V.I.D.E.O. Video-cv to Increase and Develop Employment Opportunities THE V.I.D.E.O. PROJECT: STATE OF THE ART AND OUTCOMES OF THE EXPERIMENTATION ACTIVITY IN ITALY Irene Salerno Dissemination Seminar Thessaloniki, December 11 th 2009

THE PROJECT: STATE OF THE ART The V.I.D.E.O. Project started on October Today, the project, whose work-plan foresees 8 operational working phases, is in its 14 th month of activity; the phase 4 has been completed. The activities carried out within phases 1 to 4 (October 2008 – November 2009) are: Definition of a starting Model for the Video-CVs to be realised, on the basis of some experiences carried out by the City of Rome and by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft SGB II in Kreis Plön – Arge Plön; Identification of other practices concerning the creation and use of Video – CV tool and related method within counselling and employment services and private match making agencies; Verify of the feasibility and transferability of the Model worked out; Recording of 8 Video-Cv samples.

THE PROJECT: STATE OF THE ART The main products related to the just mentioned activities, realised within phases 1 to 4 (October 2008 – November 2009) are: National reports about previous experiences of the Partners in creating Video-Cvs; Documentary research describing state of the art of the Video Cv tool use worldwide, in Europe as well as in the countries involved in the Project; National reports describing the outcomes of interviews to managers, operators of Centres for Vocational Guidance, Centres for the Employment and similar structures; ALL THE JUST MENTIONED RESEARCHES HAVE BEEN AIMED AT POINTING OUT, TOGETHER WITH THE STARTING MODEL, A PROTOTYPICAL MODEL OF VIDEO-CV

THE PROJECT: STATE OF THE ART A protocol of use defining: targets, methodology tools, needed equipment, technical requirements and procedure implied in the use of the Video CV tool; A Description of the professional profiles requested: defining the standard competences of operators, counsellors, tutors and technical experts; A Comparative report describing the transferability of the Model worked out; A Kit of training-guidance material (in English and Italian) aimed at supporting the realisation of first Video CV pilot samples; 8 Video-CV as “pilot samples” in Germany, Greece, Italy, United Kingdom;

VIDEO-CV EXPERMENTATION PREMISE  The core products of the V.I.D.E.O. Project are the Video-Cv tools.  Before realising the final Video-CVs expected in the frame of the project, according to the Project work-plan, during phase 3, two Video-CV samples have been realised in Italy, as well as in Germany, Greece and United Kingdom.

STRUCTURE OF THE VIDEO-CV MODEL EXPERIMENTED

DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT In Italy, the experimentation phase that started on September 2009 with two-days informative sessions devoted to show and illustrate the Video- CV Prototypical Model. The meetings took place in Rome, at the seat of the Centre for Vocational Guidance (COL) “Simonetta Tosi”. Participated into the Informative Sessions the managers and the operators from the following COLs of Rome: “COL Carceri” “COL Cenci” “COL Mozart” “COL Pasolini” “COL Simonetta Tosi”.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT The mentioned COLs have a target of users ranging from long-term unemployed people, to young people having lost their work due to the disruptive effects of the global economic crisis. Two COLs, the COL Carceri and the COL Mozart, deal, in particular, with a target made of detained people (COL Carceri) and immigrants (COL Mozart).

METHODOLOGY During the 2-days meeting, the managers and the operators of the COLs have been introduced to:  The prototype Model of Video-CV created in the frame of the Project (a Model based on 3 sections: Who I am; What I can Do; Me in the Future) on the basis of the research activity outcomes;  The methodology proposed for its creation.

METHODOLOGY In particular, during the first informative session (day 1), participants have been introduced to:  The Prototypical Model for the Video-CV pointed out in the frame of the V.I.D.E.O. Project;  The suggested methodology to create the Video-CV samples, based on the results of the research activity carried out within WP 1 of the V.I.D.E.O. Project;

METHODOLOGY During the second day (day 2), the counselors of the COLs chose the two people to be involved in the shootings of the 2 Video-CV samples in Italy:  Domenico Reda, a 37 years old man;  Fiore Ranauro, a 40 years old man. At the end of the shootings, counselors have met again to view the pilot samples of the V.I.D.E.O. Partnership (Video- Cvs recorded by CJD Eutin, IEKEP, Oake Europe and Polydynamo). Also the two Italian pilot samples have been viewed and analysed. In the frame of a focus group, counselors answered to the questions of an evaluation grid, specifically pointed out.

OUTCOMES OF THE INTERVIEWES: Evaluation of the Model  With respect to the Pilot Model pointed out, participants gave a very positive evaluation to the Video-Cv Model proposed and of its structure divided into three sections (Who I am; What I can Do; Me in the Future).  Counselors found that the Video-Cv samples provided succeeded in exalting applicants’ authenticity.

OUTCOMES OF THE INTERVIEWES: Evaluation about the effectiveness of the Model proposed  Interviewed experts look at the Video-CV as a tool able to contribute to the matching between job demand and supply.  They believe that the Video-CV tool should not be tailored only for 45 years old people, but for all those people who are facing particular difficulties in finding a job and that can take advantage from this tool.

OUTCOMES OF THE INTERVIEWES: Evaluation about the effectiveness of the Model proposed About the script and the structure of the Video-CV, counselors did not appreciate the interview style proposed by some of the pilot samples provided by Partners. They expressed a very positive evaluation of the second British pilot samples, with particular regard to the target proposed: a young immigrant who can be a very adequate subject for this kind of tool, taking advantage from a medium that can make visible the linguistic abilities of the applicants.

OUTCOMES OF THE INTERVIEWES: Possible problems of the Video-CV process The limits and problems pointed out during the experimentation phase were mostly related to the shootings: counsellors expressed their preference for a seated or three-quarter position instead of a standing one; The need to use coloured back-grounds.

OUTCOMES OF THE INTERVIEWES:Suggestions for improving the Model proposed At the end of the informative sessions, participants expressed a general positive evaluation of the experience done in creating the first Video-Cv samples. Furthermore, they expressed the need to better tailor the Video-CV Model for the applicants’ personality, trying to do more efforts in order to better exalt and valorise the authenticity but also the points of strengths of candidates’ personality.

.…TO SUMMARISE THE EXPERIMENTATION OUTCOMES STRENGHTSWEAKNESSES According to the experiences done, the Video-Cv has been regarded in Italy as guidance tools for the users; The Video-CV tool can highlight lacks in verbal communication. The Video-Cvs realised in Italy can be regarded also as self- empowering tools, supporting users’ personal and vocational development through the exploration of their interests, skills and personality.

.…TO SUMMARISE THE EXPERIMENTATION OUTCOMES OPPORTUNITIESTHREATS Professional level Video-CVs can be effective in favouring the matching of the job demand and supply. The outcomes of the experimentation warn us to focus the Video-CV on 1 aspect of the applicant’s personality, on its main point of strength;