TIME TO MOVE ON

TIME TO MOVE ON A comparative study into gender, migration and counselling in Europe

COMPARATIVE REPORT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES The “Move on” project is funded by Erasmus+ KA2 under Grant Agreement 2015-1-UK01-KA2014-013550 www.moveonproject.org A COMPARATIVE STUDY INTO GENDER,MIGRATION AND COUNSELLING IN EUROPE

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The IARS International Institute IARS PUBLICATIONS 14 Dock Offices, London, SE16 2XU, United Kingdom +44(0) 207064 4380, [email protected] www.iars.org.uk

The IARS International Institute is a leading, international think-tank with a charitable mission to give everyone a chance to forge a safer, fairer and more inclusive society. IARS achieves its mission by producing evidence-based solutions to current social problems, sharing best practice and by supporting young people to shape decision making. IARS is an international expert in restorative justice, human rights and inclusion, citizenship and user-led research. IARS’ vision is a society where everyone is given a choice to actively participate in social problem solving. The organisation is known for its robust, independent evidence-based approach to solving current social problems, and is considered to be a pioneer in user-involvement and the application of user-led research methods. Published in the UK by IARS Publications © 2016 The IARS International Institute The moral rights of the author have been asserted Database right IARS Publications (maker) First published August 2016

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Table of Contents INTRODUCTION

p. 7

LITERATURE REVIEW FINDINGS

p. 8

Immigration in Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain p. 8 United Kingdom – Statistics

Problems / Obstacles faced by immigrants regarding p. 9 their integration and their access in the labour market Immigrants regarding their integration and their p. 10 access in the labour market Gender inequalities in the labour market p. 10 Counselling and support services promoting immigrant p. 11 employment FIELD RESEARCH FINDINGS

Immigrant Focus Groups/ Interviews Experts’ / Professionals’ Focus Groups/ Interviews

p. 11 p. 11 p. 12

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

p. 14

REFERENCES

p. 15

EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – THE UNITED KINGDOM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – ITALY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – GERMANY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – GREECE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – POLAND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – SPAIN

p. 16 p. 23 p. 31 p. 43 p. 59 p. 66

A COMPARATIVE STUDY INTO GENDER,MIGRATION AND COUNSELLING IN EUROPE

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Move on

PARTNERS THE IARS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE (PROJECT COORDINATOR) UNITED KINGDOM

www.iars.org.uk

ANZIANI E NON SOLO ITALY

www.anzianienonsolo.it ASSOCIAZIONE PROGETTO ARCOBALENO ONLUS ITALY

www.progettoarcobaleno.it

BERAMÍ BERUFLICHE INTEGRATION E.V. GERMANY

SURT WOMEN’S FOUNDATION SPAIN

http://surt.org/en/

KMOP GREECE

[email protected]

STOWARZYSZENIE INTERWENCJI PRAWNEJ POLAND

www.interwencjaprawna.pl

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TRANSNATIONAL REPORT

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Introduction According to Eurostat statistics, a total of 3.8 million people immigrated to one of the EU-28 Member States during 2014, while at least 2.8 million emigrants were reported to have left an EU Member State. Germany reported the largest total number of immigrants (884.9 thousand) in 2014, followed by the United Kingdom (632.0 thousand), Spain (305.5 thousand) and Italy (277.6 thousand). Poland reported a total number of 222.3 thousand, while the respective number for Greece was 59 thousand. Regarding the gender distribution of immigrants to the EU Member States in 2014, there were slightly more men than women (53 % compared with 47 %). Immigrants face persistent issues impacting on their integration and employment. Very often, newly arrived migrants struggle to find a decent job, while they are faced with a number of integration issues including gender inequality and cultural bias. Furthermore, many experience long periods of inactivity, unemployment, or long tenures in the so-called 3Ds job: Dirty, Dangerous and Demanding and are often not adequately paid or regularly insured. Moreover, when migrants are skilled and qualified in their country of origin, they experience “brain waste”, face difficulties in putting their qualification to good use and therefore are at risk of frustration and demotivation. On the other hand, not being able to fully profit of the skills and capacities of migrants is also an unnecessary waste for the countries of destination, who are not in measure to fruitfully build on the competences of their migrant workers. A recent report by Benton, et. al. (2014) pointed out that one of the ways to overcome these difficulties is the early provision of relevant career advice, with specialized work-force and dedicated service organizations. However, there is a lack of tailored and adequate understanding of the real needs and challenges faced by migrants particularly in relation to issues impacting on their gender. The guidance sector remains quite heterogeneous and there are no requirements for quality standards or for the qualification of staff. This is why more and more professionals as well as representatives of users claim compulsory quality standards and guidelines. Based on the above mentioned issues, the project titled “Move On - Migration & Gender: Vocational and Educational Counselling” aims to contribute to the strengthening of the skills of professionals who provide educational and career guidance as well as counselling to EU migrants, with a focus on gender and cultural sensitivity. Move On project is a highly innovative project aiming to share, develop and transfer effective practices, training and knowledge of professionals working with migrants and refugees. The project is supported by the Erasmus+ Programme, under KA2 “Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices: Strategic Partnerships for adult education”. It is coordinated by the IARS International Institute (United Kingdom) in partnership with Anziani E Non Solo (Italy), beramí berufliche Integration e.V. (Germany), KMOP – Family and Childcare Centre (Greece), Associazione Progetto Arcobaleno Onlus (Italy), Association for Legal Intervention – SIP (Poland) and SURT (Spain). As part of the project’s Intellectual Output 1, titled “State of the art gender and diversity sensitive educational and counselling methods”, all partner organisations conducted research with the aim to depict the situation regarding immigrant integration in the labour markets of the project involved countries, with emphasis on gender issues, as well as the corresponding vocational counselling and training services addressed to immigrants. In addition, the research aimed at the presentation of relevant good or promising practices pertaining to the provision of counselling and training services to immigrants, with emphasis on gender and cultural diversity issues, which constitute the state of the art. The findings of the research will contribute to the creation of an educational course for continuing professional development, certified by IARS International Institute, which will be addressed to professionals offering career counselling and professional orientation services. The educational course will take into account gender and cultural diversity issues. The present document is a comparative report of the six (6) national studies which were written in the native languages of partners. It presents the main findings from the desk and the field research conducted in Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom and some key recommendations.


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Literature Review Findings IMMIGRATION IN GERMANY, GREECE, ITALY, POLAND, SPAIN UNITED KINGDOM – STATISTICS With the exception of Poland, all rest involved to the project countries, i.e. United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Greece and Spain are counties with strong migration tradition. According to recent statistics of Eurostat, during 2015 in the United Kingdom the foreign-born population constitutes 13% of the total population, the respective percentages for Spain is 12,7%, for Germany is 12,6%, for Greece is 11,4%, for Italy is 9,5%, whereas in Poland the foreign-born population is only 1,6% of the total population. There is a variety in terms of the origin of the immigrants to the countries under study. In Italy, most of the immigrants arive from Romania, Albania, Morocco, China and Ukraine. In Greece, most immigrants came from Albania, Bulgaria and Romania, followed by groups from African and Asian countries. In Germany, one third of all immigrants are of EU origin, one third are of European non-EU origin, one third come from a variety of countries all over the world. The main countries of origin of the immigrant population in Spain are Romania, Morocco and Latin America countries, especially Ecuador and Colombia. In Poland, it is not possible to refer to the detailed ethnic characteristics of the foreign workers on the Polish market due to the divergence between the different sources of the official data; data on female foreigners of the Polish labour market reveal that the most important groups are constituted by the citizens of Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, as well as China and Vietnam; in addition, the category of citizens of the European Union, who registered their stay in Poland is dominated by German, Spanish and Romanian citizens. In the United Kingdom, the nationalities of immigrants which dominate are Indian, Pakistani, Polish, Irish, German, Australian, Nigerian and South African. In some of the countries under study, the phenomenon of migration is to a great extend related to the economic crisis as well us to the recent refugee and migrant crisis, both of which have affected Europe. For example, as a result of the crisis, both Spain and Greece are again countries of emigrants, but the percentages of immigrants returning to their home countries, remain low. In Germany, in 2014, eight of the ten most important countries of origin were states of the European Union, as the positive situation on the labour market attracts EU citizens. At the same time, in Germany, the first place among people applying for asylum in 2015 took Syrian citizens (about 159.000) and 52 percent of all initial applications for asylum were made by people from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Eritrea. In Italy, it has been roughly estimated that the number of newly arrived immigrants has been increased by 50% in only one year. In the United Kingdom, the number of migrants of working age has risen sharply from 2.9 million in 1993 to 6.6 million in 2014, with foreign born people now occupying 16.7% of total employment and estimated to contribute to 0.5-1% of economic growth. In terms of gender, in Germany men are lightly overrepresented in comparison to women (50.4 % to 49.6%). In the United Kingdom, women have constituted a small majority of the UK’s migrant population stock since at least 1993; in 2014, 54% of the foreign-born population were women. In Greece, in 2014, men compose 53,2% and women 46,8% of the immigrant population. In Spain, women make up for around the 50% of migrants. In Italy, immigrant women reach an average percentage of 51,3%. In Poland, the share of female migrants differs depending on the legal status of the various groups of foreigners on the Polish job market: women represent a relatively low share among foreigners working on the basis of work permit (27.61% of the total of foreigners who have been issued a work permit in 2015) or on the basis of statements to entrust work to a foreigner (38.35%) - and quite high among foreigners applying for international protection (almost half) and among foreigners applying for residence of a family member of an EU citizen (74.32%). As regards the occupations in which migrants are employed, they tend to work in low-skilled jobs, men usually in the first sector and construction and women mainly in home and care services. It is very common for immigrants, especially in Greece and in Spain, to work in the informal economy without employment contracts and insurance benefits. It is worth mentioning, though, that in Germany, new immigrants are much more often highly qualified than Germans without immigration background (39% with an academic qualification as opposed to 21%), so many immigrants in Germany work in higher job positions. Besides, in the U.K., where migrant workers are very crucial to medical and health sectors, 31% of the doctors and 13% of the nurses working in the UK were born abroad.

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Besides, the immigrants of the majority of the Move On project countries are affected by unemployment. In Greece, the unemployment rates of immigrants are much higher than those of the native population (they were at 34.2% compared to 25.5% of the native population in 2014), as a result of the economic crisis which has mostly affected those sectors of Greek economy where the largest portion of immigrant workers are employed, especially the construction sector. In Spain, unemployment rates among the whole of the population in Spain are very high (19.5 among men and 22.5 among women), but for migrants the rates are even higher: 27.3% of foreign men and 29.4% of women are unemployed; among both Spanish and foreign nationals, the highest unemployment rates are those of women. In the U.K., an estimated 1/4 of working-age non-EU citizens are not in employment, education or training in UK, according to 2011/2 estimates, a level which is lower than in most European countries, while the unemployment rates of visible minorities (of which many may be migrants) of working age remains high. On the contrary, in Germany, the unemployment rate of immigrants has declined from 18% in 2005 to 8.7% in 2014, and labour market participation has come to a similar percentage as among non-immigrants. However, immigrants are still underrepresented in higher job positions.

PROBLEMS / OBSTACLES FACED BY IMMIGRANTS REGARDING THEIR INTEGRATION AND THEIR ACCESS IN THE LABOUR MARKET The desk research carried out in the involved countries has identified a series of problems and obstacles that the immigrants face as regards their integration into the society and their access in the labour market. The main of them are presented below: Discriminations due to ethnic origin, religion or social factors, xenophobia, racial behaviours, prejudices, along with specific gendered stereotypes about both migrant men and women, prejudices Problems in finding employment suitable to immigrants’ skills and educational background, resulting to a mismatch between their educational level and the types of employment they end up in. Low level of school education and/or lack of vocational qualifications; immigrants and refugees with sought-after vocational qualifications have a good prospect of integration. Inadequate command of the national language of the countries they are hosted. Lack of work or residence permit/ loss of residence permit because of loss of job. Lack of knowledge of the national/local society and of the working culture and conditions. Difficulties in the recognition of education certificates and professional qualifications. Uneven distribution and/or lack of counselling and employability promoting services and other active labour market measures. High childcare costs or lack of childcare facilities, a major barrier to finding and staying in employment, particularly for women immigrants, who are in charge of family responsibilities. Precarious living conditions and lack of decent housing. In countries, such as Germany, the integration process of immigrants and refugees is influenced also by legal and structural factors and by individual preconditions. In particular, the legal frameworks for EU citizens, third country citizens and refugees differ, and regulate the access to services and support. Traumatisation, especially with refugees, may be an impediment as regards their integration into the society and the labour market.


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IMMIGRANT NEEDS REGARDING THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND INTEGRATION INTO THE LABOUR MARKET Undoubtedly, immigrants from the involved counties have increased needs as regards their employment and integration into the labour market. The main needs of immigrants can be summarised as follows: Learning the national languages of the countries they are hosted. Learning an additional language, such as English. IT skills. Vocational orientation and vocational training for specific professions. Recognition of qualifications and certificates accomplished in migrants’ countries of origin. Assessment of state of knowledge, requalification or upgrading of their qualifications. Developing soft, social and communication skills, as well as social integration and cultural diversity skills. Guidance and counselling support on a personal level, taking into account the different profiles and specific needs of immigrants, as well as a group level, in matters of professional orientation and career counselling. Training in employability issues, such as compiling a CV, filling out job applications, interview techniques etc. Information on counselling support services, as well as employment and training programmes Information on the labour conditions and the labour legislation, as well as familiarisation with the country’s labour culture. Provision of free or of affordable fee services. Flexibility as regards the counselling and training hours, taking also into account both working and family obligations of the immigrants. Provision of child care services during the sessions of the counseling services. Access to study grants and public benefits, so as to improve their education and their skills.

GENDER INEQUALITIES IN THE LABOUR MARKET Despite the fact that gender equality has been promoted by a series of laws and policies at all countries under study, gender inequalities and discriminations against women still exist in the labour market. The main of them include: Inequalities as regards career progression towards the higher tiers of employment in terms of hierarchy (the “glass ceiling” phenomenon), with women being typically underrepresented. Women are generally employed at lower levels. They earn less money than men, even when they do the same jobs. Women are prone to working part time or to remaining outside the labour market, due to family responsibilities.

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Especially migrant women have a higher risk of unemployment and are usually employed in sectors such as cleaning, child and elderly care in which unregulated, informal and part-time employment is the norm.

COUNSELLING AND SUPPORT SERVICES PROMOTING IMMIGRANT EMPLOYMENT In all six involved countries, there is a variety of counselling and support services addressed to immigrants, with the aim to support them and reinforce their employability. Some of these are tailored to their specific needs and issues, while there are also few services which are gender sensitive. At the same time, in all countries there was a number of employment related programmes specifically targeting migrants, refugees as well as ethnic minorities. These services are offered by public and private employment services, VET agencies, trade unions, Universities, municipalities, nongovernmental organisations, centres and clubs of social integration, charities, associations, banks’ foundations, etc. The main services provided include: Psychosocial counselling and support; Career counselling and professional orientation; Education and specific vocational training programmes; Legal counselling and information on immigrants’ rights; Information services for immigrants; Basic IT skills and language learning programmes; “Welcoming programmes” for recently arrived migrants providing information and support on a variety of issues (such as registering as a city resident, residence permits, legal counselling, job search or housing, formal recognition of previous education).

Field Research Findings All partner organisations carried out interviews and/or focus groups with both immigrants and relevant professionals, so as further explore the current situation as regards the needs of immigrants in their integration in the labour markets of the involved countries, as well as the corresponding vocational counselling and training services addressed to them. In particular, in Greece, two focus groups were organised, one consisting of 5 immigrant men and women and 5 experts and professionals in the field. In Germany, 3 persons with an immigration background and 2 qualified workers/ experts were interviewed. In Spain, 4 face-to-face interviews with migrant women of different origins and 3 face-to-face/phone interviews with professionals working at several NGO-based labour insertion programmes in Barcelona and Madrid were organised. In Poland, 7 individual interviews with immigrant women as well as one focus group interview with 3 immigrant women were conducted. In the UK, four immigrant women and four professionals who work with migrants were interviewed. In Italy, 7 interviews to stakeholders and 6 interviews to migrant women have been realised. The main findings of the field research are summarized below:

IMMIGRANT FOCUS GROUPS/ INTERVIEWS Immigrants’ integration into the labour market: there was a multitude of opinions by the immigrants as regards their integration into the labour market. Some of them, for instance immigrants who currently live in Italy, in Germany and in A COMPARATIVE STUDY INTO GENDER,MIGRATION AND COUNSELLING IN EUROPE

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Greece, believe that they have been integrated in the labour market without facing any particular problems, whereas other expressed a different opinion, for instance the immigrants who live in Poland, in Spain and in the U.K. Those who have been easily integrated stated that their fellow nationals or informal networks of contacts were very assistive in the adjustment and integration process. Those immigrants who faced many difficulties in their integration believe that the State is not appropriately prepared to assist in immigrants’ integration, and in some cases, e.g. in Poland, immigrants expressed the opinion that the public institutions are not able to conduct a coherent and effective integration policy. They claimed that the employment services did not provide them with any support and they had to find a job on their own. Main problems/ challenges faced by immigrants as regards their integration into the labour market: The main problem faced by the majority of the immigrants was the lack or in few cases the poor knowledge of the languages of the host countries, which inhibited their integration into the labour market. Many of them mentioned that they felt treated as less competent by the employers, because of their poor language skills. Another problem mentioned by many immigrants was the mismatch between their educational qualifications and their current employment position, as most of them are employed in low skilled jobs, despite their higher level of educational qualifications; this problem is also associated to the lack of recognition of their qualifications, which was emphasized by many participants in the focus groups and interviews. Few of the participants mentioned facing integration problems attributable to their origin or cultural differences. However, many immigrant women opined that they felt discriminated against due to their gender and that they are more vulnerable to all types of abuse as compared to men in the same situation. They also underlined that women are preferred compared to men in jobs that are considered to be appropriate for women, such as waiting, cleaning, child and elderly care. Other problems and barriers mentioned include the high childcare costs, in parallel with the family responsibilities as well as the non-knowledge of the national workplace culture and system. Immigrants’ educational/ training and career counselling needs: First of all, the majority of the immigrants stressed their need for learning the national language of the country they are currently hosted, in the belief that this would improve their employment prospects and open up new career opportunities. They also believe that language skills are necessary to benefit from relevant counselling and information services or access qualification trainings. They also stated educational / vocational counselling as essential for their process of integration along with training in soft skills and specific vocational training. In addition, many participants stated their need to receive information on ways of qualification for a vocational certificate, job profiles, standards for applications, and the range of counselling services available. Finally, emphasis was given by some immigrants on their need to improve their literacy skills, including IT skills. Use of career guidance and counselling services by immigrants in the country they currently live: There is a variety of opinions by the respondents as regards the use of career guidance and counselling services and their experiences with the services they used. For instance, the participants from Greece have not used such services, since they do not consider it likely that such support would change their employment status or improve their career prospects. On a similar note, participants from Poland complained about the quality of assistance offered to them both by the public institutions and non-governmental organisations, as even though there are many organisations offering help to foreigners in finding a job - their services are most often limited to searching for jobs on the Internet. Likewise, in the United Kingdom, the respondents stated that these services offer very generic help which is not tailored to the specific needs of immigrants and refugees. In Italy, some of the respondents claimed that the counselling services they used were very useful, supportive and gender and culturally sensitive; on the other hand, some other women do not feel satisfied with the provision of the services of their area. Finally, the participants from Germany appreciated the fact that their educational qualifications and their competences gained on the job or informally had been acknowledged and taken into account for the counselling process.

