Prevention of Early Dropout of VET through Inclusive Strategies for 'Migrants' and 'Roma' (PREDIS)

PREDIS - Prevention of Early Dropout of VET through Inclusive Strategies of Migrants and Roma  is a three year project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme.

Erasmus+ supports transnational partnerships between education, training and youth organizations with the aim to foster cooperation as well as link the worlds of education and work as a way of empowering youth and tackling the current skills gap in Europe.

PREDIS is a strategic partnership in the field of vocational education and training. A consortium of six partners from five countries cooperate to counteract training abandonment & early school leaving of disadvantaged youth of a migration and Roma background who are at risk.

The project’s official starting date is September 2015 and the official ending date is September 2018.

Project

  • Project Background

    Project Background

    PREDIS has joined the European strategic development framework for cooperation in the area of general and vocational education (ET 2020) in its efforts to reduce the dropout rate of VET to below 10% by 2020. More than 6 million youngsters in the EU have not completed VET or any another secondary school. As a result, these youngsters face major unemployment, which in turn influences the social and economic development of a country. Amongst these youngsters, migrants and Roma are disproportionately affected. At the same time, they face discrimination at the transition from general school to VET. PREDIS aims to counteract this and will undertake a survey that will investigate the root causes. Building on the findings from the needs analysis, we will conceptualize and develop modules for staff involved in VET. Similarly, we design youth empowerment approaches.

    The causes of early school leaving and early abandonment of  vocational education and training are just as complex as today’s society has growingly become. They are societal and cannot be individualized -  explained in terms of individual or cognitive deficits. They must be resolved by society.  The problematic has been linked to the interaction of factors such as  language barriers, individual social-economic status which is a societal construct, racism, discrimination, exclusion, family context, gender, socio-economic context of the education and training systems attended by the affected, other factors within the school, education and training environment, inhibiting policies and bureaucratic processes, failure to recognize non-formal & informal learning and international qualifications, lack of intercultural  competences, etc. Migration status compounds this complex interaction and its impacts. It is therefore not surprising that youths of a migration background are more impacted. In order to effectively tackle this problematic, complex and diversified approaches are required. PREDIS integrates a transnational approach which taps into the synergy of a consortium of five European partners who operate collaboratively at local, municipal, national and international levels.

  • Concept Tools

    Concept Tools

    Intersectionality, Educational Equality and Equity, Social Heterogeinity & Diversity and Political Education

    1. Intersectionality

    Many interviewed teachers during our needs analysis, expressed the need to understand the structural parameters of migrants. To respond to this, PREDIS uses the intersectionality framework which was developed by Crenshaw to analyse the structural inequalities of minority groups and migrant women. First, it is essential to understand  that ESL is not a result of one risk factor. Rather many structural factors interact and impact at the same time.  Many migrants encounter muttiple discriminations due to the interaction of gender, ethnicity, migration Status, age, etc. .This interplay is most times not seen. It is intensified by the interaction with other forms of inequalities like  language barieriers.  As a result, many disadvantages accumulate and eventually underlie achievement gaps. The concrete risk factors  will be broken down and discussed  from a theoretical & practical perspective  in our modules in order to establish a link between what teachers and VET Trainers can do to intervene during learning and training environments. Below, we present Crenshaw's as a theoretical Framework and draw on her to touch on some of the issues.

    Intersectionality (Identity level): One limb is intersectionality resulting from the interaction of grounds like gender, race, ethnicity, age, etc ( individual identities as social constructs) with each other that marginalises affected persons. Law, policy, etc tend to think that these are covered by one ground or another, while they are not. This leads to a vulnerable situation that needs to be recognised. Crenshaw also introduced the concepts of structural, representational and political intersectionality. Structural intersectionality occurs when one's experience of disadvantage combines with existing background structures like class, patriarchy, unemployment, or other discriminatory practices, to make the position of the individual disproportionately vulnerable. Thus other forms of discrimination (identity level) occur in a social-economic context that is already weak. Crenshaw focuses on gender, so we will take it as an illustration: The social-economic status of migrant women tends to be precarious; they are more likely to work in the lowest occupational strata, with low remuneration and in dangerous and unregulated areas (e.g. domestic workers with no corresponding labour policy protection). This weak social economic status creates the structural background feature in which discrimination takes place. Non-migrant women experiencing gender discrimination have a different structural background which may act as a buffer. Addressing structural intersectionality becomes a must. Even law is not capable of fully addressing it, as it focuses on the identity level. Likewise in the educational domain, a deficit approach which individualizes achievements gaps of Roma and migrant youngsters in terms of individual failures has been widely applied due to lack of adequate  knowledge of structural parameters. Gendered discrimination has intergenerational effects for female and male Youngsters.. According to our observations migrant and Roma youngsters inherit the inequalities experienced by their parents and in addition experience their own discrimination based on their multiple identities. Some youngsters are not allowed to attend vocational education or to work. Many children and youngsters who have no right of stay end up changing schools frequently. Despite the fact that absenteeism is a strong indicator of ESL, school attendance cannot be effectively monitored and addressed by teachers and trainers. The wider effects of general structural exclusion  and inequality  impact differently according to gender. Female youngsters are often constrained in unpaid household work and disadvantaged in age selective VET that do not take into account the many years spent in overcoming migration barriers. Nursing and Dental Administrative Support Courses in some countries have tended to limit selection to  high school graduates. Albeit,  nurisng is a growing  sector today. Stereotypes around feminized occupational sectors like nursing which may offer readily occupational opportunities, can hinder male youngsters from participation and have profound impacts on their career paths and life chances.

    According to Crenshaw, political intersectionality is mostly experienced when intersecting goals and interests are in conflict with each other. Typical scenario: ethnic minority women constrained from work outside the home might be reluctant to expose their husbands, as this would create a bad image of the group to outsiders. Girls may keep quiet about arranged early weddings. Relevance: those affected are forced to endure their situation; policy and other strategies remain silent on the matter too.

     Crenshaw's concept of representational intersectionality relates to how Black women are depicted in cultural imagery, for instance as being over-sexed but the concept is applicable to other contexts of migrants, for example, the veil (Kopftuch) and what society thinks of the wearer as being subservient. In addition, as others have pointed out, young migrant boys sometimes endure harsher punishment, simply because they do not act like non migrant boys (e.g. avoiding eye contact as sign of respect, whereas in the dominant culture this is disrespectful; not airing their opinion, or contradicting the teachers which is sometimes misevaluated and results in the form of poorer grades for orals.  Knowledge of and measures addressing structural conditions need to go hand in hand with intercultural competences.

