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Cantabria (Spain)

Your future is out there!

Participate in this great adventure if:
- You are 18 to 29 years old.
- You have not been working or training for at least the last 6 months.

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Mid West Region (Ireland)

Your future is out there!

Participate in this great adventure if:
- You are 18 to 29 years old.
- You have not been working or training for at least the last 6 months.

More information >>

Varmia and Mazuria (Poland)

Your future is out there!

Participate in this great adventure if:
- You are 18 to 29 years old.
- You have not been working or training for at least the last 6 months.

More information >>

 

Project FOLM

The FOLM project (From outdoors to labour market) is a model of education that will help to activate 990 people not in employment, education or training in three European regions: Cantabria (Spain), Varmia and Mazuria (Poland) and Mid West (Ireland). The project is free and can be used by people between 18 and 29 years old.

Why FOLM?

Outdoors Learning is a proven method thanks to which a lot of people around the world have gained new skills and new opportunities. Thanks to the FOLM project, you can take motivational training in a natural setting for free. You will meet with trainers and coaches who will help you find strengths, goals and path. Already during the coaching you will have access to the platform with job offers from employers who cooperate with the project.

For whom?

The project is for everyone who meets three criteria: age 18-29, does not study or work, and lives in the Mid-West Region (Ireland), in Cantabria (Spain) or in Varmia and Mazuria (Poland). And all you have to do is want to participate. Don't be afraid of going out into the forest, you don't have to be athletic and have experience in trips.

With who?

By participating in the project, you join an international group of young people and an international group of organizers. The project takes place simultaneously in three countries: Poland, Spain and Ireland. It is run by partners from Poland: CIE and Food Banks, Spain: Cantabria Government and FEMXA, Ireland: Limerick Institute of Technology and Scotland: University of Edinburgh and Venture Trust. These are experienced institutions that guarantee quality and professionalism.

HOW TO COLLABORATE

Any institution or company interested in promoting the employability of unemployed young people, under 29 years of age, whose residence is located in Spain (Cantabria), Poland (Warmia-Masuria) or Ireland (Mid West Region).

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THE FOLM PROJECT IS FUNDED BY ICELAND, LIECHTENSTEIN AND NORWAY THROUGH THE EEA AND NORWAY GRANTS FUND FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT

 

WHO WE ARE

The General Directorate for Youth and Development Cooperation (DG Youth) is a governing body of the Government of Cantabria (northern Spanish region) dependent on the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. Its mission is to promote the process of youth development in Cantabria, fostering its participatory spirit. DG Youth provides the necessary resources for the integral development of young people, through actions framed in their free time. These programs and services enrich the coexistence and development of the young people of Cantabria in the most relevant topics for this group: employment, training, free time, etc.

The main objectives are: Work on personal autonomy through mobility and emancipation; promote social participation and creativity; strengthening equal opportunities among young people.

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WHY IS FOLM IMPORTANT FOR YOUR ENTITY?

FOLM Project addresses a structural problem of our society in three different areas: social, labor and educational, through an innovative methodology. The project connects with the mission and the aims of the DG Youth, since it combines the work of personal autonomy and the emancipation of young people. It adds an innovative perspective in the process of labor and social insertion of NEET. In addition, the international dimension of the project is an opportunity to enhance the active policies implemented by the Government of Cantabria in order to reduce the number of NEET. Definitively, this project fits with the aims of the DG Youth, which is to provide services to young people, adapting to their reality and working with innovative tools to reach them on the challenges of their daily life.

 

Who we are

Center for Innovative Education is a non-governmental organisation with offices in Poland and Spain. CIE offers innovative education programmes dedicated to teachers, VET schools, universities and non-formal education institutions. Through its New Education Forum network CIE reaches business community, local and regional governments, academic and research institutions and EU authorities engaged in reforming learning processes. In European and national projects CIE has gathered vast experience of building and managing international consortia around education and labour market enhancement. CIE believes that reaching out to NEETs means discovering their individual strengths and capacities, engaging them responsibly in community life as well as in employment. CIE's network - New Education Forum is constituted by over 100 European experts in education and / or labour market and educational stakeholders: Members of the European Parliament, European Commission, local and regional governments, business organizations and companies.

Why is FOLM important for your entity?

FOLM was invented by CIE based on its search for the best educational practices. CIE believes that European should have equal access to education and persons left behind such as NEETs should not be left behind. In 2015 CIE found the best expertise in Outdoor Learning at the University of Edinburgh and followed UoE's recommendation to engage Venture Trust as expertise practitioner. We are very much looking forward to cooperating with other consortium Partners as well, as we all share the same core values of active social engagement. We hope to have direct influence on the lives of at least 1.000 European NEETs. We will also use our best effort to maintain FOLM sustainability, especially through preparing proper legislature supporting Outdoor Learning.

