EU fit - Youth Prospects for Ireland, Poland and Recklinghausen

The project Eu fit addresses youth between 18 and 25 of age, who have finished their school career and have up to now vainly tried to find an apprenticeship or a job.
By participating in an exchange programme to Poland or Ireland they shall be given the chance to try out and establish new behavioural patterns. They shall be enabled to gain new abilities and skills to sustain their self-esteem and their personality.
Via new social competences and empowerment the youngsters shall gain an easier access to the labour market. They will be encouraged to broaden their flexibility and mobility.

There will be three cycles of exchanges, each cycle subdivided into 5 phases:

1. Acquisition:
In this phase youngsters can apply for the programme. There will be twice as many participants chosen as will finally be sent to the hosting nations. The decision which participants go abroad will be made during the preparatory stage according to language skills, occupational personality and the general competence portfolio the participants come with or are willing to acquire during the preparatory stage.

2. Preparatory stage:
After the evaluating for each participant if the exchange programme is appropriate for him/her and if basic skills in polish or English are present, the participants will be prepared for the exchange within 8 weeks. The preparation includes language training as well as cultural distinctions of the host country. Language training takes place 3 days a week, intercultural training 2 days a week.

3. Exchange:
During their 3-months stay abroad the participants go through a 1-month language and cultural training including regional specifics. After that the participants complete a 2-months practical training in local businesses (during the 2nd month 3 days a week, during the 3rd month 4 days a week). The company will be looked for by an on-site employee of the project executing organisation as well as the employees of the transnational cooperation partner, according to affinities and competences of each participant. On days without practical training there will be solidifying language training as well as a socio-pedagogical attendance through an employee of the German project executing organisation. This employee will be known by the participants from their preparatory stage, can be contacted by participants and host families via mobile phone at any time and speaks the language of the host country fluently. In Ireland participants will be placed in families. In Poland they will be housed in a youth hostel and possibly placed in families connected to the company of the practical training during the 2nd month.

4. Wrap-up:
After their exchange the participants shall be placed in corresponding follow-up measures, in apprenticeships or jobs within one month. The sense of achievement, to stand one’s ground in a foreign country and an unfamiliar vocational field, shall result in a high motivation for the participants to actively strive for their vocational integration. In this they will be supported through one-on-one interviews and trainings in groups at the German project executing organisation. Apart from assistance in creating application documents they will be systematically prepared to profitably present their experience resulting from the practical training abroad at job interviews. Self-marketing strategies will be systematically worked out and rehearsed to pursue this goal.

5. Exchange to Germany:
The Polish respectively Irish youths come to Germany for a 3 months exchange. The contents of this exchange will be arranged according to the request of the transnational partners.