I am happy to present you the latest, third edition of ERYICA’s Good Practice Booklet. Like before, it is filled with success stories from our network and it seeks to inspire the creation of new, innovative projects, while giving recognition to the achievements displayed. The importance and relevance of youth information and counselling these times are flagrantly exemplified by the thickness of the Employment chapter and we do believe these tools and efforts provide much expected help for young people. On the other hand, the exchange of such experience is also one very attractive aspect of membership in ERYICA. The booklet, which has been published biannually since 2010 with the same frame but ever changing content, is once again based on SHEryica, the online platform for youth information workers. All that could not fit the frames of this printed edition is interactively available and updated online at sheryica.org.
The success of this publication is reflected by the co-operations and projects that develop from the ideas presented here. Therefore I envisage meeting little twins, clones and other, genetically engineered mutations of these good examples across the ERYICA network.
introduction In July 2014, 5.062 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU-28, of whom 3.327 million were in the Euro area.
counselling work and makes position of YIC work extremely important and useful.
of job fairs and other events where young people can meet potential employers).
Firstly, in transition from education to labour market young people want all kind of reliable information, but also professional support in finding right opportunities for them to become more attractive at labour market and for their career development (e.g. about different courses and training programs, mobility programs, ERASMUS+, scholarships for continuation of their education etc. available for young people).
Some YIC services have special programs to support young entrepreneurs in various ways (counselling on establishing start-ups, info on registration, finding other support, funding etc.).
Thirdly, in some countries YICs are used as a focal point for consultation processes with young people on youth employment measures, especially in the framework of Youth Guarantee National Implementation Plans. This dynamic work and variation of methods of youth information and counselling services across Europe give important support for youth employment today. However, their good practice is also useful for learning and it serves as inspiration for their peers with challenges and experiences they have in their projects.
1.1 now act! youth employment solutions – yes! The issue of youth employment is handled by many stakeholders. However, one aspect of crucial importance that is often overlooked in the solving of this issue is the participation of the young people, as they are the only ones who know best what they need, what is missing, what would help them the most to get work. The project Now Act! Youth Employment Solutions – YES! is implemented by the United Nations in Montenegro in collaboration with NGO Forum MNE and NGO Expeditio. Among other aspects, the project implied online and offline consultations with young people on the issue of youth (un)employment. Forum MNE was in charge of both consultations’ processes, as the organization that reaches the biggest number of young people from all parts of Montenegro.
to be financed and implemented. All of the solutions contribute to improvements of some aspects in the area of youth unemployment. The solutions are in the process of implementation.
use of resources and related techniques and in personal skills, occupational awareness, safety and work experience. Applied learning also provides learners with tasks and situations and includes applications of information, knowledge, elements of career awareness, career exploration, and the integration of industrial knowledge and practices into their work and provides multiple ways for young people to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. The method of learning in the programme is distinctly different from the learning methods in primary and secondary education. The learning environment aims to encourage the active involvement of the young person, bearing in mind that it is not a traditional classroom environment. Diverse modes of learning include effective use and assessment of information and leisure, cultural and educational activities are also organized and the programme aims to inform, empower and motivate young people to become more active participants in their own learning.
Achievements: Youth.inc is an integral part of Malta’s Strategic Plan for the Prevention of Early School Leaving, the National Employment Policy and the National Literacy Strategy and works in cooperation with relevant entities including the Directorate for the Prevention of Early School Leaving. Youth. inc will also be integrated with Aġenzija Żgħażagħ’s existing youth information and counselling services. The aims of Youth.inc are to •	Instil a work and lifelong education ethnic among young participants. •	Inform young people of learning and employment opportunities. •	Increase their chances of gaining employment. •	Reduce the risk of unemployment. •	Promote lifelong learning. Projected outcomes for young participants are •	Personal and social development and increased self-esteem.
Access to quality information and advice. Second-chance education and training. Promotion of independence, personal autonomy, active citizenship and a pattern of lifelong learning. Integration into further education and training opportunities and/or the labour market.
Youth Information tool: Informing, advising and supporting young early school leavers in enhancing their learning and employment prospects.
