Restoring Respect Project Erasmus Project

Project Title

Restoring Respect Project

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Recognition (non-formal and informal learning/credits); Inclusion – equity; Recognition, transparency, certification

Project Summary

The Restoring Respect Project (RRP) will bring together a cross-sector, strategic partnership of 5 familiar and not so familiar with Erasmus organisations to support innovation in the VET field by creating, piloting and disseminating an interactive platform and a mobile phone application tailored to the needs and realities of migrant and refugee communities in the participating project countries (the UK, Cyprus, Greece, Spain and Italy) and across Europe. RRP will also design and accredit an e-course that will enhance the skills and knowledge of migrants and refugees boosting their employability and integration in our European societies.

The ultimate objective of RRP is to address the employment gap between established and migrant communities, while restoring the respect in migrant populations who are often viewed and treated as unqualified and unable to contribute to their host country.

In particular, RRP will facilitate the HORIZONTAL priority of “Transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications”, focusing on migrant and refugees in Europe as well as the VET priority of “Enhancing access to training and qualifications”. For example, the RRP interactive platform and mob application will act as an early intervention programme for refugees and migrants, independently of their location. Moreover, asylum seekers who cannot procure documentary evidence of their qualifications will be invited to undergo a “qualification analysis” by providing a sample of their work that testifies to their skills, knowledge and capabilities. The RRP app will also provide crucial information and contacts for available social and legal counselling. Using the app, officers on the ground will record migrants’ skills, knowledge and capabilities , and through this procedure access an online database of certificates, CVs and skills.

Furthermore, the RRP online platform and mobile app will incorporate an innovative e-course that will provide basic employability skills such as developing a CV, undergoing an interview, networking, and making a new business. These tools will support employment agencies in recognising Refugees & Migrants’ skills and in directing them to appropriate employment. A Continuous Professional Development (CPD) accreditation will also be provided once a test is passed. The CPD Certification will be provided via the coordinator, Restorative Justice for All, who is a CPD registered provider.

RRP also targets the HORIZONTAL priority of “Social Inclusion”, prioritising one of Europe’s marginalised groups. The RRP platform and app will not only assist migrants and refugees to gain recognition of their qualifications and thus enhance their employability and integration, but also help to address the bias and misconceptions about them. Research in the participating countries and across Europe suggests that when it comes to migrants and refugees, there is a public belief that they are unqualified and/or have moved to gain “benefits” that they do not deserve. This is far from true as evidence suggests that in all EU member states the contribution of migrants is a significant variant for growth and a healthy economy. There is also evidence that this growing misconception creates a vicious circle of division and the deepening of exclusion policies, attitudes and practices. By providing an online “one-stop-shop” that provides a uniform recognition of skills and qualifications for our target group, RRP will gradually enhance their social inclusion and help prevent the vicious circle of misconceptions.

Equally important for bringing innovation to the Erasmus VET field is RRP’s use of the restorative justice concept through not only the project activities, but also its management and evaluation structures. By applying the restorative justice values of power sharing, equality, involvement in decision making, and empowerment, the strategic partnership will create a bottom-up structure for RRP that will put migrant and refugees at its heart. To this end, RRP will establish a User Scrutiny Panel with migrants and refugees from the participating countries, train and support them not only in order to benefit from the RRP Intellectual Outputs (platform, app, training etc), but also to scrutinise the project, evaluate its results and monitor its quality. This user-led approach as well as the creation of VET tools promoting transparency and recognition of migrants’ skills and qualification will help restore respect while addressing the aforementioned social inclusion issue for Europe. For instance, through the user-led events, fieldwork and methodology for piloting our intellectual outputs, the public in the participating countries and from across Europe will see migrants and refugees’ contribution in action while our various communication and dissemination activities will pass on clear and tailored messages that restore respect and balance power in our democratic European societies.

Project Website

https://restoringrespect.info

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 248619 Eur

Project Coordinator

Restorative Justice for All International Institute cic & Country: UK

Project Partners

• ICSE & CO
• KINONIKES SINETERISTIKES DRASTIRIOTITES EFPATHON OMADON
• CSI CENTER FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION LTD
• FUNDACION ALTIUS ESPANA