    2. Educational Inequality

    Intersectionality is applicable to addressing educational inequality. The inequalities and systems of discrimination that migrants encounter in the society interact with inequalities they encounter within the educational system. This intensifies their vulnerability to underachievement and ESL. Of principle importance, our needs analysis has shown that migrant learners encounter double segregation in schools and poor neighborhoods where they interact with learners struggling with language barriers, poor school notes, material deprivation and lack of parental support. This structural complexity remains frequently unaddressed but reinforced through early school tracking. Subsequently, the ways in which inequalities are modified both in the society and within the school will determine the levels and benefits of structural changes for our target groups. In support of our perspective, Riegel, observes that disadvantaged learners are incorporated in educational contexts of diversity shaped by social differences and inequality (Riegel 2012). Mecheril & Plöser argue that educational institutions do not exist outside of societal relations of power but are part of societal differentiating phenomena, routines and processes of attributing positions. On one hand, equality and equal opportunities are normatively embedded in institutional frameworks and promise same starting conditions. On the other hand, the educational system often leads to reproduction of inequality because due to social background, the privileged learners profit from same conditions of unprivileged (Mecheril & Plöser 2009). Equity in education implies that individual social contexts like gender, ethnicity, family background and social economic status, etc., should not present obstacles to school achievement and individual potential. Instead all learners should at least acquire a basic minimum level of skills that will enable them to continue with education and employment. Equity has to be combined with quality education that starts right from early childhood, primary, secondary and VET (OECD 2012). To change this, it is necessary to  recognize and address unequal starting conditions.

    3. Social Heterogeneity and Diversity

    Riegel finds that treating everybody equally neglects conditions of difference, given that students’ life situations which are always connected with unequal preconditions for learning and scope of possibilities are ignored (Riegel 2012). Considering social heterogeneity in educational contexts, implies not only paying attention to students in all their individuality and variability but also paying attention to differences associated with social inequality in their life chances, their individual social positioning, possibilities and limitations (Riegel 2012). Diversity and social heterogeneity refer not only to the variety of ways of life and social backgrounds, but also to the socially constructed but significant differences and distinctions that have social implications, mark symbolic boundaries, and structure the entire society. Social heterogeneity and social inequality are directly connected and they are linked with the asymmetrical distribution of power and dominance. Social differences mirror different ways in which individuals are socially constructed and embedded in social structure. They are therefore always related with unequal evaluations and unequal access to social resources and power (Riegel 2012). In this light, Mecheril argues that educational inequalities mirror the underlying culture and how it deals with identity and diversity thereby molding the structural dimension. The effective tackling of disadvantages requires deconstruction of culture, whereby culture is understood as a social construct and a central difference dimension which determines educational opportunities (Mecheril 2004:6). To critically deal with culture moves the lens away from the external other to the inside perspective of own self-reflection in order to produce better understanding of own interpretation and action patterns. The focus is not on cultural differences, but on the question of under what circumstances do we use cultures and with which effects (Mecheril 2008, 26). PREDIS adds that supporting disadvantaged learners requires understanding own culture, identifying own location within the social structures and identifying how this affects the way we design lessons and teaching in ways that may be inclusive or exclusive to some groups. At this intersection, concepts and social practices of social justice and inalienable equal human-worth should be entrenched in curricular and all levels of the educational system, creating the basis for integration and intercultural competences. At the very least, diversity and equality require polices and their reinforcement. As such, all VET institutions and general schools should develop a policy framework which is visible, known and accessible by all employees and learners.

    4. Impulses: Political Education and Citizenship Awareness

    Given the above, our impulses for addressing gender, social inequality in migration, employment and education base on the fundamental concepts of AGORA political Education: Citizenship awareness is central to building equitable societies and cultural transformation. The thematic complex of AGORA political education as regards gender and migration societies presents a central thematic area which aims to strengthen citizenship awareness, democratic competence-oriented education as well as democratic practices in the everyday life orientation. At the centre of political education is the human being who through the development of political judgement and political action competences is enabled to lead a self-determined life in orientation to the principles of democracy and inclusion in an increasingly complex society. Political education aims to enable learners to recognize the societal reality, evaluate it and act upon it. The political judgement is a prerequisite for the functioning and sustainability of democratic systems. Cultural learning constitutes one of the five platforms of learning that are developed for this thematic complexes. It aims at building competences for recognizing, questioning and developing norms and values in societal discourses. (Dirk Lange, Agora Political Education, online available at: www.ipw.uni-hannover.de/3655.html ).

    5. Inspiration From Common Wise Sayings 

    It pays off for any society to invest in quality education for all. Education is key to addressing the multiple deprivations that overlap and reinforce each other. Low educational achievement results from earlier spells of exclusion and drives future deprivations by limiting future opportunities. A better education results in higher qualifications and improved chances of gainful employment, thereby acting as a vehicle for lifting people out of poverty. Education has an intrinsic value whose benefits not only improve labour market competitiveness but also prevent the waste of human talent through better social skills, higher flexibility and competences for adjustability to a dynamically changing world. High quality, inclusive and mainstream education is as important to the full development of the child as it is for the overall societal development. Education builds children and young adult skills for entering the labour market and contributing to general social cohesion. Compulsory education is crucial for the acquisition of the eight key competences that represent a combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes which EU Member States consider necessary for personal fulfilment and development, active citizenship, social inclusion and employment (European Union Fundamental Rights Agency 2014). This is particularly so in light of the fact that absenteeism is a core risk factor and indicator for early school leaving. 

    ‘It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a society to destroy a child’

    “The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophies . Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water “(John Gardner).

    The VET has traditionally been stigmatized  which has in the past contributed to keeping many learners away from the sector. While this stigmatization is relatively absent in countries like Germany and Austria  whose  dual vocational education  has strongly reduced early  school leaving and while this stigma  may be currently lifting in some member states, migrants and Roma still disproportionately encounter the stigmatization of VET and the effects. This ironically means that even where migrant youth have succeeded to integrate into European educational institutions, they may choose prestigious academic profiles  with dead ends to the labour market or without labour market occupational opportunities. New pedagogical concepts and extension of internships for migrants and Roma is crucial.

    References

    Bourdieu, P./ Passeron, J-C (1990/1970): Reproduction in education, society and  culture, 2nd ed., (trans. Richard Nice). London: Sage Publications.

    Crenshaw, Kimberly (2000): Background study for the Expert Meeting on the Gender-Related Aspects of Race Discrimination, November, 21–24 in Zagreb, Croatia.

    European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (2014): Roma survey data in focus. Education. The situation of Roma in 11 EU member states. Luxemburg: Publications office of the European Union.

    Mecheril, Paul & Plößer Melanie (2009): Differenz und Pädagogik. In: R. Casle, S., J. Larcher, Oelkers & S. Andressen (Hrsg): Handwörterbuch Pädogik der Gegenwart. Wienheim:Beltz (Pp. 1-13).

    Mecheril, Paul (2008): Kompetenzlosigkeitskompetenz. Pädagogisches Handeln unter Einwanderungsbedingungen. In: Auenheimer, Georg (Hrsg.): Interkulturelle Kompetenz & Pädagogische Professionalität. 2. Aktualisierte & erweiterte Auflage: Wiesbaden. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 15-34.

