Advancing Migrant Women Erasmus Project

Project Title

Advancing Migrant Women

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Access for disadvantaged

Project Summary

There is strong evidence around Europe that people from migrant backgrounds are more at risk of social exclusion; according to Eurostat, in 2014, 40.1 % of the non-EU-born population in the EU was assessed to be at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) compared to less than 22.5 % of the native-born population.

When it comes to migrant employment in particular, there are two main issues at hand that are visible around all EU countries and therefore need to be addressed on an EU-wide level. Firstly, the issue of migrant employment and integration in general, and secondly the specific challenges that are faced by women on top of these employability problems. Advancing Migrant Women (AMW) aimed to address both issues by specifically targeting female migrants. Its main aim was to empower women migrants by developing their employability and entrepreneurship skills through a holistic programme based on training and mentoring which would increase their self-efficacy. This programme enabled migrant women to find employment or set up a business where they could fully use their talents and strengths.

During the project, a special dual training methodology was used to support migrant women. Firstly, they took part in a training program that addressed several different aspects with regard to employability. Secondly, they took part in the Mentoring Circles™ that aimed to develop soft skills, focus on self-reflection and build confidence. In the four partner countries, both the training and Circles™ programme were conducted over two pilots with a total of 121 women being trained throughout, and the partnership receiving very positive feedback from participants.

As employment and integration is a two-way street, the project also aimed to support and empower employers to hire migrant women. The partners created the Guide ‘Maximising Diversity: The Business Case for the Recruitment of Migrant Women’ which explains in detail how to recruit migrant women and how diversity benefits a business. This way, the partners have aimed to increase the employment of migrant women by influencing employers as well as the former. A total of 180 employers and business intermediaries were approached or attended Multiplier events were these topics were addressed. and a further 30 employers had then already participated in interviews and focus groups for initial stages of the project. Furthermore, during the research conducted for the project, both migrant women and employers were engaged.

Lastly, the project partners aimed to support migrant women by developing an online e-learning platform where they can connect, share experiences and read stories of role models. The platform also contains all training materials so that any other organisation can repeat the training with a different group of migrant women.

The activities carried out throughout the project have contributed to making migrant women feel more confident, and employers feel more confident to hire migrant women. This will in turn increase social cohesion and will harness economic development. This is voiced by OECD’s recommendations for the “New Sustainable Development Goals” released by the UN in 2015 in which it stresses that issuing policies that integrate all segments of society (migrants) quickly is critical in achieving target measures by 2030.

AMW will continue to harness the benefits of female migrants’ integration towards achieving the overall objectives of poverty reduction, peace building and socio-economic development.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 245050 Eur

Project Coordinator

HASKOLINN A BIFROST SES & Country: IS

Project Partners

• Hellenic American Education Center
• Simenntunarmidstodin a Vesturlandi
• INOVA CONSULTANCY LTD
• CENTRO PER LO SVILUPPO CREATIVO DANILO DOLCI