VET Voices: Self-Guidance and Motivation for Career-Seeking Refugees

Refugee migration to Europe present both opportunities and challenges for vocational education and training systems. On the opportunity side, an influx of highly-motivated individuals provides a boost to the labour force, and particularly to sectors that have difficulty filling demand. On the challenge side, refugees often enter host-country labour markets without orientation or even a basic concept of the types of VET and career tracks available. The proposed project seeks to address this challenge through research and innovation. Its primary output will be a multilingual application accessible by mobile phone. Users will take a Vocational Interest Self-Evaluation test, which will ask them to rank certain tasks (e.g. “repair engines,” “design websites,” “assist with vaccinations”) on a scale of interest. Based on the results, the tool will suggest VET and career options that both suit users’ interests and are relevant to local labour market needs. Users will then be able to use the app to access motivational Video Profiles of third-country nationals who have completed VET in their fields of interest, as well as to find and network with VET counsellors and providers in their areas. In parallel, the application will host Guidelines on Early VET Orientation and a Research Report, designed to assist stakeholders in addressing the needs of the app users and other under-served VET seekers.