EXPERTS’ / PROFESSIONALS’ FOCUS GROUPS/ INTERVIEWS Services provided by the experts and professionals who participated in the field research: The experts and professionals provide a variety of services addressed to vulnerable groups, including women as well as immigrants. In some of the services immigrants and refugees are the main groups which are supported, to whom it is also provided culturallinguistic mediation. The services which are provided at both individual and group level, include: Career and professional counselling;

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Networking with employment agencies; Job search support, including support for filling in job applications and for elaborating CVs; Legal assistance and information on the countries’ working systems; Language courses; Internships and apprenticeships programmes for immigrants; Support on the recognition of foreign certificates and of vocational qualifications; Family support services. Experts’ and professionals’ opinions on the barriers and problems faced by immigrants as regards their access to the services: The participant experts and professionals mentioned that immigrants face many barriers and problems as regards their access to these organisations and agencies which provide career counselling and employability services. The most important of them are: Language: those who are not familiar with the language seldom approach such services and they also have little access to the corresponding information about these services; Many immigrants are not aware of the existence of these services as well as of the procedures for approaching these services; in most cases, access to these services is based on word-of-mouth among immigrant communities; Long waiting lists, difficulties for fixing individual appointment and other issues of bureaucracy which inhibit their access especially to the public services. It is noteworthy, however, that some of the respondents, from Italy and from Germany, did not mention any barrier; on the contrary, the participant experts from Germany mentioned that the access to the services of their organisations is easy, as there are little preconditions to be fulfilled, appointments can be made on the phone or in person, and the flyers and homepages are multilingual. Experts’ and professionals’ opinions on immigrants educational and counselling needs: The experts and the professionals from the participant to the Move On project countries stated that immigrants have increased educational and counselling needs as regards their integration into the labour market. The main of them are summarised as follows: Learning of the national language of the country that immigrants currently live; Vocational training; Acquiring of specific qualifications or skills immediately usable in the labour market; Job-search assistance programmes, subsidised contracts and subsidies; Counselling support aiming at immigrants’ personal empowerment and self-confidence; Training on “horizontal” skills and skills that pertain to the jobs typically undertaken by immigrants; Career and professional counselling and orientation including matching of immigrants’ skills and qualifications with their employment position; Recognition of qualifications and certificates, which were acquired in their home countries; A COMPARATIVE STUDY INTO GENDER,MIGRATION AND COUNSELLING IN EUROPE

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Provision of more flexible training programmes and credentials, adapted to the needs and access possibilities of migrants/migrant women, considering their social, political and economic circumstances as well as their family obligations; More and better information on the available training and counselling programmes. Gender and cultural diversity issues: As regards gender and cultural diversity issues when it comes to service provision, all professionals and experts stated that they place particular attention to them, as they put considerable effort to ensure that approaches are gender and culturally sensitive, taking into account and respecting diversity. However, they stated that there are no specific quality standards or guidelines on gender and culture sensitive approaches which are applied in their organisations, with a few exceptions, for instance the German organisations as well as one association promoted by the Italian Confederation of Workers’ Trade Unions or the Employment Centre of Firenze which are based on national guidelines on the issue. Besides, the participants from the majority of the involved countries consider that their employing organisations’ staff is inadequately trained to offer gender- and culturally sensitive counselling services; especially there is an increased need for public officers and NGOs staff to be trained on migration and cultural diversity issues, so as to better understand their needs and to offer quality services. There are some exceptions in Italy. Finally, in Germany, where their counselling teams are multilingual and possess intercultural counselling competences, experts believe that gender and diversity sensitive counselling is indeed practiced.

Key recommendations to improve counselling services addressed to immigrants: outcomes from Move On Based on the findings from the national studies, the following recommendations are proposed, on which the Move On educational course will focus, which could improve the quality and the effectiveness of the career counselling and training programmes which are addressed to immigrants: Personalised counselling support tailored to the personal profiles, the skills and needs of both men and women immigrants, taking into account their specific cultural and gender characteristics and aiming at their personal empowerment. Development of specific training programmes based on the knowledge, skills and the specific needs of immigrant men and women, taking also into account current labour market conditions as well as the need to combat gender and race stereotypes and inequalities existing in employment. Training of counsellors and trainers providing services to immigrants and refugees in migration and refugee issues, as well as in modern training and counselling methods and tools for immigrants and refugees. Training on gender and diversity sensitive counselling as part of counsellors’ and trainers’ professional training. Introduction and application of methodologies and guidelines, as well as quality standards in providing counselling services so that they are sensitive to gender and cultural diversity issues. Improved information on the available counselling and training services, both at the level of the information provided to immigrants and at the level of coordination among existing services. Improvement of the validation systems of the involved countries, in order immigrants’ degrees and competences to be recognized and to be exploited accordingly in the labour market.

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REFERENCES

References Benton, M., Sumption, M., Alsvik, K., Fratzke, S., Kuptsch, C. & Papademetriou, D. G. (2014). Aiming Higher: Policies to Get Immigrants into Middle-Skilled Work in Europe. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute and International Labour Organisation. Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/aiminghigher-policies-get-immigrants-middle-skilled-work-europe

Eurostat. (2016). Migration and Migrant Population Statistics. Retrieved July 21, 2016, from http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Migration_ and_migrant_population_statistics&oldid=264684http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ statistics-explained/index.php/Migration_and_migrant_population_statistics/


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY GENDER AND MIGRATION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM The IARS International Institute

UNITED KINGDOM 16

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Move On:

Gender and migration in the United Kingdom

About the project The Gender and Migration MOVE ON project is an EU funded 2 year programme led by the IARS International Institute in the UK and carried out in 6 partner countries from 7 partner organisations. MOVE ON aims to strengthen the skills of professionals who provide educational and career guidance as well as counselling to EU migrants, with a focus on gender and cultural sensitivity. The MOVE ON project is a highly innovative programme aiming to share, develop and transfer effective practices, training and knowledge of professionals working with migrants and refugees. Particular emphasis is given to issues impacting on gender and culture. The MOVE ON project is carried out in the framework of Erasmus KA 2 (Adult) as it aims to create, support, develop and serve strategic partnerships in the area of training, educational and awareness raising activities that will allow better integration of marginalised migrant groups putting an emphasis on gender based issues. It also aims to improve services that are being provided to them making them able to resolve daily issues.

Key objective of the UK report The report investigates the UK context in relation to issues of migration and gender. It starts by presenting demographics of current migration into Britain and employment policies, moving on to discussing gender inequalities in the labour market and mapping educational and career services for migrants, including those coming from the European Union, third country nationals (non-EU migrants), asylum seekers with limited work permit and refugees. Spousal immigrants and domestic workers are two categories that are particularly important when discussing the intersection between gender and migration in the UK. The overarching aim of this research report was to define good, innovative and promising practices in career and educational guidance for migrants in the United Kingdom. The ultimate objective was to identify gaps in the provision of counselling services to migrant and refugee groups particularly within the context of gender and the labour market. Recommendations for the Move On EU-wide project are produced with the aim of addressing the identified gaps.

Methodology A qualitative methodology was chosen to carry out this piece of research. STAGE 1: Literature review explored migrants’ access to labour market in the UK, with a particular focus on women and gender inequality in the labour market. The search for materials included three main types of sources i) academia ii) research, policy and journalistic output of third-sector organisations and iii) public sector research and policy output and other grey literature. STAGE 2: We also carried out a mapping exercise of educational and career services for migrants in the UK STAGE 3: We interviewed four migrant women and four professionals who work with migrants. Research


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participants were recruited through IARS Women’s Advisory Board as well as our network of professional contacts. STAGE 4: The findings were analysed and were part of consultation with the IARS Women’s Advisory Board (consisting of migrant and refugee women).

Policy context About the only way workers from outside the EU can work in the UK is if they meet the criteria in Tier 2 of the Points Based Visa System introduced by the previous Labour government in 2008. They have to be skilled and sponsored by an employer for a job included on the “skills shortage list”. Last year, some 52,200 non-EU nationals were allowed into the UK—15,000 “general” workers, 36,500 workers relocated by a multinational company (Intra-Company Transfers, or ICTs), 400 ministers of religion and 150 sports persons. Some 15,000 migrant domestic workers come to Britain every year accompanying well-to-do families, most of them from the Gulf, and often staying in London’s wealthiest neighbourhoods. In 2012 the UK government made it illegal for migrant domestic workers to change employers. Some then endure treatment that has no place in modern society: having their passports confiscated, working extremely long hours without breaks and sometimes no pay, physical and psychological abuse, being locked in the home, sleeping on the floor, living off food scraps. Sometimes they are not allowed mobile phones or cash to buy basic goods. Another piece of restrictive immigration policy is the 2015 Immigration Bill which features several changes to the way in which migrants interact with the UK labour market. A key change was the introduction of the crime of ‘illegal working.’ The Bill makes illegal working a criminal offence in its own right, with a maximum custodial sentence of six months and/or a fine of the statutory maximum (unlimited in England and Wales). This will allow wages paid to all illegal workers to be recoverable under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (gov.uk 2015).

Findings The landscape of migrant labour in the UK is changing dramatically. The number of migrants of working age has risen sharply from 2.9 million in 1993 to 6.6 million in 2014, with foreign born people now occupying 16.7% of total employment (Rienzo, 2015) and estimated to contribute to 0.5-1% of economic growth (Focus Migration). The Migration Observatory found that “the presence of foreign-born workers has grown fastest in relatively low-skilled sectors and occupations” (Rienzo, 2015). Despite the high proportion of migrant workers in the low-skilled process operatives sector (up from 8.5% in 2002 to 32.0% in 2014), migrant workers are also crucial to medical and health sectors, with 31% of the doctors and 13% of the nurses working in the UK born abroad (focus migration). Other sectors of immigrant concentration, for which statistics are available, are education (13% of teaching staff), hospitality (70% of catering jobs), and agriculture (70,000 migrant workers help in harvesting according to National Farmers Union). In the United Kingdom, public services depend on migrants; migrant workers account for 18% of care workers, 23% of nurses, 19% of childminders and related occupations, and 14% of social workers. Women’s employment in the health sector, in particular, has significantly contributed to altering the gender balance in skilled migration. Throughout the 1960s, the UK depended on Caribbean and Irish female nurse migration. In the UK the number of female migrant nurses rose by 49,000 or 92% from 1997 to 2004 compared to an increase of 1% among non-migrant nurses. Male migrant nurses displayed an even higher percentage rise of 184% (15,000) during this period, but the proportion of male nurses to female nurses still remains small. A significant number of migrant doctors in the UK – about 54% of new full registrants to the General Medical Council in 2002 – are women. In England in 2000 40.2 per cent of EEA doctors, 36.75 per cent of UK qualified doctors and 26.2 per cent of non-EEA doctors were women. As such, it was the EEA qualified medical migrant workforce that was the most feminised. The specific challenges faced by immigrant communities, especially low-educated men and women, go unaddressed by the UK’s even weaker targeted measures under austerity, at a time when most other similar countries are expanding their support. An estimated 1/4 of working-age non-EU citizens are not in employment, education or training in UK,

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according to 2011/2 estimates. This level is lower than in most European countries and similar to the levels in Nordic countries. This low level belies inequalities emerge between the high vs. low-educated and especially between men and women. Not in Education, Employment or Training category (NEET) levels are higher among high-educated women (27%) than among men (just 7%) and much higher among low-educated women (60%) than among men (28%). In contrast, in the Nordic countries, non-EU men and women tend to be equally participating in the labour market, education and training. Unemployment rates of visible minorities (of which many may be migrants) of working age remains high. The National Office of statistics has found that “overall, the visible minority unemployment rate has remained double that of the White population” and more specifically that “unemployment rates are highest among the Bangladeshi community, at 38%, or over nine times the national rate of 4.1% (2001-2002 figures).” Visible minorities (migrant or not), with the exception of Chinese men, also earn poorer wages that white workers. The gendered distribution of working migrants has also shifted in the last ten years. Pre- 2005 foreign born women outnumbered men in the UK labour market, but we have now moved to a much more even distribution in the gender of the migrant work force.

Career and educational counselling services i. Where are counselling support/ service found for migrant and refugee women? Prior to 2010, under New Labour government, there was a number of employment related programmes specifically targeting migrants, refugees as well as ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom. This changed dramatically with the Conservative – Liberal Democrats coalition government. The point of access for all the programmes in the UK is the Jobcentre or Jobcentre Plus. These are government funded agencies which provide information and pay benefits and allowances to people who are seeking work, and which administer discretionary payments. They are also responsible for holding lists of open jobs in a given area and providing help to look for work or training. The number of people who are able to access mainstream programmes is now limited as under immigration law migrants such as domestic workers often work for a specific employer in the UK, or come here under the highly skilled migration scheme which lands them into employment straight away. On the other hand, European Union nationals are basically left to their own devices, and, depending on their English language skills, are often forced to do menial jobs. To sum up, there is no specialised career and educational guidance for migrant and refugee women in the UK. We identified three examples of good practice with regards to support with labour market inclusion for migrants and refugees, all based in London. Two of them are not gender specific, whilst the third one is specifically aimed at women given the gendered character of domestic work.

MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTRE http://www.migrantsresourcecentre.org.uk The MRC offers a range of free services to support migrants, refugees and asylum seekers on their journey towards integration into their host society. It helps our users to understand the UK educational and labour market system, the options that are available to them and how best to find a job in different sectors. They offer one-to-one advice sessions on learning, training and employment as part of the National Careers service and run job search support groups, employability workshops and preparation for interview sessions. MRC also help our users to find voluntary placements to gain work experience through one-to-one careers advice sessions. The Centre also runs a variety of courses and activities that improve the skills of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees to enable them to realise their full potential and find employment. In addition, the activities help reduce isolation and improve users’ confidence. BREAKING BARRIERS http://www.breaking-barriers.co.uk Breaking Barriers offer a holistic service designed to make sure that refugees can find meaningful employment that is commensurate with their skills, experience and qualifications. By doing so they help their successful settlement in, and integration with, local communities. Breaking Barriers runs employability workshops to get refugees ready for the workplace by providing invaluable skills and knowledge, as well as the confidence to enter the labour market. This prepares refugees for our existing work placement/permanent job services. The courses include employment language skills, CV writing, understanding the British working system etc. For more advanced individuals, there are mock interviews, assessment centres and presentation training. The workshops are also an opportunity to host English language classes and informal social events, as well as to invite business partners to come in and run training and A COMPARATIVE STUDY INTO GENDER,MIGRATION AND COUNSELLING IN EUROPE

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recruitment sessions. The organisation also partners with a number of organisations from a range of sectors to offer refugees work placements, apprenticeships and full-time jobs that are commensurate with their skills, experience and qualifications. KALAYAAN http://www.kalayaan.org.uk Kalayaan works with migrant domestic workers in the UK to improve and to help them access their rights. Migrant domestic workers are predominantly women who have entered the UK with a named employer to work in the employer’s private household. Unfortunately a large number of the workers who come to Kalayaan have recently escaped exploitative employment, including forced labour and trafficking for domestic servitude. Kalayaan offers individual advice and support to migrant domestic workers in the UK as well as using this experience to produce data and briefings on the situation of migrant domestic workers in the UK, to feed into policy and to push for improvements of the rights of migrant domestic workers. Moreover, anti-trafficking work Kalayaan’s services are open to all migrant domestic workers in the UK, irrespective of any exploitation they may, or may not have, experienced at the hands of their employers.

ii.

What are the key challenges in terms of providing counselling to this particular group?

The advisers at jobcentres offer very generic help and have no training on immigration and asylum law hence they have limited understanding of migrants’ rights in the British labour market. The women that we interviewed for the project, especially one asylum seeker with a limited right to work that only covers certain professions, raised it as the main concern. She went to a jobcentre once, and never came back as she found it very frustrating to explain her legal situation to a member of staff who was clueless about her immigration status. Those women who were eventually granted refugee status experienced significant deskilling due to long gaps on their CVs. This is because the asylum process in the UK often takes a very long time, sometimes even 10 years, including subsequent refusals, appeals, judicial review etc., and most asylum seekers do not have a work permit at all. In a very competitive British labour market, especially in London, such a long period of worklessness makes it often virtually impossible to find work, especially a job that would be in line with a refugee’s previous education and experience. The job advisers carry out work focused interviews aimed at encouraging people who have been out of work for a significant amount of time to consider ways of entering the labour market, but these are not tailored to needs of refugees and other migrants. They are compulsory for some people, for example for people making new or repeat applications for income support. If an individual is invited to a work focused interview and does not attend, benefits can be reduced. An adviser at a jobcentre typically spends less than half an hour with a client, a session which can be easily spent trying to establish basic details of a person seeking employment. But how do they begin to offer real guidance to a person who doesn’t speak English well, whose skills are very different to those required by their new local labour market, and who may come from a country where career guidance doesn’t even exist? Tailored culturally relevant support for migrants, let alone gender sensitive help, is virtually non-existent. iii.

What are our recommendations specifically in terms of improving counselling support to this particular group?

a) Special targeted services for refugees and migrants are needed as the generic ones do not cater for their complex needs. Women that we interviewed felt that those don’t necessarily need to be gender specific, but instead pointed out to the necessity of having staff knowledgeable about migration and asylum systems. b) Colleges that offer vocational training should be free for adults (currently they offer courses free of charge only for young people under the age of 25). c) Recognition of foreign qualifications ought to be made easier. d) There should be a system of orientation training, placements and apprenticeships set up tailored to people with no previous work experience in the UK. e) Migrant women with limited literacy skills, including computer literacy, should be provided tailored support when looking for work. Instructing them to apply for jobs online is simply not going to be effective.

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Gender inequality in the labour market Migration patterns are highly gendered. In the past it was often assumed that men usually migrated for employment or education, while women moved for marriage or family reunification. Increasingly, the picture has become much more diverse, for both women and men, with more women now migrating for education or employment purposes. Conflict and climate change has also influenced the gender specificity of migration patterns, as well as unequal and discriminatory social norms and institutions which often play a key role in shaping female migration decisions. Issues and considerations for migrant women workers include the following: Childcare costs Family responsibilities Cuts to English classes, NGOs and community centres Visa issues (changing employer etc.) Knowledge of British workplace culture and systems Conscious or unconscious discrimination against intersecting issues of migrant, race, gender, refugee status, country of origin etc. Whilst some of thefindings around language barriers, racism and rejection are predictable, the most astonishing finding was the high level of educational qualifications and lack of commensurate employment among migrant women. Nearly 92% of women had been enrolled in formal education prior to coming to Britain, and nearly 58% of women had one or more graduate and post-graduate degrees. Despite this, a majority of women were not in paid employment, and those who were, were working mostly in part-time jobs that were well below their abilities. Women feared their ‘economic vulnerability’ if they were reliant on their husbands because they were unemployed or worked in unpaid jobs. The fact of being on a spousal visa with an expiry date also made them less attractive to employers. Within Europe, women migrants from the Eastern European accession countries were also affected by deskilling - the bulk of migrants since 2004 have filled low skilled jobs in old EU countries. They are now covered by EU regulations concerning the recognition of qualifications but it is not yet clear to what extent, as they improve their language skills and settle in, they will be able to move into more qualified employment reflecting their educational level.

