Sustaining “Il Faro” Training Courses for Young Immigrants in Rome

Project location: Italy, Rome
Project start date: June 2012 - Project end date: July 2013
Project number: 2012-046
Beneficiary: Fondazione Il Faro di Susanna Agnelli

 

The issue that "Il Faro" wants to face with this project is social inclusion of young immigrants in Italy. Specifically in the city of Rome, where the Foundation works since 1997. The first step to achieve social inclusion, for an immigrant, is the possibility of being economically independent. But for people living in hardships, and coming from countries where the labour market is quite different, the difficulties of finding a job increase. Indeed for a young immigrant there are many obstacles to get over to find a job in Italy. One of them is the lack of acknowledgement of foreign professional qualifications and the need of acquisition of new skills to meet the needs of the Italian labour market.

In order to achieve its objective and mission, the Foundation intends to offer a concrete opportunity of improving socio-economical conditions to the young beneficiaries of the project through its vocational training courses and an orientation help desk. "Il Faro" wants also to facilitate inclusion and integration through social and cultural workshops that will be the place for young beneficiaries to share their experience and culture and deepen their knowledge of the country.
The project, which received a grant from the NPF,  will  face two aspects of social inclusion of immigrants which are considered milestones on the path of integration. The first aspect to be considered is work, the second one is cross-cultural integration.
1. WORK. To improve the possibilities of getting a job, young immigrants need to acquire adequate skills to fit the labour market needs. But this isn't the sole point. What they really need is to acquire them in short time to be able, as soon as possible, of having the right tools to find a job. And this is what "Il Faro" intends to do, organizing 1 vocational training courses for bakers. The training course will last 2 months, for a total of 130 hours each, during which students (15 beneficiaries) will learn the basic skills of the profession, working in a real workshop with teachers who have great teaching and professional experience. Moreover, students will be followed by a "cross-cultural mediator" and tutor who will facilitate the proceeding of the lessons and by a psychologist.
"Il Faro" is convinced indeed that, to get the best from its job and its students, it is of great importance to strengthen their self-esteem and perception of what they really are and what they can be and do as well as their professional skills.
"Il Faro" intends also to facilitate the search of work of its students with a job guidance desk that can help the beneficiaries valorizing their skills through effective résumés and presentation letters and explaining them how to go through successful job interviews. The Job Guidance Desk will organize seminars open to all the students and one-to-one meetings aimed to customize the information given, depending on the real needs and requests of each person.
2. CROSS-CULTURAL INTEGRATION. One of the risks that big cities with great immigration flows must face is the creation of closed communities of foreigners that become a new society into the country society. We call it a risk because our aim is a multiethnic society where each nationality is a source of richness for the others. To achieve this goal and reduce the risk of closed societies "Il Faro" wants to create cultural workshops and meetings, that can be the occasion for the beneficiaries, to exchange their life experience and culture. The workshops will also help beneficiaries deepen their knowledge of our and other countries. Meetings will be about art, sport, cooking and any other issue beneficiaries themselves will choose. They are intended to be the place where people from different cultures and backgrounds can meet, talk, share moments and experiences, work together and overcome each other prejudices. Workshops and meetings will be open, not only to the beneficiaries of the two above-mentioned courses, but also to students of other courses and Italian participants, mainly youngsters from Italian high-schools and universities.
There will be 15workshop each year, held by a cross-cultural mediator and with different guests that will lead group discussions. The number of participants to each event will vary depending on the activity foreseen during the workshop, from 15 to 30 people.
Each workshop/meeting will consist in two moments: one is about "doing" activities together and the other is a moment of discussion.

Anticipated achievements or outcomes of the Project
Different kinds of objectives are foreseen. From a quantitative point of view, "Il Faro" expects an increase on the students employment rate. Considering a quality based result, the initiative will improve social conditions and inclusion of beneficiaries and their families.
Results expected from this project are: at the end of the project 1 training courses completed, 15 young immigrants trained, 70% of which employed or participating to in-depth training courses; 15 meetings and workshops organized; 200 people involved in cross-cultural initiatives and sensitized on Italian and foreign cultures.


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