated: youth work, employment and education Competence identification, development, APL Target group: 16-25 aged, weak socio-economic or socio-cultural position Illustration: see movie 'Shoot groot succes'
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YCCs: employees
RAC-counsellors: competence based approach in free time activities WAC-counsellors
Crisis and rising youth unemployment Mission:
stepping stone between street and work Job application and choice of study Competence based approach Close cooperation with VDAB and Studiewijzer
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WAC-counselling: objectives
Target: 120 youngsters Objectives: improving educational and labour market situation Method:
Competence based Outreaching Empowering
No part of formal institutions
Stepping stone Confidential person
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WAC-counsellor
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WAC-counselling: activities
Target group:
School dropouts + 16 Disoriented + 16 Unqualified unemployed 18-25 Low-skilled unemployed 18-25
Activities
Support in finding a job Orientation, counselling and informal training Support in finding an appropriate school Orientation and counselling on study choice
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C-Stick
Help young people to: Become acquainted with terminology Identify their own competences and be able to talk about them Translate this in a (digital) personal development plan Translate this easily into a customized CV
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Digital portfolio
•A digital portfolio (on a USB flash drive) - Easy to handle for young people - Possibility to update - Possibility to integrate in other web-applications like , the website of the Flemish employment service, vacature.com,‌
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C-STICK’s: digitaal portfolio
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Lessons learnt
WAC-counselling focuses on the most important bottlenecks that young people face: education and employment Outreaching approach works! BUT
Difficulties to find the right places and gain trust --> location of the youth centre and integration into the local neighbourhood Young people aren't present during office hours Peer pressure Male & Moroccan origin
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Lessons learnt
Partnerships -->
Know and respect each others reference frameworks Common mission Roles and responsibilities 'Apprenticeships'
Profile of a WAC-counsellor ≠'common' youth worker
Training and coaching 'Phase-model' for counselling
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Future challenges
Broaden up to girls and other ethnic minorities – – –
Research on their free time activities Partnerships Activities only for girls
Partnerships with schools Create possibilities for 'real' APL
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Conclusions: the role of youth work
It’s a very inspiring and motivating perspective to start from strengths instead of weaknesses and give youngsters the freedom and responsibility to experiment and to discover Youth work = fun. We need to find methods that fit with this Youth work = diverse. We need to find methods that fit with different target groups This implies a changing role for youth workers We need to prepare our youth workers for this. Use common competence framework or initiate a dialogue with other sectors in order to create opportunities for formal recognition! Youth employment seminar - Tallinn
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Conclusions: role of youth work
Crucial
Identification of acquired competences
→ orientation, alternative learning paths
Narrow the gap between young people and institutions
→ relationship between young people and youth worker: trust, belief in possibilities, equality → Integrated, competence based, outreaching approach
“young people tend to travel trough relationships rather than trough institutions”
Empowerment
Start from the ability, possibilities of people Young people and institutions have to do efforts Participation → meaningfulness Youth employment seminar - Tallinn
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Questions and discussion
Contact details: JES vzw Marjan Van de maele +32 2 411 68 83 marjan.vandemaele@jes.be www.jes.be www.c-sticks.be
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