Conclusions In summary, there are very varied categories of migrants who are allowed to work in the UK. The government limits most labour migration to highly skilled categories (work permits, highly skilled migrant programme). EEA migration and in particular the relatively recent migration of A8 workers, has led to migrants filling a range of lower skilled jobs. In addition, there is a large group of dependants who need not qualify to come to the UK in their own right but have free access to the labour market once here within the UK. Once legally in the UK, provision of services to assist migrants in access to jobs varies depending on their exact immigration status. There is a range of provision for refugees and EEA nationals but very limited for most migrants in the UK on the basis of work. The UK attracts people to do jobs that the economy requires but then leaves many immigration categories in a position which makes integration in the labour market (at least initially) only a limited possibility. Most immigration categories only allow the individual to do a specific job, although notably the spouses of many of the restricted categories have full, unrestricted access to the employment market, making up a significant group of migrant labour. So although these migrants initially come to the UK to work and thereby support the economy of the UK, until they obtain indefinite leave to remain, most will not be eligible to access the entire job market or programmes to find work. And if they find themselves out of work, many are not entitled to support. With policies halfway favourable, the UK opens access to jobs, mainstream services and procedures to recognise foreign qualifications and skills, but expects them to pursue jobs and training without study grants and many social benefits. A COMPARATIVE STUDY INTO GENDER,MIGRATION AND COUNSELLING IN EUROPE

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The UK’s weak targeted support is now even weaker since 2011/2 austerity measures (-3 points on labour market mobility). Immigrants are unlikely to benefit from any special support. Non-EU citizens enjoy generally equal access, except to public benefits and study grants. Over time, they are relatively well-integrated into the UK’s inequitable labour market, and the high numbers of university-educated are working and pursuing training like their educated UK-born peers. Both low-educated UK- and non-EU-born are more likely to be out of work, especially low-educated non-EU women; male non-EU workers suffer greater in-work poverty without sufficient wages or benefits; the UK’s few targeted measures focus more on high-educated (e.g. recognition and bridging) than on low-educated (e.g. limited/ fragmented English for Speakers of Other Languages ESOL funding). Both general and targeted policies leave many loweducated behind, with disparate impacts on non-EU-born men and women.

Examples of good practice BREAKING BARRIERS http://www.breaking-barriers.co.uk Breaking Barriers offer a holistic service designed to make sure that refugees can find meaningful employment that is commensurate with their skills, experience and qualifications. By doing so they help their successful settlement in, and integration with, local communities. Breaking Barriers runs employability workshops to get refugees ready for the workplace by providing invaluable skills and knowledge, as well as the confidence to enter the labour market. This prepares refugees for our existing work placement/permanent job services. The courses include employment language skills, CV writing, understanding the British working system etc. For more advanced individuals, there are mock interviews, assessment centres and presentation training. The workshops are also an opportunity to host English language classes and informal social events, as well as to invite business partners to come in and run training and recruitment sessions. The organisation also partners with a number of organisations from a range of sectors to offer refugees work placements, apprenticeships and full-time jobs that are commensurate with their skills, experience and qualifications.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY STATE OF ART GENDER AND DIVERSITY SENSITIVE EDUCATIONAL AND COUNSELLING METHODS Anziani e non solo società cooperativa Licia Boccaletti, Elena Mattioli Associazione Progetto Arcobaleno Onlus Tiziana Chiappelli, Arianna Donati

ITALY


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STATE OF ART GENDER AND DIVERSITY SENSITIVE EDUCATIONAL AND COUNSELLING METHODS

The Italian context In 2014 the number of immigrants in Italy regularly registered was 5.014.000 (8,6% relating to the Italian population)1, mainly arriving from Romania, Albania, Morocco, China and Ukraine. Their territorial distribution varied among regions, mostly in Northern Italy (59.3%) with an average percentage of women reaching 51,3%. Those regularly employed were 2.294.000 among which 1.238.000 men and 1.056.000 women. Those data referred to a period preceding the present migratory crisis: it has been roughly estimated that the number of newly arrived immigrants has been increased by 50% in only one year.

Methodology The desk research focused on different aspects of the issue: after a brief overview on the latest statistical data related to migrants in Italy, the research analysed with a gender perspective their main obstacles/problems and their consequent needs concerning access to the labour market. Articles were searched using the key-words: “migrant women”, “foreign women” in combination with the words “gender inequalities”, “orientation”, “work”. Words were searched both in Italian and English. We included sources referring to the Italian national context, except for the characteristics of the orientation sector and the specific services addressed to migrant women that were examined on a territorial basis, looking at the Regions were ANS and Arcobaleno are based, respectively: Emilia Romagna and Toscana. The field research was conducted through semi-structured questionnaires addressed to two different target groups: stakeholders and migrant women. The interviewed stakeholders were chosen among those who are providing a service of – but not be limited to professional counselling to users’ profiles that include migrants women. Those services, mainly operating in Emilia Romagna and Toscana Regions, belong to the public, private or social private sectors. The sampling criteria followed to select migrant women were: not being Italian, have a previous experience of job research in Italy and a good knowledge of the Italian language. Immigrants were recruited in Emilia Romagna Region through the job intermediation service in the care sector run by Anziani e non solo, while in Toscana Region they were individuated through the network of institutional and personal contacts and the services provided by Associazione Progetto Arcobaleno. These sample of migrant women may not be fully representative or either statistical of all the typologies of migrants currently present in the country: some nationalities are missing as well as second generation or newly arrived foreigners. On the whole there have been realized 7 interviews to stakeholders and 6 interviews to migrants women.

Findings from the desk research PROBLEMS/ OBSTACLES FACED BY THE IMMIGRANTS REGARDING THEIR INTEGRATION AND THEIR ACCESS IN THE LABOUR MARKET 1

The latest official data on immigration in Italy here presented are contained in the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) reports, the Statistical Dossier on Immigration and the Fifth Annual Report on “Migrants in the labour market in Italy” released by the Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies.

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Among all the problems that immigrants usually face during their integration process, the residence permit is one of the first and most important ones as it is tightly linked to the possession of a regular job contract. For this reason, having an employment becomes necessary to develop all other aspect of life. The types of jobs that immigrants usually have access to are in low-skilled sectors (in 2016, the jobs of 29,9% of immigrants are lower that their qualifications and skills (ISTAT, L’integrazione degli stranieri e dei naturalizzati nel mercato del lavoro, 2015) with low salaries and often lacking of regular contracts. The difficulties in the recognition of their professional qualifications and in the learning of the Italian language along with a tendency to a selective professional counselling based on ethnic-racial prejudices and discriminations, contribute to this situation of low social mobility. The labour sectors that mainly employ immigrant men are the construction and agriculture ones, while women are more often hired in the care or cleaning sectors, those occupations are also known as “3D”: Dirty, Dangerous, Demanding. Immigrants also often victims of discriminations, xenophobia and racial phenomena: in 2013 the 68,7% of discrimination denunciations was for ethnic-racial issues (UNAR, Dalle discriminazioni ai diritti, 2014).

IMMIGRANTS TRAINING/ EDUCATIONAL / COUNSELLING NEEDS

One of the main need is the linguistic training, perceived by migrant women as an essential step for an effective integration and also considered important to access services and opportunities to find a better job or/and to help recovering their parental role. The recognition of the trainings already accomplished in their country of origin and the requalification or upgrading of their qualifications are other important necessities that reveal how much the process is still difficult and complex in Italy (Malfone, 2006), even more for migrants with a refugee status. (Progetto PRO.RI.TI.S., 2011)

GENDER INEQUALITIES IN THE LABOUR MARKET

According to the Global Gender Gap Index 2015, Italy holds the 109th position among 145 Countries concerning salary inequalities between men and women: in Italy women are generally employed at lower levels and less paid. Keeping in mind the “habit” to employ migrant in 3D jobs, thus migrant women combine two “disadvantages”. As a result, migrant women are the social group less paid, earning -7,4% of migrants men and 27% of Italian women (Pizzalunga, 2012 – on 2008 data) and almost 50% of them work in the personal care service sector (Ginevra, 2015).

EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AFFECTING IMMIGRANTS AND/OR GENDER ISSUES

The Italian policies concerning immigrations are tightly connected to the working status of the migrant. According to the “Decreto-flussi” (L. n.40/1998), the Government periodically plan the number of migrants that can regularly enter in the country, thus finding and keep a job is an essential need to remain in Italy. Concerning the gender issue, the laws on victims of trafficking and domestic violence (art.18 and 18 bis of TU) support the first type of victims by providing professional training, internships in companies, help for job searching and job placement. Other important measures, even if not limited to migrant women, are related to the domestic work sector, to which many regional and national initiatives are addressed to solve the irregular work that is still most diffused.

DESCRIPTION OF THE OF THE CAREER ADVICE & COUNSELLING SECTOR In Italy, career counsellors work mostly in and for: Schools Universities VET agencies Public and private employment services Services aimed to support social inclusion Counselling activities may include some or all of the following functions: Educational (aimed to support self-orientation and wellbeing of the client and to encourage pro-active behaviors) Informative (supporting the activation capacity of the client, through the provision of knowledge) Tutoring (in the framework of specific transition processes, to prevent their failing) A COMPARATIVE STUDY INTO GENDER,MIGRATION AND COUNSELLING IN EUROPE

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Counselling (to support the development of individual career plans of the client) Concerning the qualification of professionals in the sector, there is no standard educational curriculum for career counsellors, however in 2014 an agreement2 between the Italian Government, Regional and Local Governments set minimum standards for the provision of counselling services, including minimum skills for professionals. It is interesting to mention that the list of identified skills does not include any reference to gender or cultural related issues. Concerning regional specificities: EMILIA-ROMAGNA REGION. The career advice and counselling sector in the region are provided mainly by the Public Services for Employment: they offer to unemployed or employed persons free individual counselling interviews to better understand personal professional inclination and interests and to provide information on training and working opportunities, group laboratories for the active job search. The service Informagiovani, Universities and VET Institutions offer specialised services for, respectively, young people and students. None of those services is specifically addressed to women or/and migrants, nevertheless within every regional Employment Centres there are linguistic-cultural mediators to facilitate immigrants. Concerning the gender, the regional Anti-violence Centres promote services for professional counselling and support to job placement to women: guidance interviews, motivational courses, tutoring and cultural mediation. TOSCANA REGION. Also in this region the services of professional counselling are mainly provided by the Employment Centres, that helps around 300.000 every year and are mostly funded by ESF. Within the programme “Giovani Sì” some initiatives were specifically addressed to the employability of young women. Concerning immigrants, in the ex-province of Florence, now called Metropolitan City, within the Employment Centres there are specific desk for migrants, with information services run by operators trained on intercultural issues, legal experts on working sector and linguistic-cultural mediators. DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC CAREER GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES/ INITIATIVES TARGETING IMMIGRANTS EMILIA-ROMAGNA REGION. Even if there are no specific career guidance and counselling services for immigrants in the region, there have been found many local initiatives with this target, including - usually not exclusively – counselling services: for instance, Women Intercultural Centres and Associations of Immigrant women (Engroba Oberti & Cataneo, 2009). Concerning refugees and asylum seekers, the SPRAR system (System for the Protection of Asylum seekers and Refugees) in Emilia Romagna (as well as all around Italy) offers professional counselling and support for work placement: even if women are less numerous than men (17% - Fiorini, 2015) in the last few years some specific reception projects for migrant women have been developed (Bassi, 2015). TOSCANA REGION. Professional counselling services are mainly part of Employment Centres. In some specific metropolitan areas, organizations of the private social sector run these services on behalf of the public bodies, providing migrants with linguistic mediators and, sometimes, legal assenstance (Bracci, 2012). Associazione Progetto Arcobaleno itself manage one of them, consistently with some voluntary activities for migrants’ reception. Supporting and integrating these services, many local organizations (trade unions and migrant associations) offer professional counselling and support for entering the labour market, in some cases with specific attention to women (i.e. ANOLF - Associazione Nazionale Oltre le Frontiere of the CISL trade union or NOSOTRAS, which also develops tailor-made projects for migrant women). There are also SPRAR centres that have realized various activities and projects of professional counselling and work placement support to refugees and asylum seekers, without any specific gender-oriented initiatives.

2

Accordo tra Governo, Regioni ed Enti locali sul documento recante: “Definizioni di standard minimi dei servizi e delle competenze professionali degli operatori con riferimento alle funzioni e ai servizi di orientamento attualmente in essere nei diversi contesti territoriali e nei sistemi dell’Istruzione, della Formazione e del Lavoro” . 13 November 2014.

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Findings from field work INTERVIEWS TO MIGRANT WOMEN The outcomes of the six interviews were not homogeneous, as they expressed different perceptions and opinions about their experiences with the counselling services they used. This can be probably explained by the variety of their backgrounds in terms of nationality, qualifications, professional profiles and time they have been living in Italy. Generally speaking, the 3 care workers from Emilia Romagna, although currently unemployed, are happy and feel integrated in the labor market. The main problems mentioned include: the language barrier, being non-Italian nationals, and age. One mentioned the risk of exploitation linked to the profession of in-home caregiver. Two out of three claim having being victims of gender and religious based discrimination and they also express needs of further training. Two out of three claimed to be well aware of counselling services available at local level and said they are useful, supportive and gender and culturally sensitive. On the other hand, the satisfaction among women from Tuscany is lower. Two out of three don’t feel integrated in the labor market because of the precariousness of their jobs. Among the main barrier the language is again mentioned, but they also add the lack of recognition of their qualifications and the consequent need to pay to get further training. They claim that the employment services did not provide them with any support and they had to find a job on their own, through the internet or word-of-mouth. Gender is considered a ground of discrimination by some of the interviewed. They all agree on the need of further training. They are all aware of the services offered by the public employment agency but they are not happy with them. More specifically, one of the woman said that she didn’t feel listened and, being an Albanian woman, “ automatically relegated among those good only for housekeeping”. INTERVIEWS TO STAKEHOLDERS The group of 7 interviewed stakeholders is composed by 2 Employment Centres (public sector), 4 association of the private social sector (1 of them promoted by CISL trade union) and 1 Job Agency. More specifically: 4 provides services to all citizens while the other 3 are targeting migrants. Different levels of taking charge of the users generate a differentiation in the services provided: from professional counselling and job search support packages (4) to an integration with other activities aiming at supporting the migrants from a broader perspective including all life aspects (3, all belonging to the private social sector): Italian language courses, micro-credit, active job research, support for filling in documents/ elaborating the CV and, in 1 case, initiatives for second generation migrants, aiming at integration, recognition of educational qualification and, in general, their educational path. Even between the 2 Employment Centres analyzed, as operating in 2 different local contests, there are significant differences: in Modena, services are addressed to all citizens and provide cultural-linguistic mediation only in case of migrant users, while in Florence area there are specific Help desks for Migrants (Sportello Immigrati) giving professional counselling, cultural-linguistic mediation and legal assistance exclusively to migrants. The association promoted by the trade union provides assistance to no-EU immigrants only: Italian language courses, orientation on training, profession and legal protection in collaboration with professional unions, while the job agency, without any specific attention to migrant or women, offers professional counselling, coaching, skills assessment, active job search, scouting and internships. A common element among all these stakeholders is the individual approach toward users: all of them offer personalized paths, mainly through individual interviews. Among obstacles faced by migrants while accessing these services, there are the language (Employment Centre of Modena and the Job Agency), a low knowledge of the system (Employment Centre of Modena), long waiting lists and difficulties for fixing individual appointment (1 association), accessibility based on word-of-mouth (1 association). 3 out of 7 don’t mention any barrier. Concerning the training needs, learning the Italian language and acquiring specific qualifications or skills immediately usable in the labor market are the most required. It has been noted that migrants often need to be oriented by service operators on their needs as not always they autonomously perceive them. One stakeholder has also underlined the need for transversal knowledge such as how to approach the Italian labor market. 4 stakeholders provide services with particular attention to gender and culture, but none of the them has specific quality standards or guidelines on gender and culture sensitive approaches, except for the association promoted by the trade union which bases its activity on the national guidelines on the issue and the Employment Centre of Firenze which refers to a mainstream of gender and culture in their activities as public bodies. 2 stakeholders pay specific attention to cultural background but not gender issues, while the last one do not have any specific attention to any of them. Almost all stakeholders believe that specific training for operators would be important. More in detail: 5 of them A COMPARATIVE STUDY INTO GENDER,MIGRATION AND COUNSELLING IN EUROPE

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consider their operators as highly skilled, 1 delegates cultural aspects to mediators, 1 stakeholder hasn’t operators trained on gender and cultural issues. In general, among these stakeholders there is only a little - and superficial- knowledge concerning similar services or good practices at local, national or international level.

Good and promising practices It has been difficult to find good/promising practices of professional counselling services sensitive both to gender and culture. Usually public or private organizations providing these type of services reserve only little attention to one of them (and almost never to both), being more focused on all aspects of the labor market. Only when the focus is turned to the peculiarities of the individual, thus a woman and/or a migrant, and the professional counselling is only part of a broader range of activities that support the person, a gender and cultural sensibility seems to arise strongly. The 3 good/promising practices meet many of the criteria defined by the project: implemented in EU countries, including career guidance and professional counselling, being gender and/or culturally sensitive, based on a highly skilled and well trained human capital, following a general approach but also be tailor-made based on the cultural and socio-economic environment of the country, as well as on the specific needs and requests of the migrants regarding their career and their integration into the labor market. In two cases there is also a good link to the policy level. They are all innovative and replicable, only in one case the sustainability is not clear. More in detail: 2 out of 3 are run by associations of private social sector, mainly composed by foreign operators, while one is managed by a consortium and it is linked to the SPRAR (national system for the protection of refugees) activities. The beneficiaries are mainly migrants women but not exclusively: 1 targets specifically at women, both migrants and Italian, 1 is also open to Italian citizens, both men and women, and the last one targets specifically to refugees and asylum seekers, both man and women (much less numerous). These differences reveal different visions and attention towards users: the basis on which the professional counselling services are built on. The personal experience of the operators is recognized as one of the strengths in the first 2 cases, while in all cases great importance is given to an individual approach for developing tailor-made professional paths.

