SALTO Inclusion 2001

SALTO TC Inclusion & EVS

The Training Course on Inclusion and European Voluntary Service (or How to use EVS as a tool in working with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds) took up most of the work in the beginning of 2001: finding trainers, getting a venue, recruiting participants, developing the programme, setting up an evaluation system etc. SALTO was only a half time project-officer at that time.

The training course on Inclusion & EVS established three big shifts in thinking, two about EVS and the other one about the target group of young people with fewer opportunities:

• the 'TC Inclusion & EVS' considered EVS as a 'tool' for the work with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds (as you can read in the subtitle), and not the final aim. When working with vulnerable target groups, methods should be person-centred and in some cases EVS might be the ideal 'tool' but in other cases youth workers need to realise that it is not the right tool.
• It can be that a young person from disadvantaged backgrounds is not ready yet for a long stay abroad on his/her own. The TC Inclusion & EVS introduced the notion of 'pathways through the YOUTH programme'. A youth worker could prepare the young people for EVS by first involving him/her in a youth exchange (getting used to international traveling and intercultural situations but in the confort of the group). And after an EVS, the young person could be stimulated to use the skills learned abroad in a group initiative project. The young person would follow a pathway through the YOUTH programme.
• During the Training Course it became clear that young people do not like to be labeled to be "disadvantaged". The term 'disadvantaged youth' was replaced by 'young people from disadvantaged backgrounds', as it often is their situation (economic, ethnic, social, geographic, ability, etc) which makes them disadvantaged. This term is now disappearing in favour of the description 'young people with fewer opportunities'.

46 youth workers from over 25 different countries participated in this training course. The course stimulated a move towards higher levels of confidence, skills and commitment to implement projects amongst participants. Various projects have been implemented after the course. The documentation of the course (report) took the format of a Toolbox, from which other youth workers or National Agencies can easily use methods, checklists or background texts for their own inclusion & EVS activities. More information about the course here.

Working Group on Inclusion

The Commission's Working Group on Inclusion had as aim to develop a European Inclusion Strategy. SALTO Belgium (Flanders) did not only participate in this working group but also chaired several subgroups and assisted in the collection of good practice. At the 'Kick-off Seminar for the European Strategy on Inclusion' (Poland May 2001), SALTO Belgium (Flanders) presented its work in the field of Inclusion and also chaired several discussion groups working on the transposition of the European Inclusion Strategy into national inclusion strategies. SALTOs Inclusion work is embedded in this European Inclusion Strategy and the connected action plan.

Bridges for Training

The second main task of SALTO Belgium (Flanders) is Quality Trainers in Europe, keeping up to date with discussions on quality in training in Europe and liaising with existing Trainer Pools. With NA training officers scheduled to meet and Partnership trainers coming together in a two-yearly 'Trainers Forum', SALTO Belgium (Flanders) developed the idea to have these two meetings at the same time at the same place in order to create bridges between trainers and training organisers. Bridges for Training was born.

Bridges for Training brought together over 150 trainers and NA officers, plus experts from the field, for a dynamic offer of workshops, info sessions on 'European training land'.

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