1.3 student job search Since the year 2000, the Youth Information Centre in Luxembourg (CIJ) has deployed ways to collect national job possibilities for young people.
of their application letters and their CV. Practical guides are available at the information desk of the Youth Information Centre. The promotion of job offers is not only made available through the information desk at CIJ and the website jobs.youth.lu, but also through the participation of the Youth Information Centre at regional job fairs. Obviously the CIJ generally responds to questions of young people and companies about issues of the rights of work, the remuneration for young people, the terms of contract and other practical details. A large number of youth services and administrations affected by the theme of youth employment rely to CIJs’ job related services.
Based on the right to anonymity as described in the ERYICA youth information charter, the CIJ is respecting personal data of young people that can appear in documents such as the curriculum vitae and supports the autonomy of young jobseekers to contact the employers.
Achievements: Every year, the Centre Information Jeunes counts, through its statistics and evaluation reports, more than thousand young people who consult between 1000 and 1500 job offers collected each year for or outside school holidays. The main objective of this service is firstly the provision and information of job offers, not the follow-up of young jobseekers or to make contact with companies.
This centralized service at CIJ allows young jobseekers to benefit at one site from a generalist and free consultation about youth employment.
1.4 career guidance in terms of curriculum reform The project “Career guidance in terms of curriculum reform” was prepared with the aim of fostering young people’s decision-making when choosing further education or career.
system that contains all necessary information for informed decision-making on education and career. The system is unique because it combines educational offers with updated information from the labour market and this way it provides comprehensive informational support for decisions. It also brings an important feedback about assertion of graduates in the labour market and it contains a list of jobs showing where a lack of educated professionals is. For better orientation in the educational and career offer, the portal provides short videos with job descriptions and short on-line test about professions. The methods of practical usage of the system are verified among users at the schools by trained youth information workers – tutors – from the regional youth information centres. Department of NÚV – National Youth Information Centre is coordinating this part of the project.
Youth and Sports, regional authorities, employers and trade unions can all receive something from it. For example, it can serve as a tool for predicting further trends on the labour market.
1.5 youth idea Since the beginnings, one major aim has guided the work of the Solna Youth Centre: to support young people’s dreams – from small to big. Youth Idea tries to answer fast to young people’s demands.
out students, young people in a situation of unemployment, etc. During this autumn Youth Idea will focus on creating a better collaboration structure between municipal bodies and companies in order to support young people’s ideas. The “One hour” initiative will make possible for employees/companies to offer, mainly through the companies’ CSR programmes, just one hour to support young people. This support will manifest in the form of study visits, job-shadowing, mentorship, meetings and more. In the future, we hope that this time investment will be followed by economical support.
on international level. Young people with fewer opportunities who, with some support and guidance, created their own football team. Now they are supporting other young people in the area to establish new teams. A young person who left the school and was unemployed, after participating in a training and an international seminar, started to work in his new field of interest. A group of young people worry about social issues, borrow some facilities and music equipment and organized a very successful charity concert. During the project they also learnt to use computer design programmes to create their own poster for the event.
Youth Information tool: Counselling, networking, social media, online services, peer-to-peer, international projects.
other and sharing experiences. They focus on methodological and practical aspects. They cover a wide range of topics linked to employment, such as: Self-confidence, a key element for a job, training or internship search; How to look for a job on the Internet in an efficient way; How to create or to take over a company; How to look for a job abroad; Work, training, entrepreneurship in the social economy.
without any professional qualifications and dropouts. •	Apprenticeship. Target groups are mainly secondary school pupils and dropouts. •	Handicapped youth and work: guidance and employment for young handicapped people. Target groups are young handicapped people with a low level of qualifications and who may face discrimination. •	Adult education. Target groups are young people who are unemployed, working or dropouts. •	Summer Jobs in France and abroad: Each year, more than 15 000 young people attend this fair and get an opportunity to meet employers and find summer jobs in all sectors.
their employability and gain confidence in highlighting their skills. Our Youth Information Centre offers a whole package of services to young people and helps them feel less alone in their search. Recruiters who attend our fairs value the fact that applicants they meet in our Youth Information Centre usually match their criteria.
dictated by cards organized in four themes, discover the working world, existing training possibilities when you don’t have a diploma, how to prepare for a job interview... By fulfilling some challenges, the youngster assimilates without realizing it a lot of information and therefore lives an experience that can be useful and guide them in their professional steps. It’s accompanied by a user guide and a lexicon so the participants and the facilitator can get through specific vocabulary. All those tools can be used separately and are complementary so you can have a transversal approach of the subject, and moreover adapt your activity to the group and the timeframe you have.