    Mecheril, Paul (2004):  Einführung in die Migrationspädagogik: Weinheim& Basel.

    OECD (2012): Equity and Quality in Education. Supporting Disadvantaged Students and schools.  OECD: OECD Publishing. Online:  http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2012/situation-roma-11-eu-member-states-survey-results-glance

    Riegel, Christine (2012): Dealing with diversity and social heterogeneity: Ambivalences, Challenges and Pitfalls for pedagogical activity. In: Zvi Bekerman & Thomas Geisen (eds.): International Handbook of migration and minorities education. Understanding cultural and social differences in processes of learning. Springer: London, pp 331-345. 

  • Anti-discrimination Visual Aid Caricature

    Anti-discrimination Visual Aid Caricature

    The European Union has produced comics for sentizing and fighting against discrimination, sterotypes and prejudices. The material is helpful for teachers and VET trainers.

    Click here to view the English version.

  • Welcoming Communities

    Welcoming Communities

    The importance of creating wellcoming communities is increasingly recognized as a central approach for motivation, ESL prevention and empowerment of youngsters of a Migration and Roma Background  within teaching, training and learning contexts.  Establishing community connections for these younsgters is crucial for anumber of reasons:  In addition to education,  social networks are key to  language learning, employment, social integrtaion and overall societal participation. They also help in finding links to employment and learning about unarticulated work expectations and attitudes. Disadvantaged children and youngsters of a Roma and Migration Background often lack quality social networks due segregation in poor residential areas and schools. Often they interact with other children and youngsters who are struggling with language competences and poor support systems for learning. In many background societies, grand parents perform key roles in teaching youngsters langauge and other key competences. In migration contexts many youngsters may not have the support of their grandparents. Due to the low educational background of  their parents, disadvantaged learners often lack family support that their counterparts have. Establishing community connections is therefore key to feeling at home and navigating the complex new system of education, employment and language learning.

    This picture showcases Mary who practices German while learning about wine growing with her welcoming community. This intergenerational welcoming community provides a two way exchange where seniors perform valuable societal roles and fillup an important gap in society and whereby migrants also give back to their new communities. Mary a migrant entrepeneur exchanges knowledge about a very unique traditional method of cloth making from the bark of a tree which is practiced in her background society.

    From our needs analysis we identified a program which can provide a good orientational model for expanding the concept of community connections. The VerA and coach@school which is an initiative of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) is  an expert volunteer-based project for preventing early school learving. Seniors with many years of experience in life and work support youngsters in vocational education overcome work related and daily life challenges throughout the course of vocational training. This program and its component should be expanded through a specific focus on disadvanatged migrants. So far, there has not been specific attention to migrants. However, such a structure is crucial in building the quality social networks as a crucial missing factor for supporting migrant children and youth faced with the challenged of double segregation in low performing schools  poor neighbourhoods  where they live and encounter  weak peer networks and poor family structures due to migration. Below you can find the link to the initiative VerA.

    https://www.bmbf.de/de/initiative-vera-stark-durch-die-ausbildung-1076.html

    One of the challenges and measures for counteracting early school leaving has been identified as the important need for creating  welcoming culture in schools. At the same time, strengthening  intercultural competences requires actual encounters with different cultures. Intercultural competences cannot be learnt only through intellectual discourses but more through the emotional levels. This photo showcases the  unique welcoming community in Romania. Consortium partners were introduced to the Roma specific welcoming culture.

  • Objectives

    Objectives

    PREDIS contributes to the reduction of inequality in learning and employment outcomes of native born youth and youth with a migration and Roma background. The project aims to develop new knowledge, innovative contents and methods that will enable professionals engaged in VET to meet the learning needs of youth in an increasingly diverse society. There are six areas of primary concern in which the project delivers:

    o   Background knowledge, pedagogical applied knowledge and innovative methods.

    o   Self-reflection: questioning own stereo types and prejudice, recognizing discrimination.

    o   Intercultural training and conflict management strategies.

    o   Strengthening of key competencies of trainees, self-esteem and motivation.

    o   Current ways of inclusion of migrant and Roma trainees into the labour market.

    o   Current ways of ensuring better transition into the vocational training

Results

Needs Analysis

The Needs Analysis Report which forms the basis for developing contents of the modules can be downloaded in English here:

Summaries of the Analysis in the consortium langugages for national dissemination purposes can be found here:

Austria

Germany

Italy

Romania

Slovenia

PREDIS Handbook

This handbook contains all modules developed and provide VET-teachers and trainers with methods in order to support students with Roma or migration background. It was used, evaluated and revised during the Blended Learning Course.

English

German

Italian

Romanian

Slovenian

Expanded PREDIS Toolkit

The PREDIS Toolkit is available here for download.

It is an expanded version of the six modules contained in the handbook. The handbook is limited to 100 pages and this is for good reasons, as it is supposed to be used by VET-teachers and trainers working with young migrants and Roma and has to be managable.

Nonetheless, over the course of a three years project, much more ideas were collected, drafted and discussed and many of them had to be deleted from the handbook, although they are useful, as well. Hence the consortium decided to produce this toolkit as an expanded version with many additional methods or more details of methods contained in the handbook.

It is available in English only.

Evaluation of Course and Modules

The PREDIS evaluation report looks at the contents and implementation of the BLC and the contests of the modules, evaluated by the  participants. It shall provide a coherent impression of the PREDIS project.

To download the evaluation report in English, click here.

Summaries in other languages can be found here:

German

Italian

Romania

Slovenia

Additional materials: Prototypes of outcomes and methods

This section contains material which was developed and used during the duration of PREDIS. It contains preliminary versions of the modules/handbook.

Prototypes

 

These preliminary versions were revised and edited several times and layoutet in the end. This section documents different stages of PREDIS outcomes.

For the prototype of module I click here.

For the prototype of module II, click here.

For the prototype of module IV click here.

Self-reflection Questionnaire

Students’ Self-Reflection Questionnaire developed within the framework of the PREDIS BLC by Italian teachers working with Professor Olga Bombardelli & Marta Codato. The self-reflection questionnaire is available here to be downloaded.

News & Events

Course Announcements

Here, you will find announcements for future PREDIS Blended-Leaning Courses. For this, the following StudIP platform will be used for exchanging materials, opinions, experiences and ideas. 

https://studip.uni-hannover.de/

It was used for the implementation of the Blended-Learning Course during PREDIS with 68 participants, as well.

The procedure is the follwing: Please write an Email to Dr. Norah Barongo-Muweke (barongo-muweke@idd.uni-hannover.de) before the course starts. She will add you to the course and provide you with additional information. Afterwards, you can log into the StudIP Course.