Conclusion and recommendations The desk and field researches reveal a clear picture of the overall characteristics of the Italian situation on the issue. Migrant women are still relegated to typically female occupations (housekeeping or caring activities) and fragilities such as exploitation, scarce social mobility and failed recognition of previous qualification and skills are very common. Specific professional counselling services dedicated to migrants are rare, and even less those targeting migrant women. In most cases the “sensibility” towards migrants is limited to the activation of a linguistic-cultural mediation (that is often itself restricted to mere interpreting or document translation) as one of the greater and most perceived problems faced by migrants is the knowledge of the Italian language. There are a few good experiences and initiatives at local level: two of them seems to have obtained a particular success in terms of job placement and satisfaction among migrants women as users: its main characteristic is the attention paid to the specific professional skills, ambitions and needs as a starting point for defining the adequate job offer. The realization of tailor made professional path seems to be the best way for efficacy. Thus the system of services still need not only to be developed and integrated to become functional and synergistic, but also to share methodologies and guidelines: projects and initiatives are still too diversified and not integrated. Even only improve the level of reciprocal knowledge would be useful and important in order to support the individual more effectively. It is no coincidence that a representative of one of the selected best practices suggests a combined training for operators of different organizations (public and private sectors) in order to “enhance the knowledge of each other services, share practice and strength points”. Moreover, from informal talks with public operators emerges how much public bodies are positively moving to develop strategies to facilitate user’s access to services but without any networking approach,

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that would be probably much effective and less expensive. In detail, specific issues for improving counselling services: 1. gaps and key challenges ON MIGRANTS SIDE: low knowledge of Italian language, missed recognition of foreign professional qualifications and skills, training needs other than language (computer literacy, safety training, emergency health card, etc..), low knowledge of Italian labour market “culture”, scarce awareness of own specific labour needs. ON COUNSELLING SERVICES SIDE: rarity of specific professional counselling services dedicated to migrants women, mere activation of linguistic-cultural mediation/translation as the unique “tool” to help migrants access to services, lack of reciprocal knowledge and integration among services, quick evolution and changes of the immigration and asylum situations and related laws. 2. recommendations for the training In particular, the analysis of the good practices revealed the need for tailored counselling services and gave some reflection points and hints: the development of migrants women’s unexpressed potential and the enhancement of their awareness, capacities and self-confidence should be at the centre of the orientation and the counselling path, the listening phase of the interviews needs time and attention, the individual migration project should be the starting point to build up a tailored path, services should aim to help migrant women placing themselves at the centre of their perception of life and job the importance of the connection to the local network of services multidisciplinary interventions free trainings (language, computer skills…)


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bassi, V. (2015). La donna nei progetti SPRAR in Emilia Romagna. Tesi di Laurea - Università Cà Foscari di Venezia. Bracci, F (2012). Emergenza Nord africa : i percorsi di accoglienza diffusa: analisi e monitoraggio del sistema, Pisa university press, Pisa Engroba Oberti, V., & Cataneo, A. (2009, Gennaio). Tratto il giorno Aprile 05, 2016 da Emilia Romagna Sociale: http://sociale.regione.emilia-romagna.it/immigrati-e-stranieri/ approfondimenti/mappatura-delle-associazioni-di-donne-migranti-e-di-donnenative-e-migranti-in-emilia-romagna/at_download/file/MAPPATURA_Intrecci.pdf Farris, S., & De Jong, S. (2013). Discontinuous intersections: second-generation immigrant girls in transition from school to work. Ethnic and Racial Studies. Fiorini, A. (2015). Richiedenti e titolari di protezione internazionale e umanitaria in EmiliaRomagna - Monitoraggio 2014. Ginevra, D. (2015, Novembre 5). Formazione professionale, tirocini aziendali, supporto nella ricerca del lavoro, inserimento lavorativo. Tratto il giorno Aprile 5, 2016 da Ingenere: http://www.ingenere.it/articoli/immigrazione-italia-posto-delle-donne Malfone, C. (2006). Percorso formativo per donne straniere. Ricerche di pedagogia e didattica. Osservatorio regionale sul fenomeno migratorio, L’immigrazione straniera in EmiliaRomagna, 2015 Pizzalunga, D. (2012, Novembre 11). La doppia discriminazione. Tratto il giorno Aprile 01, 2016 da Ingenere: http://www.ingenere.it/articoli/la-doppia-discriminazione-delledonne-immigrate Progetto PRO.RI.TI.S. (2011). Programma pilota sulle procedure di Riconoscimento dei Titoli di Studio di titolari di protezione internazionale. Solcia, V. (2011). Non solo lingua. I corsi di italiano L2 per donne migranti. Italiano LinguaDue, 129-200. UNAR (2014) Dalle discriminazioni ai diritti. Dossier Statistico Immigrazione – Rapporto UNAR 2014, IDOS

Webliography www.stranieriinitalia.com www.asgi.it www.cestim.it www.cnel.it www.istat.it www.meltingpot.org http://immigrazione.it/docs/2015/rapp-immigrazione-firenze.pdf http://www2.immigrazione.regione.toscana.it http://www.unar.it/unar/portal/?lang=it

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY STATE OF ART GENDER AND DIVERSITY SENSITIVE CAREER COUNSELLING berami berufliche Integration e.V. Lydia Mesgina, Elisa Rossi, Susanne Zastrau

GERMANY


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STATE OF ART GENDER AND DIVERSITY SENSITIVE CAREER COUNSELLING

Methodology of the German research The literature research viewed publications by the German government and specialist literature, e.g. the national action plan for the implementation of the national integration concept („Nationale Aktionsplan zur Umsetzung des nationalen Integrationskonzeptes“) which focuses on the vocational education and labour market inclusion of immigrants, and on national strategies for the recruitment of qualified workers; and chosen specialist handbooks on counselling approaches. Relevant statistical data was derived from specialist data bases. The material for mapping the current structures and services in the field of educational and vocational counselling comes from publications of BIBB (Bundesinstitut für berufliche Bildung) and of Nationales Forum Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung. For internet research – which like all research mentioned so far was limited to the German context –, these key word where used: berufliche Beratung, Bildungsberatung, Erwerbsbeteiligung, Migrationshintergrund, Einwanderung. On the basis of a partly structured interview guideline were interviewed: 3 persons with an immigration background, of different educational levels, who had participated in educational and vocational counselling services, 2 qualified workers / experts, one of them with longstanding experience in the field of counselling services for people with an immigration background and refugees. The second person manages the local counselling center officially in charge of the organisation and implementation of the local labour market programme in Frankfurt am Main.

The German Context Germany has a population of 81 million people. Every fifth resident has an immigration background – i.e. is an immigrant or son/daughter of an immigrant. One third of all immigrants are of EU origin, one third are of European non-EU origin, one third come from a variety of countries all over the world. Among the population of the 16 German federal states, the percentage of immigrants differs. Since the immigration tradition in East Germany was different from that in West Germany, there is still a significantly lower percentage of immigrants – namely 5% – in the “new” federal states. Due to already existing immigrant communities and the hope of new arrivals to find better job perspectives there, the number of immigrants is especially high in the city states. In 2014, eight of the ten most important countries of origin were states of the European Union. The positive situation on the labour market attracts EU citizens. First place among people applying for asylum in 2015 took Syrian citizens (about 159.000). 52 percent of all initial applications for asylum were made by people from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Eritrea. Among the population in Germany with immigration background, men are lightly overrepresented in comparison to women (50.4 % to 49.6%). The population without an immigration background counts 48.8% men and 51,2% women (BAMF, 2015). Within the last decade, the unemployment rate of immigrants has declined from 18% in 2005 to 8.7 % in 2014, and labour market participation has come to a similar percentage as among non-immigrants. However, immigrants are still underrepresented in higher job positions. New immigrants are much more often highly qualified than Germans without immigration background (39% with an academic qualification as opposed to 21%). On the other hand one third of the immigrants has no qualification at all (Sachverständigenrat Deutscher Stiftungen für Integration und Migration, 2015). Data regarding the qualification of refugees are currently still being collected.

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Findings from the desk research INFLUENCING FACTORS, PROBLEMS AND OBSTACLES FACED BY THE IMMIGRANTS REGARDING THEIR INTEGRATION AND THEIR ACCESS TO THE LABOUR MARKET The integration process of immigrants and refugees is influenced as well by legal and structural factors as by individual preconditions. Nationality, reason for immigration, title of residence and educational/vocational qualifications are relevant factors. Legal frameworks for EU citizens, third country citizens and refugees differ, and regulate the access to services and support. In the current and highly relevant debates on the labour market inclusion of refugees, a distinction is made between refugees with a promising prospect of stay (people from Syria, Eritrea, Iraq and Iran), and people with a poor prospect of stay. The latter have little chance of participating in supporting services like German language classes etc. Aside from this the demand for qualified workers on the German labour market is important. Immigrants and refugees with sought-after vocational qualifications have a good prospect of integration. Further relevant factors for the vocational integration of the mentioned groups are existing structures of qualification and counselling services, German language courses and the recruitment behaviour of companies, which unfortunately is still characterised by obstacles and prejudices. The most influental individual factors in the process of adapting to a new country are: cognitive skills, mental receptiveness, learning ability, problem solving competences, experiencing of self-efficacy. They are crucial for successful language acquisition and participation in qualification trainings. Traumatisation, especially with refugees, may block the above-mentioned competences and thus complicate or even impede a successfull critical engagement with the receiving country and integration into working life. Chart 1: Factors of the labour market integration process of immigrants in Germany

Reference: beramí e.V. CONCLUSION: One of the essential structural obstacles in the process of labour market integration is the uneven distribution of counselling and qualification services – with a lack of services especially outside urban regions. Additional obstacles are a low level of school education and/or lack of vocational qualifications. Without a provable educational certificate, chances for a successful recognition procedure result low – even if the person in question has professional experiences.


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Gender inequalities on the labour market Women in general suffer structural disadvantages on the German labour market: they are prone to working part time, are less represented in higher job positions and earn less money than male colleagues despite doing the same job. The European Institute for Gender Equality’s Gender Equality Index for 2012 was 55.3 (out of 100) for Germany. Although this represents an improvement in contrast to previous years Germany still lies somewhere in the middle, compared with the European average of 52.9. In 2012, women’s employment rate in the age group 20–64 years of age stood at 71.5 per cent, compared with 82 per cent among men (Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, International Policy Analysis, 2016). Persons with a migration background are less and worse integrated in the labour market than those without. Thus migrant women are affected negatively in a double way. A look at the employment rate of women within the disadvantaged group of immigrants reveals that persons with a migration background from EU countries and women without migration background show no significant differences if educational level, age and situation of living are comparable and if they have immigrated to Germany more than 10 years ago or were born here. Moreover, immigrant women from third countries and women of the second generation do have a higher risk of unemployment even if the factors mentioned above are taken into account (Engels & Köller, 2014).

Immigrants training / educational / counselling needs A study by Arbeiterwohlfahrt Bremen from 2007, titled „Optimierung von Qualifizierungsansätzen für Migrantinnen und Migranten zur Arbeitsplatzsicherung“, pointed out flaws in the existing system of counselling and continuing education. The following claims may be derived from this and are valid for both employed as well as for unemployed persons, in order to support immigrants more specifically: Immigrants need to be addressed specifically, e.g. through the media they use and in the environment/locations they frequent. Service fees must be affordable for the target group or must be funded. Opening and training hours must be more flexible, they must take into account people working in shifts and those working in a hardly predictable routine (both employment and family care work). The demand for support services needs to be created systematically, especially with people who are not familiar with the concept of Lifelong Learning. The services for vocational orientation, assessment of state of knowledge and recognition of foreign qualifications must be extended and become more visible. Services for vocational orientation and (further) qualification or adaptational qualification should include language courses. By this, also people with limited German proficiency could benefit. Child care should be offered / funded if needed in order to enable people in a family phase to participate. This should also include hours of the day when regular public child care is hard to be found (AWO, 2007).

Employment policies affecting immigrants and/ or gender issues The new government in 1998, of SPD and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, for the first time officially acknowledged that Germany was a country of immigration, and initiated a paradigm shift in the integration policies of Germany. As one of

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the consequences, the Immigration Law (Zuwanderungsgesetz) was released in 2005 which included a thorough reform of German immigration and integration policy as well as the regulation of residence for foreigners. The paradigm shift also concerned the labour market policy. There were several labour market programmes and the establishment of the successfull counselling and information network „Integration by Qualficiation (IQ)“ („Integration durch Qualfizierung (IQ)“), which developed new strategies for the improvement of immigrants‘ labour market situation, and implemented successfull approaches and instruments as components of the regular labour market support policy. The first national integration report in 2007 lay the funding stone for a sustainable integration policy, the second report (2012) defined performance indicators (Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration, 2007 & 2011). Relevant documents of the government – namely the concept for securing the demand for qualified workers („Fachkräftekonzept“) and the demographic strategy – especially focus on people with an immigration background. In the face of the ongoing demographic change towards an elder population, immigration of qualified personell from other EU countries and third countries is respected as an important factor to help secure the need for skilled personell in the future. In the context of securing qualified workers for the labour market and exploiting new human resources, women and especially mothers with an immigration background get more and more into focus.

Chart 2: Employment policies affecting immigrants and/or gender issues National plan for integration 2007

Selected laws, programmes and measures

Thematic field 3: „Securing good education and vocational education, increasing the chances on the labour market” Focus: Integration and labour market Strategic goals and fields of action

 Adapt councelling services, information ser-

vices and communication services to the needs of people with an immigration background

National plan for integration 2012

 ESF programme on national level for the labour market directed

support of persons with a residence title and refugees with access to the labour


Forum dialogue: labour market and working life Strategic goals and fields of action

 Securing the intercultural and immigration spe-  Extension of the network “integration by qualification – IQ” cific qualification of counselling personnel

 Immigration sensitive design of counselling and information services with regard to the labour market

Concept for qualified personnel 2011 Strategic goals and fields of action

towards a national structure of regional networks that offer e.g. services for trainings, counselling and supervision in the field of intercultural and immigration specific qualification of counselling personnel in the statutory institutions (e.g. labour agencies)


 Activation and securing of employment  ESF programme „Strong on the job – mothers with an immigration background get started“  Better compatibility of family care work and job

Reference: own desgin on the basis of Nationaler integrationsplan 2007 and Nationaler Aktionsplan 2012 Ensuring the intercultural and migration-specific qualification of the Advisory staff at the employment agencies and job centres is considered an important labour market policy goal. The Federal Employment Agency has already developed programs to promote its own intercultural awareness. Moreover, in the framework of the program “Integration through qualification IQ” career counsellors have the opportunity to attend intercultural trainings and workshops. The aim is to create comprehensive career counselling structures with qualified intercultural career counsellors (Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration, 2011). A COMPARATIVE STUDY INTO GENDER,MIGRATION AND COUNSELLING IN EUROPE

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Description of the career advice & counselling sector Chart no. 4 from Jenschke, Schober & Langer (2014) shows the wide range of counselling service structures in the field of education, work and employment in Germany. For (adult) migrants and refugees, the services in the orange sectors of the chart are of relevance. Chart 3: Educational, vocational and employment counselling in Germany – Structures and Services

Reference: design by beramí according to Nationales Forum Beratung There is a broad range of counselling services in Germany, offered by different actors (e.g. public authorities on national and communal level, non-profit organisations, vocational associations, private institutions etc.) and addressing a variety of target groups. Most counseling services are free of charge. The German government funds programmes for the extension and professionalisation of the counselling services in education and further education (Jenschke et al., 2014). On behalf of the government, actors of educational science and counselling experts developed a catalogue of standards for this field of work. The main quality feature pointed out was: Good counselling puts the person seeking advice into the center of all action – with his/her motivation, interests, competences and potentials, and makes any divergence between the institutional counselling order and the interest of the service seeker transparent (Katsarov, Schiersmann, Schmidtpott, Schober & Weber, 2014). Some federeal states introduced voluntary certification processes for counselling service agencies, and there may also be additional certification processes for individual counsellors. Despite these attempts, there are no standardised and mandatory counselling approaches.

Career guidance and counselling services for migrants and refugees Persons with an immigration background and refugees are regarded as a group with special counselling needs, they have access to all services. But they often are confronted with personell without the expert knowledge necessary

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for their specific situations. Funded by national and ESF programmes, the labour market integration for the group of persons mentioned was promoted by extending qualification and counselling structures, especially with regard to the new recognition law. Due to the growing number of refugees, these efforts will still have to be increased. There are no common standards in the counselling services for immigrants and refugees, either. However, across different institutions, the following competence profile for counsellors is formulated: expert knowledge regarding recognition of foreign qualifications, residence legislation, instruments of labour market promotion and intercultural competence. But the exact concept and definition of „intercultural competence“ varies among science/research and different thematic fields of counselling (Bolten & Rathje, 2010).

Findings from field work INTERVIEWS WITH MIGRANT WOMEN The three migrant women interviewed all stated educational / vocational counselling as essential for their process of integration and judged German language proficiency as the biggest obstacle. Language skills are already necessary to benefit from relevant counselling and information services or access qualification trainings. None of the interviewed felt discriminated against due to gender or migration background in the process of labour market integration. The interviewed felt treated as less competent by counsellors for reasons of their poor German skills. They said that most important for them was information: on ways of qualification for a vocational certificate, job profiles, standards for applications, and the range of counselling services available. They could not judge directly if the counselling services had been sensitive with regard to gender and diversity. But they named as a positive experience that along with educational qualifications, competences gained on the job or informally had been acknowledged and taken into account for the counselling process.

INTERVIEWS WITH EXPERTS Representatives of two organisations in Frankfurt, Main, were interviewed: the communal counselling center and beramí e.V.. The communal counselling center is open to everybody seeking career advice. The main target groups are people with low income, low qualification and unemployed. About 60-70% are immigrants. Services for refugees are lately offered with translators. The center is the central actor in the labour market integration of refugees, including cooperation with companies and communal authorities. The second organisation, beramí, is a non-profit organisation that offers different counselling projects to people with a migration background. There is a broad thematic range, e.g. recognition of foreign certificates, vocational qualification. Projects are funded by communal, federal, ESF and national funds. beramí has been playing an important role on the communal and regional level for 25 years by now, and is also recognised nationwide for its expertise. Access to the services of both organisations is easy, there are little preconditions to be fulfilled, appointments can be made on the phone or in person, flyers and homepages are multilingual. As main interests of immigrants coming to the communal counselling center are listed: getting a vocational qualification or finding a better paying job. For the group of refugees, information on qualification and language courses in general are of great importance. Quality standards for gender and diversity sensitive counselling are met by keeping the offers open to any person irrespective of nationality, gender, ethnic and social background. The counselling teams are multilingual and possess intercultural counselling competence.