including Sector Skills Councils, Training Providers and national skills organisation Skills Development Scotland, as well as with employers and apprentices. Young Scot supported employers throughout the process of recruiting a young person, supported with any issues, and provided soft skills and employability training for their apprentices once a month throughout the course of the apprenticeship. An employers’ handbook was developed allowing for best practice to be gathered and shared for future programmes. A fund was also provided that allowed employers and apprentices to address any training needs by requesting to go on additional courses. Young Scot also worked with apprentices, supporting them to develop personal development plans, developing their training needs analysis and working on positive destinations with each of them.
interview people working in their field in different locations and question them about their career journeys. Having a Modern Apprenticeship Coordinator in place meant there was somebody to oversee the programme, ensured there was consistency in practice and that all young people were being adequately supported and allowed for additional training to be in place. The support mechanism was an important tool for employers, many of whom were small organisations with only a few members of staff and minimal human resources expertise. Creative Scotland also developed a progression programme of Traineeships, aimed at 20 to 30 year olds, to reach young people who perhaps were one stage up from an apprenticeship programme.
The project contributes to the visibility of the diversity of young people in all their aspects. Reducing unemployment rates for young people living in Catalonia, regardless of their origin, is our priority.
young people find work. We reach that by training them so that they could get jobs in fields of employment and economy that provide a specific response to the demands and benefits of each region. In addition, the programme seeks to improve networking between professionals, institutions and organisations working with this group. To this date the programme has benefited nearly 300 young people from all over Catalonia.
In addition, the programme seeks to increase and improve social and occupational opportunities for less qualified young people. This means getting young people who have dropped out of (or been unable to access) education for whatever reason back into school.
Another of the programme’s core areas is enhancing the skills of young people with a lower educational profile. The programme also aims to foster the integration of young people taking part in the Fórmula Jove through participation in the associations and community life of their area and surroundings.
a chance to be heard. Structured Dialogue should not be just superficial consultation with young people, but a tool for real dialogue between young people and all actors participating in the development and implementation of policies that concern young people. By enabling young people’s involvement, we are building our common future and the kind of Europe where young people want to live. Feeling good about oneself and being able to strengthen one’s skills is important for us all, but particularly for young people. Therefore, this section’s good practices in youth information related to participation and involvement are an inspiration and example for all of us. I consider it important that Good Practice in Youth Information is not just for ERYICA’s members, but that its excellent examples will be spread widely through different networks and channels.
achieving results. To enable high standards for evaluating young people’s participation and involvement, we need indicators and key figures. It makes sense to involve young people in developing them. Read more about the targets, national structures and measures of Structured Dialogue. Engage young people in discussion and provide them with space to be heard. Let’s make young people visible!
and also via newsletters and websites such as the European Youth Portal and Youth Board of Cyprus. An additional relevant dissemination tool is the Structured Dialogue Online Blog (developed by an intern of the YIC), where policies, information, pictures, data of meetings and conferences are available to youth of Cyprus. The dissemination process is also supported and achieved with the help of the National Working Group on the Structured Dialogue based on collaboration with Eurodesk, Youth in Action, YIC and general support from the Youth Board of Cyprus. Participants who took part at the Public Consultations had then participated at the European Youth Conferences and had also become Youth Ambassadors of the SD in Cyprus. The Youth Ambassadors had also contributed to the SD section of the European Youth Portal.
Recommendations are used by the YIC to advocate young people’s needs towards relevant stakeholders, according to the different topics under discussion.
pops and discussion forums – that aimed to inform young people about the nature and role of the democratic process at European level and the role of the European Parliament in particular. The aim of the project was not only to inform and facilitate young people’s active participation in European Parliamentary elections but also to foster in them an appreciation and knowledge of the democratic process itself and its importance for their lives and that of their communities. As part of the project, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, employing its register of young people who hold the European Youth Card (some 3,000 young people) and its register of national and local youth organisations (some 100 organisations), conducted an online survey of young people between the ages of 18 and 30 during the period February-March 2014.
Achievements: A number of identifiable features are apparent from the survey as regards the voting patterns and intentions of young people in both national and European elections, their views of the role of the European Parliament and their attitudes to and expectations of politics at European level. With regard to voting in General Elections and European Parliamentary elections, the response was very positive. Almost 79% of respondents indicated that they had voted in the 2013 General Election, while almost 75% expressed their intention to vote in the European Parliamentary elections in 2014. These findings are in line with the evidence which places voting by Maltese young people among the highest in the European Union.
