The Access to Opportunities: Youth Work in Migrant Communities

<< Background >>The focus of this project was to look at meeting the needs and concerns of migrant communities through the lens of youth and community professionals across the four cities in scope to the partnership: Amsterdam (NL), Cologne (Germany), Faro (Portugal) and Sassari (Italy). The project sought to address the limited intergenerational youth work practices within the African Diaspora communities in Europe generally while contributing to the professional training of youth workers within partner countries. Migration often enhances cultural diversity, but the reality is that its impact on the social and economic opportunities available is shrouded in challenges of intolerance, discrimination and prejudice. Information about the situation of youth in Europe generally highlight young people facing an increasing challenge unemployment, contracting work-based training opportunities and spiralling costs of living (especially in the housing sector) and low wages. They are also facing increasing levels of obesity as well as falling prey to criminal opportunism, where they may have fewer alternatives (EU Youth Work Report, 2017; 2019).<< Objectives >>The project sought to increase access to opportunities so as to build capacity while simultaneously identifying educational pathways for those youth workers who would otherwise be blocked from such opportunities due to systemic discriminatory practices. The programme objectives sought:1.To provide cross national recognition through institutional co-operation at local levels within partner countries in Europe working with migrant and refugee communities.2.To recognise and validate the achievement of youth workers’ competence evidenced through the achievement of the Youthpass certificate.3.To provide training and understanding of youth work practice through creative tools to engage and encourage greater participation and involvement in the democratic processes within respective countries in line with the priority of the EU Youth Strategy. 4.To provide an innovative training model of youth work practice which focuses on supporting access to opportunities delivered through mentorship model.<< Implementation >>The exchange programme was built on the development of the competence-based training framework developed by the Council of Europe – the European Youth Work Portfolio –and the European Council’s, Youth work for working Internationally. The programme design took as it’s starting point work that had been championed through European Youth Work Portfolio framework, especially Functions 1 to 8 of the European Council’s Youth Work Portfolio.The key themes (or Work Packages) were:•Theme 1: Youth work training in working with migrants and refugee communities: competence-based approach [NL]•Theme 2: Youth and community participation in the decision-making process [Portugal]•Theme 3: Quality mentoring standards and practice [Italy]•Theme 4: Quality standards for the recognition of organisations working with migrants and refugees [Germany]<< Results >>•20 youth workers, volunteers, leaders and other professionals working with children and young people successfully obtained their Youthpass Certificate for completing over 72hrs of guided learning hours of youth work training. •Participants increased their knowledge and awareness of best practice across different diaspora communities, identifying resources along the way that could be used to raise aspiration and opportunities through a better understanding of youth work practice.•Participants reporting increased understanding and awareness of changing nature of migrants and refugees within European with practical understanding of how youth work development can make a difference.•Bringing together different youth work organisations working with migrant communities to integrate and further strengthen national and international youth work networks such as the work of the African Diaspora Youth Network in Europe (ADYN) and the Migration and Development Council (MDC).