SALTO Inclusion Activities in 2014

Development of an Inclusion & Diversity strategy for Erasmus+: Youth in Action

SALTO Inclusion joined forces in 2006 with the European Commission to develop an Inclusion Strategy for the Youth in Action programme (2007-2013). At the start of the new Erasmus+ programme, SALTO Inclusion and SALTO Cultural Diversity, together with the Commission, will develop an integrated Inclusion & Diversity Strategy.

The aim of this strategy is to ensure the accessibility of the programme for young people with fewer opportunities (more young people with fewer opportunities in YiA projects) and to use the programme as a tool to combat social exclusion and discrimination (more impact of inclusion & diversity projects).

The steps
To reach the final result we would organise a variety of consultation moments:

• 2 round table consultation with 15 inclusion workers (former beneficiaries, experts), also from related sectors,... - presenting the recommendations of other meetings, discussing the current inclusion strategy, issues they face in inclusion & diversity projects and analysing areas for improvement (1 = 7th March 2014, Flanders, 2 = 12th September 2014 UK, 1 day).
• Inclusion & Diversity Colleague Support Group with (10-15) YiA National Agencies & Commission - discussing where there is need for adaptation to the new Erasmus+: Youth in Action, what technical  financial possibilities can we create, what are the opportunities within the different actions (18-20 June 2014, BE FL)
• Launching event, 50 people, at an EU building (Brussels, 3rd December 2014, 1 day)
• Intro Training for NA staff about inclusion & diversity for 20 novice staff in the inclusion field to learn more about inclusion, programme possibilities, supportive approach, etc. (2 extra days after launching event, 4 & 5 December, Brussels/Flanders)

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Supporting young people in their transition to the labour market

Employment is one of the big policy priorities of the European Commission. We continue our strategic work on employment that we started in 2009 with our research on ‘Inclusion through Employability’.

• TC "Youth@work" on Employment: the 3rd edition on how can the YiA programme contribute to young people's employment chances. (1-7 Jun, Turkey) Cooperation with NA Turkey
• Research & Seminar "EVS Competences for Employability": research process about how to make the bridge between EVS and the labour market (started in 2013). Stakeholder seminar will explore what skills employers look for and how to make the link between former volunteers and employers. (13-17 May 2014, Slovenia) Cooperation with consortium of 10 YiA NAs/SALTOs
• EVS Competences for Employability expert & evaluation meeting developing a long term plan for follow – up activities, based on outcomes of the research and international seminar in Slovenia. The meeting would include the representatives of the organising NAs, existing researchers and any others that have an expertise in this topic. (July/August 2014, UK)
• Ready 4 Work - bringing 50 youth workers and employers together to make the bridge between youth work (non-formal learning), competences and a job (20-22 February, France). Cooperation with NA France.
• Project Greenhouse for Inclusion & Participation - An exciting opportunity to develop new projects especially in the new Key Action 2 (strategic partnerships, potentially with other sectors)   (5-9 May 2014, Berlin). Cooperation with German NA & SALTO Participation

NEETs, Status Zero, the excluded, alienated, disenfranchised...

Some young people fall out of the boat for different reasons. They are not in education, not in training and don’t have a job either. They have disappeared from the system e.g. school dropouts, unemployed that are thrown from the dole, homeless youngsters, who don’t find their way to services or help, people living in illegal situations, people alienated from society,...

We would like to start a longer-term strategic approach to reach these disenfranchised young people who are excluded from the system and see how we can reconnect them to society and improve their opportunities in life.

• What is your NEET? Seminar – discuss and exchange on concepts of NEET, how do they exist in different countries, inventorise the reasons behind NEET, classifications, exchange methods how to address the issues, cross-sectorial approach to create better opportunities for NEET, the role of youth work and other actors, set up strategies within our context. (21 – 25 October 2014, Finland). Cooperation with NA Finland & NA UK

The conclusions of this seminar would lead to a research into this matter in 2015 (with a publication based on the findings), which will form the basis for further activities.

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Inclusion in Eastern Europe and Caucasus region - research project

• This long term cooperation aims at designing the support mechanisms and non-formal training activities in the framework of Erasmus+ Youth in Action, based on expertise of relevant stakeholders and a needs analysis of practitioners in the field of youth . This should in the future contribute to a systemic impact on youth workers education to further the Inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities of the Eastern Europe and Caucasus Region in society. Preparation meeting and expert round table are planned for 2014. (October 2014, in the region) Cooperation with Austrian, Polish, Finish NA & SALTO EECA

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Inclusion tools & Publications

• Good practice on Inclusion - Good Practice Database
• Inclusion through Employability - update & eprint
• In house reports of the Inclusion Colleague Support Groups

Trainers & TOY

• Further developments of TOYdatabase
• Participation in relevant trainer meetings to promote and collect feedback on TOY and make the tool (even) more user-friendly and effective.

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