1. InterCulturExpress Promoting the occupational opportunities of migrants Viennese Development Partnership within the EU Community initiative EQUAL August Gächter presented at Realize First Transnational Workshop Cesena, 2012-02-07

2. Situation Increasing shares of educated, trained, and skilled immigrants and refugees Difficult to have qualifications formally recognized and informally appreciated Very poor chances of upward mobility once an immigrant has slipped into a low-skill job Nearly half the non-EU immigrants with more than compulsory education work below their level of education (but only 1 in 6 of non-migrants)

3. Strategic goals Earlier migrants: Promotion of occupational mobility –into employment –into new, more adequate employment –up the occupational scale New migrants: Support for a more rapid entry into employment adequate to education received and skills obtained Generally: Making qualifications visible

4. Target groups Migrants in Vienna Aiming to use their education or their occupational skills brought from abroad more adequately, or Wanting to acquire skills, or Actively looking for work, or Wanting to return to work

5. Target groups Staff –in occupational adult education –in the Public Employment Service and other organisations promoting employment opportunities –potential mentors Organisations –providing occupational adult education –companies as potential providers of internships

6. Implementation InterCulturExpress was a pilot project i.e. intended as a learning experience for the organisers with small numbers of migrants with a view to producing the skills and materials for subsequent full-scale implementation Six component modules Carried out mid-2005 to mid-2007

7. Successes Mainstream partners got sensitized, acquired confidence and enthusiasm Media events were well reported Prompted high-level decision makers to pledge action to improve the use of “imported” skills Continuation of components after the end of the EQUAL partnership National level commitments in 2011

8. Recognized education of participants 2005-2006 abroadin Austria Less than 9 yrs22 9 years335 Apprenticeship71 10-11 years21 12-13 years3326 Tertiary3113 Total78

9. Module 1: Lighthouse Development and implementation of a training course incl materials and guidelines Skilling recently arrived migrants and refugees as professional occupational orientation trainers and as education counsellors 16 participants from 14 countries Almost all gained employment in the field, i.e. became “peer counsellors”

10. Module 2: Antenna German as an occupational language in metals and electricity trades, and in mathematics Legal advice, especially indebtedness Development and testing of didactic concepts and self-learning materials Product: curriculum, audiovisual teaching and learning materials 26 participants, almost all transferred to regular training

11. Module 3: Bimm Occupational integration and mentoring for migrants – skills and company for women Creation of a mentoring programme Occupational training and orientation Product: mentoring programme and publication 24 participants, of which 9 received mentoring 13 found employment, 3 decided on further education

12. Module 6: Ponte Development and testing of e-learning tools adequate for recently arrived migrants Practical ICT for educated or trained migrants Product: guidebook on assistance with didactic and pedagogical commentary and worksheets 24 participants, 3 gained internships in their desired occupations, all drew up career plans for the use of the PES to focus their next steps

13. Module 4: Streetlight Training for PES and adult education staff on the recognition of education and training from abroad and on inequalities in the labour market Picked up from two earlier EQUAL projects Product: action guide and newsletter (8 editions, 1300 recipients) 661 participants in 30 workshops and 4 information events

14. Module 5: Gender Mainstreaming The project partners jointly wrote a film scenario on four female migrants in the labour market and their interactions with authorities, employers, experts The movie, “Chance Migration”, was used by schools and a number of other institutions Gender map showing resources linking gender and diversity

15. Website All materials are at www.interculturexpress.at

16. Suggestions Provide rapid advice for new arrivals on education and labour market in order to exploit early enthusiasm and to optimize integration into the labour market and into the occupational structure Provide tailor-made courses for persons arriving with useful skills in order to rapidly and effectively link them to the labour market Provide training for recent arrivals with little or no education, training, and skills

17. Suggestions Make existing education, training, and skills visible to labour market stakeholders and to society more widely Create competence centres for the recognition of training and education From the very beginning involve all levels of political and social partner decision makers in a variety of roles: speakers, listeners, partners, counsellors etc.

18. Successors From 2007: Perspektive: Occupational and educational advice for recognized refugees in Vienna From 2008: Competence Centre on Recognition and Further Education for New Immigrants Merged in 2010 Funded by ESF, City, and other sources 2011 budget of Euro 654,407

19. Services Screening of education and training received abroad Advice on education and training opportunities Guidance throughout the recognition procedure Up to €600 per person for occupational training courses