GOOD AND PROMISING PRACTICES The research identified three examples of best practice. The first were the counselling services at beramí in Frankfurt am Main (http://www.berami.de/), the non profit organisation mentioned before in the context of expert interviews. beramí’s main services are counselling, qualification, language classes and mentoring programmes. Counselling offers range from thematically open to specific counselling (e.g. recognition of foreign certificates, qualification, further qualification), for immigrants and refugees, irrespective of educational level and residence status. The provided services are gender and diversity sensitive. As the project specific figures of controlling show, the counselling projects are very effective and promote the integration of migrants into the labour market. beramí is a certified agency for educational A COMPARATIVE STUDY INTO GENDER,MIGRATION AND COUNSELLING IN EUROPE

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and vocational counselling. The personnel is academically qualified and attends further trainings. Many of the counsellors have a qualification in systemic counselling. All of them attend supervision. New projects are conceptualised by taking into account the needs of advice seekers. Advice seekers can give feedback via a standardised form, feedback is taken into account for corrections in existing and design of new services. beramí has supported other organisations in establishing corresponding counselling offers, especially recognition of foreign qualifications. The second example of best practice was found at Tür an Tür e.V. (http://www.tuerantuer.de/) in Augsburg. This organisation focuses on counselling, qualification, mentoring and language courses for persons without title of residence and without access to regular language class offers. They lay a focus on access to the labour market, migration and asylum counselling, translation services and qualification counselling. Target groups ar all people with an immigration background, but also companies, labour administration and municipalities (e.g. regarding the question of recognition of certificates). All projects derive from the cooperation with the EQUAL initiative and thus have a strong awareness of gender sensitivity. All projects are evaluated continuously and are monitored by EQUAL and IvAF, the recognition counselling is documented in an extra data base. The team is carefully chosen according to gender issues and is trained by experts in internal workshops and global competencies trainings. The majority of the counsellors has an academic background, but the organisations also acknowledges informally acquired competences. All offers are developed according to advice seekers’ needs, special counselling needs lead to special offers. An example of the innovative, replicable and sustainable quality of the services are the counselling services in the field of recognition of foreign qualifications. These were developed as a model project and have been spread nationwide through the network of IQ. As third best practice, the counselling services at ZBBS e.V., Kiel (www.zbbs-sh.de), were identified. The organisation addresses all adult immigrants and refugees, offers counselling (including recognition counselling), German classes and cultural projects. With regard to the criteria of quality in question, ZBBS corresponds with the two examples described in more detail above.

Gender and diversity sensitivity in the fields of educational, vocational and employment counselling Which approaches do exist for educational counselling, vocational and employment counselling for migrants and refugees? How can a gender and diversity sensitive approach be characterised? A comprehensive scientific discussion and theory formation for counselling in the field of education, vocation and employment of migrants does not exist yet. However, there has been an engagement with the thematic field on the practical level. The focus has been: How must vocational counselling in the migration society be designed? Which demands and challenges are there? For the report at hand, the respective counselling approaches and necessary competences of personnel are of relevance – especially regarding the role that gender and diversity play in them. Two examples from counselling practice are described in the following. In the framework of the IQ network, a training handbook for migration-specific employment-oriented counselling was developed in cooperation with the technical college of the labour agency. The modular training addresses primarily students at the college who will become counsellors or be in charge of job placements in the labour agency. The results of the training will become part of the regular curriculum at the technical college. The contents of the training reflect methodological and content requirements for counsellors. Key topics are: raising awareness with regard to diversity and dealing with it, dealing with multilingualism / restricted German proficiency and the question of gender, dealing with discrimination experiences, removing barriers, and critical engagement with migration-specific employment-oriented counselling (IQ Fachstelle Interkulturelle Kompetenzentwicklung und Antidiskriminierung, 2015). Especially laudable aspects of the book are: the perspective on migrants and refugees as a target group already in possession of resources, making experiences of discrimination a topic of counselling, and taking into account the

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aspect of power in the communication and counselling situation (e.g. structurally given unbalanced power relation in a counselling situation of advice seeker and counselor at a public authority like labour agency). Gender becomes a topic by introducing gender relations and understanding of roles, e.g. constructions of maleness in the context of migration and labour market, and gender aspects and stereotypes in counselling. In the framework of the Austrian network ““Bildungsberatung Österreich - Querschnittsthemen”, the authors Ewers and Schallert (2014) published a handbook on gender and diversity standards in educational counselling.The handbook describes in detail technical, personal, methodological and social competences/standards that counsellors in the field of educational counselling should possess/fullfil. A leading question is how educational counselling can promote equality. The gender diversity approach from the field of political gender and equality work takes on a structural and analytical perspective. The aim is to make transparent gender relations and the discrimination they often entail for different groups of persons. The authors define: “Gender and diversity competence – understood as competence of educational counsellors – thus means: regarding gender/diversity not only as a feature of persons, but also as a structural feature of systems (life environments of persons seeking advice), making this perspective visible, and developing this perspective in a way which allows for changes and conscious design” (Ewers & Schallert, 2014, p. 12, own translation). Gender and diversity competence are seen as part of the technical counselling competences. It is regarded as a cross-sectional competence referring to the knowledge, methodological competences, the attitude and stances of counsellors. The task is to identify gender and diversity aspects in the advice seeker’s life situation and problems, to make the person aware of them, and to support her/him in getting over them. Gender and diversity specific stereotyping should be avoided in this process. The counselling approaches described above take the advice seeker and her/his life situation, qualification, competences and resources as the focus of counselling. The demanded competence profile for counsellors is similar in both approaches. As crucial differences between the two figure: the context and the counselling order of the respective counselling organisation. The migration-specific employment-oriented counselling focuses – as the name suggests – to place advice seekers in adequate employment.This goal is inherent in the system of the labour agency. On the contrary, gender- and diversity sensitive counselling does not only focus on the advice seeker and his/her successful vocational integration but also pursues a goal concerning society as a whole: “Dealing with the topics of gender and diversity in educational counselling, and aligning counselling with aims of equality and equal opportunity are an important contribution to a fair society”( Ewers & Schallert, 2014, p. 7, own translation). According to our understanding of a gender and diversity sensitive counselling, counsellors should thus meet the following competence profile. They should be familiar with theoretical approaches of equality, difference and deconstruction of gender, and with diversity models and migration theories consider that the educational and employment chances for women and men are different, as is the respective scope of action reflect on their own gender related and cultural identity and patterns of interpretation, awareness and behaviour be aware of their own gender identity and attitudes regarding gender acknowledge individuality and difference, and should develop on this basis a neutral strategy of action which corresponds to the person seeking advice take into account the individual life situation and goals of the person seeking advice be respectful of the gender related self-image of the person seeking advice accept the plan of life of the person seeking advice, even if they do not share them be aware to make use of gender neutral language make use of simple and clear language when describing complex issues make use of language independent methods / prepare language methods in a multilingual way, or make use of pictures (Ewers & Schallert, 2014 and beramí, 2014).


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Conclusion and recommendations The offer regarding counselling services in Germany for people with an immigration background and refugees has improved within the last years. Counselling is respected as a necessary and effective instrument for the integration into the labour market. There is also a common understanding that the composition of the counselling personnel should reflect the diversity of the population. Counsellors should have intercultural / diversity sensitive counselling competences in addition to their expert knowledge. However, depending on the institutional context and the counselling order of the practicing counselling organisation, approaches and goals of the counselling may vary. The interviews with experts and best practice examples showed that in counselling there is a notably growing awareness with regard to topics of gender and diversity. The findings point out a high quality of counselling, both due to counselling competences and the diversity of personnel. Structural conditions take into account the needs of the service seekers (multilingual flyers and counselling services). It needs to be acknowledged though that the results are not representative and can only illustrate a fraction of the situation in Germany, also due to the fact that the organisations contacted for expert interviews and best practice are all located in urban regions. Bigger cities are prone to have a heterogeneous population and an interculturally designed offer of counselling services. The analyses proved that gender and diversity sensitive counselling is indeed practiced in Germany. Above all in non profit organisations that regard their work as civil and political engagement. The analysis of interviews suggests that among advice seekers there is no notable awareness of gender related inequalities on the labour market, and that there is a lack of information on instruments for eliminating these inequalities. Migrants/refugees are disadvantaged groups that suffer structural and individual discrimination in the process of labour market integration. This is even truer for women due to gender related inequalities. Counselling can help to make advice seekers aware of discriminating structures and to empower them. A perspective explicitly taking into account gender and diversity can promote this. It is obvious that there is no scientifically based discussion of approaches for counselling in the field of education, vocation and employment for immigrants and refugees. This definitely needs to change! Migration and refugee movements are social phenomena of the 21st century, and heterogeneous societies are a fact. The current refugee crisis may well be regarded as a motor for development.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

beramí berufliche Intgration e.V. (2014). Gütekriterien einer gendersensiblen Bildungsberatung, unpublished document developed in the context of the training series “Gender- und diversitysensible Bildungsberatung von Migrantinnen und Migranten”

Blickhäuser, A., von Bargen, H., (2009, 4. überarbeitete Auflage 2015). Gender-Mainstreaming-Praxis. Arbeitshilfen zur Anwendung der Analysekategorie «Gender-Diversity » in Gender-Mainstreaming-Prozessen. Herausgegeben von der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Band 7 der Schriften des Gunda-Werner-Instituts

Bolten, J., Rathje, S. (2010). Aktuelle Beiträge zur Interkulturellen Kompetenzforschung. online-Zeitschrift für Interkulturelle Studien. Jahrgang 9 I Ausgabe 12 I. www.interculture-journal.com

Bundesministerium des Inneren (2012). Jedes Alter zählt. Demografiestrategie der Bundesregierung.

Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration (2014). 10. Bericht der Beauftragten der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration über die Lage der Ausländerinnen und Ausländer in Deutschland.

Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration. (Dez. 2011). Nationaler Aktionsplan Integration. Zusammenhalt stärken – Teilhabe verwirklichen

Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration (2007). Der Nationale Integrationsplan. Neue Wege – Neue Chancen.

Dr. Engels, D., Dr. Köller, R., (2014). Faktenbericht 2013 Integration in Bildung und Arbeitsmarkt. Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration, ISG Institut für Sozialforschung und Gesellschaftspolitik GmbH European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop). (2014). Valuing diversity: guidance for labour market integration of migrants. guidance for labour market integration of migrants. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. Cedefop working paper; No 24. http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/6124_en.pdf

Ewers, K., Schallert, D., (2014). Gender- und Diversity-Standards in der Bildungsberatung. Ein Wegweiser. Verfasst von abz*austria im Rahmen des Projekts „Bildungsberatung Österreich-Querschnittsthemen“. Wien: abz*austria

Fritsche, A., Stefan Nowack, S., Reyels, W., Türk, M., Simon, A. (2010). Frauen beraten anders –Männer auch. Genderperspektive in der interkulturellen Beratung. Ergebnisse einerWeiterbildung für Beraterinnen und Berater, Arbeit und Bildung e.V., Berlin (KUMULUS-PLUS Koordinierungsprojekt im Rahmen des Programms „Integration A COMPARATIVE STUDY INTO GENDER,MIGRATION AND COUNSELLING IN EUROPE

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durch Qualifizierung“).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

IQ Fachstelle Interkulturelle Kompetenzentwicklung und Antidiskriminierung Hrsg. (2015). Grundlagen migrationsspezifischer Beratung. Ein Pilotprojekt mit der Hochschule der Bundesagentur für Arbeit. Schulungshandbuch. http://www.netzwerk-iq.de/fachstelle-interkultur-und-antidiskriminierung/produkte-materialien/fs-ika-publikationen.html

Jenschke, B., Schober, K. & Langer, J. (2014). Lebensbegleitende Bildungs- und Berufsberatung in Deutschland. Strukturen und Angebote.(2. Auflage). Nationales Forum Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung e.V. (nfb)

Katsarov, J., Schiersmann, C., Schmidtpott, S., Schober, K. & Weber, P.C. (2014). Professionell beraten: Qualitätsstandards für die Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung. Nationales Forum Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung e.V. (nfb), Forschungsgruppe Beratungsqualität am Institut für Bildungswissenschaft der Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg.

Lawaetz-Stiftung/Univation. (2014) Programmevaluation ESF-Bundesprogramm zur arbeitsmarktlichen Unterstützung für Bleibeberechtigte und Flüchtlinge mit Zugang zum Arbeitsmarkt. Nationales Forum Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung e.V. (2014). Professionell beraten: Qualitätsstandards für die Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung. (nfb), Forschungsgruppe Beratungsqualität am Institut für Bildungswissenschaft der Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg.

Sachverständigenrat Deutscher Stiftungen für Integration und Migration Hrsg. (5.10.2015). Fakten zu Einwanderung in Deutschland, Aktualisierte Fassung.

Webliography www.nationaleraktionsplanintegration.de www.integrationsbeauftragte.de www.bundesregierung.de www.destatis.de

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY STATE NATIONAL REPORT ON THE EDUCATIONAL COUNSELLING SERVICES AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING OF IMMIGRANTS IN GREECE Family and Childcare Centre (KMOP) Eleni Sakellariou,

GREECE


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STATE NATIONAL REPORT ON THE EDUCATIONAL COUNSELLING SERVICES AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING OF IMMIGRANTS IN GREECE

Methodology of the Greek research In order to record and analyse the current situation in Greece regarding the integration of immigrants in the labour market and the provision of career counselling and vocational training, and, at the same time, to determine and classify good or promising practices of career counselling services that take into account gender and cultural diversity issues from various European countries, qualitative research was undertaken according to the following methodology: DESK RESEARCH: This type of secondary research, based on Greek and international literature, was considered necessary in order to fully understand and record the Greek situation regarding the subject at hand and determine similar career counselling service provision methodologies for immigrants, which could be utilised in designing the training material of the present project. FIELD RESEARCH THROUGH FOCUS GROUPS. Two focus groups were organised, one consisting of 5 immigrant men and women and 5 experts and professional in the field (see Appendix – Focus group participants). The goal of the first focus group was to note down the experiences and investigate the needs of immigrants in Greece concerning their labour market integration. The second group was focused on eliciting the opinions of experts and professionals on immigrant needs as regards their training and employability and the relevant services provided. The findings of both the desk and the field research contributed to the classification of various practices as good or promising, based on specific criteria.

Literature Review Findings IMMIGRATION IN GREECE – STATISTICS Greece received a large number of immigrants during the ‘90s, mainly as a result of the collapse of socialist regimes in Eastern Europe. Most immigrants came from Albania, Bulgaria and Romania, followed by groups from African and Asian countries; this trend continued at an equally high rate during the ‘00s. According to the 2011 census (Greek Statistical Agency, 2014a) the immigrant population in Greece was 912,000, which composed 8.4% of the total population of the country, compared to 7% in 2001 (Greek Statistical Agency, 2011). The main countries of origin of these immigrants are Albania (52.7%), Bulgaria (8.3%), Romania (5.1%) and Pakistan (3.7%), while 11.9% of this population originated in undetermined countries or did not have a specific country’s citizenship. Regarding gender, according to the 2001 census data, men compose 54.5% and women 45.5% of the immigrant population. However, more recent data indicate that this difference has somewhat declined, as shown in the following table published by the Ministry of the Interior in 2014 (Anagnostou and Gemi, 2015).

2010 2011 2012 44

Gender distribution among immigrants, 2010-2014 MEN WOMEN 54,8% 45,2% 54,1% 45,9% 53,2% 46,8% TIME TO MOVE ON

52,9% 53,2%

2013 2014

47,1% 46,8%

Furthermore, it is important to mention that there is considerable difference in the relevant percentages according to the ethnicity, as noted by Papageorgiou and Tsironis (2013). For some counties, immigration to Greece seems to be an exclusively male affair (e.g. the countries of the Indopakistani peninsula, with percentages up to 97%), whereas for other countries it seems to be a mainly female affair. The following table, based on Ministry of Interior data for 2014 (Anagnostou and Gemi, 2015) illustrates this phenomenon.

Third country citizens in Greece, based on ethnicity and gender Total Men Women Country Albania 183,385 142,143 325,528 Ukraine 2,936 14,451 17,387 Georgia 4,684 10,801 15,485 Pakistan 13,386 1,237 14,623 Russia 2,091 10,417 12,508 India 9,251 3,079 12,330 Egypt 8,116 2,753 10,869 Moldavia 2,262 6,807 9,069 Philippines 2,278 6,420 8,698 Armenia 2,101 3,443 5,544 230,490 201,551 432,041 Total As regards to the educational level, immigrants tend to have a low level, as the majority (about 86%) has only completed primary or secondary education (Greek Statistical Agency, 2014b).

Immigrant education level – 2014 Did not attend school / only a few years of primary schooling Primary education Secondary education Tertiary education

1,6% 44,9% 41,7% 11,8%

According to a study by Lianos (2007), as cited by Anagnostou and Gemi, although most immigrant women (85%) have completed secondary education and on average women immigrants have a higher (62%) educational background than men (38%), there is a considerable mismatch between women’s educational level and the types of employment they end up in. Employment among immigrants, as recorded by the Greek Statistical Agency (2014b) for the 2nd trimester of 2014 is as follows:

Immigrant employment, 2nd Quarter 2014 Employed Unemployed Economically inactive

49,7% 27,6% 22,7%

The following table contains a breakdown of employed immigrants according to occupation type:

Employed immigrant occupation – 2nd Quarter 2014 Legislators, senior officials and managers Professionals Technicians

0% 13% 6,5%


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Clerks Service workers and shop and market sale workers Skilled agricultural and fishery workers Craft and related trade workers Plant and machine operators and assemblers Elementary occupations Unclassified

17,8% 18,5% 10,5% 10,6% 10,6% 17,5% 0%

According to Kasimati and Masourou (2007, as cited in Anagnostou and Gemi, 2015), men are mostly employed in the first sector and construction, whereas women are mostly employed in home and care services. However, it is difficult to record the percentage of women immigrants working in the home sector, since employment in this sector is to a large degree unofficial and insufficiently regulated. Data collected from the Greek Social Security foundation (IKA) indicates that only a small number of employed immigrant women (8.6%) are insured, compared to local women (91.4%). As noted by Anagnostou and Gemi (2015), the economic crisis has mostly affected those sectors of Greek economy where the largest portion of immigrant workers are employed, especially the construction sector, where unemployment has skyrocketed since 2008 (OECD, 2013). Furthermore, the unemployment rates of immigrants are much higher than those of the local population, since they were at 34.2% compared to 25.5% in 2014 (Eurostat). In total, the increase in unemployment and the deep crisis in specific labour sectors have placed disproportionate burden to immigrant families. Immigrant men are in their majority unemployed and women tend to work in the informal sector of house and care services, often without employment contracts and insurance benefits (Triandafyllidou and Maroufof, 2011, as cited in Anagnostou and Gemi, 2015). PROBLEMS / OBSTACLES FACED BY IMMIGRANTS DURING LABOUR MARKET INTEGRATION According to the Greek Statistical Agency, for immigrants, discrimination due to ethnic origin, religion or social factors is the most common (39%) obstacle in finding employment suitable to an applicant’s skills, followed by inadequate command of the Greek language (31%), lack of work or residence permit (19.5%), while a large percentage mentioned the problem of unrecognised education certificates, a problem mostly affecting tertiary education certificate holders. The latter seems to be evident of the more general difficulty that immigrants face in having their professional qualifications recognised, where, depending on the profession, the country of origin and the qualification, a number of bureaucratic procedures need to be completed under conditions of limited available documentation on the necessary paperwork. This eventually results in greatly limited career progression opportunities for immigrants, as they are forced to take on unskilled work with low remuneration. The lack of employability promoting services and other active labour market measures constitutes an important obstacle that needs to be overcome, as according to a report by the European Project Lighthouse (2015), the lack of childcare facilities is a major barrier to finding and staying in employment, particularly for women immigrants. IMMIGRANT NEEDS REGARDING THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND INTEGRATION INTO THE LABOUR MARKET. Taking into account the problems and obstacles faced by immigrants in gaining access to the labour market, it becomes clear that they have increased needs for training and counselling support with the aim of improving their employability. It is worth noting that according to a recent study conducted in the framework of project Lighthouse (2015), the vast majority of immigrants (95) reported that they have never participated in a vocational training programme in Greece due to a lack of awareness and access to the system, a lack of time because of professional and familial obligations or due a lack of motivation and trust in the system. Therefore, the main needs of immigrants can be summarised as follows: Learning the Greek language Learning an additional language, such as English IT skills Vocational training for specific professions Recognition of prior learning and qualifications and certification of their professional skills.

