“Creating a framework and developing contents for tomorrow’s youth centers” consists of equipping youth centers and youth organisations which are partners in the consortium with a series of competences and skills for young people and youth workers and working methods and tools for the same categories adapted to the needs of the future.
More precisely, the application aims at creating a framework for tomorrow’s youth centers, based on an innovative approach.
The leading organisation, Timis County Foundation has launched in September 2015 a consultation procedure with its 31 affliliated youth organisations aimed at identifying the needs of youth workers and of youth in general that can be met through activities coordinated by FITT. The provisional results of this consultation have shown that:
1. Youth workers do not posses training abilities that are adapted to constantly changing labour market needs and they do not work yet in an European Area of Skills and Qualifications (a system that would contribute to more easily validating skills and competences of young people)
2. Staff of youth centers do not poses relevant skills (as in the criteria of the Quality Label for youth Centers).
Timis County Youth Foundation and Timisoara Municipality have participated in 2014 in the process of elaborating the Local Strategy for youth. This document has conveyed data that leads to formulating the following two needs.
3. There is a gap between formal education and non-formal education in most of the education systems in Europe and therefore the solutions we currently offer to train and educate young people are not adapted to the constantly changing labour market. Universitat Autonoma de Bracelona (partner in the consortium) looks at present for solutions in order to include non-formal education in their system so this project meets its needs.
4. Timisoara does not poses a database open to the young public where they can find useful information such as: events, trainings, youth exchanges, places to go out, etc.
Three other organisations participating in the consortium: Roter Baum, RIS and Nuorisokeskus include career counseling and developing inclusive skills and approaches on their list of multi-annual activites. Based on their practical experience, two more needs that will be addressed through this project have been identified.
5. Young people lack key competences that could ease their path to the labour market ( Skills and competences for young people are priorities of the EU: Europe 2020 Strategy, Rethinking Education: Investing in Skills for better socio-economic outcomes). Youth centers and youth organisations do not support in a strategic way this major systemic issue. 40% of employers consider that young do not make proof of adequate skills for the jobs offered (Youth Unemployment-What Business Can Do-2011)
6. Social exclusion has not been addressed properly at the level of youth work (it is noted that also measures at EU and national level are scarce and they do not offer solutions for young people). Youth centers do not consider social inclusion as priority in their activities. (Youth Social Exclusion and Lessons from Youth Work-2013).
Youth organisations that participate in the consortium seek to find solutions to adapt their work (methods and content) to demands of future society. They find their current activity unsuited and outdated, and they will use this project as a step in transforming their scope and to inspire other youth centers across the EU.