During implementation, you get support via the platform and - if arranged - via phone and personal meeting.

The following documents gives all those interested some instructions and descriptions for using Stud-IP and participating in the course.

This first document "Instructions using Stud.IP" provides you with instructions on how to use Stud.IP

The second document "PREDIS COURSE OUTLINE" outlines the main objectives and contents of the BLC.

The third document "PREDIS PARTICIPATION GUIDE ONLINE BLC" describes the structure of the BLC in detail.

Finally, the document "PREDIS C-KEY TERMS FOR THE BLC" is a small index of abbreviations.

Newsletter

  • NEWSLETTER NO. 1: APRIL 11, 2016

    PREDIS - Prevention of dropout of VET through inclusive Strategies of Migrants and Roma

    PREDIS, a new EU project which tackles the dropout of vocational education trainees has had its Kick-off at the Leibniz University of Hannover on March 22-23. The Project has been created in response to the European Union’s increasing concern over the educational achievement gap of youths and the consequent social-economic implications. According to the Europe Strategy for Development 2020, over six million youths between the age of 18 and 24 do not have a finished vocational education training (VET) or another secondary school. Consequently, these youths face major unemployment, which in turn influences the social and economic development of a country. Migrants and Roma are particularly impacted. At the same time, they face discrimination at the transition from general school to VET. The ET 2020 strategy now aims at reducing the dropout rate to below 10% by 2020.

    The EU project PREDIS - Prevention of dropout of VET through inclusive strategies of migrants and Roma contributes to this goal and works from a double recognition of the untapped potential of migrant youths and the social costs of discrimination. Therefore, it will be implemented as a youth empowerment strategy, community building and pedagogical approach that will draw on empirical needs analysis, a review of successful models, research and evidence based practice. The central defining feature of the project is the integration of six key components namely: the societal political framework of Roma and migrants; current ways of inclusion of migrant and Roma trainees into the labour market; current ways of ensuring better transition into vocational education, youth empowerment; intercultural trainings and conflict management strategies as well as self-reflection.

    The project will identify the root causes of the low achievement of migrant and Roma youths at risk and work to identify factors that can effectively prevent Roma and migrant youths from early school leaving. Within this framework, it will develop effective pedagogical approaches, innovative methods and background information for vocational educationists, trainers, teachers and other professionals involved in general and vocational education. The project’s approach will involve consultations with teachers, vocational trainers as well as experts and will build on existing knowledge and current approaches. The results of the project will be compiled in a PREDIS handbook made available online with specific modules and strategies to reduce the number of early school leaving amongst migrant youths while also enhancing societal and economic development. These future oriented activities will lay the ground work for enabling sustainable integration.

    The project’s outcomes and actives will be implemented through a transnational consortium of six project partners including (Leibniz Universität Hannover, Inspectoratul Scolar Judetean Buzau, Liceul Tehnologic Economic Elina Matei Basarab, Znanstvenopaziskovalni Center Slovenske Akademije Znanosti in Umetnosti and Universita Degli Studi Di Trent). The project is coordinated by Professor Dr. Dirk Lange, Leibniz University of Hanover. PREDIS is funded with a total sum of Euros 330, 151, 50. The Official Start and End Date is September 2015 - September 2018

    PREDIS Newsletter 1 (Other Languages):

    Italian

    Slovenian

    German

    Romanian

     

    Disclaimer:

    This project has been co-funded with the support of the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

  • Newsletter No. 2: Nov. 2016

    PREDIS-Project

    PREDIS – Prevention of dropout from VET through inclusive strategies of migrants and Roma is a project funded by the European Commission and coordinated by professor Dirk Lange at the Leibniz University of Hannover. The project aims to strengthen the key competencies of VET trainers, teachers and other educationists in order to enable them better support disadvantaged youth of a migration and Roma background in the endeavour to make a more successful transition to Vocational Education and Employment.

    Vocational education, language and employment are key to societal participation and integration. The promotion of human dignity and self-advancement is the foundation for democracy, human rights and societal living.  Nevertheless, more than 6 million young people between 18 and 24 in the EU do not have a finished vocational education or another secondary school. This is not only taking place in the context of an increasingly diverse and aging society but also in a context challenged by impending labour shortages. It is essential for teachers and VET trainers to possess the necessary competencies for meeting the evolving societal needs as they relate to future oriented teaching and training demands. Not only do these youth face major problems on the labour market, but their exclusion also profoundly hampers the social and economic development of a land. The ET 2020 strategy now aims at reducing the dropout rate to below 10% by 2020. Migrants and minority Roma are particularly vulnerable and are disproportionately affected by dropout rates. In addition, they face discrimination at the transition from general school to VET.  

    PREDIS works from the double recognition of the untapped potential of migrant youth and the social costs of discrimination. We understand that exclusion is un-sustainable from a humanistic and economic perspective.  Beyond empathy, it is necessary for inclusive societies to recognize, value and strengthen migrants’ potential for self-development as well as their societal and economic contributions to the advancement of the European countries. In order for Europe to have a sustainable future, the self-undermining direction must be changed and replaced through a new approach that creates a win-win situation for migrants and European countries.

    Contributing to these goals, PREDIS partners with a consortium of five European partner countries from the fields of vocational and general education to share expertise and experience and find innovative approaches which will reduce the high dropout rates of disadvantaged migrants and Roma. Building on an empirical needs analysis and a review of international  practices that have worked,  PREDIS has started designing a Toolkit and a Blended-Learning Course (BLC) for vocational education trainers, teachers and other multipliers. The toolkit and the BLC which will be continuously tested and modified consists of three steps: Background information about structural parameters of Roma and migrants; pedagogical knowledge and innovative methods; empowerment of migrants/Roma.  The end products will be published in a handbook which will be translated into English, German, Italian, Romanian and Slovenian.   

    Needs Analysis

    The Needs Analysis Report which forms the basis for developing contents of the modules was completed by all partner countries in August, 2016. All findings were compiled into the Needs Analysis Report in September 2016. The report consists of a theoretical and empirical part. The theoretical part discusses the national context of dropout in the partner countries including policy frameworks, systemic issues, overview of statistics, current challenges and good practices. Amongst other things, the empirical part elaborates on the problematic and promising counter strategies as perceived and articulated in survey questionnaires conducted with the various national VET trainers, experts and the affected  migrant and Roma VET trainees. Crosscutting issues were identified by the consortium, conceptual aspects were illuminated and a systematized theoretical review of the problematic was also undertaken to supplement empirical results and facilitate the development of comprehensive strategies.