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Developing soft, social and communication skills, as well as social integration and cultural diversity skills. Guidance and counselling support on a personal level, taking into account the different profiles and specific needs of immigrants, as well as a group level, in matters of professional orientation and career counselling. Training in employability issues, such as compiling a CV, filling out job applications, interview techniques etc. Information on counselling support services, as well as employment and training programmes Information on the labour conditions and the Greek labour legislation, as well as familiarisation with the country’s labour culture.

GENDER INEQUALITIES IN THE LABOUR MARKET Despite the fact that in Greece gender equality has been promoted by a series of laws and policies that support the harmonisation of family and professional life, protect motherhood and emphasise parental leave, prevent and suppress gender discrimination (by requiring, for example, equal pay for equal work value, preventing sexual harassment etc), promote women’s entrepreneurship and vulnerable women’s integration in the labour market, gender inequalities and discrimination still takes place against women. Firstly, women in Greece are more affected by unemployment, the rate of which is currently at 28.7%, whereas for men in February 2016 the corresponding figure was 20.6% (Greek Statistical Agency, 2016). Despite the fact that high unemployment rates are a result of the economic crisis, high figures of women’s unemployment is a long-standing characteristic and typical of prevalent discrimination in the labour market (Kambouri, 2013). Gender inequalities also continue to be present regarding career progression towards the higher tiers of employment in terms of hierarchy and remuneration (the “glass ceiling” phenomenon), with women being typically underrepresented (Kambouri, 2013). Furthermore, the compensation difference in Greece (i.e. the difference between gross hourly rates) was at 15% for 2010, compared to 16.3% for the EU (EU Report, 2015). The total income difference between the two genders in Greece was at 45.2% for 2010, whereas the corresponding EU average is 41.1%.

COUNSELLING AND SUPPORT SERVICES PROMOTING IMMIGRANT EMPLOYMENT The Greek Organisation of Labour Force Employment (www.oaed.gr) is the foremost public authority promoting employment and vocational training in Greece. Among other activities, it provides, applies and funds programmes that facilitate access to employment, while also offering professional orientation and counselling support, placing emphasis on groups that are most affected by unemployment, as well as vulnerable population groups such as immigrants. OAED, in collaboration with VET Centres, develops and offers targeted vocational training programmes addressed to unemployed immigrants in sectors such as catering, tourist agencies, maintenance technicians, personal carers, electricians, construction workers etc. Furthermore, the Centre for Information for Employed and Unemployed Persons (www.kepea.gr) of the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) offers tailored information services to Greek workers and economic immigrants regarding the application of insurance and immigration legislation, while unemployed people can register their CVs, seek work and obtain information on employment and training programmes. It is worth noting that KEPEA maintains an Economic Immigrants’ Office, which offers information to economic immigrants regarding their labour and insurance rights, as well as full information on matters regarding their legalisation and integration. Another provider is the social service offices of Municipalities offer free career counselling and professional orientation services to unemployed people belonging to vulnerable groups, as well as language learning and basic IT skill learning programmes. NGOs also play an important role in career guidance and support for immigrants. Many of them implement relevant actions funded by the European Union, such as the EaSI (http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1081&langId=el) or the ERASMUS+ (http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/node_el) programmes. Similar actions are implemented throught the Operational Programme “Human Resource Development” and in particular the Local Actions for


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the Integration of Vulnerable Groups, aiming at the (re)integration of unemployed persons belonging to vulnerable population groups, including immigrants. The professionals who are involved in the provision of career counselling and professional orientation services include psychologists, sociologists, social workers, lawyers, adult trainers, career counsellors, VET providers, mentors, life coachers, cultural mediators, administrative staff working in relevant services.

Field Research Findings In order to ensure participation in the two focus groups, KMOP contacted relevant organisations, with which they have cooperated in the past. The two focus groups took place on April 14th, 2016, in KMOP’s offices in Thessaloniki. The participants were informed about the “Move On” project and the objectives of the research at hand, as well as the fact that the conversation would be recorded but their participation would remain anonymous. They were asked to confirm their consent by signing relevant participation agreement forms. The discussions proceeded smoothly and without any problems, and participants were eager to express their opinions. The only minor difficulty encountered was the inability of some participants to fully comprehend the questions, as most of them did not have full command of the Greek language. In these cases, the vocabulary was simplified and further elaboration was provided. The findings of the two groups are presented in the following paragraphs. IMMIGRANT FOCUS GROUPS As mentioned above, four out of the five participants came from Albania, while one of them came from Romania. There were four women and one man participating in the group, and participants had lived in Greece from 8 to 25 years each. All of them currently live permanently in Greece with their families or started families in Greece. As to the education level, three of the women participants were secondary education graduates, one of them had completed a post-secondary technical school on Tourism studies, while the male participant had studied Economic Sciences in his country of origin. Most the participants were unemployed and only one woman was employed as a cleaner at the time. The male participant, despite his economic background, had not worked in his chosen field but had started a small cleaning business, which he had to terminate due to the economic crisis. The immigrant with the Tourism studies had not managed to maintain employment in her choses field of study, but had also taken other jobs, such as home childcare / babysitting and cosmetics sales. Regarding their integration in the labour market, there was a multitude of opinions. Two of the participants believed that they were integrated in the labour market directly and did not face any problems, whereas the other three expressed a different opinion. This may be attributed to the time period in which their immigration to Greece took place, as those who were directly integrated immigrated at times when there was increased immigratory flow towards Greece and an increased availability of jobs that are mostly covered by immigrants, especially in the construction, agriculture and service provision sectors. Their fellow nationals were very assistive in the adjustment and integration process. On the contrary, immigrant women who faced difficulties were those that arrived at a time when the signs of the economic crisis were already apparent. All participants noted that their poor knowledge of the Greek language inhibited their integration into the labour market, but in itself was not the determining factor in finding work. None of the participants mentioned facing integration problems attributable to their origin or cultural differences. On the contrary, most of the problems they faced pertained to their social integration, as some of them were discriminated against during their efforts to find housing. However, all of the women participants opined that they found work relatively easily and were preferred compared to men in jobs that are considered to be appropriate for women, such as waiting, cleaning, child and elderly care; the relevant stereotypes involving “waitresses” and “home assistants” in Greece were also mentioned. Regarding to their training needs, all participants stressed their need for learning the Greek language, in the belief that it would improve their employment prospects and open up new career opportunitites. Only two participants mentioned a desire to be trained in skills such as pastry making or hairdressing. No other training needs were mentioned, as most of them did not have any further career ambitions. On a similar note, participants mentioned that they do

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not have any specific career counselling needs, despite the fact that they are unemployed, since they did not consider it likely that such support would change their employment status or improve their career prospects. Only two out of five answered that they would potentially use such services; in fact, they responded that they did not feel any need to use such services even at earlier times, when they were still employed, as their main interest lied in finding any work, something they achieved easily, regardless of their skills and any ambitions. Most of them mentioned that they were not aware of services that could improve their career prospects and some mentioned knowledge of OAED’s activities, which they considered to be without substantial merit, given the economic crises and increased unemployment levels.

Experts’ / Professionals’ Focus Group The services provided by the expert and professionals participating in the focus group included counselling and networking through OAED to all citizen groups and particularly to vulnerable groups, including immigrants, women, and also victims of labour exploitation. Furthermore, in one of the organisations represented, immigrants are the main target group supported, and particularly those from Albania, Romania and Bulgaria, to whom career counselling services as well as family support services are provided. Another participant mentioned their organisations’ provision of support services to, among others, disabled immigrants and their networking with welfare services, healthcare, etc. With the exception of the Immigrations Service, which deals exclusively with immigrants, the other organisations do not have targeted programmes for immigrants, even though the latter form a large portion of their target groups. Some organisations, such as ARSIS take care to always have a staff member which speaks the beneficiary immigrants’ language and also acts as cultural mediator, so as to ensure the provision of high-quality services. The participants of this focus group mentioned that immigrants face a number of issues regarding their access to organisations and agencies offering career counselling and employability services, with the most important being the language. Those not familiar with the language seldom approach such services and have naturally little access to the corresponding information. Also, there are many who are not aware of the procedures necessary for approaching these services and obtaining information, but also of the existence of the services altogether. Among others, it was mentioned that the issue of bureaucracy inhibits their access to public services, a problem which is also faced by other citizens. Furthermore, it was pointed out that most of them are not aware of the existence of these services, and street work is often necessary in order to inform immigrants of these and other services provided. It is noteworthy, however, that once awareness is raised regarding the existence and provision of these services, it tends to disseminate quickle among immigrant communities. As to immigrants’ needs regarding their integration into the labour market, learning the Greek language was given top priority. Vocational training was also prominent, especially when it comes to technical tasks, through which they mainly find employment anyway. Despite the fact that some of them are educated and may have been professionals in their own countries, in Greece they tend to engage in low-skill technical or agricultural tasks and do not seek ways to match their skills and qualifications with their employment position. An important point mentioned by all professionals was that some of the immigrants coming to Greece have a tendency to engage in non-mainstream work, such as house cleaning, prostitution, etc., or informal work. Therefore, it is important to achieve their engagement in formal labour, with insurance benefits and remuneration rates consistent with current legislation. The need for training on “horizontal” skills and skills that pertain to the jobs typically undertaken by immigrants was also mentioned. Professionals stated that their organisations place emphasis on gender and cultural diversity issues when it comes to service provision. Considerable effort is being put into ensuring that approaches are gender and culturally sensitive, taking into account and respecting diversity. However, there are no specific quality requirements or guidelines for the provision of services when it comes to gender and cultural sensitivity. Also, the participants consider that their employing organisations’ staff is inadequately trained to offer gender- and culturally sensitive counselling services, and thus further training is required for NGOs to offer quality services, especially when it comes to cultural diversity issues. Finally, regarding the question of whether they were aware of of specific career counselling and vocational training services that are addressed exclusively to immigrants, participants stated that they were unaware of such services. Only some unofficial initiatives were mentioned, pertaining mostly to job-seeking assistance and implemented mostly through local immigrant associations and communities.


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Good or Promising Practices

PRACTICE 1 TITLE OF THE PRACTICE

Immigrant women in isolation

PRACTICE 2 “Work is open for everybody”

PRACTICE 3 Bridges Programme – City of Glasgow United Kingdom Recognised as an example of Best Practice in Scotland, the UK and Europe

URL OF THE PRACTICE

http://www.arbetsformedlingen.se/download/18.6be1c39612ee961cb0e80003437/ http://www.ekscr.cz/en/projekt/work-open-everybody utrikesf odda-kvinnor.pdf http://www.bridgesprogrammes.org.uk/ http://socialempowerment.eu/Project_Card.aspx?Prohttp://socialempowerment.eu/Project_Card. jectID=332 aspx?ProjectID=332

LOCATION /GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE

6 regions in Sweden, namely Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo, Halmstad, Landskrona and Prague – Czech Republic Sundsvall

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRACTICE

This project is a governmental assignment from the Swedish government to Public Employment Services (PES). The main goal of the project is to find new methodologies for integration of the immigrant women with low education. The project idea was based on the continuous evaluation which showed that the individual approach and non-traditional working methods (not typical for everyday work at PES) were very effective for this specific target group. The project was carried out from 2009 to 2010 in 6 Swedish regions.

INSTITUTION/ ORGANISATION/ SERVICE PROVIDER/ The Swedish Public Employment Service IMPLEMENTING AGENCY

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Glasgow , Scotland – United Kingdom

Carried out from September 2010 till August 2012, the project “Work is open for everybody” was financed by the Operational Program Prague “Adaptability” and by The Bridges Programmes supports the social, educational and the city of Prague. economic integration of refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and anyone for whom English is a second language, living in Glasgow. Recognised as an example of Best Practice in Scotland, the UK and The objective of the project is to give foreigners a Europe, Bridges works with employers and partners to ensure that chance, through an educational course, to learn ev- our clients have the possible support to help them into work (if elierything they need to know about the job market in gible), education or further training. Prague, so that they can put their skills to use and so that through their qualification they can contribute to the growth of the Czech economy.

EKS, a training and consulting organization, based in The Bridges Programmes Ltd is registered in Scotland as a Charity, Prague Charity No: SCO36344, Company No: 352017

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Immigrant women meeting the following criteria:

The target group included participants who were foreigners, who have been living in the Czech Republic for • Born outside EU, who have official permisa long time as well as newcomers. sion to stay in Sweden, • Age of women: 16 – 64,

TARGET GROUP(S)/ BENEFICIARIES

• Low or no education, • Insufficient Swedish language skills,

Target group: • Foreigners with an over 90 days residency visa

Refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and anyone for whom English is a second language, living in Glasgow.

• Foreigners with a long term residency permit • Unemployed and living on allowance from the municipality or regional social insurance • Foreigners with a permanent residence permit office, • Without any contacts with municipality or state,

• Refugees • Citizens of Romania and Bulgaria

• Not registered at PES as job-seekers. Practice 1 Main Services provided The overall structure of the project “Immigrant women in isolation” consists of the following 4 aspects: Outreach activities Coaches used their networks to reach out to women not registered at PES. Informational meetings were arranged at places visited by to immigrant women, for example folk high schools, NGOs, SFI (Swedish courses for immigrants) and other organisations. Posters with information were not effective as there is low trust from women’s side to authorities. In informational meeting women had possibility to ask questions interesting for them and the result of the meeting was commitment to participate in the project. Partnerships with relevant stakeholders In some regions PES already had established networks with relevant stakeholders working with immigrants (smaller regions). In bigger regions PES workers established necessary contacts with relevant stakeholders at the beginning of the project. The partnerships embraced municipalities, NGOs for immigrants and immigrant women, adult education providers, VET providers, employers, SFI, etc. Participants in pilot focus groups Focus groups were created in order to identify women`s needs, potential hinders and solutions. In the project there were 2 kinds of focus groups, so-called “target group” and “stakeholders”. Stakeholders included representatives from PES, municipality, employers, NGOs educational providers and SFI. Totally 48 focus groups were carried out in the 6 project regions: in each region 4 focus groups for the target group and 4 focus groups for the stakeholders. Special themes were chosen for each focus group, for example employment opportunities, health and well-being. Labour-market employment political activities The next step after identification of women’s needs in focus groups and face-to-face dialogues was matching of these needs to possibilities existing on the labour market through local projects with labour market employment political directions. The participants had the possibility to get financial support from PES in a form of unemployment fee. The cooperation with local stakeholders was carried out through project agreements.


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Practice 2 Main Services provided The main services/ activities provided included: Educational course This consists direct education of migrants, the aim being to increase their chances at fulfilling themselves on the job market in Prague. This phase includes 3 cycles, each of which consists of 4 educational workshops and several language classes to prepare for the workshops. The workshops and classes were highly interactive, the participants were trained on real life situations, which they will have to face on the job market, they learned how to better communicate (among others thanks to the language classes), one of the course’s highlights was also the exchange of information between each participant. Main topics of the course included: Foreigners’ rights and privileges Job seeking and interview preparation Job interview training Personal development and evaluation The course also offered a trip to the employment agency and to some companies. EKG was arranging babysitting for the children (free), which was conducted by immigrant women mainly (voluntarily or symbolic paid) – one very important way how to involve them in community work and give more chance to mothers to participate in the offered courses. The babysitting on the same basis is offered for all the socioeconomical or language courses offered by EKG. This opportunity represents a double benefit – for the immigrant women to participate in community work and to be educated and more qualified Trainers’ training This included the training of some members of the migrants’ community, in which they are active. The trainers then passed down the learnt information to the members of their community, his/her community; the project thus indirectly educated many more foreigners. The following activities took place: Two trainers’ trainings, with the participation of experts from various segments of the job market; A roundtable with the participants to the course, with experts from the business field, from governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and with politicians. Practice 3 Main Services provided Work Placements: Bridges can offer you short work experience/work shadowing placements with Scottish companies in the sector that you originally worked in. Employability Support If you are allowed to work in the UK you might benefit from our Equipped for the Future Course, a 3 week course (15 hours per week), which will help you understand your skills and your past experience. You will complete applications, write a CV, meet employers, have a chance to practice interview and presentations skills and search for jobs. Advanced Life Skills This is for REFUGEES only who have received leave to remain since MAY 2013. To access this course you must first register with the Scottish Refugee Council and they will refer you to us. The course last 4 weeks (15 hours per week) and will help you settle in Glasgow as a refugee and introduce you to the world of employment.

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ARE THE PROVIDED SERVICES GENDER AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY SENSITIVE?

The provided services are both gender and cul- The provided services are obviously both gender and It can be assumed that the services provided are gender and cultural tural diversity sensitive. cultural diversity sensitive. sensitive.

The outcomes of the project led to the opportunities for women to engage in purposeful learning activities, to support themselves to study or to work and be more active members of society. The creation of local partnerships allowed to give more professional support to women and usage of available resources at local/regional level.

The project made a contribution to the integration of Based on the info from the last available Annual Review (2013-2014) migrants into the labour market. In particular: Bridges Programme supported over 300 clients in 525 separate in38 individuals graduated from the training program, terventions. More specifically Bridges has achieved: more than 40% of them later found a suitable job 117 placements a comprehensive methodology for group counsel123 completing employability courses; ling was created (National Award for Career Guidance in 2012) 45 undertaking vocational ESOL support 46 immigrants trained 86 going through Life Skills classes and empowerment support a roundtable was attended by 50 representatives of 15 mentoring matches NGOs and the public sector

ARE THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY HIGHLY SKILLED AND WELL TRAINED PROFESSIONALS AND PROVIDERS OF CAREER GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING?

The services are provided by the Swedish Public Employment Service, which is the main agency for the provision of career guidance and counselling services, which are provided by highly skilled professionals.

EKS involves a team of trainers and advisors who focus on experiential learning. The team is systematically trained in modern teaching techniques. It is an organization recognized by the Ministry of Education and ‘Bridges’ employs a variety of highly skilled staff such as Trainers, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Czech Senior Case Workers, Case Workers etc. Republic. It has also received a series of awards in the category of career guidance. Thus, EKS’s professionals are considered highly skilled and well trained.

