The relevance of the case study below concerns also the new approved Erasmus Plus project “DO-IT: Digital Competence to teach youth with migrant background“, an Erasmus Plus funded project that wants to take action over the effects and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on education and learning, on how to ensure access, equity and inclusion in the learning environment, especially for young people with a migrant background. The project will conduct in the near future sever research activities on the matter, thus spread the results onwards for anyone interested to the topic. 

Purpose of the Study

The study about post-COVID youth education addresses the resilience of education systems of EU Member States. Plus of EU education and youth programmes, in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. It analyses the decisions of policy makers and the arise of good practices in education and youth work. As a result, it provides knowledge to build resilient education systems and youth sectors.

The case study is fully available in English for consultation.

Recommendations

The study provides useful recommendations on how to cope with the issues arose due to the Covid-pandemic on the educational system.

We can sum them up as follows:

• Support collaborative decision making and crisis management. The issue to address being that no EU Member State had on place a disaster mitigation strategy for the education system. On this perspective, it is necessary to take action in order to involve youth and the representative of the educational sector over the consultation on the crisis management and the decision-making processes. As the history tells, cooperation and the sharing of experiences among Europeans is a good practice itself. And brings to better results.

• Improve the quality and accessibility of education. Due to the pandemic, the EU Member States have found their solutions to cope with an educational system all of a sudden overwhelmed by new restrictions and necessities. They took action to build adaptions, however somehow failed in providing fully accessibility and quality to education. There is a need of practical and interactive education. Indeed many students faced issues like a lack of digital skills or an appropriate internet connectivity at home.

• Ensure support to students, young people and families. What emerged from the study, is that many teachers found themselves unprepared for digital education, and with a lack of digital skills. Moreover, no support went to families, that became then in charge of managing the “educational environment” at home.

• Ensure smart funding and digitalisation: the educational funding is likely to decrease after the Covid-pandemic is over. This points out the urgent need to redirect funding to the improvement of the educational system. Especially concerning the technological capabilities.

EU Funding Programmes in the Field of Youth and Education

An important way to meet the recommendations of the study, goes to EU Programmes. To modernise and improve EU education and youth programmes and enhance their resilience and sustainability. Erasmus Plus and the European Solidarity Corps should therefore be more inclusive, innovative, digital and green. This might be the chance for European NGOs to take action over the issue.

You can have a fully read to the study about Youth Education in post-COVID European Union.

Read also

New Features of European Solidarity Corps 2021-2027

L'articolo Case Study: Youth Education in Post-COVID EU proviene da Youth Networks.

These projects aim to recognize and improve youth work, non-formal learning and volunteering and link them to education systems and the labour market. Even more, KA2 also support regional and transnational non-formal learning mobility schemes to encourage the participation of youth in society.

Examples of capacity building activities
* Conferences, workshops and meetings
* Similarly large-scale youth events
* Information and awareness campaigns
* Communication and media tools
* Even more, development of methods, curricula, training and documentation such as Youthpass
* Open and flexible learning materials, virtual cooperation, open educational resources (OER)

What does Erasmus+ KA2 supports – Capacity Building

* Promote cooperation between:
* youth organisations and public authorities in Partner Countries
* youth organisations in education and training and the business and labour market
* Even more, strengthen youth councils, youth platforms and authorities in Partner Countries (local, regional, national)
* Furthermore, support the overall operation of youth organisations in Partner Countries
* Also help implement youth work practices which include:
* tools for the development of youth works and trainers,
* non-formal learning methods to improve skills,
* new training schemes, flexible learning, virtual mobility and better ICT
* peer learning activities to improve the leadership of youth organisations

Profile of applicants
First of all, a participating organisation can be any public or private organisation based in a Programme Country or an eligible Partner Country.

This includes the following:
* a non-profit organisation, association, NGO (including European Youth NGOs)
* Similarly a national Youth Council
* a public body at local, regional or national level
* a school/institute/educational centre (at any level, from pre-school to upper secondary education, and including vocational education and adult education);
* a public or private, a small, medium or large enterprise (including social enterprises)
* a social partner or other representative of working life, including chambers of commerce
* craft/professional associations and trade unions
* a higher education institution
* a research institute
* a foundation
* an inter-company training centre
* a cultural organisation, library, museum
* a body providing professional counselling and information services.

Deadline for submission
8 March 2018 at 12pm (CET – midday) while projects must start between: 1 July 2018 and 31 December 2018

The maximum grant that can be awarded is 150 000 EUR.

L'articolo Capacity building in the field of Youth proviene da Youth Networks.