    Second Partner Meeting in Slovenia

    PREDIS’s second partner meeting took place at the Scientific Research Centre, (ZRC SAZU, novi trg 2) in Ljubljana, Slovenia during November 15-16, 2016. The main focus was on the contents of the Blended Learning Course and the Toolkit. The meeting provided an opportunity for dialogue amongst partners. Partners discussed the main results of their needs analysis and drew out the implications for the Blended Learning Course.
    Accordingly, draft modules were presented, comprehensively discussed, evaluated and modified for the following content areas:

    • Strengthening the intercultural competencies of teachers and vocational educationists.
    • Empowerment strategies for migrant trainees to strengthen their key competencies.
    • New approaches for successful labour market integration.
    • New methods for a better transition into VET.

    This project has been funded with the support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

     

    Learn more about the Project

    Visit our Website!

    www.predis.eu 

     

    Contact the PREDIS Team:

    c/o Dr. Barongo-Muweke

    barongo-muwekeidd.uni-hannover.de

     

    Project Coordinator:

    Dirk Lange
    Leibniz University of Hannover

    Institute of Didactic of Democracy

    Institute of Political Science

    Leibniz Universität Hannover

     

    Other languages:

    Slovenian

    Romanian

    German

    Italian

  • Newsletter No. 3: Oct. 2017

    PREDIS Project

    PREDIS – Prevention of Dropout from Vocational Education through Inclusive Strategies of Migrants and Roma is a project funded by the European Commission and coordinated by Professor Dirk Lange at the Leibniz University of Hannover. The project aims to strengthen the key competences of VET trainers, teachers and other educationists in order to  help them better support disadvantaged youth of a migration and Roma background in facilitating their successful transition to Vocational Education and Employment. To fulfil this objective, PREDIS is developing a Blended Learning Course (BLC). The BLC is a professional development course that consists of an in-classroom phase and an online phase. The third PREDIS Newsletter informs about our recent in-classroom training phase of our Blended Learning Course.

    Consortium partners organized in-classroom training sessions, which involved teachers, researchers and VET trainers. The in-classroom trainings in Germany took place in Hannover, at the Leibnitz University. The Slovenian and Italian consortium partners delivered a joint training in Ljubljana, Slovenia. While the Romanian partners delivered their training in Bucharest and Buzea county. The training took place in August, September and October 2017. The Austrian partners’ in-classroom training is coming up.

    The purpose of the in-classroom training phase is twofold. First, it is to transfer new knowledge, innovative contents and methods to participants. The interactive course setting facilitates an exchange of experiences and insights. It is combined with reflective exercises and activities which provide the opportunity for experiencing practical application. Second, during the in-classroom training, participants evaluate the contents of PREDIS modules developed by consortium partners. The evaluation examines the applicability of contents in praxis. Afterwards, the participants’ evaluative feedback is incorporated into the further modification of the PREDIS toolkit.  Following the in-classroom training is the 9-months online Blended Learning Course, which has started already.

    Training activities were evaluated as particularly effective in impacting knowledge and action skills on prevention of early school leaving, support of at risk students and VET trainees as well as fighting discrimination, prejudices, stereotypes, understanding and reflecting power and own privilege.

     

    Learn more about the Project and the Blended Learning Course

    Visit our Website!

    www.predis.eu

    Contact the PREDIS Team

    c/o Dr. Barongo-Muweke

    barongo-muwekeidd.uni-hannover.de    

     

    Project Coordinator:

    Dirk Lange

    Leibniz Universität Hannover

    Institute of Didactic of Democracy 

    Institute of Political Science

     

    Other Languages:

    German

    Romanian

    Italian

    Slovenian

  • Newsletter No 4: December 2017

    PREDIS Project

    PREDIS – Prevention of Dropout from Vocational Education through Inclusive Strategies of Migrants and Roma is a project funded by the European Commission and coordinated by Professor Dirk Lange at the Leibniz University of Hannover.

    Disadvantaged migrants and Roma youngsters are affected by disproportionately high levels of early disengagement from school and VET. Consequently, these youngsters face deprivation and unemployment, which in turn, influences the social and economic development of a country. The PREDIS Project responds to this challenge by specifically working towards keeping disadvantaged youngsters in school and helping them to successfully transition and complete VET.

    The consortium has developed a Blended-Learning Course (BLC, 10 month) for trainers of vocational education and other multipliers. The online part has now started and the first total evaluation of participants’ perspectives has been completed. The online BLC consists of a toolkit with six modules delivering:  Background information, pedagogical knowledge and innovative methods as well as empowerment regarding the secondary target (migrants/Roma). Also highlighted are the structural parameters of Roma and migrants; intercultural and conflict management competences; new approaches for successful labour market integration and finally; new methods for a better transition into VET. The participants’ experience professional development, practice what they have learnt in their everyday work and provide evaluative feedback, which the consortium uses to modify contents of the module. The final products will be compiled into a handbook consisting of a summary of key concepts and a toolkit with a comprehensive version. All will be available for downloading from the PREDIS website.

     

    Learn more about the Project and the Blended Learning Course

    Visit our Website!

    www.predis.eu

    Contact the PREDIS Team

    c/o Dr. Barongo-Muweke

    barongo-muwekeidd.uni-hannover.de     

     

    Project Coordinator:

    Dirk Lange

    Leibniz Universität Hannover

    Institute of Didactic of Democracy

    Institute of Political Science

     

    Other languages:

    German

    Slovenian

    Romanian

    Italian

     

    Disclaimer

    This project has been funded with the support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

  • Newsletter No 5: We are working on the PREDIS handbook.

    PREDIS Project

    PREDIS – Prevention of Dropout from Vocational Education through Inclusive Strategies of Migrants and Roma is a project funded by the European Commission and coordinated by Professor Dirk Lange at the Leibniz University of Hannover.

    Fifth Partner Meeting

    PREDIS’ fifth and last partner partner meeting took place in Vienna  between 16.04 and 17.04 2018. During the meeting, the consortium evaluated the Blended Learning Course and discussed the design of the PREDIS Handbook. The PREDIS Handbook and the Blended Learning Course will consist of six modules. Both will be available for free downloading from the PREDIS website at the end of Summer/ beginning of Autumn, 2018. Contents are discussed from theoretical and practical perspectives. Also to be availabe for free downloading is the PREDIS toolkit. The toolkit offers a more comprehensive description of the contents of the modules

    Second Multiplier Events

    Consortium partners organized PREDIS’s second Multiplier Events (MES) which took place in their different national contexts. The second MES aimed at the further networking and application of PREDIS products. The discussions focused on contents of the forthcoming handbook.

    Multiplier Event in Germany

    The first part of the second multiplier events in Germany took place in Freiburg on May 06 2018 with representatives of migrant organizations. The central role played by migrant organizations in preventing ESL is less known. The ME linked migrant associations as new partners and indispensbale actors in ESL prevention. The second part involved networking with leaders of professional development programs. Some of the ways of incorporating PREDIS products in future oriented teaching, training and curricular were discussed. 

