OPPORTUNITYOPPORTUNITYthroughthroughMOBILITYMOBILITY

Using the Leonardo da Vinci programme to Using the Leonardo da Vinci programme to engage with unemployed youthengage with unemployed youth

Lorraine LockyerLorraine LockyerSenior ManagerSenior Manager

EIL LtdEIL LtdUKUK

www.eiluk.orgwww.eiluk.org

About EIL:About EIL:

• Cultural and educational charity with Cultural and educational charity with a 70 year historya 70 year history

• Part of an international federation Part of an international federation with 22 members across the worldwith 22 members across the world

• Working in the Youth in Action Working in the Youth in Action programme since 1996 (EVS)programme since 1996 (EVS)

• Working in the Lifelong Learning Working in the Lifelong Learning Programme since 2008Programme since 2008

Our aims:Our aims:

• break down barriers to mutual break down barriers to mutual understanding and increasing cultural understanding and increasing cultural awarenessawareness

• empower and equip people, particularly empower and equip people, particularly young people and disadvantaged groups, young people and disadvantaged groups, as agents of pro-active change within local as agents of pro-active change within local communities communities

• Provide opportunities for experiential Provide opportunities for experiential learning, training and cultural exchange.learning, training and cultural exchange.

Our Leonardo Participants:Our Leonardo Participants:

•UnemployedUnemployed•HomelessHomeless•Sometimes unskilled/low Sometimes unskilled/low

educational leveleducational level•Disadvantage in some way Disadvantage in some way

(“Youth in Action” describes (“Youth in Action” describes them as ‘fewer opportunities’)them as ‘fewer opportunities’)

"Young people with fewer opportunities" are "Young people with fewer opportunities" are young people that are at a disadvantage young people that are at a disadvantage compared to their peers because they face compared to their peers because they face one or more challenging situations or one or more challenging situations or obstacles.obstacles. (EU’s Youth in Action definition) (EU’s Youth in Action definition)

In certain contexts, these situations/obstacles In certain contexts, these situations/obstacles prevent young people from having effective prevent young people from having effective access to formal and non-formal education, trans-access to formal and non-formal education, trans-national mobility and from participation, active national mobility and from participation, active citizenship, empowerment and inclusion in citizenship, empowerment and inclusion in

society at large.society at large.

The challenges:The challenges:• Economic obstaclesEconomic obstacles (e.g. unemployed, low (e.g. unemployed, low

income, low standard of living)income, low standard of living)• Educational difficultiesEducational difficulties (e.g. low or non- qualified, (e.g. low or non- qualified,

left school early)left school early)• Social obstaclesSocial obstacles (e.g. facing discrimination, ex- (e.g. facing discrimination, ex-

offenders, limited social skills, substance misuse, offenders, limited social skills, substance misuse, single parents)single parents)

• Disabled or facing health problemsDisabled or facing health problems• Cultural differenceCultural difference• Geographic obstaclesGeographic obstacles (e.g. (e.g. young people from young people from

remote, rural or hilly areas, living on small islands remote, rural or hilly areas, living on small islands or peripheral regions, urban problem zones, less or peripheral regions, urban problem zones, less serviced areas with limited public transport, poor serviced areas with limited public transport, poor facilities, abandoned villages... etc.facilities, abandoned villages... etc.

Potential difficulties of working Potential difficulties of working with unemployed youth:with unemployed youth:

• Maybe not used to getting up in the morning!Maybe not used to getting up in the morning!

• Maybe not used to having a routine or structureMaybe not used to having a routine or structure

• Maybe not used to team work or group dynamicsMaybe not used to team work or group dynamics

• Maybe not used to discipline or accepting Maybe not used to discipline or accepting orders/instructionorders/instruction

• May find the physical/mental work May find the physical/mental work veryvery tiring tiring

Additional challenges:Additional challenges:

• Communication problemsCommunication problems (limited (limited language skills)language skills)

• Culture shockCulture shock – – a sense of confusion, a sense of confusion, discomfort, disorientation, and uncertainty discomfort, disorientation, and uncertainty felt by those exposed to a different felt by those exposed to a different cultural environment (apart from being in cultural environment (apart from being in a new country, each work place has it’s a new country, each work place has it’s own ‘culture’, too!) N.B. - own ‘culture’, too!) N.B. - even people who even people who are used to travelling can experience are used to travelling can experience culture shockculture shock

