Generation Y/Z -Second Chance On-Line Opportunities for the Development of Learning for Engagement

Background The main needs taken into consideration when applying for this project were the problems that young people face, especially those uncertainties about their future, the discrimination and the risk of unemployment as well as of imminent social exclusion they have to deal with. All these potential risks were magnified under the COVID 19 pandemic years. The driving concern has been that young people are facing persisting inequalities and the strong possibility to end up less well-off than their parents for the first time after World War II. Also, in line with the EU Youth Strategy 2019-27 the GenY/Z-SCOODLE project adopted the approach of enabling young people to be architects of their own lives, to build their own resilience and equip themselves with life skills to cope with a changing world; become active citizens, agents of solidarity and positive change for communities across Europe and, ultimately, prevent their marginalization and their social exclusion. In order to achieve this, the project worked on the capacity building of youth workers, mentors & coaches, who are perceived as role models and being important for them to act as life-long learners, active citizens and innovators, thus promoting similar attitudes of young people. Objectives In order to deliver upon the afore-mentioned lines and provide with solutions in terms of capacity building, the project “Generation Y/Z – SCOODLE” aimed at a) enhancing and recognizing the outcomes of professional development of youth workers, mentors and second chance education teachers b) facilitating the engagement of young people in rewarding learning processes by validating resources and high quality data, through c) establishing an online “Learning Hub”, for those professionals working with youth and this way facilitating the sharing of good practice in the field among the members of the European community of the youth and second chance education professionals. This has been delivered by a partnership of 7 entities, in 5 countries (Greece, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Portugal), which has built, piloted and validated sustainable learning solutions for upgrading the capacity of youth workers and other professionals in organisations dealing with young people and share effective methods in reaching out to marginalised youth or those at risk of marginalisation and with fewer opportunities (including NEETs). Implementation During the two years of the project the following activities were implemented: The documentation of the Professional Competence Framework and Accreditation scheme with the bundling and categorisation of a minimum set and a model of customization, according to priorities set. The design of the Youth SCE Tutor Professional Competence Development Courseware in order to embrace set of guidelines for building those fit-to-purpose (modular) Courses, which had to be met for the pilot courses developed by the partners. The building of the “Learning Hub”, to serve as an online training platform, hosting the courses to provide with the corresponding benefits of those youth professionals participating and presenting the partners’ modular courses to be piloted. The Transferability Toolkit has been delivered, with guidance on the further use of the other three project’ s outcomes, hosting guidance, together with exemplar courses. Dissemination work during the period included the organization of 4 MEs, in the pilot sites facilitated by the project website, hosting 4 newsletters and related social media activity. Two significant Training Activities (LTTAs) had taken place with the participation of all partners against the pandemic conditions. Achievements The Gen Y/Z – SCOODLE project identified validated quality frameworks and guidelines for the capacity building of youth organizations and those VET providers, for the up-skilling of their staff, in order to work with marginalized youth (IO1 & IO2). The project has also constructed a piloting training platform to enhance this up-skilling (IO3) and finally prepared a “Transferability Toolkit” with guidance on how to use its outcomes (IO4). As already stated, the partners in the pilot sites delivered exemplary courses with introductory videos for the preparation of those professionals to become “Youth SCE Tutors”. The project has also developed a set of guidelines to support the transferability of its outcomes and the exemplar courses in the local contexts and to guide on the effective use of those outputs, in order to provide with solutions for the capacity building of those bodies and professionals working with hard-to-reach young people, including the project’ s website and its social media means.