Introduction

1. F@DO FOR ALL“E-learning for all based on empowerment of local networking”Reference number: 2009-1-PT1-LEO05-03213 Social sector in disadvantaged areas Developing necessary skills for the integration of young people by Raluca Icleanu

2. Introduction • Recent statistics and research show that insufficient vocational training is one of the main reasons for unemployment and lack of prospects for young people. • Young people at risk with deficits in school and/or social problems as well as young migrants need targeted support for a successful start into their working life. • There is an urgent need for making Europe and its young generation ready for this competition and for giving young Europeans opportunities to learn and develop their skills.

3. Introduction II • Therefore, educational programs are developed by non-formal education providers in order to offer access to information and knowledge; • The European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme enables people at all stages of their lives to take part in stimulating learning experiences, as well as helping to develop the education and training sector across Europe. • As a response to the society’s needs, European projects co-funded by the European Commission are developed with the aim of offering educational support for disadvantaged groups such as young people.

4. Throughout the years, our association Romanian Society for Lifelong Learning (SREP) has participated in projects at European level in order to tackle with the above problems. Some of which we can mention: • E-learning methodology for disadvantaged people – “Fado for all” • Key competences as the key to achieving unhindered access to mobility for youth at risk- project- “Key to mobility” • Where the Rivers Meet

5. E-learning methodology for disadvantaged people – “Fado for all” project • The aim of the project is to transfer and adapt an innovative E-learning methodology for disadvantage people, based on local partnerships and on more attractive and useful empowering learning process to groups in risk helping in the equal access to qualifications and soft skills for employment. • One of its objectives is to attract groups at risk (women, elder workers, workers without qualifications, early school leavers, long unemployed adults, etc) into learning process; • In Romania, SREP has successfully transferred the Fado methodology in areas known as disadvantaged such as Region of Moldova; • The innovative methodology was presented to teachers and trainers in order to use the tools on their students and to transfer it further on to their colleagues and interested parties • Throughout the dissemination workshops organized in Romania, 214 persons were trained and prepared for using the Fado methodology.

6. Photos taken during the demontration workshops of the Fado project

7. Key competences as the key to achieving unhindered access to mobility for youth at risk- project- “Key to mobility” www.keytomobility.org • The main aim of the project is to provide disadvantaged young people with key international vocational competences crucial for their integration in further training and/or the labor market; • Teachers, tutors, trainers and youth at risk are directly involved in the project activities • SREP has sent 2 trainers to participate in 4 mobility workshops (in Germany, Portugal, Romania and the Netherlands) • The trained trainers conducted 2 national mobility trainings for VET students at risk to prepare them for future mobility experiences abroad and to clearly understand their needs.

8. Photos taken during the mobility training with youth at risk in Romania

9. Where the Rivers Meet project www.wheretheriversmeet.eu • “Where the rivers meet” project is designed to promote women immigrants´ smooth integration and development in European countries by supporting mutual understanding and eradication of stereotypes. • The main tool within the project is the use of social theatre as a means of social intervention for third country nationals women • SREP has organized 20 social theatre facilitation workshops with young female immigrants from the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey.

10. Project results • Social theatre facilitation workshops with the aim to introduce women third country nationals to the world of social theatre having a therapeutic effect on them at the same time, facilitating self expression and group cohesion in order to create original plays. • Writing of original plays based on the lives of women third country nationals in the host countries. • Staging of the plays written for the women introducing them to the different dimensions of stage creation and further enhancing intercultural understanding. • Organization of an international social theatre festival in Valencia, Spain that includes the staging of the partners´ plays and the facilitation of social theatre workshops. • Creation of a documentary filmto highlight the transformative role of social theatre on the lives of women third country nationals in respect of tackling racism and supporting understanding. • Creation of a project´s manual including different phases of the project and its development to be used for dissemination.

11. Photos taken during the social theatre workshops with female immigrants in Romania

12. Conclusions • It is very important to join forces in order to create appropriate educational programs for the disadvantaged in order to socially include them • More European projects need to be developed in order to tackle these issues and raise awareness on the need of ongoing education • NGOs, different association need to be supported in their work by public institutions that can offer bigger impact at national level • Partnerships between formal education providers and non-formal education providers need to be made.

13. THANK YOU! ROMANIAN SOCIETY FOR LIFELONG LEARNING Address: no.249, CaleaCalarasi Str., bl. 65, sc. 1, 5th floor, 21th ap.,Bucharest, 3rd sector, ROMANIA Phone/Fax: 40-21-327 3887 E-mail: office@srep.ro http://www.srep.ro