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About the project
Empowering Migrants for Employment (ESF) has been about mutual learning
Together, the transnational partners in Belgium, Finland, and Sweden have been enhancing their knowledge of good socially inclusive and empowering practices from each country. The practices have been centred on the recognition and validation of skills, empowerment, and introduction of immigrants to work. The project was implemented from 2018 to 2020. Project activities included transnational visits and seminars as well as activities for mutual learning, documentation, exchange, evaluation, and adapting of good practices and of innovative work methods and expertise. As a result of this process, the project partners gained new know-how in enhancing the integration and employment of migrants, especially women with a low level of education. This know-how is now being shared widely in the partners’ networks and via this Web site.
EME partners in
Belgium
EVA bxl, a non-profit organization, and its national partners (VUB-Belgian Ageing Studies, (BAS), Kenniscentrum WWZ and Groep INTRO), are carrying out the ESF project titled ‘Culturally sensitive care ambassadors – valorizing talents+’ between 2018 and 2021.
The goal for the project is to close the gap between the care supply and the needs of elderly people living in underprivileged areas of Brussels by putting the potential of informal caregivers with migrant roots into action. Among the main activities of the project is a training course for becoming a culture-sensitive care ambassador. The main target group of the project is unemployed immigrants.
Finland
Työväen Sivistysliitto TSL (Workers’ Educational Association WEA of Finland), a Finnish liberal adult education study centre and its national partners (Silta-Valmennusyhdistys, Tampereen aikuiskoulutuskeskus TAKK (Tampere Adult Education Centre), Helsingin aikuisopisto (Institute of Adult Education in Helsinki) and Tampere University) implemented the ESF project Catch Up with Work in Helsinki and Tampere between 2017 and 2019.
The goal of the project was to enhance the opportunities of long-term unemployed immigrants to work and/or study. In the project, a new peer-tutor-based counselling model was created for guiding and mentoring immigrants toward employment. The project activities included working-life peer tutor training, use of peer groups, and possibilities for internship training at places of work or rehabilitative workshops. During the EME project, the peer-counselling model was continued and further developed in light of the new knowledge gained via the transnational co-operation.
Sweden
The Municipality of Piteå is a small municipality, with about 42,000 inhabitants, situated in northern Sweden. Piteå is implementing the national ESF project titled ‘Employment for migrants’ between 2018 and 2021. The goal of the project is to arrive at new methods that facilitate newly arrived migrants’ entry to the labour market. It also is aimed at strengthening the competence support for the municipality’s elderly-care department. The main target group is unemployed migrants. Among the project activities are new methods for introduction to work, language/culture coaching, and validation/valorisation of competencies.
Arbetarnas Bildningsförbund (the Workers’ Educational Association), or ABF, is an association for liberal adult education. It implemented the ESF project titled ‘Exchange for empowerment’ between 2017 and 2019. The goal of the project was to develop methodology and practical work methods for inclusion and empowerment and to produce guidelines for how these methods can be used across Europe. The methods were compiled in an online handbook for professionals or volunteers working with newly arrived migrants. The target group consisted of immigrants who live in deprived areas with high rates of unemployment and poverty.
