1. “The Challenge Abroad”
IdA Goettingen
“The Challenge Abroad”
“Tackling youth unemployment in Europe: Building a better future for young people”
ESF Conference
by Inga Ostendarp

2. IdA – Integration through exchange
Transnational program (Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the European Social Fund)
Aim: Integration on the labour market (work/apprenticeship) resp. increasing of employability
How?
upgrading the professional qualifications, language and social skills
support of mobility
vocational orientation resp. reorientation

3. IdA Göttingen Lead-partner: City of Göttingen Cooperating with
Beschäftigungsförderung Göttingen kAöR
Bupnet GmbH

4. “The Challenge Abroad”– target group
Young disadvantaged people between 18 and 35 years old who are searching for a job or an apprenticeship or who are seeking for vocational orientation.

5. Transnational Partners
Opportunities Aid Foundation (Malta)
Mission Locale in Rouen (France)
Sociedad de Desarrollo in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain)

6. Before participation At least one personal meeting: To inform
To learn about the participants history
To speak about anxieties and concerns

7. IdA – preparation phase
language course
regional studies,
vocational orientation, application practice
intercultural-, communication- and conflict training
teambuilding activities

8. IdA – the stay abroad
6 – 7 weeks abroad plus possible extension up to 6 months
first week language course, afterwards placement with accompanying language course

9. IdA – follow-up phase
reflection of the personal and vocational experiences made
application training
documentation (homepage, photo exhibition)
final report
individual follow-up care

10. Outcomes and successes
Easy to measure:
work experience abroad
vocational (re-)orientation
improvement of language skills

11. Outcomes and successes
Harder to measure…
… the social competences
self-reliance and confidence
independence and personal responsibility
energy and motivation to work on the own future
mobility and flexibility
recognise the own individual possibilities and chances
psychosocial stabilisation

12. Statistics IdA I About 200 participants in 20 groups
41% female, 59% male
approx. 40% with a migration background
over 50% extended their 6-week stay abroad for 4 to 20 weeks

13. Statistics IdA I (January 2013)

14. Examples for integration

15. What else? 2011: IdA II project “Experience counts!”
Since 2013 new target group:
pupils from the last school year from special and lower secondary schools
Leonardo da Vinci project IMAGINA (Spanish partner)
3 groups to Göttingen
2013: “IdA” project on Canary Island
30 young disadvantaged people
3 month placement in Göttingen
similar model as our projects

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