“BLACK OR WHITE?” SEMINAR BUDAPEST, 9-11 FEBRUARY 2009 Michael Fähndrich Y.E.S. Forum / BAG EJSA

Contents:  Youth social work:  Y.E.S. Forum (European Network)  BAG EJSA (German Protestant Youth Social Work)  General overview on youth employment in Germany  Situation of young migrants in Germany

Y.E.S. Forum  Acronym, that stands for Youth European Social Work  Network of organisations working with children and young people across countries in the EU, whose common bound is commitment to social inclusion and active participation of all children and young people in all aspects of their lives and futures  It focuses on children and young people who experience disadvantage and exclusion

Y.E.S. Forum history  Feb 2001:  Development of the Y.E.S. FORUM network infra-structure with 3 organisations from Italy, Germany and France  Now: 16 EEIG member organisations from 9 EU countries and 200 individual community members from 70 organisations in 16 countries

Y.E.S. Forum objectives and activities  To encourage professional networking and exchange of good practice amongst youth workers, social workers and other staff  To support peer-to-peer contact between young people from different European countries  To transfer experience and knowledge from the practical field to actively influence youth policy Through:  Organising training, seminars and conferences that serve as space for exchange of good practice and critical thinking  To initiate and coordinate transnational projects with members’ involvement  for practitioners and young people  Lobbying activities towards the European institutions

Youth social work in Germany Aims:  Professional integration  Social inclusion  Participation

Areas of work:  Helping young people in vocational training  Work with young migrants  Youth housing  School social work  Street work  Gender specific youth social work

Vocational training help Largest area of work  Generic term for the vocational preparation and vocational training  e.g helps in the transition of the first (school  training) and second (training  employment ) threshold.

Work with young migrants  Promoting equal opportunities  Opening and improving chances of integration  Promoting the acceptance of migrants in the society  Consulting and monitoring adjusted to the individual needs

Young people on the labour market 1,2 Mio young people unemployed (10%) – rather good situation compared to other EU countries… but:  Often with short term contracts  first to be fired  Vocational training vacant positions decreasing (in ,2% less than in 2008)  1,5 Mio young people between 20 und 29 (15%) have no vocational training qualification  “Transitional system” increasing  Only 1/3 has chances to keep the job after the vocational training  Increase of illegal work and precarious employment because of sinking wages.

Situation of young migrants  Leaving school without certificate: German – 6,5%, migrant – 16%  Finding a vacant vocational training position within 3 years: German – 86%, migrant – 68%  Finding a vacant vocational training position : German – 3 months, migrant – 17 months  Successful vocational training with obtaining certificate: Boys: German – 68%, migrant – 29% Girls: German – 46%, migrant – 24%

Reasons and risks  Reasons:  Lower social status (financial, social and cultural capital to support their children adequately in their education)  German school system (“gate-keeping “ function)  Missing information and orientation of parents, prejudices of the companies  Consequences:  no qualifications/ low-skilled professions  higher risk of becoming unemployed  risk of poverty

Strategies Approaches to improve the transition of the young people with low educational qualifications and migrant background:  Highly personalised, tailor-made support (coaching) with professional staff;  Involvement of families and promotion of culturally sensitive skills beyond the childhood age;  Close cooperation and networking between schools, youth services, training systems and local companies.  Reform of the three pillars school system  Recognition of certificates from the country of origin  Promoting participation rights of migrants in the society  Liberatlisation of migration policy (work and stay permits)  Intercultural opening of the society (also public services and school system)

Illegal Employemnt Reasons: why  people work illegally Internal:  Unemployment, low social welfare  Low wages, precarious work  No work permit  Low qualifications External:  Economic differences within Europe  Wage dumping – employers try to lower costs  Increasing mobility of seasonal, low qualified workers etc.

Illegal Employment Dimentions and Actions Big problem in Germany, huge dimention: Milliard €/year  Legal provisions: working and stay permit, e.g. for asylum seekers and irregular migrants  Assistance and help: NGO‘s, trade unions for migrant workers  Strict control: police and customs, e.g. on construction sites

Thank you for your attention!