NEETs 4 NEETs partners meet in Stuttgart for the second in-person TPM
06/02/2023
On 1-2 February 2023, NEETs 4 NEETs project partners met in Stuttgart, Germany for an in-person Transnational Partners Meeting. The NEETs for NEETs project seeks to improve inclusive methods to empower young adults (NEETS, Not in Employment, Education or Training). The project works on co-creating and adapting an existing example of good practice of youth inclusion, the ReAct Self-Empowerment model, developed by the organisation Support Group Network (SGN). NEETs For NEETs is led by EARLALL member Region Västra Götaland, in consortium with Volkshochschulverband Baden-Württemberg, Save the Children Sweden, Oslo Adult Education Rosenhof, NAV Bjerke (Norway), Borås Stad, the City of Stuttgart, EARLALL and the Support Group Network.
Over the two days, hosted by Stuttgart City and Volkshochschulverband Baden-Württemberg, partners evaluated the last ‘Train the Trainer’ workshop in November. During the workshop, young adults had the chance to carry out training in tools such as forum theatre, strategic planning, co-creation, storytelling and interculturality. The partners discussed new ways to evaluate the training, including video testimonials from participants who were more comfortable speaking than writing.
Moreover, partners discussed the next NEETs training workshop that will be held in Borås, Sweden. The concept of the training in Borås is for the young participants, thanks to their experience in Stuttgart, to take ownership of these tools and to become the new “experts” instead of the previous ones. In this way, a reversal of roles will occur and the relationship between the young participants and staff from the partner organisations.
Partners also deliberated on how to best bring in the co-ownership that characterises the project to the next training in Sweden. They concluded that the youth needed to be consulted to plan the agenda of the next training activity, and have decided to go back to the participants from the workshop in November to gain their guidance on how to organise the sessions.
Finally, partners were inspired by two study visits to best practices of a holistic approach to the integration of migrants in Stuttgart. On the first day, they visited the Ausbildungs Campus, where they were introduced to the work of the centre by the Team Leader, Marcela Ulloa. She explained how the centre guides newly arrived migrants through administrative, legal, financial, educational and interpersonal issues they may face. On the second day, partners were invited to the Welcome Centre by its director, Suzana Hofmann. The Welcome Centre is the first place where all new arrivals in Stuttgart can go, without an appointment or judgment, to receive advice and guidance on their next steps in the city. It has been a large success because of the strong network of civil society and governmental networking that it has done, ensuring that migrants are accompanied through all their issues.
Partners left the meeting days with both motivation to continue to work on the project for the empowerment of young and vulnerable individuals, and with a clearer sense of how to continue to co-create the project outcomes with the participants.
Partners will next meet in Borås on April 25-27 2023 for the next Train the Trainer workshop.
