TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Myrto Siapardani
Aims & objectives
The objectives of the training course were the following:
• To raise awareness on the participants about the important role that youth organizations can have in enhancing the employability of young people that are associated with them.
• To familiarize the trainees with ways and methods to create a "self-reflection culture" within their organisations, which will help young people at all times to be aware of the competences, skills and qualifications they have acquired.
• To train the participants on issuing certificates of employment for the staff and volunteers in their organizations, whereby the individual qualifications of youth workers will be clearly shown and with refer to the working positions they look for.
• To train the participants on how to conduct coaching, mentoring, counseling for employability issues to the young people associated with their organization and on how to outline (in their CVs, their cover letters and interviews with employers) the individual soft skills and specific qualifications held and acquired through youth work and engagement in youth work activities.
• To familiarize the trainees on how to utilize the tools "Youthpass", "European Portfolio for Youth Leaders and Youth Workers", "Europass CV", "Europass Cover Letter" for self-reflection and promotion of individual qualifications with an aim to increase the employability of young people.
• To make the trainees recognize the importance and necessity that contacts and synergies of youth organizations with companies, employer associations and employment agencies could have, with an aim to enhance the chances of finding employment for the young people associated with their organisation.
• To raise awareness on participants about the importance of enhancing employability, not only for the obvious economic reason for creation of income, but also for the social importance of employability, which can enable social integration and cohesion amongst young people and especially among those with fewer opportunities.
Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team
37 persons from 10 European countries (Italy, Spain, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Croatia, Germany, Poland and Greece) took part in the ‘MiLE Project’ that was designed to sensitize and especially train youth workers (presidents, board members, leaders, trainers, mentors, coaches, project managers and others) from various European organizations on how to strengthen and promote the employability of their members and volunteers, making the most of the work accomplished by them in the field of youth.
Training methods used & main activities
Group work, Role playing, Storytelling, Simulation, Games, Questions & answers, Group discussion, Brainstorming, Presentations.
Outcomes of the activity
The training course had multiple benefits for the participants and they acquired very important competencies and knowledge, with which they can become competent in demonstrating the skills acquired by members and volunteers of the organization from youth work, thereby enhancing their employment prospects and their job profile. The training course also offered the opportunity for networking and creation of future partnerships between participating organizations.
I worked as an trainer on this course, facilitating the learning activities throughout the project.