Employability Skills Improved | P.O.D. Association

Co-funded: European Union, Erasmus+ Program – Key Action 1, Mobility of youth workers

Period: 01.05.2019 – 31.03.2020

Place: Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Spain

Context:

According to the most recent Eurostat data, the rate of young people aged 16-29 years at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU was 28% in 2017. One of the major factors for the social exclusion of young people is the constant increase of unemployment. Youth unemployment rates are generally much higher (15,3% in September 2018) even double than unemployment rates for all ages (6,7% in September 2018). Even more, many countries in the EU surpass the general trend – e.g. for September 2018 the rates were 34,3% in Spain, 16,2% in Romania or 36,6% in Greece (Source: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/).

Employability skills are those skills necessary for getting, keeping and being successful in a job and life. Employability can be enhanced by strengthening soft skills/ life skills, that are the foundation for a career and they are frequently referenced as lacking in graduates and those already in employment. These skills are also important since employers have more choice of applicants and will favor those with well-rounded life/ soft skills. The most important of soft skills (as stated by employers) can be summed into interpersonal skills (e.g. team player), communication skills (e.g. good listener), critical thinking and problem solving skills, creative thinking, leadership. (Source: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/).

Objectives:

The main purpose of this project is to enhance the quality of activities led by youth organizations in Europe in order to increase soft skills for young people that will ultimately enhance youth employability.

The project’s objectives are:

O1 – enhance specific competences in working with young unemployed people for 22 youth workers from 11 different European countries in a 6 days thematic international training course;

O2 – increase personal development perspectives for at least 110 young unemployed people from 11 countries in Europe over a period of 4 months;

O3 – establish quality approaches in activities and projects related to developing employability skills for young people for 11 organisations in Europe.

Activities:

Training course, 10.12.2019 -17.12.2019, which will involve the 22 participants in a structured learning program aimed at improving skills, creating a multicultural learning environment for youth workers by using three main non-formal education methods: improvisation, storytelling and spoken-word.

14th of December 2019 – Show of Stories, in Castillo San Felipe from Puerto de la Cruz, public event which showcased the learning outcomes of the participants in the training course. The performance in English of improvisation exercises, storytelling and spoken-word.