Flank Motivator EU – prevent, seek, and support European NEETs

"<< Background >>We decided to take part in the European project thanks to the ""RiconNEETtersi"" project carried out in Piedmont, an in-depth study on Neet aimed at concretising an intervention model on a group of young people experiencing the condition of Neet, motivating them in an effective way. The objective was to help them in their (re)insertion within the work, school and training circuit through a pathway that aims, first of all, to motivate and support the young person, making him/her rediscover his/her own potential, needs and peculiarities and strengthening his/her self-confidence, in order to make him/her become an active protagonist of life in society. We realised the need to have skilled people capable of implementing a functional model of action to unblock the short-circuit underlying the social phenomenon of Neet, creating a model of good practices that can be repeated in the future<< Objectives >>By implementing the project, we wanted to train people, the Flank motivators, to have a direct relationship with the young person, to become capable of perceiving and framing his or her needs, both expressed and unexpressed, so as to identify the forms of support most appropriate to the person and be aware of the support possibilities that can be activated in the area. People who, by building solid and positive relationships, guided by an attitude of mutual acceptance, can create an ""alliance pact"" with the young people involved in the project. A prepared adult figure with a pathway to acquire knowledge, skills, competences able to offer closeness, respect, appreciation to go-with and be-with. Adults who take care of the young people, able to decode their states of mind, to help them understand what they cannot understand on their own, providing them with effective empowerment strategies<< Implementation >>We implemented training in our project. We thought of a course that would address functional issues in order to become flexible and able to customise as much as possible the growth path according to the characteristics of the young people involved, examining topics such as the adolescent dimension and its neuroscientific basis, the Neet dimension, the new frontiers of work, knowledge of support and orientation strategies, the role of the educating community and the territory as a resource, actions capable of creating a network between young people and the realities of life<< Results >>We realised a training for a total of 40 hours. The speakers involved, with their expertise (sociological, psychological, educational, work-related) made it possible to investigate certain areas considered valuable in order to define this new figure of 'accompaniment'. The topics covered:The influence of screen time (3 hours) on the cognitive development of adolescents Developmental psychology (8 hours) to learn about the regular developmental processes that allow the transition from childhood to adolescence and from adolescence to adulthood Sociological analysis of the neet condition (4 hours) to identify significant indicators Meeting at the employment centre (CPI) in Pinerolo (5 hours) to learn about its evolution, paying attention to the actions aimed at young NEETsSimulations of phone calls and interviews (2 hours)Autism and the world of work (4 hours) Informal meeting (3 hours) (over coffee for a snack) the flank motivators were able to experience and put a face to the NEETs' struggles by relating to them. Accompaniment (8 hours) as a strategy to support young NEETs by analysing the necessary steps to make our intervention effective. Sociological reflection on the new Istat data In Italy (3 hours)"