    Multiplier Event in Austria

    The second multiplier event in Austria took place on May 16, 2018 in Vienna. Decision makers in the area of vocational education and leaders of professional development institutions, teachers, youth workers, psychologists, VET coaches, VET trainers and researchers participated in the meeting. Within the frame of the PREDIS products, they discussed several needs and interventions and reflected the importance of the project’s outcomes and how they could be integrated in practice. With this outcome, the event has led to a deciding input for future development in the area of VET and general education.

    Multiplier Event in Rumania

    The multiplier event in Romania took place on May 24th, 2018 in the Buzau County Council Hall. It was a huge event which attracted 180 participants including decision makers in VET and education as well as various participants from the broad spectrum of the educational sector. Participants included managers of National Colleges, school inspectors,  VET trainers and secondary school teachers. In addition, kindergarten and primary school teachers attended.

    Multiplier Event in Slovenia

    The multiplier event in Slovenia was organized on May 10, 2018.  Leaders of various  institutions engaged in vocational training participated. In addition, participants came from school centers. Furthermore, they included leaders and representatives of youth organisations and other educational institutions. Moreover, professors and their students also participated in the roundtable discussion at the end of the multiplier event.

    Multiplier Event in Italy

    The multiplier events in Italy took place on April 20, 2018 at the University of Trento. Among the 35 participants who attended the meeting were decision makers in education (3 of them work for the School Superintendency of Bolzano and of Trento) as well as professors, teachers, and educators.

    PREDIS’ fifth and last partner partner meeting took place in Vienna  between 16.04 and 17.04 2018. During the meeting, the consortium evaluated the Blended Learning Course and discussed the design of the PREDIS Handbook.The PREDIS Handbook and the Blended Learning Course will consist of six modules. Both will be available for free downloading from the PREDIS website at the end of Summer/ beginning of Autumn, 2018. Contents are discussed from theoretical and practical perspectives. Also to be availabe for free downloading is the PREDIS toolkit. The toolkit offers a more comprehensive description of the contents of the modules.

     

    Other languages:

    German

    Slovenian

    Romanian

    Italian

  • Newsletter No 6: The Toolkit and the Handbook

    PREDIS Project

    PREDIS – Prevention of Dropout from Vocational Education through inclusive strategies of migrants and Roma is a project funded by the European Commission and coordinated by Professor Dirk Lange at the Leibniz Universität Hannover.

    The Toolkit and the Handbook

    We have successfully reached the end of our Project. The toolkit and the handbook are available for free downloading and sharing from our website from the end of August 2018. The Handbook is a summary of the toolkit and is translated into the four languages of the consortium partners (German, Romanian, Slovenian, and Italian). The Toolkit consists of six modules and the Blended Learning Course (BLC).

    The modules are beneficial to VET trainers, teachers and other professionals involved in VET, employment integration, general education, youth and empowerment programs, diversity and intercultural trainings, social pedagogy, social work, Roma migration, refugees and settlement, etc. Curriculum developers, policy makers, VET/ school leadership and  employment counsellors are particularly invited to familiarise themselves with the contents which highlight relevant problem contexts and demonstrate some of the ways forward for entrenching ESL prevention, labour market integration of disadvantaged groups,  diversity, inclusion  and interculturally.   The contents are focused on an increasingly diverse society; and although they purposely have migrant youth and ethnic minority youth in focus, they are valuable for the support of other disadvantaged learners.  All units are internally differentiated, handle central themes, and use the most current methods, information and didactic approaches. Module I handles pedagogical background knowledge on structural frameworks of migrants and Roma, forms of (subtle)discrimination, racism, culture as dynamic category, reflection of stereotypes, self and curricular reflection, etc. Module II has a specific focus on the inclusion of Roma. Cultures, history, current situation, educational situation, gender specific in reference to education, ‘Antiziganismus’: meaning and function yesterday and today. Module III transfers intercultural and conflict management competences. Module IV transfers approaches for youth empowerment, civic education, and integrative learning, internal differentiation of curricular and handling of heterogeneous learners. Module 5 handles concrete methods of integration into the labour market and takes the aspect “work related instruction” into focus. Module VI focuses on transition into VET and handles concrete risk factors and measures for prevention and support in teaching and learning contexts. All modules were evaluated multiple times by the consortium and the BLC participants. The basis of the modules is an empirical needs analysis at the beginning of the project. Interviews with trainees, vocational training staff and other experts, asked for the reasons for the high dropout rates.

    For the transfer of contents, the consortium designed and implemented a 10 month on-the-job-accompanying-professional development program for teachers, VET professionals, employment counsellor  and other multipliers, which uses the innovative blended learning concept.

    Background

    In the EU, 6 million youths between 18 and 24 do not have a finished VET or another secondary school. Consequently, they face deprivation and unemployment, which in turn influences the social and economic development of a country. Migrants and Roma are disproportionately impacted. They face discrimination at the transition from general school to VET and the labour market.  The ET 2020 strategy now aims at reducing the dropout rate to below 10% by 2020. In response, PREDIS works towards:  (1) Professional development and further training of teachers and professionals involved in the area of vocational education; (2) Reduction of inequality in outcomes for learning amongst learners of a socially disadvantaged background; (3) Development of new approaches for the strengthening of future oriented vocational and professional development for vocational educationists and teachers as well as professionals in youth work.  

    Learn more about the project and the Blended Learning Course by visiting our website:

    www.predis.eu

     

    Other languages:

    German

    Slovenian

    Romanian

    Italian

    Disclaimer

    This project has been funded with the support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Project Meetings

  • Kick-Off Partner Meeting

    The Project’s kick-off meeting organized by Dr. Inken Heldt and Dr. phil. Norah Barongo-Muweke from the Leibniz  University Hannover (P1) took place in Hannover, Germany on March 22. and 23. 2016. Partners introduced themselves and got to know each other. Amongst other things, we discussed and familiarised ourselves with the project goals, objectives, deliverables and project indicators. Partners presented their outputs and discussed their roles. The consortium re-examined and revised the timeline and survey questionnaires which were prepared by Inken and Norah for professionals engaged in vocational education, VET trainees and experts in the subject area. The dissemination and evaluation processes were also discussed. In addition, details regarding the commencing partner meetings which are planned to take place in the different partner countries were discussed.

    The kick-off as a productive meeting was successful in creating a common vision and a common understanding of the way forward for successfully implementing and reaching the projects’ goals and objectives.

  • PREDIS Second Partner Meeting

    PREDIS’s second partner meeting took place at the Scientific Research Centre, (ZRC SAZU, novi trg 2) in Ljubljana, Slovenia during November 15-16, 2016. The main focus was on the contents of the Blended Learning Course and the Toolkit. The meeting provided an opportunity for dialogue amongst partners. Partners discussed the main results of their needs analysis and drew out the implications for the Blended Learning Course.  Accordingly, draft modules were presented, comprehensively discussed, evaluated and modified for the following content areas:

    • Strengthening the intercultural competencies of teachers and vocational educationists.
    • Empowerment strategies for migrant trainees to strengthen their key competencies.
    • New approaches for successful labour market integration.
    • New methods for a better transition into VET.

