SAMIN Innovative Approaches to Migrants Employability

CASE STUDY

SAMIN Innovative approaches to migrants employability

FRANCE

The project SAMIN conceives a pedagogical approach targeting trainers working for the socio-professional inclusion of vulnerable migrants in Europe. It is a two years project started in January 2014 and finishing in December 2015. It involves six training organisations based in six European countries (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and The United Kingdom). European cooperation and exchanges of practices about migration and education and vocational training are at the core of the project. The Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union allowed for its funding.

SAMIN’s goal is to empower organisations working on migrants’ vocational, education and training. The question the project aims to answer is “how to meet migrants’ needs in vocational, education and training”. The empowerment occurs through the employment of a pedagogical approach, which is outlined in several tools: a methodology handbook, a capacity-building booklet and an online platform. The project’s long- term goal is to improve the quality and innovation in vocational education and training systems and practices.

Published in October 2015 © SOLIDAR SAMIN - INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO MIGRANTS EMPLOYABILITY

WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC INNOVATIVE ELEMENTS IN YOUR PROJECT/SERVICE? WHAT ARE THE LOCAL SOCIAL REALITIES? The project is funded under the former Lifelong Migrants and young migrants in particular, are Learning Programme and in particular under the considered as having less opportunities in getting Leonardo Transfer of Innovation programme. The access to and in participating into education and specificity of this programme is to promote an inno- vocational training. Furthermore, they are statisti- vative solution for a shared European problem. cally more affected by unemployment than the rest The project is intended to be about research and of the population. Education is therefore of utmost experimentation. The SAMIN project consortium importance to tackle migrants’ unemployment as firstly made a comparative state of the art analysis well as to favour their socio-professional inclusion to understand the needs and issues of each partner in host societies. The project does not focus on organisation’s country. They secondly structured a issues related to the access of migrants in European pedagogical approach retrieving some of the peda- countries but it goes a step further working on what gogical approaches of the Förderung in Berufswahl is put in place by public policies and by the civil Und Ausbildung (FIBA) Project, completed in society once migrants are in European territories. Germany. The achievements of this national-based project were therefore shared to other countries af- Therefore, the SAMIN project rather focuses on the ter an adaptation to the national and local realities. tools and means given to training organisations in As an example, for the French case, close attention order to support them in their work with migrants. was given to those elements of the pedagogical Bearing in mind these observations, it is clear that approach that could shed a light on issues related to there is a need of European cooperation and ex- unaccompanied minors. change of practices on these topics. While analysing and working on the trainers’ perspective, the project The idea of this pedagogical approach can be seeks to improve how migrants’ needs are taken in summed up as follows: in order to foster migrants’ consideration in education and training. The project socio-professional inclusion and in order to better therefore works on access and participations of mi- take into consideration migrants’ needs in education grants’ in VET through the empowerment of training and vocational training, a trainer should work with a organisations. whole system of actors and relations. The main idea of this approach is therefore to promote a compre- hensive approach to migrants’ caring in VET with the involvement of public policies, potential employers, families and migrants’ communities.

Three main tools are conceived to put this approach into practice: • A methodology handbook targeting trainers; it explains the pedagogical stance of the project, as well with concrete examples and case studies

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tion background in the access to the Vocational Education and Training sector. Working on the • A capacity building booklet empowering trai- quality of education and vocational training was ners the main driver identified and shared by the six • An online platform to allow exchanges between organisations partners of the project. Further- practitioners more, at the start of the project, a research took place in the six European countries involved in SAMIN has furthermore several indirect goals. It the project. This research allowed for data collec- seeks to create a sustainable approach for cooperation through qualitative interviews with prac- tion between European organisations and therefore titioners. The results of these interviews were it aims at fostering European integration through analysed and compared in a report. The project higher cooperation against discriminatory practices therefore intended to work on specific aspects of occurring in the labour market. Coherently with EU education and training (civic courses, language goals, it lastly aims at recognising migrants’ skills courses, vocational training and work with a and competences gained in formal and informal partnership) based on the needs identified from education. local training organisations. WHAT ARE THE KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE Outcome PROJECT/SERVICE? Besides the outputs of the project (state of the art comparative analysis, methodology Target groups/users handbook, capacity building booklet, an online The end users of the project’s products are trainers, platform, a testimonial video and a manage- educators, teachers and social workers. The goal of ment vade mecum), the project achieved several the project is to empower these practitioners. outcomes. SAMIN aims also at having an impact on indirect target groups, such as migrants, young migrants. As an SAMIN reached a wide range of mid-users: policy example, an educator, while working with different makers, civil society, employers, migrants’ organi- actors to foster vocational training and, in the long sations and other stakeholders. Principles Besides mid-users, around a hundred of end- The principles that drive the projects are: users (trainers, educators, social workers) got • Supporting the right to migrate acquainted with the pedagogical methodology • Promoting non-discriminatory participation in within six roundtables. The training made diffe- Vocational, Education and Training rent types of stakeholder meet and discuss their • Adapting trainings to migrants’ needs point of views about the topics of the project. • Avoid stereotyping and one-size-fits-all ideas in The online platform, furthermore, allows diffe- VET rent actors to virtually meet and to exchange • Adapt the training according to the migrant practices. needs • Strengthening European cooperation in VET • Foster the recognition of skills and qualifications

