Mentoring young disadvantaged people for inclusion
Future meets Experience: Mentoring for Inclusion,
19th of June 2019 - European Committee of the Regions
On the 19th of June, CESES ( Confederation of European Senior Expert Services) held a meeting of the Erasmus+ Mydi Project at the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels. The MYDI Project gathers 11 partner organisations from 7 countries (Austria, Belgium Finland, France ,Germany, Italy, Slovakia). It focuses on social integration of young people, whether nationals, migrants or refugees and provides assistance in their professional and personal field, in social competences or in civic participation. Senior experts assist young people by coaching and mentoring them on a voluntary base, thereby contributing to a more sustainable and inclusive cooperation.
During the meeting, the participants benefited from high level interventions on the topic. The president of the European Committee of the Regions, Karl Heinz Lambertz opened the welcome session stressing the importance of cooperation between regions: "We need more positive and encouraging projects having, like the MYDI-Project, an innovative approach and which can thus better the mutual understanding among generations as well as the social integration of disadvantaged young people. Sharing, participation and inclusion are the essential conditions for building coherence in our society."
Michalis Moschovakos, policy officer of the European Commission and Ulrike Engels from the German National Agency Education for Europe outlined the importance of this topic on the European and national levels.
Project partners presented their national initiatives: the VERA programme in Germany using a one-to-one approach for trainees, French activities on the empowerment of NEETs (people neither in education or vocational training) and the Finnish model to enhance the integration of refugees in society.
Of particular interest for the public has been the various testimonies of young people having benefited from this intergenerational cooperation.
In the final session, the public was informed about the results achieved :problems in the different countries are comparable, educational systems are different, good methods can be transferred between regions and the launching of a follow up project.
The participants were invited to embark themselves on similar projects and to lobby for more recognition, acceptance and support from public authorities and stakeholders on intergenerational cooperation.
OUR UNIQUE SELLING POINTS (USPs)
Unique expertise: The experts available to participate in CESES projects represent practitioners in virtually every industry and profession (over 20.000+ experts on roster).
Impact: CESES organizations contribute in a cost-efficient way to the achievement of the SDGs (economic value of volunteering)
Track record: CESES organizations have experience in several EU funding instruments. Ranging from AL-INVEST, EU SWITCH, Horizon2020, Erasmus+ and of course the NSA-LA programme.
Unique organization: EU coverage in members, and unique business model, CESES is the stand-alone professional volunteer service advisory instrument in Europe to focus on entrepreneurs in developing countries.
CESES launches in cooperation with PUM,
the EU Trade Initiative
CESES aims to contribute to raising standards of living in developing and emerging economies through voluntary assistance to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), business incubators and institutions like business service organisations and public agencies at local, national and regional level.
We believe that innovative partnerships, which include with volunteer organisations, tailored at the capacities and needs of MSMEs can boost EU ambition in the creation of decent jobs, and fighting poverty sustainably.
That said, a successful instrument like EU Aid Volunteers Initiative can be replicated to serve a similar challenging agenda of promoting an economic transformation that creates decent jobs, increases productive capacity, and fostering sustainable value chains and diversification, including sustainable industrialization in EU partner countries.
CESES members bring unique people, expertise and sector knowledge to boost businesses, industries and regions. Thus, combining resources and strengths of senior expert organizations, peer-to-peer knowledge transfer that conveys the best of European values and ingenuity.
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