Local 'Job Counters' at Casal del Infants: Personal support to help vulnerable young people into work

After graduating from university, Warda struggled a lot. For a few years, she had to take odd jobs for that had no security, days off or health insurance. Eventually she connected with Youth Participation and Employment (YPE) programme partner Casal Del Infants. With their support, she successfully entered the formal labour market. She was selected by Casal to join a jobs programme, where she was trained for one month as a quality control officer. After completing her training, she obtained a placement in maintenance at an automotive company. This was facilitated through Casal’s ‘Activa Counter’, its employment integration desk. This programme supports internships and helps young people to integrate into the private sector. The programme has gained in popularity over the years and has the potential to help many young people into work.

Working toward aspirations: how higher education learning-working trajectories for refugees in the Netherlands support work-related capabilities

PurposeRefugees face multiple barriers to employment, such as previous work experience and qualifications not recognized. The Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences offers a higher vocational education and training (VET) dual program for highly-skilled refugees, in which education and work is combined. After completion of the two-year program, participants have gained new skills, learned (vocational) language, have work experience in the Netherlands and have a Dutch diploma. These are the factors that are decisive for successful employment integration.Design/methodology/approachThis explorative study aimed to get insights into the participants' views and experiences with the dual program. A qualitative design has, therefore, been chosen. This article is based on 20 in-depth interviews with refugee-students. The transcribed qualitative data were systematically analyzed using ATLAS.ti 8 qualitative data analysis software.FindingsOverall, students were positive about the opportunity to study further and to work simultaneously. They valued the close connection with employers, learned new skills, improved their (vocational) language, and it gave them professional prospects that fit their ambitions. Based on the experiences of students, it seems that the dual program enhances work-related capabilities. However, the University should make more use of existing professional knowledge and experiences. Recognition of prior learning is crucial for employment integration but also contributes to a sense of inclusion.Originality/valueHigher VET dual programs for highly-skilled refugees are innovative and can contribute to their integration into the labor market. The associate degree is a recognized diploma between higher education and secondary vocational education.

Employment Integration at Any Cost?

This chapter discusses Germany's 2016 Integration Act, specifically the “Flüchtlingsintegrationsmaßnahmen” [Refugee Integration Measures], or abbreviated, the FIM program, as a case study to explore how integration measures affect social mobility of persons seeking protection. The chapter draws on interviews with 28 persons seeking protection (including refugees, otherwise protected, and asylum-seekers) and 10 representatives of non-governmental organizations working in the context of forced migration in Stuttgart and Regensburg, Germany. The collected data speaks to perceptions, challenges, and opportunities of the FIM program, as well as experiences of discrimination. By analyzing this empirical data and situating it in discourse on social mobility, the author shows that employment integration ‘at any cost', as exemplified by the FIM program, reinforces social disintegration and ethnic stratification.