Drivers SAMIN is a project supporting people with a migra-

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Can this project be transferred to a larger context (a bigger region, the whole country, EU-wide)? If so, what is necessary to transfer it (special structures, finances, common definition of standards...)? If not, why not? Being a Leonardo Transfer of Innovation, its core content consists in transferring the achievements of national-based projects to other countries. Notably, the transfer occurs from the Förderung in Berufswahl Und Ausbildung (FIBA) Project, completed in Germany, to Austria, France, Italy, The Nether- lands and The United Kingdom. The transfer therefore occurred already EU-wide during the project.

SHORT DESCRIPTION/PROFILE OF YOUR ORGANI- The conditions that would allow a further transfer SATION from the original training organisations and coun- CEMEA (Centres for Active Education Training tries involved in the project are the following: Methods) is an association involved in Popular • The whole consortium of organisations involved Education since its creation in 1937, in all fields in the project needed to adapt the initial idea of education and social work: educational leisure, in order to transfer it. The initial project was education for young children, schooling, integration meant for trainers working with young migrants of disabled people, culture, social and professional having Turkish origins and living in six German insertion, environmental education, international towns. relationships in education. It is a teaching move- • The project is now intended for trainers working ment involved in innovative projects and activities with migrants in general. With the term migrant, both in and out of school. CEMEA is also a vocatio- we refer to those who have foreign origins or nal training organisation aimed at educational and have experienced migration. The broad defini- social workers, associations, or local authorities, pre- tion allows for a better transfer. paring future professionals in those fields of action • The pedagogical material is intentionally by providing them trainings and teaching courses cross-sectorial and it does not apply to just one with state-recognised diplomas. sector but to vocational training practices in general. This condition allows to empower trainers It is a progressive education movement promoting involved in a wide-spectrum of activities. an active pedagogy and carrying humanist values. • The project is available in English, French, Ger- It is organised in a national network (28 regional man, Italian and Dutch. In order to be used in main offices and centres), but also in European and other countries, the material should be trans- international network, through its international lated. federation (FICEMEA). CEMEA stands up for people’s • The size of the training organisation does not matter for the application of the stance of the project.

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mobility enabling youngsters to experience alterity and share their conception of Europe in another country. Three levels of action are developed: education about Europe (to know the different institutions, to reflect on European citizenship), education through Europe (to meet other persons living in Europe and be aware of one’s own identity, to face stereotypes and prejudices), education in Europe (to work in a network of non-formal education, to share educational issues and to make proposals to European institutions).

CEMEA, is state-approved and recognised since 1966 as promoting the public interest. It is sup- ported by several ministries and public administra- tions (Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Youth, Sports, and popular education, etc.), partne- red with local and regional authorities (regions and cities), NGO’s, federations and various organisations. CEMEA is partner and member of many platforms, networks or umbrella organisations: former national agencies Erasmus+ agency, French-German Youth Office, CNAJEP, Solidarité Laïque, EAICY, EUCIS-LLL, European Civic Forum, FONJEP, Solidar, France Vo- lontaires, Plateform Palestine, Coordination Sud.

Contact www.saminvet.eu

Alessandra Santoianni Project Coordinator CEMEA Rhône-Alpes – Centre d’Entrainement aux Méthodes d’Education Active 3, Cours Saint André 38800, Grenoble, France Phone : 00330476268542 E-mail: [email protected]

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SOLIDAR, together with our national members and partners, has developed 17 case studies in 2015, presenting innovative, effective, sustainable and tailor made models to promote social inclusion, the social economy and quality job creation by adapting a social investment approach. In their daily work, SOLIDAR members and partners anticipate new or unmet needs of socio-eco- nomically vulnerable people and empower them to actively participate in society and to access the labour market. These case studies gather strong evidence of the social impact of the activities undertaken by our members and partners to help Member States making progress towards the achievement of the social and employment objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the implementation of the Social Investment Package.

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