IS THE PRACTICE DIRECTLY LINKED WITH THE POLICY LEVEL, BOTH AFFECTING RELEVANT POLICIES AND SUPPORTING IN PRACTICE ITS IMPLEMENTATION?

The practice is directly linked with the policy level, as it is implemented by the government body responsible for the implementation of labour market policies.

The practice was financed by the Operational Program Prague “Adaptability” and is in line with its policies which promotes immigrants’ integration into the labour market.

‘Bridges’ is an independent charity organization and cooperates with specific city structures such as the City of Glasgow college and the Scotland Police. It can be assumed that its activities are aligned with the general integration policies.

IS THE PRACTICE TAILOR-MADE BASED ON THE CULTURAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT OF YOUR COUNTRY, AND THE NEEDS AND REQUESTS OF THE MIGRANTS REGARDING THEIR CAREER AND THEIR INTEGRATION INTO THE LABOUR MARKET?

Yes, it is, despite the differences on the cultural and socio-economic environment between the two countries, given that the majority of immigrant women in Greece are of very low education level and have similar training needs to the immigrants who participated at this project.

Yes, it is, despite the differences on the cultural and socio-economic environment between the two countries. Immigrants in Greece face similar obstacles with those in the Czech Republic.

Given the fact the ‘Bridges’ is a recognized best practice in Scotland, the United Kingdom and Europe we can assume that it caters for the specific needs of migrants. It does not correspond to the current socioeconomic environment in Greece due to the continuous recession, the almost non-existent job market and the absolute absence of any state integration/inclusion policy.

EFFECTIVENESS/ CONTRIBUTION THE PRACTICE HAS MADE TO THE INTEGRATION OF MIGRANTS INTO THE LABOUR MARKET


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WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF THIS PRACTICE WHICH COULD BE USED IN THE TEACHING PROGRAMME AND MATERIAL ON GENDER AND DIVERSITY SENSITIVE CAREER GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING FOR MIGRANTS?

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Elements of the practice that could be used are: Outreach activity for immigrants

Elements of the practice that could be used are:

training on real life situations, which they will have Focus groups in order to identify immi- to face on the job market grants’ needs the training of selected members of the migrants’ Matching women’s needs to possibilities excommunity, who then will pass the learnt information isting on the labour market to the members of their community. On-job training

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Elements of the practice that could be used are the below: Completion of applications, CV preparation, Networking with employers, Mock interviews Presentations skills

Conclusion and recommendations From the present study, we can conclude that immigrants face a number of problems and obstacles that affect their integration in the labour market and their employability. These problems are related not only to their origin, but also to the conditions prevalent in the Greek labour market and Greek society and bureaucratic difficulties that inhibit their opportunities, such as, for instance, the official recognition of educational titles obtained in their countries of origin. Furthermore, as regards to improving their employability, immigrants have increased and specific needs, which mainly pertain to learning the Greek language, their participation in vocational training programmes, guidance and counselling support, as well as the development of various professional and interpersonal skills. Besides, both men and women immigrants face many inequalities and discrimination in employment, as many Greeks do and in particular women. In parallel, they also experience many labour inequalities that stem from their national and cultural origin, while their labour and social insurance rights are frequently violated, a phenomenon which is more prominent in the case of immigrant women. Also, a series of counselling services and programmes can contribute to the employment of immigrants in Greece. However, as the field research indicated, on one hand there is inadequate utilisation of these opportunities from the side of the immigrants, whereas on the other it is evident that these initiatives are inadequate in satisfying their specific needs, while the staff that provides services to immigrants is insufficiently trained in gender and diversity issues. Based on the above and taking into consideration the good or promising practices presented, a series of recommendations are proposed, which could improve the access of immigrants to counselling services and vocational training programmes, as well as the quality and effectiveness of these services and programmes vis-à-vis labour market integration and career progression of immigrants: Personalised counselling support based on the personal profiles, the skills and needs of both men and women, taking into account their specific cultural and gender characteristics. Introduction and application of methodologies and guidelines, as well as quality standards in providing counselling services so that they are sensitive to gender and cultural diversity issues. Development of training programmes based on the knowledge, skills and the specific needs of immigrant men and women, taking into account current labour market conditions. Training of counsellors and trainers providing services to immigrants in matters of cultural diversity and gender issues, as well as in modern training and counselling methods and tools for immigrants.


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Αναγνώστου, Ντ. & Γκέμη, Ε. (2015). Παρακολουθώντας και Αξιολογώντας τα Μέτρα για την Ένταξη των Ευάλωτων Ομάδων Μεταναστών. Εθνική Έκθεση στο πλαίσιο του

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έργου ASSESS Integration of Vulnerable Migrants. Ανακτήθηκε 11 Απριλίου 2016, από http://www.eliamep.gr/all-publications/publications/project-publications/παρακολουθώντας-και-αξιολογωντας-τα/ Ελληνική Στατιστική Αρχή. (2016). Έρευνα Εργατικού Δυναμικού: Φεβρουάριος 2016. Ανακτήθηκε 11 Απριλίου 2016, από http://www.statistics.gr/el/statistics/-/publication/SJO02/2016-M02 Ελληνική Στατιστική Αρχή. (2014α). Απογραφή Πληθυσμού-Κατοικιών 2011: Δημογραφικά και Κοινωνικά Χαρακτηριστικά του Μόνιμου Πληθυσμού της Χώρας Σύμφωνα με την Αναθεώρηση των Αποτελεσμάτων της Απογραφής Πληθυσμού-Κατοικιών 2011 στις 20/3/2014. Ανακτήθηκε 11 Απριλίου 2016, από http://www.statistics. gr/el/statistics/-/publication/SAM03/Ελληνική Στατιστική Αρχή. (2014β). Ειδική Έρευνα για τη Θέση στην Αγορά Εργασίας των Μεταναστών και των Άμεσων Απογόνων τους. Ανακτήθηκε 11 Απριλίου 2016, από http://www.statistics.gr/el/statistics/pop Ελληνική Στατιστική Αρχή. (2011). Δημογραφικά Χαρακτηριστικά / 2001. Ανακτήθηκε 11 Απριλίου 2016, από http://www.statistics.gr/el/statistics/-/publication/ SAM03/2001 Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή. (2015). Η Μισθολογική Διαφορά Μεταξύ των Δύο Φύλων στην Ελλάδα. Ανακτήθηκε 7 Απριλίου 2016, από http://ec.europa.eu/greece/ pdf/20151030_ellada_misthologiki_diafora.pdf Eurostat. (2016). Unemployment Statistics. Retrieved April 6, 2016, from http://ec.europa. eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Unemployment_statistics Eurostat. (2015). Migrant Integration Statistics – Employment. Retrieved April 6, 2016, from http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Migrant_integration_statistics_-_employment Eurostat. (2013). Migration and Migrant Population Statistics. Retrieved April 6, 2016, from http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Migration_ and_migrant_population_statistics&oldid=264684http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ statistics-explained/index.php/Migration_and_migrant_population_statistics/el

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Κασιμάτη, Κ. & Μουσούρου, Λ. (2007). Φύλο και Μετανάστευση: Θεωρητικές Αναφορές και Εμπειρική Διερεύνηση, τοµ. Ι, Αθήνα: Gutenberg/ ΚΕΚΜΟΚΟΠ Κονδύλη, Δ., Θανοπούλου, Μ., Μουρίκη, Α., Στρατουδάκη, Χ., Τζωρτζοπούλου, Μ.. (2010). Εκπόνηση Έρευνας για Καλές Πρακτικές που Εφαρµόζονται στην Ελλάδα και σε Άλλες Ευρωπαϊκές Χώρες και Αφορούν Μετανάστριες στον Τοµέα της Απασχόλησης. Αθήνα: Εθνικό Κέντρο Κοινωνικών Ερευνών. Ανακτήθηκε 11 Απριλίου 2016, από http://www.immigrantwomen.gr/portal/index.php?option=com_ content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=22&lang=en Kambouri, N. (2013) Gender Equality in the Greek Labour Market: The Gaps Narrow, Inequalities Persist. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, International Policy Analysis. Retrieved from http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/id/09822.pdf Lianos, T. (2007). Brain drain and brain loss: Immigrants to Greece. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 33, 129-140. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/ abs/10.1080/13691830601043562?journalCode=cjms20 “Lighthouse” Project. (2015). State of the Art Report on Career Guidance and Counselling Services for Migrants: Context Analysis, Needs and Recommendations. Retrieved April 7, 2016, from http://www.lighthouse-project.eu/outputs/ Maroufof, M. (2013). “With all the cares in the world”: Irregular migrant domestic workers in Greece. In A. Triandafyllidou (Ed.) Irregular Migrant Domestic Workers in Europe: Who Cares? Aldershot: Ashgate OECD. (2013). Greece. Country Notes: Recent Changes in Migration Movements and Policies. Retrieved April 6, 2016, from http://www.oecd.org/migration/mig/IMO%20 2012_Country%20note%20Greece.pdf Παπαγεωργίου, Ν. & Τσιρώνης, Χρ. (2013). Φύλο, μετανάστευση και οικονομική κρίση στην Ελλάδα: Η τρέχουσα συζήτηση. Culture and Research, 2, 101-120. Ανακτήθηκε από http://ejournals.lib.auth.gr/culres/article/view/3943 Triandafyllidou, A. & Maroufof, M. (2011). Migration in Greece, Recent Developments in 2011 (Report prepared for the OECD Network of International Migration Experts, Paris, 30 November-2 December 2011). Retrieved April 7, 2016, from http://www. eliamep.gr/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Migration-in-Greece-Recent-Developments-2011.pdf A COMPARATIVE STUDY INTO GENDER,MIGRATION AND COUNSELLING IN EUROPE

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Participants in the field research IMMIGRANTS:

APPENDIX

• G. S., from Albania

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• M. M., from Albania • M., from Albania • M. T., from Albania • N. S., from Romania

EXPERTS / PROFESSIONALS: • Maria Margarita-Theoharopoulou, Psychologist, KMOP • Alexandra Matou, Social researcher, ARSIS NGO • Konstantina Keramitsi, Immigrations Service, Thessaloniki, • Marianna Papadopoulou, Social Worker, Delta Municipality Social Service • Zaharoula Kotsamitelou, Social Worker, Thessaloniki Municipality Social Service.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FEMALE MIGRANTS ON THE POLISH LABOUR MARKET Stowarzyszenie Interwencj Prawnej (Association for Legal Intervention) dr. iur Katarzyna Gracz European University Institute Contact: [email protected].

POLAND


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FEMALE MIGRANTS ON THE POLISH LABOUR MARKET

Women on the Polish labor market Despite the rapid changes that have taken place in Poland since the early days of transformation, and in particular since the accession to the European Union - the situation of women on the Polish labor market is still far from the standards set by the countries who are perceived as leaders in terms of equal access to the labor market. Only 54% of women in working age in Poland are actually employed, while the average for all OECD countries is 57.5% and in the leading countries employability of women reaches over 70% (72.9% in Sweden, 73.5% in Norway, 75.1% in Switzerland, and up 79.5% in Iceland) (OECD Data 2016). Women represent a slightly higher percentage of the unemployed in Poland as compared to men: in 2014 women accounted for 51.5% of all the registered unemployed. In the same year, the unemployment rate amongst women stood at 9.7% and at 8,6% amongst men (OECD Data, 2014). It should be stressed however, that the Polish statistics do not stand out from the overall European data, as the average unemployment rate among women in the 28 EU Member States amounts to 9.8%. In addition, Poland is doing quite well as compared to other Member States in relation to the difference in unemployment rates between men and women. For example, in the Czech Republic with an overall relatively low level of unemployment: 6.2%, the difference is as high as 2.2% (7.4% for women, and only 5.2% for men), in Spain 2.3% (the overall unemployment rate: 22.8%, women: 24.1%, men: 21.8%) and in Greece up 7.2% (the overall unemployment rate: 25.8%, women: 29.8 % men: 22.6%). The above data indicates that the Polish female unemployment rate is not significantly different from the average for other European Union countries, nevertheless, it must be underlined that as much as 46% of women of working age remain outside the labor market, and those that decided to enter the Polish labor market - have greater difficulty in finding a job, as compared to men in the same situation. Moreover, a significant gender wage gap of around 10.6% exists (OECD Data, 2012). It should also be stressed that the wage gap phenomenon is not limited to private companies and is present also in the public sector. According to some researchers (Święćkowska, 2010), the gender-based inequality is the result of the still dominating patriarchal perception of the social roles in the Polish society. Despite the dynamic changes taking place in recent years in the Polish public awareness with regard to the family model based on the concept of partnership between the spouses and women’s empowerment in the public sphere – still it is the women who are expected to take the primary responsibility for the management of the household and children upbringing. Hence, some women, not able to juggle all of the social expectations – resign from their career development, what prevents them from taking the leadership positions and leads to the phenomenon of wage gap to the disadvantage of women. On the other hand, however, it seems that many women in Poland have a constructive approach to the obstacles encountered on the labor market and trying to meet expectations both in the private and in the public sphere - reach for self-employment. Poland is in fact one of the countries with the highest percentage of female entrepreneurs in Europe (Przybysz, 2016). In addition, numerous non-governmental organizations support entrepreneurship among women in Poland. Therefore, despite the still unequal position of women and men on the Polish labor market – the unique potential of female entrepreneurs and the supporting organizations, could be effectively applied for the needs of vocational coun-

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seling aimed at foreigners residing in Poland.

Foreigners on the Polish labor market It is not possible to refer to the exact number and detailed ethnic characteristics of the foreign workers on the Polish market due to the divergence between the different sources of the official data. Moreover, not all of the foreigners who have the right to be employed enter the Polish job market. Nevertheless, regardless of the chosen methodology, the number of foreigners on the Polish labor market is still very small as compared to other European countries. The share of female migrants in the overall numbers and their ethnic characteristics differs depending on the legal status of the various groups of foreigners on the Polish job market. Respectively, women represent a relatively low share among foreigners working on the basis of work permit (27.61% of the total of foreigners who have been issued a work permit in 2015) or on the basis of statements to entrust work to a foreigner (38.35%) - and quite high among foreigners applying for international protection (almost half) and among foreigners applying for residence of a family member of an EU citizen (74.32%). In ethnic terms, most important group of female foreigners on the Polish labor market is constituted by the citizens of Ukraine, the Russian Federation (ethnic Russians dominate in the group of migrants applying for the work permit, whereas large share of forced migrants in Poland declares Chechen nationality), Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, as well as China and Vietnam. The category of citizens of the European Union, who registered their stay in Poland is dominated by German, Spanish and Romanian citizens. It is worth emphasizing that although foreigners still have a small share in the total number of the registered unemployed in Poland, half of them are women, most of them originating in the so called “third countries”.

Vocational counseling services for migrants Services in the field of vocational adaptation, including counseling for foreigners, should be analyzed in the wider context of the policies for activation and professional reintegration – that were introduced in Poland very late as compared to other European countries, were directly shaped by the requirements for accession to the European Union and until now have not yet reached the level of development observed in some other Member States (Rymsza, 2014). Significant changes came in recent years with the introduction of a legal basis for the conduct of social entrepreneurship1, in particular centers and clubs of social integration running activation programs in the conditions of employment for various social groups prone to marginalization on the labor market. Both solutions are the perfect instruments used in practice for the needs of vocational reintegration of foreigners, in particular with regard to forced migrants. Further steps were taken with the introduction of the institution of a social contract, in the form of a civil law agreement concluded between the social service and its client, defining mutual rights and obligations of both parties where the degree of compliance with the social contract determines the scope and nature of the granted assistance. A similar design was introduced into the integration programs devoted to the forced migrants, where granting of aid (in the form of cash benefits for maintenance and provision of courses in Polish language, insurance premiums and access to specialized social counseling) is conditioned by the pursuit of obligations stemming from individual contracts between the migrant and the social assistant. Even though the law mentions explicitly only „specialised socal counselling”, there is still room for „other actions” agreed with the foreigner beforehand, which may include also vocational counselling, provided that career counsellor is currently employed by the agency implementing the integration programme. Ustawa z dn. 13 czerwca 2003 roku o zatrudnieniu socjalnym. Dz.U. z 2003 r., Nr 122. poz.1143; Ustawa z dn.27 kwietnia 2006 roku o spółdzielniach socjalnych. Dz.U. z 2006 r., Nr 94 poz.651.

1


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The gradual transition from the model based on the direct benefit programs to the policy of active professional reintegration (social economy institutions, conditional assistance) required introduction of the institution of licensed vocational counselor and employment agent which took place in Poland very late as compared to other EU countries. However, this change did not bring the expected benefits, as most experts in this field have chosen to work in private counseling companies, leaving professionalization of public employment services at a very low level in comparison with the standards promoted by the European Union. Currently vocational counselling for youngsters is provided in schools as well as outside of schools in specialised public agencies (psychological and pedagogical clinics). Adults may access free of charge vocational counselling in public labour offices at local level (both poviat and voivodeship). In the result of low professional standards of the majority of public servants – the public labor offices are not adequately adapted to the needs of foreign workers. This gap is filled, to some extent, by the activity of the private employment agencies as well as non-governmental organisations (see the results of the study below). Therefore it is advised that the latter are the target group of future trainings enhancing their skills and sensitivity in this area.

Needs of female migrants and challenges they meet in the proces of professional integration 7 individual interviews and one focus group interview with 3 respondents have been conducted in order to identify the needs and challenges that female migrants face in the process of professional adaptation in Poland. The group of respondents consisted solely from the nationals of third countries since the desk-research has indicated them as the most vulnerable group on the Polish labor market. Interviewed women differed between one another in terms of their legal status, family situation and nationality. The sample included both forced and economic migrants from Afghanistan, Belarus, Russian Federation, Georgia and Ukraine. Importantly, all of the respondents were mothers, what significantly affected their self-perception and their decisions in terms of professional life. It is worth emphasizing that, despite the crucial differences between the interviewees – their stories were quite alike. All of the interviewees claimed that the Polish public institutions are not appropriately prepared for meeting the needs of the foreigners and are not able to conduct a coherent and effective integration policy. They have also stressed the fact that the success of the migrants on the Polish labor market mostly depends on luck and informal networks of contacts. The interviewees underlined that, in their opinion, migrant women working in Poland are more vulnerable to all types of abuse as compared to men in the same situation. Moreover, they claimed that there are generally more jobs for migrant men than women – as the market mainly offers jobs for unqualified workers that require physical strength, hence are more suitable for men. When asked about their personal decisions with regards to professional integration – the interviewees always referred to their family situation that clearly determined the choices they made. Whether and what type of jobs the interviewees were looking for and agreeing to is mostly determined by the way they define their duties as mothers, wives or daughters. The majority of respondents declared that family responsibilities forced them to take any available job, just to be able to financially support the relatives, especially children. It seems that women migrants who come alone to Poland, leaving the family back in their country of origin (in most cases Ukrainians), are most prone to the greatest sacrifices – hence most vulnerable on the labor market. All of the respondents claimed to have experienced discrimination on the labor market at least once. Situations they referred to were characterized by varying degrees of severity, type and dynamics of discriminatory actions. They concerned relations with employers, co-workers, and clients alike. In addition, respondents pointed also to the problems that concern all of the migrants, regardless of their gender. They mostly complained about the quality of assistance offered to them both by the public institutions and non-governmental organisations. They stressed that although there are many organizations offering help to foreigners in finding a job - their services are most often limited to searching for jobs on the Internet. The interviewees stressed the fact that even the public labor officers had nothing to offer them, explaining that one needs to speak Polish in order to work in Poland (which is not a true statement as there exists no such a requirement and in fact there are many types of jobs

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which require little or no level of verbal communication, e.g.: house cleaning). In addition, respondents emphasized that the lack of professional recruitment services disables them from optimally exploiting the full potential of their educational and professional experience gained in the country of origin. The unused knowledge and skills disappear over time - which combined with the frustration arising from the inability to take up employment in accordance with one’s qualifications - often leads to the total exclusion from the labor market. It is worth noting that despite the many difficulties encountered by foreigners in the professional adaptation on the Polish labor market - all the interviewees were very optimistic. They made the impression of people who are trying to take responsibility for their own destiny and are characterized by the huge level of determination and commitment. They emphasized that in the absence of formal solutions – they have resorted to informal networks of support – mostly friends and acquaintances. Many of the interviewees stressed the enormous value of the contact with women in a similar position (preferably, but not necessarily, of the same nationality) for the overall process of professional integration on the Polish labour market. In conclusion, it should be stated that the interviews confirmed the earlier diagnosis based on the study of existing data, which holds that Polish public institutions do not conduct a coherent and effective policies to support migrants in the process of their professional adaptation. Furthermore, they supported the claim that in fact the situation of women in this context is most difficult and that female migrants require additional support that would take into consideration their extreme vulnerability to abuse on the labor market.