Almost 80% of respondents considered themselves as being European as well as Maltese citizens, while over 70% indicated that they were aware of their rights as European citizens. Immigration, education and employment were the most important national issues respondents would like Maltese MEPs to raise in the European Parliament. In general, respondents emerge as active in the electoral process at both national and European levels and positively aware of the role of the European Parliament and Maltese MEPs. They have a positive view of European citizenship and they appear to see the European Parliament as a means of addressing issues that are as much local and national – immigration, education and employment – as they are European.
Over 70% of respondents were aware of the role, structure and composition of the European Parliament, while over 60% of respondents expressed a willingness to involve themselves in the electoral process for the European Parliament.
With regard to the issue of European citizenship, the response was also positive.
Youth Information tool: A survey of young people’s views on the electoral process and the European Parliament.
2.3 de deux/trois choses l’urne “De deux/trois choses l’urne” is an exhibition-animation created by the local information center Info J and Maison de la Laïcité (La Louvière – Belgium), where the young people have to build their own city, so they can understand how a city is organized in an interactive and funny way. They can also exchange their points of view, choose the priorities of the city and manage the decisions about concrete situations. They participate to the city elections in comparing their self-created fictional programs with the real programs. For the older, an approach of the belgian political configuration with the political divide and its structuration will be proposed. It has been created in partnership with Latitude J2 du Centre et de Soignies, Lire et Ecrire Mons-Centre-Borinage, the CiepMOC, the Club Achille Chavée and the FPS du Centre et de Soignies.
2.4	jubel JUBEL (Jugendbeteiligung Liechtenstein, English: Youth Participation Liechtenstein) is a project founded by the Youth Information Centre Liechtenstein (aha – Tipps und Infos für junge Leute).
make the most of these “short ways” and learn how to use them to their advantage. Some examples of past projects include: Jugend Energy; a co-financed solar roof; several youth exchanges; youth cafés and a youth parliament. The key to work successfully with youngsters is to meet them as equals, have good examples of projects that have already been successful, and be empathetic. Moreover, the mentors have a good understanding for where they are at in their lives (e.g. defining themselves, being in love, physical changes, etc.) JUBEL is a learning environment for everybody; Coordinator as well as mentor. Learning by doing is a central value of JUBEL; the Jublers explore how to realise their projects themselves. The Coordinator guides them in this process through nonformal learning methods. JUBEL alumni provide mentorship support to the new Jublers. It is a continuous learning journey for participants and the people that facilitate the process.
Achievements: With JUBEL, more than 300 young people could become active to shape their surroundings and future. Those people were giving life to about 30 projects. In addition, some former participants are still mentoring new groups that form out of JUBEL or have their own initiatives, e.g. the Liechtenstein Youth council (www.jugendrat.li).
2.5 politics as a boring matter for youngsters? think again! On the occasion of the European elections in 2014 De Ambrassade designed1 a game to inform and sensitize youngsters about the impact of the EU as a decision-making body on our daily life.
Flemish Parliament and presented it to politicians. In this way, the point of view of youngsters was pushed forward on the political agenda. To be able to participate, information is the key. Parallel to the events mentioned above, De Ambrassade added clear and accessible information about politics to her generalist youth information website www.jongerengids.be. Complex political terminology and information about our democratic system was translated in no– nonsense information. On top of this, a website was created with information about the point of view of the political parties on 15 subjects concerned important by youngsters. You can find this position matrix here: http://www.moederallerstandpunten. be/#.
stimulating them to weigh on the political debate, and last but not least: convincing politicians of the importance to take into account the point of view of young people. Because youngsters do have political opinions! As concrete results De Ambrassade had more than 20 games sessions initiated, 70 campaign images were created with opinions of approximately 100 youngsters. Visitor numbers peeked massively on our youth information websites, especially in the days before the elections. The closing event was streamed on several big media websites and was even broadcasted on television. The event was also a trending topic on Twitter.
3.1 vertti – a peer-to-peer youth information initiative Vertti is a peer-to-peer youth information initiative, funded by a grant from the Ministry of Education, which started as a pilot project in the Turku region in 2007.