    Building on this plaftform, the consortium is in the process of preparing the PREDIS toolkit and Blended Learning Course.

  • PREDIS Third Partner Meeting

    During the third partner meeting on 20-21 March, Partners from five European countries visited and worked at the  Elina Matei Basarab, Technological Economic Highschool Rm Sarat which is a good practice example for preventing early school leaving amongst disadvantaged learners as a vocational training institution located right in the neighbourhood of Roma disadvantaged youngsters. Learners with a Roma background who graduate from this vocational training college find employment in their occupational fields.

    VET trainers and teachers should become more familiar with the phenomenon Early Dropout from Vocational Education especially with its early warning signs. PREDIS develops a toolkit for a training program which works towards addressing this goal. During the Third Partner Meeting, consortium partners evaluated the six modules of the PREDIS toolkit and focussed on planning the Blended Learning Course (BLK).  In order for the  six modules to be applied, the project partners started  developing the Blended Learning Course in parallel with the toolkit, in order to harmonize both. The BLK consists of three phases. (1) In-crassroom training or presence phase (5 days); (2) Online phase (9 months);  (3) follow-up phase (3 days). The in-classroom training will start in July 2017 while the BLK starts in September 2017.

  • PREDIS Fourth Partner Meeting

    The Fourth Partner Meeting for PREDIS took place in Trento, Italy from November 6th – 7th 2017. The topic was on the Blended Learning Course. Consortium partners examined the first total evaluation of the toolkit by teachers and elaborated concepts for further modification of the BLC. The evaluation framework was presented and strategies discussed. The Blended Learning Course which has already begun and the online platform were also highlighted.

  • PREDIS Fifth Partner Meeting

    PREDIS had the fifth partner meeting in Vienna. The two main themes of the meeting were:

    a) The evaluation of the Blended Learning Course

    b) Design of the Forthcoming PREDIS Handbook.

    The consortium reflected on the total evaluative feedback from participants of the Blended Learning Course and considered aspects to incorporate into the PREDIS Handbook.
    The PREDIS Handbook will consist of six modules which handle six different themes around the topic of tackling early school leaving amongst disadvantaged migrant and Roma youths. The contents are also relevant for supporting otther disadvantaged learners. They have been carefully designed to strengthen the role of educationists, practitioners and key actors such as representatives of migrant organizations, youth workers, social pedagogics, curriculum developers and policy makers,etc.. The six themes are: (1) Theoretical background and structural paramters of migrants and Roma (2) Inclusion of Roma (3) Intercultural and conflict management competences (4) Empowerment (5) Methods for Labour Market Integration (6) Transition into Vocational Training.

    The handbook will be available for free downloading on the PREDIS Website after September 2018. Also to be available for free downloading from the PREDIS website is the PREDIS toolkit which is a more comprehensive version than the handbook

Multiplier Events

The PREDIS consortium organized the first multiplier events during September 2016 – February 2017.  The aim was to make PREDIS results known to a broad audience of practitioners and at the same time, capture the perspectives of external stakeholders:  representatives of vocational education from surrounding areas, school leadership, decision makers in the area of vocational education, representatives of Roma and migrant associations, VET trainers, teachers, etc.

  • Multiplier Event in Germany

    The Multiplier Event in Germany took place at the department of Political Science of the Leibniz University Hannover on 05, November 2016. The ME comprised of vocational educationists, teachers and experts from the field of vocational education. PREDIS results from the needs analysis were presented with a specific focus on the German context and comparative analysis of challenges and good practices for dropout prevention in partner countries. Participants mainly focused on own role in implementing  changes or the individual level of praxis whereby  following issues emerged as key concerns and areas of growth:  (1) the lack and need for acquisition of intercultural competencies from both the scientific perspective  and practical everyday praxis level of vocational training and general  teaching; (2) the multifaceted, multidimensional and obscure nature of the deficit approach as well as the need for concretizing this from theoretical and praxis levels in order to make it more identifiable and enable teachers and vocational educationists to overcome the deficit approach in their everyday practice; (3) the need for dialogue and exchange on the broader everyday in-classroom presenting challenges and the need for knowledge  of societal resources and bodies where migrant trainees and learners can be linked for support in areas such as employment related pathways, career counselling, assessment, recognition of qualifications and validation of prior learning, training or professional experience (4) the need for everyday inclusive teaching strategies in curricular design for heterogeneous classrooms, connecting, engaging heterogeneous learners through social interaction; (5) the issue of language barriers and the need for more support structures. On the systemic level, the educational chains in Germany and the whole school approach were discussed with much interest. On the policy level, participants emphasized the need for sensitizing about and removing policy barriers to education, training and employment integration of migrant youngsters.

  • Multiplier Event in Romania

    A multiplier event within the Project Erasmus + strategic partnership PREDIS – Prevention of Early Dropout of VET through Inclusive Strategies for Migrants and Roma - was held on 1st November 2016 at Pietroasa Hotel Buzau.

    A total of 42 participants took part in the VET training and youth absorption in the labour market in Buzau County. Also present at the event were the mayor of Buzau city, experts on Roma people within the palace hall, a representative of the Roma people from the Institution of Prefect, the County Agency for Employment – AJOFM, a Buzau representative, managers of VET high schools in the city, as well as representatives supervising the implementation of European projects.

    There was a presentation of the PREDIS Project, the needs analysis and the national report of Romania. This report emanated from both national and European statistical evaluations, from recent studies conducted by authorised institutions within the domain of education and social inclusion politics, and from the use of questionnaires in a survey of 30 high school pupils (80% of them being Roma people), 10 VET specialty trainers, 3 high schools, managers, several Roma people, and 1 school inspector whose responsibility will include the VET Training in Buzau School Inspectorate.

    At the end of the activities, workshops were held as well as discussions with stakeholders which led to the presentation of interesting proposals aimed at reducing the school dropout rate with respect to the education of VET Roma pupils. 2 more MES were conducted in Buzua  on Dec. 08. 2016 & March 09. 2017. All together attracting 118 stakeholders involving VET leadership, school inspectors, VET  trainers, teachers, Representatives of Roma Associations, etc.

  • Multiplier Event in Slovenia

    Multiplier event in Slovenia took place in Ljubljana on October 26, 2016. There were many presentations about the good practices regarding the prevention of dropouts among migrants and Roma from Ljubljana, Kočevje, Maribor and Murska Sobota. We had a special round table with the students of the Administrative secondary school in Ljubljana who presented the topic from their side and who described the important role that teachers and the inclusive atmosphere of the school have in the prevention of the drop out and the overall success of the students.

