eSkills and Employability: what happens as a result of the raised eSkills?

1. eSkills and Employability: what happens as a result of the raised eSkills?

2. Unemployment rate • Serbia1: • General unemployment rate 19.2%, while among vulnerable groups it is from 36 to 75%2, and poverty rate goes up to 70% • women 20.1% • youth (<25) 46.4% • EU273: • General unemployment rate 9.6% • women 9.6% • youth (<25) 20.2% 1 Serbian Republican statistics institute, April 2010, 2 Poverty reduction Strategy, NES 3 Eurostat, June 2010

3. Using computers • In Serbia 50,8% person has used a computer in the last three months, and as much as 43,7% persons has never used a comuter1 • Estimations are that among vulnerable groups around 70% do not use computers2 • In EU27 66% persons has used a computer in the last three months 1 Serbian Republican Statistics Institute, 2010 2 IAN survey

4. Using Internet • In Serbia 40,9% persons has used Internet in the last three months, and as much as 54,1% persons has never used Internet1 • Estimations are that among vulnerable groups this percentage is around 75 2 • In EU27 60% of people has used Internet at least once a week i.e. 41% of vulnerable groups members 1 Serbian Republican Statistics Institute, 2010 2 IAN survey

5. Serbia -Poverty according to education level of the household head

6. IAN International Aid Network • Local NGO established in 1997 • In 2001 established IAN Telecentar – Educational department • Member of Balkan Telecentar network • Schools: ICT, foreign language, social skills, entrepreneurship • International certification: ECDL, ECDL Advanced, TOEIC, (soon) EBCL • Social enterprise, community centre, “mobile classrooms”

7. Participants • Refugees • Internally displaced persons from Kosovo • Roma • Unemployed • Poor • Persons with HIV • Persons with disabilities • Victims of torture • Women • Youth • Youth in conflict with law • Self supporting parents • Persons with mental disorders

8. Impact of eSkills Trainings

9. Consequences of the unemployment for health Olivera B. 41, University degree, victim of family violence “...I lost my self-confidence and faith that I could change anything in my life. All new and unfamiliar things scared me. I was afraid of responsibility. I was afraid of encounters with unknown people…” • Research show that the unemployed have • higher level of depression*, • higher level of anxiety and stress** and • lower level of general wellbeing*** in comparison to the employed persons. * Branthwaite & Garcia, 1985;Feather & O' Brien, 1986 ** Henwood & Miles, 1987; Ullah, Banks & Warr, 1985 *** Winefield, 1995

10. Why? • Deprivation of work represents a deprivation of psychological needs, and this brings to deterioration of mental health and depression of the unemployed persons*. • Work has latent psychological functions because it • Provides day timeframe • Enables daily contacts and experience exchange • Enables realisation of goals that are beyond personal goals • Defines aspects of personal status and identity • Encourages activity and • Provides feeling of security. * Jahoda, 1982

11. Why is ICT education important? 1 • »And then a new chance has appeared. A valuable experience has begun to unfold in my life. I have found out that IAN has been offering free of charge ICT courses. This also caused big anxiety before the start of the courses. During the first week I had a friend “escort” me to the school, as a support, to encourage me not to give up.»

12. Why is ICT education important? 2 »Although I have regularly attended the classes, on the day of the first exam I knew that I cannot take the exam because I would burst into tears in the classroom. The reason was not lack of knowledge, but stressful events that still happened in my life.» »I have decided to quit and give up on every progress in my life, to withdraw even more… People from IAN then encouraged me to overcome the difficulties and continue the course. »

13. Why is ICT education important? 3 Through ICT education participants gain new ICT skills, but NOT ONLY that. They get also: • Self confidence – the successfully perform activities that were unfamiliar for them before, and which are appreciated in the society, • Structure of the day, new obligations – though every day activities and obligation and through demanding curriculum, • Respect and equality – all are treated with respect, as human beings, • New daily contacts, exchange of experiences, creation of (new) social network – through mixed groups of members of different vulnerable groups PLUS local population, • (Non)intentional support from colleagues • Support from professionals

14. Effects on mental health • Generally improved psychological status of the participants • Considerably lower level of emotional instability and destructive aggressiveness, significant level of conscientiousness. • Tendency to blame others and unfortunate circumstances for own difficulties has been significantly lowered, the participants are prone to taking over the responsibility for own future. • The most important changes have been registered in perception of own competences, before all professional. The participants feel much more competent and capable in a professional sense. They believe that they possess numerous qualities, they regained positive self-image, they feel satisfied.

15. Effects on mental health • Much higher level of intention to get engaged in job search than before the participation in the programme. • Believe that there are employment opportunities for them, that the loss of a job could be a chance for advance and not necessarily a personal catastrophe. • Their future depends mostly on them and that they have enough qualities to influence decisions of their potential future employers. • Increase of social inclusion: they feel significantly more integrated in their living environment, they feel that they belong to their community, they regain trust in other people.

16. Effects on employability • Employment rate for our beneficiaries goes up to 50%, and average employment rate is 30%* • Great majority of the formerly unemployed (over 90%) reports that education has helped them find a job. Most frequent reasons are: • Increase of knowledge • Greater confidence in using IT • Greater confidence in own competences • Greater confidence in social contacts * October 2010, sample: 200 participants, at least 6 months after finishing education

17. »...I have found strength in myself to be able to do this at that very moment. I have passed the exam and got encouraged by this. I have passed three ECDL exams within a week, and there was only the last course that I had to attend and passed the exam. I felt great pressure, but I succeeded. Now, after I have filled in my ECDL skills card, I am waiting for a certificate, and I feel much more confident than before. Here, for example, I have written a job application myself, formatted the text as I wanted and saved it on a flash memory that I have never used before. Once again I have verified my knowledge and self-confidence through practice... »

18. Effects of eSkills trainings • Gaining new, demanding skills and therefore increased competence at the labour market • Enhanced motivation and active job search • Improvement of psychological status Higher employability

19. Thank you for your attention ! Ivan Stojilovic IAN Telecentar Manager edu@ian.org.rs ian.org.rs/education