Examples of good practices in the field of vocational counselling services for migrants The initiatives aimed at facilitation of the process of professional integration of female migrants should be comprehensive, taking into account the psychological, legal and cultural factors and should be able to ensure the continuity of actions. It is also good if the projects undertaken in this field treat migrants as partners rather than clients and help to build a friendly community among the beneficiaries. They shouldn’t also limit themselves to the perception of immigrants as workers and should foster their entrepreneurial potential. The following listed are examples of initiatives which, according to the author, are an adequate response to the challenges faced by the female migrants on the Polish labor market (all of them are realised by the organisations based in Warsaw). „ENTREPRENEURIAL IMMIGRANT” FUNDACJA DLA SOMALII (FOUNDATION FOR SOMALIA) Within the framework of this initiative 12 female migrants who have proven their leadership potential are offered to participate in comprehensive courses, trainings and workshops as well as individual consulting and couching schemes aimed at planning their individual career paths. The participants are also having regular meetings with Polish business women in order to exchange information and skills and to build intercultural women’s support network. The Foundation also offers the courses in Polish language, Polish labor law and the basics of entrepreneurship. Moreover, the participants are obliged to organize themselves 6 various initiatives for the Polish community in smaller towns aiming at building a network also with the women from outside of Warsaw, combating prejudices and creating a positive image of migrants through the presentation of the unique skills and competencies of women of diverse cultural background. KLUB UKRAIŃSKICH KOBIET (КЛУБ УКРАЇНСЬКИХ ЖІНОК: UKRAINIAN WOMEN’S CLUB) An informal association of women which aims at integration of the Ukrainian diaspora in Poland and promotion of the Ukrainian culture in Poland, as well as supports education and professional development of the members of Ukrainian community, especially women. The initiative is run by the immigrants themselves. Ukrainian Women’s Club regularly runs culinary and craft workshops and organizes fairs, where one can buy products that are created at the workshops, thereby promoting Ukrainian culture and positive image of migrants. These initiatives offer also a possibility to take first steps towards professional reintegration of women migrants by reinforcing their self-esteem through the application of the skills and knowledge acquired in their country of origin. The club provides also a friendly environment which facilitates the creation of ties and networks among the migrants themselves and allows for the exchange of information about the Polish labor market which helps in avoiding dishonest employers. In addition, the Club organizes


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periodic activities directly related to the support of foreign women in the process of their professional adaptation (e.g.: courses in labor law run in cooperation with SIP: Association for Legal Intervention). MIĘDZYKULTUROWEGO CENTRUM ADAPTACJI ZAWODOWEJ (INTERCULTURAL CENTER FOR VOCATIONAL ADAPTATION) Initiative realised between 2006-2008 that has been so far the most comprehensive and best organised project aimed at facilitation of the proces of professional reintegration of migrants on the Polish labor market aimed at two categories of beneficiaries: direct (migrants) and indirect beneficiaries (representatives of social institutions and employers’ organizations). The initiatives addressed to indirect beneficiaries included: a) two editions of postgraduate studies (2 semesters, for a total of 180 hours) in the field of “Promotion of culturally diverse people in the labor market” offered to social workers, professional counselors and educational managers; b) six editions of the training “Working with the multicultural client” addressed to social workers, responsible for supporting foreigners in the process of their professional adaptation; c) seminars and conferences in the field of multiculturalism and migration studies; The initiatives addressed to direct beneficiaries included: a) professional and intercultural counseling; b) courses in Polish language, basics of the Polish culture and law; c) vocational training (e.g.: courses for a driving license, trainings in computer skills, trainings for beauticians, hair-dressers, tourist guides and fork-lift truck drivers as well as specialized professional courses in the field of: physiotherapy, accounting, gastronomy). The services provided by the Intercultural Center for Vocational Adaptation benefited a total of 375 people, of whom the majority were forced migrants. 82% of beneficiaries were people of working age, half of the beneficiaries had secondary education, and 35% higher education. Among the direct beneficiaries nearly half (46%) were women (Rejmer-Ronowicz et.al. 2007).

Conclusions The report provided an initial diagnosis of the situation of migrants on the Polish labor market, as well as the description of best practices aimed at supporting foreigners in the process of their vocational adaptation. The diagnosis indicates that foreigners face a number of diverse challenges on the Polish job market and the level of support offered by public institutions and non-governmental organisations is often inadequate to their needs. There clearly is a need for more institutions offering a comprehensive, long-term support taking into account the challenges of a cultural, psychological and legal nature. The final part of the report provides the description of three initiatives that stand out positively against this background and can be used as an example of good practices in the field of comprehensive assistance to female migrants in the process of their vocational adaptation on the Polish labor market.

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REFERENCES

OECD (2014), OECD Data. Employment rate, https://data.oecd.org/emp/employment-rate.htm/ (access: 20.04.2016) OECD (2014). OECD Data. Native-born unemployment rate https://data.oecd.org/migration /native-born-unemployment.htm#indicator-chart (access:20.04.2016) OECD (2012). OECD Data. Gender wage gap. https://data.oecd.org/earnwage/genderwage-gap.htm (access: 20.04.2016) Przybysz I. (2016). (Nie)równość płci w prawie. - Praktyczne skutki niepraktycznych przepisów? Instytut Spraw Publicznych p.10. Rymsza M., (2014). Polityka aktywizacji i programy reintegracyjne w Polsce in: Karwacki A., Kaźmierczak T., Rymsza M.(2014). Reintegracja. Aktywna polityka społeczna w praktyce. Instytut Spraw Publicznych. Rejmer- Ronowicz Z., Piegat-Kaczmarczyk M., Smoter B., Kownacka E., Madej D., Oniszczuk J., Oryszczyszyn R. (2007)., Międzykulturowy Ośrodek Doradztwa Zawodowego. Od koncepcji do realizacji. Krajowy Ośrodek Wspierania Edukacji Zawodowej i Ustawicznej. Święćkowska T. (2010). Migracja i gender z perspektywy pracy domowej i opiekuńczej, Instytut Spraw Publicznych, p. 5-6.


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY STATE OF THE ART REPORT: SPAIN Surt. Fundació de Dones. Fundació Privada

SPAIN

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STATE OF THE ART REPORT: SPAIN

Methodology of the Spanish research On the basis of the common guidelines of the project partnership, research was conducted on two phases. A first phase of desk research included reviewing statistical data, legal and political documents and existing recent literature on the situation of migrants in the labour market, focusing especially on the situation of migrant women. A second phase of field research included the following interviews. 4 face-to-face interviews with migrant women of different origins, which are the larger nationality groups among migrants in Spain: 2 from Latin American countries, 1 Romania, 1 from Morocco. 3 face-to-face/phone interviews with professionals working at several NGO-based labour insertion programmes in Barcelona and Madrid. ìOn the basis of the research guidelines, focus was put on migrant women, as the main target group of the research, and especially on the main obstacles they face and recommendations to address their needs and improve occupational integration.

Migration and gender in the Spanish labour market Spain has attracted large amounts of foreign nationals in the last 10-15 years. In this period, Spanish (and Catalan) societies have been greatly transformed due to migration. Currently there a 13% of the Spanish population was born outside of Spain. The onset of the economic crisis in 2008 led to a change in the migration cycle in Spain. As a result of the crisis, Spain is again a country of emigrants, but the percentage of immigrants returning to their home countries, remains low. The recent refugee and migrant crisis has not resulted in significant numbers of arrivals through relocation. The main countries of origin of the immigrant population in Spain are Romania (9.8%), Morocco (13%) and Latin America (36%), especially Ecuador and Colombia. The immigrant Hispanic population is also the most feminised. The high percentage of immigrant Spanish-speaking population is especially remarkable because a shared mother tongue results in no major integration problems (although in Catalonia coexistence with another native language, Catalan, makes integration more difficult). Women make up for around the 50% of migrants and the largest age group is that of 30 to 39 year-olds.


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Regarding education level, among resident immigrant population in Spain it is quite high. Both immigrant men and women have mainly secondary education or university studies: 26% finished the first cycle of secondary education, 24% of men and 25% of women finished the general oriented secondary education and 6% of men and 5% of women finished vocational secondary education. 20.6% of men and 23.7% of women have university studies. This contrasts with the existing prejudice that the immigrant population lacks training, and reinforces the social barrier to recognition and validation of education credentials. Subsequently, migrants are very often downgraded both in further training and in the labour market. Unemployment rates among the whole of the population in Spain are very high (19.5 among men and 22.5 among women), but for migrants the rates are even higher: 27.3% of foreign men and 29.4% of women are unemployed. Among both Spanish and foreign nationals, the highest unemployment rates are those of women. Segregation applies both in terms of origin and gender, and has not greatly changed in the economic crisis (Rubio Serrano, 2011). Feminized sectors (mainly related to traditionally feminine tasks, such as care tasks) have worse working conditions than masculinized sectors and occupations. Migrant women carry out low-qualified jobs in specific, highly unregulated sectors with precarious work conditions (low salaries, temporary, part-time, etc.), and often in the informal economy (which denies them access to citizenship rights). Origin also has a high impact on work sectors and occupations: men from northern Africa tend to work in the construction and catering industries, South Asians in retail, etc. Migrant women are mainly concentrated in domestic and care work, where they take on the reproductive tasks of society, in a country where there is a lack of a strong welfare system (as in the rest of Southern European countries).

Obstacles of migrant women for professional integration The main obstacle for the effective integration of both migrant men and women since the onset of the economic crisis is the loss of residence permit because of loss of job (“sudden irregular situation”), because as in many other countries, the current legal framework associates citizenship rights to job positions. A deep-rooted difficulty is that there are no effective social recognition nor formal validation systems in place taking into account migrants/migrant women’s credentials and competences, which results in loss of talent and downward social mobility. Social prejudices and stereotypes about migrants and specific gendered stereotypes about migrant women (often portrayed as submissive and deprived of agency), fuelled by lack of job availability since the onset of the economic crisis, continue to perpetuate discrimination both in and outside the workplace. Precarious living conditions and lack of decent housing, as well as general situations of social exclusion have increased in recent year, making employability more difficult for migrants. For women, as well, family responsibilities become often overwhelming, as women are key providers both for relatives in the host country and the home country.

Vocational counselling services for migrants In Spain, counselling services specific for migrants and migrant women are mainly provided by NGOs and trade unions, funded by local, regional or national government agencies or private donors, such as banks’ foundations (Caritas, 2014). Local governments such as the Barcelona Municipality have “welcoming programmes” for recently arrived migrants,

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providing information and support on a variety of issues (such as registering as a city resident, residence permits, legal counselling, job search or housing, formal recognition of previous education). This NGO-subcontracted programme is provided in several languages (on request). There is also a complementary programme providing support to those migrants bringing their relatives into Spain via family reunification, which offers comprehensive support before and after relatives’ arrival. Support is also provided in cooperation with a network of 150 small NGOs based in the city of Barcelona. After this initial “welcoming programme”, the national employment service and its regional counterparts also act as gateways to specific vocational counselling services for at-risk groups, provided by NGOs. This includes migrants, but may not adapted to migrant’s specific needs (such as language support and legal counselling on immigration issues). There exist very few programmes offering counselling and training specifically to migrants or migrant women, though there are a few exceptions (see next chapter on promising practices).

Needs and recommendations The analysis of both interviews with professionals and migrant women showed the following needs and recommendations to improve the occupational integration. One of the main needs identified is the lack of effective channels for the recognition and development of migrants’ skills. Given the difficulties migrants face to obtain formal recognition of their degrees, the existing mechanisms of competence validation should be improved, especially for key competences, in order to guarantee access to further training and improve employability. Professionals stress the importance of working closely with enterprises through awareness-raising campaigns, promoting diversity management, responsible contracts and social responsibility measures and internships. As a related, complementary route, promoting entrepreneurship, and especially social entrepreneurship, for migrant women, is also stressed, as a way not only to improve access to the labour market, but upward mobility. All professionals agree on the need to improve information on the available training resources, both at the level of the information offered to potential clients, and at the level of coordination among existing services. Improving coordination among services to provide individual support and developing better channels to signposting and follow-up of cases are key measures to make the most out of resources in times of austerity policies. In several interviews a need to cover training beyond the work-only dimension arose, as the only way to make integration programmes more effective and also take into the account the actual needs and projects of clients. These implies training people, not future workers, providing comprehensive programmes (personal empowerment, including participatory approach), individual itineraries and networked programmes. It also entails making training programs and credentials more flexible, adapted to needs and access possibilities of migrants/migrant women, considering their social, political and economic circumstances. Another recommendation was to break gender and race stereotypes in vocational training, in order to work against the existing occupational segregation per race/gender. Another important measure to improve the flexibility of programmes (and thus guarantee their effectiveness) is combining measures with short-term and long-term impact. Short-term impact programmes are job-search assistance programmes, subsidised contracts and subsidies (meeting urgent economic needs). Other measures of mid/long term impact are related to vocational training. The combination of both allows for covering inclusion needs in the short term (exacerbated in a country with a high poverty rate), and also for long-term social change, at the individual and collective level.


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Some promising practices in the field of vocational counselling services for migrant women in Spain FORWARD: COMPETENCE PORTFOLIO AND PEDAGOGICAL TOOLS TO IDENTIFY, RECOGNISE, VALIDATE AND IMPROVE THE COMPETENCES ACQUIRED BY MIGRANT WOMEN IN FORMAL, NON-FORMAL AND INFORMAL LEARNING CONTEXTS. Forward was a pilot project launched by a consortium of 6 EU countries (Austria, Spain, Finland, Italy, Lithuania in Romania) in 2012-2013, and funded by the Grundtvig Programme of the European Commission. The two-year project included an initial research-based diagnose and a second phase entailing the development and pilot test of training materials for professionals working with migrant women, especially at services providing counselling and training. The project worked on the basis of competence-based methodologies and competence validation frameworks to design and implement an innovative competence-based portfolio and pedagogical tools for the identification, recognition, validation and development of the competences of migrant women, as a way to improve their social inclusion. It combined both tools for individual use and for group use among groups of migrant women of diverse origins. The focus was specifically on competences acquired by migrant women in non-formal and informal learning contexts, especially the migration process itself, understood as a learning space. It integrated well into the EU framework of key competences and the Europass documents, standard in job-search at EU level.

SARA – SPACES OF PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH FOR IMMIGRANT WOMEN This programme is provided in several Spanish cities and by several NGOs, including Cruz Roja and CEPAIM. The programme is targeted specifically to immigrant women in Spain and provides a valuable approach in that it is comprehensive and based on an empowerment approach. It combines both the personal development of participants and their professional goals, as well as both individual itineraries and group sessions, forming an intercultural group and promoting peer exchange and cohesion. The focus on the programme is on the participants’ motivation and at this level it adapts to the particularities of each participant: family responsibilities are taken into account (a crèche is provied), schedules are adapted to work schedules and family responsibilities, and specific emotional and health needs are considered. Language mediators provide support in different languages.

MUJERES PA’LANTE (HOSPITALET) Mujeres Pa’lante (Women Forward) is a volunteer-based service provided by grassroots migrant women’s organization in a town nearby Barcelona, but with hundreds of clients per year. The organization has a participatory approach, whereby clients are offered the possibility to become active members of the organization and thus contribute to decision-making. The success of the organization is in the fact that it offers peer support: counsellors are migrant women themselves providing individually-based support to other migrant women seeking advice.

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Conclusions Serious unemployment rates and precarious work conditions make full integration difficult for both male and female migrants in Spain. Short-lived programmes for recently arrived migrant women and general employment services for the whole of the population do not cover the specific realities and needs of migrant women. Specific programmes, targeting needs such as language provision or legal support, culturally specific and gender sensitive, are essential. This requires professionals trained both on gender and intercultural issues. There are NGO-provided, short-lived programmes, but these practices need consistent funding and subsequent evaluation in order to produce long-lasting results.


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Alexanian, Amanda, Sales Gutiérrez, Laura, The participation of migrants from a gender perspective in Barcelona: barriers and strategies. Report of qualitative research, Project Parti Ge.Mi. Barcelona, 2014.

REFERENCES

Caritas (2014). “Immigració, formació i inserció”. Barcelona: Caritas.

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Consell Municipal d’Immigració i Xarxa d’Acollida (2014). “Informe: Jornada Immigració, Formació I Inserció laboral”. Ajuntament de Barcelona, Barcelona. Fundació Surt (2008). “Anàlisi de les necessitats de les dones immigrades nouvingudes des d’una perspectiva intercultural i de gènere”. Huerta Martín, Marina y Alonso Fernández de Avilés, Bakea (2007). Guía práctica para la dinamización de espacios de desarrollo personal y profesional para mujeres inmigrantes. Madrid: PardeDOS Rubin et al (2008). “Migrant women in the European labour force. Current situation and future prospects. Barcelona”. Rubio Serrano, Fina (2011). Les dones migrades en temps de crisi a l’àmbit metropolità. Projecte de recerca finançat per l’Ajut a la Recerca Francesca Bonnemaison 2010, Barcelona, 2011. Sales Gutiérrez, Laura, and Camarasa i Casals, Mar (eds.) (2013). A competence-based approach to improve the social inclusion of migrant women. Handbook for professionals. Barcelona: Surt.

TIME TO MOVE ON

ISBN 978-1-907641-35-0

9 781907 641350 A COMPARATIVE STUDY INTO GENDER,MIGRATION AND COUNSELLING IN EUROPE

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