Developing skills and career counseling for social inclusion
Roma children from socially marginalised backgrounds in Slovakia enter the school system with numerous disadvantages, mainly because they come from less stimulating environments. The initial disadvantages reinforced by a standardised education system contribute to early school leaving and loss of interest in pursuing higher education and thus trapping them in a vicious circle of social exclusion and poverty.
In the Slovak education system, the objectives of career development services do not go beyond isolated elements, such as choosing appropriate education or a suitable job, and do not involve students in proactive managing their lives and balancing their needs with the needs of society.
In addition, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic fully exposed and even multiplied the barriers faced by many Roma children in accessing education or employment without discrimination. Many Roma children have been left out of education because of limited access to IT equipment, the internet, lack of digital skills or support at home, and the acceleration of digitalisation in society and economy will lead to further discrimination against people without digital skills.
Therefore, the main objective of the project is to increase the social inclusion of marginalised Roma communities and build the capacities of local community service providers through best practices and programmes in education and employment.
The project consists of:
- Modernisation of existing best methodologies,
- Implementation of continual career counselling,
- Training in digital skills,
- Support by voluntary mentors.
The project is carried out in the six community centres (Doľany – Roškovce, Kojatice, Petrovany, Plavecký Štvrtok, Sveržov and Tobiáš Prešov) and in the Petrovany Primary School. The project also uses the know-how of our Norwegian partner Fretex Pluss AS, especially in career counselling.
Development of digital skills
We implement group activities with the digitally-skilled coach in six of our centers (Doľany – Roškovce, Kojatice, Petrovany, Plavecký Štvrtok, Sveržov a Tobiáš Prešov) and in elementary school Petrovany.
It is a supplementary educational activity to the standardized primary school curriculum with the aim to increase the skill and knowledge of Roma children and youth within the digital domain because they experience a lack of initiatives in this digital field. The specificity is that we created 7 detailed programs where each is adapted to the concrete needs of the location.
Voluntary support of education
Experienced volunteers (mostly university students) help individual children with educational activities through tutoring together with preparing homework.
Volunteers also operate as mentors who together with specialists provide counseling in each community center as well as increase the motivation of children to progress in education and support children to overcome many challenges. Part of the program is also the preparation of youth in final year of elementary school for high school entrance exams.
Career counselling
We have updated the methodology of the career counselling used so far. We provide individual and group career counselling to Roma as well as non-Roma children in the six community centres (Doľany – Roškovce, Kojatice, Petrovany, Plavecký Štvrtok, Sveržov, and Tobiáš Prešov) and in the Petrovany Primary School.
At the same time, we are building the capacity of all involved social workers in the community centres and educational institutions to provide career-counselling services, drawing on the experience of Norwegian career counsellors from our partner organisation Fretex Pluss.
Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe
The project entitled Development of skills and career counseling for social inclusion received a grant from Norway in the amount of 169,531 euros. The project was co-financed in the amount of 15% with a contribution from the state budget of the Slovak Republic. The aim of the project is to increase the social inclusion of marginalized Roma communities and build the capacities of local community service providers through proven and best practices and programs in the field of education and employment. Their second aim is to reduce the impact of existing social disadvantage and discrimination and to increase the possibilities of further advancement in formal education and in the future career.
Project partners
Tobiáš Civic Association in Prešov was established in 2002 to help families and individuals from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and marginalised Roma communities (MRCs). Tobiáš Civic Association has been working in a Roma community Pod Hrádkom in Prešov – Solivar since 2003, and it has been running a Tobiáš Private Kindergarten since 2005. The civic association also established Tobiáš Low-threshold social services for Children and family, and in 2015 also Tobiáš Community Centre.
Petrovany Primary School (Prešov district) brings to the project the aspect of an educational institution that is part of the official primary education system. The school is fully engaged in the programmes of career counselling and digital skills development. The school is a bridge between the official standardised education system and informal education activities whose aim is to complement the main education system so that it enables all children to thrive in it. The school also uses Norwegian expertise and tests programme methodologies.
The mission of the Norwegian organisation Fretex Pluss is to help people find and keep work and improve the environment through reuse and recycling. Fretex Pluss provides courses and counselling services focused on individuals and companies in the area of working life.
Norwegian grants
Norwegian grants represent Norway’s contribution to a green, competitive and inclusive Europe. Through Norwegian grants, Norway contributes to the reduction of economic and social differences and to the strengthening of mutual relations with recipient states in Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltics. Norway cooperates closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). Together with other donors, Norway gradually provided 3.3 billion euros between 1994 and 2014 through grant schemes. Norwegian grants are financed exclusively by Norway and are available in countries that joined the EU after 2003. For the period 2014-2021, Norwegian grants amount to 1.25 billion euros. The priorities of this period are:
- Innovation, research, education and competitiveness
- Social inclusion, youth employment and poverty eradication
- Environment, energy, climate change and low carbon economy
- Culture, civil society, good governance and fundamental rights
- Justice and internal affairs
All projects are 15% co-financed from the state budget of the Slovak Republic. If you want to learn more about programs and projects financed by Norwegian grants in Slovakia, www.norwaygrants.sk.