  • Multiplier Event in Italy

    Multiplier Event in Italy, took place in Trento, on February 10, 2017, with a news release.  The Multiplier event focused on presenting the results from the PREDIS Needs Analysis and good practices. Perspectives for successful learning in schools were highlighted.  Workshops with the PREDIS and Space teaching and learning materials were offered. The event also included a debate and conclusion of the discussion.

Second Multiplier Events

The aim of the multiplier event was for networking and further application of PREDIS products at local, regional and national levels. The participants included mainly decision makers in the area of vocational education and leaders of professional development institutions. The mutliplier event presented results from the PREDIS Blended Learning Course. The handbook will be available for free downloading on the PREDIS Website after September 2018. Also to be available for free downloading from the PREDIS website is the PREDIS toolkit which is a more comprehensive version than the handbook.

Other Events

  • Dissemination Activities

    Partner (1) actively participated in the Erasmus conference on Education, Participation, Integration and Refugees. A major explorative and networking event drawing 300 participants from Europe to Essen in Germany. Apart from introducing PREDIS to the network of scientists and practitioners, the conference provided a platform for gaining unique insights into the real challenges faced by professionals who are working on the ground to integrate refugees and migrants into vocational education and training. PREDIS aims at developing strategies that address contextual factors and we are currently in the multi-level and diversified process of identifying these.

  • In-Classroom Training and Evaluation

    PREDIS is developing the Blended Learning Course (BLK) which is a mixture of inclassroom training and 9 months online activities mainly targeting teachers, VET trainers, representatives of migrant associations and employment agencies. All PREDIS products will be evaluated and modified several times. Teachers experience and evaluate the PREDIS innovative professional development program delivered through presentation of key aspects in different partner nations. The interactive course setting allows for exchange of experiences and perspectives along with reflective exercise and activities which provide the opportunity for experiencing practical application. Participants' perspectives will be integrated for the further modification of the PREDIS Blended Learning Course. At the end of the five-day training, participants are invited to participate in the 9-months online Blended Learning Course to expand their experience of the in-classroom training.

  • PREDIS ENGAGES THE COMMUNITY OF DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS

    Through stakeholder engagement and  Multiplier Events, consortium partners promote  PREDIS goals and objectives which tackle early  abandonment of VET & school  through inclusive strategies of migrants and Roma. Early school leaving is a societal issue which cannot be addressed by vulnerable youngsters and their families alone.  Youngsters of a Roma & migration background confront structural and individual discrimination. Due to these barriers, they are  disproportionately affected by early exit  from vocational training and unemployment. Addressing the broad range of causes requires engaging the broad sectors of the community from the  local, municipals and federal levels. PREDIS works with the community, school leadesrhip and decision makers in education and vocational training. Through this, a better understanding of the complex causes is faciliated and more inclusive policies and broad based measures  can be formulated. At the same time, inclusive national curricula can be designed.

About Us

Leibniz University Hanover

Prof. Dr. Dirk Lange

http://www.idd.uni-hannover.de

The Coordinator of the Project is the Institute for Didactics of Democracy of the Leibniz University Hannover in Germany. The university was funded in 1831, nowadays it has 21,000 students and 4,700 staff members. Didactics of Democracy describes the scientific examination of a “learning democracy”. Students who will become teachers for civic education are enrolled here. Active citizenship it the focal point of teaching and researching. The Institute has a strong record of developing educational tools, curricula and teaching material.

Universita Degli Studi Di Trento, Italy

Prof. Olga Bombardelli

www.unitn.it

Universität Trent is a middle ranged  University with approximately 16.000 Students. It lies in the North-East of Italy. The University follows the further development of the quality of their research and teaching, the strengthening of the international  dimension and the cooperation with qualified Universities and research institutions all over the world.  Consequently, the  University  consists of   10 Faculties (economics  and management, law and legal studies, sociology and social research, social sciences,  Psychology and cognitions research, industrial engineering,  construction, environment and machine construction engineering, information engineering and Computer science, Physics Mathematics). It is divided into three centres (international relations, System biologie and Neurosciences).

Znanstvenoraziskovalni Center Slovenske Akademije Znanosti In Umetnosti, Slovenia

Dr. Phil. Hladnik Mirjam Milharčič

www.zrc-sazu.si

ZRC SAZU is one of the earliest research and educational institutions in Slovenia in Central and South-East Europe.   314 professionals work in  18 independent but networked institutions. As equal Partners, we work in parallel with diverse (EU-)  Programmes (amongst others lifelong learning, the  Interreg IIIB Programme). The slowenische Migrations-Institute (SMI) am ZRC SAZU is a central institution which participates in multidisciplinary research on migration processes. The research area includes the themes migration history, current migration and integration processes, intercultural learning, migration policy, refugees, multiculturalism, cultural diversity and change, etc.  The institution leads the research, develops expert reports and organizes international symposium, seminars, workshops and advisory work on the themes of migration, culture, education. The institution also works with the different levels of education that range from early and general school to post-secondary education, whereby it develops pedagogical concepts and approaches in the area of migration and integration.

Liceul Tehnologic Economic ,, Elina Matei Basarab'', Romania

Mirica Aurelia

https://grscecrmsarat.licee.edu.ro

The Technologisch – Wirtschaftliche Schule  “Elina Matei  Basarab” from  Ramnicu Sarat, in Buzau, a day   and evening school   offers vocational education in the  following areas:  Tourism, accounting,  administration and trade.  The school offers courses and vocational education for 539 pupils, who are taught by 39 teaching staff.  The thrust is on the combination of knowledge, theory and praxis with concrete positioning on the labour market.  The school organizes, advises and controls amongst other things research trainings while also delivering courses around the theme school education.  Advising the educational ministry on educational reform and building partnerships with economic agencies, non-government organizations, youth associations and local  communities constitutes further central  functions.

Inspectoratul Scolar Judetean Buzau, Romania

Anca Harabagiu

www.isjbz.ro

The  “School Inspectorate Buazu County“ as  a regional, Romanian School Supervising authority is  responsible for over  400 Schools (including 29 vocational schools) and stands in contact with over 3000 teaching professionals from the Buzau region. The "School Inspectorate Buazu County" follows educational, social and cultural objectives in the sense of the values of the EU and its organization culture.  The projects and support for individual mobility  (i.e. IVET-VENTURE) facilitate the development of innovative practices in educational and vocational education and training.  The school is involved in organizing informal educational activities and projects and training courses at the international level.  Multiculturalism and diversity constitute central values, racism is actively fought and the conception of antiracist and inclusive approaches are at the core of the institution’s experience.

University of Vienna, Austria

Lara Möller BA MA

http://www.univie.ac.at/

The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded in 1365 and is one of the oldest universities in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich history, the University of Vienna has developed into one of the biggest universities in Europe, and also one of the most renowned, especially in the Humanities. It is associated with 15 Nobel prize winners and has been the academic home of a large number of figures both of historical and academic importance.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.