Virtual mobility – connecting young people across Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Virtual mobility – connecting young people across Europe

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 youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Access for disadvantaged; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Recognition (non-formal and informal learning/credits)

Project Summary

Context
The economic recession and accompanying austerity measures that have swept Europe in the years since 2008 have had a disproportionate impact on young people. In 2011, the total number of young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) across the EU member states was 13.9m, which represents a cost in lost production of €153,013,053,902, 1.2% of the EU’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Youth unemployment is one of the major challenges in the EU.

Predominantly research into the European implementation of virtual mobility has concentrated on how universities have used this to support study. Young people outside of the education system are less likely to participate in mobility projects.

Objectives
CONNECT aims to address issues of youth unemployment by enabling young people who are NEET to participate in virtual mobility projects, to work towards the achievement and recognition of competences and to improve their personal and social development.

The objective was to provide products and pedagogy to enable our target group of youth workers, trainers and practitioners to engage young people, specifically those who are NEET and with fewer opportunities, in virtual mobility projects which will facilitate transnational, collaborative experiences and, via non-formal learning, enable them to work towards the achievement of competences.

Number and profile of participating organisations
The CONNECT project is a six-partner initiative co-funded under the Erasmus+ programme.

P1 Regenerus is a social enterprise, based in Sefton near Liverpool, UK, established in 2004, with the aim of improving the economic and social well-being of members a North Liverpool community which encompasses some of the poorest neighbourhoods in the UK. Regenerus delivers a wide range of services including community development and social enterprise creation, enterprise advice and training, employability skills and community heritage projects.

P2 Citrus Suite is a Liverpool, UK based creative design studio that has produced a multi award winning range of digital innovations for iPhone, iPad, Android, PC, Mac and Web. Citrus Suite translates content into seamless digital experiences, adding value through their ‘people-centred’ design focus.

P3 Intras aims to improve the quality of life for people with mental health issues and other disadvantaged groups, in particular, young people. Intras manages a vocational training centre, in Valladolid, Spain, targeting young people with special needs aged 16-21 and have involved young people who gave up their studies due to mental health problems and are currently NEET, in developing CONNECT products, increasing their access to virtual mobility.

P4 YouthPower, encourages young people to actively participate in efforts to support reconciliation between the country’s Greek and Turkish communities. The organisation is a network of 12 Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot youth organisations who have joined forces to shape a peaceful and sustainable future for a multicultural Cyprus.

P5 Verikom is a non-profit organisation, operating from five locations in the Hamburg, Germany, which aims to encourage cross-cultural education and communication. Key organisational objectives are to: advocate for the legal, political and social equality of migrants, offer migrants counselling and education and training opportunities, and support migrant groups and encourage networking.

P6 ACIEE delivers employment related training courses, promotes volunteering, organises educational projects and raises awareness of ecological issues. ACIEE is a member of the National Rural Network of Poland, undertaking a range of activities to promote education, training, innovation and entrepreneurship in the country’s rural areas.

Results and impact attained
Working together over the last two years, partners have designed and developed the CONNECT Virtual Mobility App, Portal and Handbook.

Creating opportunities for young NEET people across Europe to collaborate transnationally with their counterparts in a different country and develop projects, CONNECT products offer the chance for students to strengthen their research and media skills, broaden their networks and gain a Youthpass certificate in recognition of their work.

In practice, the App enables groups of young people in different countries to work together on virtual mobility tasks, carrying out a range of activities linked to the development of skills defined at the outset. It offers the platform to record the results of their efforts using photos, videos, audio recordings and social media, all of which they can share instantly via real-time exchange.

Longer term benefits
CONNECT products, the design of which has been informed, shaped and tested by our target audience, are now published and freely available for use by youth workers and trainers delivering project activity with groups of young people.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 245672 Eur

Project Coordinator

SOUTH SEFTON DEVELOPMENT TRUST & Country: UK

Project Partners

• verikom – Verbund für interkulturelle Kommunikation und Bildung e.V.
• FUNDACION INTRAS
• Akademickie Centrum Informacji i Edukacji Europejskiej
• Citrus Suite Ltd
• Youth Power