Symptoms of culture shock:Symptoms of culture shock:

• Physical illnessPhysical illness (headaches, insomnia or (headaches, insomnia or sleeping more than normal, upset sleeping more than normal, upset stomach, etc) – stress suppresses the stomach, etc) – stress suppresses the immune system + new diet and routineimmune system + new diet and routine

• Emotional symptomsEmotional symptoms - feeling home sick, - feeling home sick, isolated, withdrawn, irrational angerisolated, withdrawn, irrational anger

• Very Very negativenegative about the new culture about the new culture

• FrustrationFrustration at the inability to communicate at the inability to communicate

So how do we face these So how do we face these difficulties and challenges?difficulties and challenges?

• GOOD COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOOD COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PARTNERS THROUGHOUT PROJECTPARTNERS THROUGHOUT PROJECT

• GOOD SUPPORT MECHANISM FOR GOOD SUPPORT MECHANISM FOR PARTICIPANTS BEFORE, DURING AND PARTICIPANTS BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE PLACEMENTAFTER THE PLACEMENT

• FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY TO FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY TO RESPOND TO PARTICIPANT’S NEEDSRESPOND TO PARTICIPANT’S NEEDS

We need to have a genuine desire to help this We need to have a genuine desire to help this target group as well as having patience and a target group as well as having patience and a sense of humour!sense of humour!

Ideas for motivating and preparing Ideas for motivating and preparing participants:participants:

• Regular meetingsRegular meetings / / contactcontact before departure before departure• Get them used to taking some Get them used to taking some responsibilityresponsibility for for

their own learningtheir own learning – give them ‘projects’ to – give them ‘projects’ to research and share with the group e.g. customs research and share with the group e.g. customs and traditions of the host country, information and traditions of the host country, information about the host city, find and translate 20 slang about the host city, find and translate 20 slang words/phrases … this is ‘discovery learning’ words/phrases … this is ‘discovery learning’ methodology and part of the cultural/language methodology and part of the cultural/language prep – prep – get them to take ownership of THEIR get them to take ownership of THEIR placementplacement

• If it’s possible, try and set up a If it’s possible, try and set up a visitvisit to a similar to a similar work placement near home for a day (or more?) work placement near home for a day (or more?) of ‘work experience’of ‘work experience’

..• Keep them engagedKeep them engaged - Email them regularly with - Email them regularly with

bits of interesting information about the bits of interesting information about the placement / host country – always end with a few placement / host country – always end with a few specific questions to specific questions to get them to respondget them to respond to the to the email (then you know they have received it and email (then you know they have received it and hopefully have read it!)hopefully have read it!)

• Keep it Keep it ‘fun and interesting’‘fun and interesting’! Meetings can ! Meetings can include team-building games and communication include team-building games and communication gamesgames

• Stress the Stress the positive outcomespositive outcomes as well as warning as well as warning that they will also face some challenges (such as that they will also face some challenges (such as culture shock)culture shock)

The rewards we usually see:The rewards we usually see:• Development of essential life skills => Development of essential life skills =>

– Social skillsSocial skills– Communication skillsCommunication skills– Team workingTeam working– Problem solvingProblem solving– Time managementTime management– Travelling to/in a foreign countryTravelling to/in a foreign country– Ability to function in a foreign country to some degreeAbility to function in a foreign country to some degree

• Personal development =>Personal development =>– Self confidenceSelf confidence– Self esteemSelf esteem– Motivation Motivation – Positive attitudePositive attitude– Intercultural competence Intercultural competence – Emotional IntelligenceEmotional Intelligence– IndependenceIndependence

(We call these ‘affective learning outcomes’)(We call these ‘affective learning outcomes’)

Things to remember:Things to remember:• ‘‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ !!Rome wasn’t built in a day’ !!

Leonardo is an effective tool to skill up Leonardo is an effective tool to skill up unemployed youth, but it is part of a long unemployed youth, but it is part of a long journey for these participants. You don’t journey for these participants. You don’t always see the benefits immediatelyalways see the benefits immediately

• Affective learning outcomes are very Affective learning outcomes are very difficult to measure and may take months difficult to measure and may take months or even years to become apparentor even years to become apparent

• It is useful to combine Leonardo with other It is useful to combine Leonardo with other EU funded programmes such as EVS or EU funded programmes such as EVS or Youth ExchangeYouth Exchange

..