TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Romina MATEI
Youth Express Network applied for a multi-measures project called “You(th) are the Champions ! – Strategies for youth employment”. This long-term project would be composed of 5 activities: 1 feasibility visit, 2 training courses, 1 seminar, 1 evaluation meeting. The second activity was the training course “Coach me if you can”, designed for 33 youth leaders, youth workers, social workers and trainers in youth work, coming from 15 different countries and representing 22 partner organisations. The TC focused on promoting coaching as a tool for empowerment and employment of young people. The training course was designed to answer the huge problem of youth unemployment.
Objectives:
1. To provide coaching competences (skills, knowledge, attitude) for 33 youth workers, youth leader, social worker in youth work
2. To exchange experience regarding coaching process across Europe
3. To contribute to the European policies regarding youth employment
4. To better understand the role of coaching in the process of empowering young people
5. To promote coaching as a method to fight against unemployment of young people
6. To identify ways to implement in the local communities the competences gained with the TC
Emilia CIOVOR, Intercultural Institute Timisoara, Romania; José Luis MARQUES LEITAO, Junta de Freguesia Vila da Marmeleira, Portugal; Julio LOPEZ GARBAYO, Consejo de la Juventud de Espana, Spain; Manuela COSTEIRA, Youth Express Network, France; Romina MATEI, Intercultural Institute Timisoara, Romania; Pia GUSTAFSSON WESTERMAN, KREAKT, Sweden
This activity was based on non-formal education. It was participants-centred (based on the needs and contributions of the participants). Trainers and facilitators prepared creative and active methods as well as tools in order to explore the topic of the training course and achieve the aims. Some methods: individual work, small discussion groups, plenary work, group dynamics, co-operative games and personal challenges (outdoor education), theoretical input about coaching and the situation of youth employment in Europe, Open Space Technology, collage and posters.
The training course manage to provide for the participants coaching competences, to have a better understanding of what coaching is, to exchange experience of coaching methods across Europe and top better understand the role of coaching in empowering of young people towards employment. The team did a follow up evaluation - after two months from the event. The participants answered that this experience made them more interested in coaching methods, some of the participants started to use coaching and skills for coaching in the daily work with young people. A report of the activity was done. It can be delivered by request.
My role in the team was as course director. Together with the team we've define the learning objectives (based also on the project application), the flow of the program, the session blocks and the method uses.
I was responsible (together with other colleagues) for the following sessions:
- Team building session
- Input on different EU policies and measurements
- My luggage - Session on identity
- Going into action - "Be the coach that you want to see in the world"
- Trans-reflection group
- Transferring
During the entire training course, all the team was equal involved in evaluation the flow of the program, the daily feedback from the participants and making the connection between the program, the needs of the participants and the feedback required.