YOU-ME Young Migrant Entrepreneurs

Young Migrant Entrepreneur

Europe is facing an unprecedented number of asylum seekers and refugees. European Social Study Survey (ESS) reveals that immigrants from war-torn countries are on average less educated than the native population or other immigrants. They are twice as likely to have only a lower secondary education or less, and significantly less likely to have gone to college (IMF, 2016). Moreover, asylum seekers regularly arrive to EU countries without much documentation or without any certification that may prove their educational and/or professional background, which makes it difficult for EU Member States to determine asylum seekers’ qualifications.

A lack of language skills, a low educational background or a lack of transferable job qualifications are barriers explaining a slow labour market integration of migrants. Beyond these barriers, there are factors like less developed social networks and the recognition of foreign credentials.

The project aims at raising newly arrived immigrants’ initial awareness about entrepreneurial opportunities and about the existing support schemes. To this end, the partners perform the following activities:

• Set up of an assessment system concerning entrepreneurial skills, experiences, aspirations and potential of young newly arrived migrants and translation into the main languages spoken by migrants.
• Launch of integrated raising awareness campaigns within migrant communities with provision of practical information on support services available.
• Evaluation of skills and recruitment of potential migrant entrepreneurs.

The partnership comprises 9 organisations from Italy, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Greece.

Do you want to know more about the project? Contact us! ciape@ciape.it