Supporting Educational Courses for Immigrants in Italy

Project location: Italy
Project start date: October 2009 - Project end date: October 2010
Project number: 2009-43
Beneficiary: Fondazione Il Faro di Susanna Agnelli

The "Il Faro" Foundation has been operating for over ten years with the aim of promoting social inclusion and employment of young Italians and immigrants who are in conditions of economic hardship. The Foundation's goal is to teach a craft to young people in difficulty, allowing them to acquire marketable skills, mainly in the field or self-entrepreneurship.
Over the years, the "Il Faro" Foundation has achieved increasingly satisfactory results: over 66% of young people trained - and assisted in the next step - got a place in society and business.

The Foundation identifies training opportunities to offer to young people considering the work areas that allow a greater chance of inclusion. It also seeks the real potential of young people to whom these opportunities are offered: the intersection of these two variables suggests the professionals towards which the training choice shall be oriented.
The acquisition of professional skills is provided by educational programs structured according to the demands of the market, by equipped laboratories and teaching staff selected from among owners of businesses and professionals. The educational objectives of the courses are acquiring specific skills, autonomy, and management of operational situations that occur in the workplace.
The courses are totally free and receive funding by individuals or companies that award grants to the Foundation. There are also contributions from social Municipality, Province and Region.

The general requirements for admission to courses are:
- Age 17-27 years
- Possession of an identity card (for foreigners: residence permit or request voucher)
- Good knowledge of Italian
- Pre-enrollment and participation in days of selection and orientation courses
- Submission of a resume of the applicant and / or references from a person or entity related to the applicant.

Teaching-training consists of a theoretical part (20% of the total hours of course), where students learn the basic knowledge related to the trade, quality control, law 626/94, socializing in the workplace, employment contracts and so on, and a practical part (80% of the total hours of course) where they learn the technical methodology and autonomy in the conduct of the trade, productive activity within the company, basic computer knowledge, etc. The goal is to provide technical and professional skills aimed at acquiring full autonomy in the chosen field of work.
At the end of the course there is a placement test for the issuance of a certificate.

Course attendance is compulsory from Monday to Friday. The length of courses depends on the type of curriculum. Each course has its own laboratory equipped with equipment and special tools of the trade.
The recruitment of members is through the knowledge of ex-pupils and through the reporting of the social support centers, through "Informagiovani" and through Work Orientation Centers located in the region, dealing with social problems. The customized training is monitored by the constant presence of Educators and Tutors.

The courses that are attended the most are: Carpenter, Upholsterer, Tailor, Hair Salon, Computer Basics, Screen Printing, Pizza cook assistant, Pastry Chef, Chocolatier, Chef Aid, Ice cream production, Bakery, Plumber, Waiter and Gardener.

The project funded by the Peretti Foundation in 2010 is called "I work, therefore I am" and is for twenty young immigrants aged between 17 and 27 years.
The project is divided into three distinct paths of integration: language courses in Italian, culture training through a series of themed meetings with Italian youth and visits to places of significance for understanding of Italy and its history, and a course of 150 hours for a waiter to give a real chance of job placement.

At the end of the three paths members will undergo a training period in some companies to facilitate their job placement. The expected outcome is the integration of young immigrants into Italian society.
At the end a ceremony is planned, along with the delivery of certificates. Ttrade associations and managers of public and private companies will be invited. Moreover, the results will be published in local newspapers.
At the end of the training period, the Foundation will provide continuity to the project in several ways: by informing and directing recipients to find jobs, preparing for recruitment interviews and facilitating contacts between students and companies. Later the students will be monitored for a period of six months.


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