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

Related projects

• Promoting Social Inclusion and Employment with "Il Faro" (Mother project)
• Professional courses for immigrant youth in Italy: cook’s assistant, baker, gastronomer
• Supporting Educational Courses for Immigrants in Italy
• “Building Hope” – Supporting Professional Training Courses For Disadvantaged Women And Youngs To Help Them In Finding A Job
• Improving Socio-economical Conditions of Youth Through Vocational Training Courses and an Orientation Help Desk
• Language Courses, Vocational Training and Guidance for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Italy

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

Final Report

September 1st, 2012 to April 30th, 2013

"CROSS-CULTURAL INCLUSION: training and tradition in the service of integration" was addressed to 200 young migrant in Rome, coming from social and economic hardship. The aim of the project, from a qualitative point of view, was to improve migrant social and economic starting conditions, through a process of self-empowerment and a cross-cultural integration. The quantitive aim was, on the other hand, to increase the beneficiaries employment rate.

The planned vocational course, for bakers, were held from October, 15th to December, 7th. The class was composed by 15 young migrant, from 16 to 30 years old. The immigrants come from different countries: Ecuador, Latvia, Nigeria, Egypt, Bangladesh, Ivory Coast and Afghanistan, etc.

The admittance examination consisted of a first written test of Italian language. Then the young migrant had an interview with the tutors, in order to evaluate their oral comprehension level, their work motivation and to test if they have some preliminary knowledge about the job that they intended to learn.

Lessons took place every day from Monday to Friday, from 9.15 a.m. till 1.30 p.m. The 136 hours training courses were divided into a theoretical part and a practical one. Practical lessons were given in Faro equipped laboratories. All the teachers were professional people, with a long experience in teaching to students with difficulties. The students also had the opportunity to attend a further course about HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) that issued them a certificate, and a course about health and safety in the workplace (according to Italian Civil Law).

The main subjects of the bakery course were: skills in the laboratory pizzeria, basic equipment and their use; knowledge of raw materials specifications, origin, use and how to preserve them for quality products; knowledge and skills related to the processes of food processing;; knowledge of different recipes for bread and pizza; knowledge of different recipes for biscuits and bakery products; knowledge of different ways to present and serve pizza.

A very important aspect is that the students had a chance to learn by experience not only technical subjects, but also how to behave in a suitable way in a job context. Teachers asked them to respect the colleagues, to know the job hierarchy, to be every day punctual, to fulfil their tasks carefully and, above all, to work in a team.

Another important aim of the project was indeed to help the young migrant to experience a deep condition of integration and solidarity. Every morning, before the lessons, all the students met in the Faro theatre hall to discuss together about the most important news of the day or their personal problems (children, home, relationship with their country).

From October to April, a vocational guidance desk was arranged in order to help students to write resumes, motivation and presentation letters, and to give them support for job interviews and, in general, for job search. The beneficiaries were assisted by a tutor/ cultural mediator and an occupational psychologist. Every student could simulate a job interview, in order to put in evidence personal points of strength and weakness and to know in advance the most frequent questions and items about job selection.

From November to April Il Faro organized 15 workshops, which took place in the afternoon (from 2.30 pm to 5 pm). The title of this series of events was "Ci vediamo al Faro" (we'll see you at Faro). The 15 workshops were divided into three cycles, each with five matches. The beneficiaries were the students from bakery course, but also students from other vocational courses (Italian and immigrants) organized by Il Faro during the same period. The workshops were organized by one cross-cultural mediator and one social worker. The aim of this activity was to contribute to the creation of a multiethnic society where each nationality is a source of richness for the others and reduce the risk of closed societies. Through role-playing games, movies, intercultural cuisine, music and dance beneficiaries have addressed the issues of diversity and integration.

At the end of the didactic period, on 15th April, was organized a final event, conceived as a sort of "showcase", which gave to the beneficiaries the opportunity to show the outputs and results of their vocational training. The guests were mostly entrepreneurs of small and medium enterprises of Rome. The students from bakery class prepared different kind of pizza and bread.

The visibility of the project has been obtained using the Web. Special contents have been developed and uploaded on the internet site of Il Faro (www.ilfaro.it), in order to disseminate the results of the activities, using a medium that can be easily consulted by everyone. In addition, to publicize the intercultural workshop were distributed over 200 flyers.

After two months from the end of the courses, over 60 percent of students from bakery class work permanently and over 10 percent takes part to in-depth training course. With the intercultural workshops, Il Faro has reached more than 200 people.