The idea was to try a new type of peer-topeer information model, and one of the objectives was to encourage and involve young people in planning and carrying out youth information activities in their school. The guiding principles were to mobilise young people’s own ideas to improve the availability of youth information at school and to develop co-operation between municipal youth workers and schools. How to become a VIO In the Vertti initiative, 13 to 16-year-old secondary school students that have volunteered to participate are trained to become peer-to-peer youth information officers (Vertti information officers, VIO). They operate in their own schools and collaborate with local youth workers and the school, improving the regional youth information and counselling services to better meet the genuine needs of young people. The number of VIOs in a school can vary between two and six, depending on the level of enthusiasm. The total number of VIOs in the Turku region each year is around sixty.
VIOs are selected by schools either at the end of the spring term or as soon as the autumn term begins. The same young people may participate throughout the secondary school. Young people may become VIOs in several different ways. Some volunteer to participate, while others join in after their teachers have encouraged them to do so. Some schools even arrange a special application process, which resembles the process of applying for a job, during which existing VIOs interview the candidates before selection. Some VIOs are also peer students in their school or belong to a municipal youth council. What VIOs do Since the Vertti initiative is a joint effort between schools and the municipal youth services, three different people need to be involved: 1) a secondary school student who wants to become a VIO; 2) a contact person at school, such as a principal, student counsellor or teacher; and 3) a youth worker who coordinates the VIOs.
make stage announcements and take care of catering for artists and VIP guests. Every year, VIOs have Christmas and spring parties where the VIOs in the region get together to have some fun: bowling, snowshoeing or something else. At the end of the spring term, VIOs get a certificate.
Achievements: After the project, the tried-and-tested initiative has become an elemental part of youth work in nine municipalities in the Turku region. The initiative is coordinated by the Youth Work Centre of the Leisure Section of the City of Turku, but cooperation in planning and implementation in the participating municipalities covers all youth workers who work as Vertti coordinators. In addition to joint meetings, the coordinators communicate with each other via e-mail and through a closed Facebook group.
Madeira, Portugal Regional Government of Madeira – Regional Service of Youth and Sport Since 2003 (first version of the program). The periodicity of the program is annual.
3.2 active youth (“juventude ativa”) The Regional Service of Youth and Sport is the department responsible for the implementation and development of public youth policies adopted by the Regional Government of Madeira.
for the future exercise of professional activities; Contribute to the process of nonformal education of young people.
to the working hours of the YIC where they are placed with safeguarding of their school hours, not exceeding eight hours per day. The young participants in the Program are responsible to disseminate youth information, assist users in accessing internet and computer tools in general and help in the implementation of the activities in the YIC.
Achievements: This program gives the opportunity to the participants gain experience in a professional context and allows them to put into practice their knowledge and skills. We are currently planning empower the participants in the program in specific areas of youth information.
In 2014, we are not opening a new YIC but we are changing the location of one of them, and looking for young people where they can benefit more from their location.
In 2013, the YIC of Madeira Region provided support to 43 100 users, a number that has grown over the years and has been driving the opening of new Centres, which were three in 2003 and now, in 2014, are seven.
3.3 watch your web infoscouts “Watch your web” is a project on consumer protection oriented Youth Information and Media Literacy in social networks. It aims to sensitize youth for a responsible use of data online.
Besides an information portal, a video magazine and information brochures, the project also makes use of the Peer-toPeer approach and involves youth in the information. It organizes trainings for young people to become a so called Infoscout. The “watch your web Infoscouts” help others with using digital media in a safe and responsible way. They address problems and demonstrate safe practices. Any keen young person between 14 and 20 interested in media can become an Infoscout.
Infoscouts take on the responsibility to be available as contact persons for topics related to Internet Security at school, in youth groups and online. They are trained in the fields of “data privacy”, “Smartphone security”, “consumer protection” and “cyber mobbing” and learn methods which enable them to pass on their knowledge to others.
Achievements: Every Infoscout is obliged to organize an event on a specific subject. This can be a workshop, a presentation, a flash mob, a consultation-hour and much else. They receive and create materials for their performance with which they can inform other young people about the edited topics.
So far two three-day Workshops have taken place – one in Berlin and one in Cologne, during which 25 youngsters were trained to be “watch your web Infoscouts”. After the workshops, online meetings were offered to support and advise the young people with their projects. Some of them informed their peer-group online in social networks, others organised information events in their school. Furthermore, a group of Infoscouts was on hand for E-Mail consultation during the “European Cyber Security Month”.
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