 

Who we are

In 1999, Femxa Formación S.L. started its business trajectory as a training company, setting as its main objective to provide innovative training solutions to growing market needs and to anticipate to future training needs arising in society. Since then it developed consulting work specializing in Value Added training solutions, whose focus is on the development of projects of tailored training, aimed to solve the specific needs of customers more efficiently, which has allowed us to reach a landmark in the field of training. Our reason for being is to build training solutions that provide job opportunities for people and improve the competitiveness of organizations. In 16 years we have trained more than 64.000 unemployed, 40.000 people aged over 45, 15.800 unemployed young people under 30.

Why is FOLM important for your entity?

Grupo Femxa enters this project as an expert in comprehensive training solutions for Spanish NEETS, with proven experience since 1999 in projects related to education and labour insertion of NEETS. We will be part of a pilot experience, developing a novel method that encourages NEETS soft skills, helping them in their labour insertion. For this purpose, we will design a tool to promote the recruitment of these young people and get their involvement in the project. We will assist the Government of Cantabria in all the steps of the project, and we will make the participants feel motivated throughout the whole process with coaches and trainers. This project will help us to know and test the outdoor system, introducing our know-how, to apply it to our training processes in the future.

 

Who we are

LIT is an institution of higher education in the Mid West of Ireland offering 120 accredited courses from EQF level 5 to EQF level 8, across 5 regional campuses. Through its participation in European projects, it also has extensive experience in providing training and organising train-the-trainers sessions across Europe. In its vision and strategy, LIT considers the Learner as central to everything and aims at fostering the professional, intellectual, social, cultural and personal development of the individual. It is a major provider of third level academic programmes in addressing school leavers, apprenticeships and lifelong learning.  Due to its extensive networks with industry, enterprises and communities the Institute plays a key role in the socio-economic development of the Mid-West Region of Ireland.

Why is FOLM important for your entity?

FOLM Project shares the same vision and mission as LIT whose strategic values include the supportive, accessible and equitable role that higher education can play in enabling young people to achieve their full potential and find their place in the job market. The participation of LIT in the FOLM project will strengthen the role of the Institute in the enhancement of “accessible to all” education opportunity in the Mid-West Region and enrich LIT training experience with creative/entrepreneurial approaches merging theory and practice learning activities. Being part of the FOLM project is also an additional opportunity for LIT to work with policyholders and businesses to reduce the numbers of NEETs in Ireland in line with the goals of the National Youth Council.

 

Who we are

Universal Learning Systems is an international consultancy firm specializing in research, education, training and project management. ULS works with clients in the educational, development and management sectors. Based in Ireland, ULS has offices in Prague, Barcelona, Helsinki, São Paulo and Chicago.  ULS has a leading profile in EU distance learning and e-learning innovation networks. ULS has particular expertise in research, project management and innovative initiatives on migration, intercultural training and conflict transformation. ULS has undertaken significant research and consultancy work for agencies in the United States, China, Brazil and Taiwan. A key mission of ULS is best practice in developing strategic goals and reviewing outcomes for clients, especially in the areas of human rights, migration, equality and diversity.   

Why is FOLM important for your entity?

ULS has always based its work on the identification and development of opportunities for innovative learning competence to address future challenges. Capturing this innovation has become a key focus for ULS projects in recent years around advanced technologies and their application to human learning needs. Through its expertise on disability, migration and interculturalism, ULS has developed robust training methods and guidelines based on individual and community learning and development needs – particularly in a time of socio-economic crisis. FOLM represents an innovative transnational project to capture best practice in learning and apply it to build the confidence and capacity of significantly marginalised groups. Outdoor learning as a pathway to meaningful inclusion is a key value of FOLM and central to the ULS vision.

 

Who we are

Venture Trust supports people who are struggling with complicated life circumstances such as involvement in offending, homelessness, drug and alcohol misuse, caring responsibilities and other complications in their lives. These situations are often compounded by lack of access to services or low educational achievement, leaving individuals isolated, marginalised or in poverty. Venture Trust offers a three-phase personal development programme, working in Venture Trust communities across Scotland. The programme involves an intensive wilderness-based element, mentoring, and employability support which aims to help people unlock their potential. This may include better communication skills, consequential thinking and building positive relationships with others, growing in confidence and self-esteem, or moving towards education, training and employment.

Why is FOLM important for your entity?

FOLM provides an opportunity for Venture Trust to share its hard-won expertise in helping people through transformational personal development journeys in the Scottish wilderness. Whilst we are delighted to be expert partners, we are also looking to learn from our colleagues who come from widely different regions. The knowledge they have of working with young people will also help inform and refine our practice. FOLM will allow Venture Trust’s models of delivery to be tested in different circumstances and provide new perspectives for our staff. Being part of FOLM fits in with the mission, ethos and values of Venture Trust – supporting young people into work, education or training and reducing social inequality.

 

Who we are

The University of Edinburgh (UoE) is one of the top ten universities in the UK with an international reputation as a centre of academic excellence. Its 25,500 students come from over 120 different countries. Almost all members of staff are research active, and the results of the 2014 Research Assessment Exercise place the UoE in the UK top 5 and number one in Scotland by volume of 4* “world-leading” research.

The Outdoor Environmental Education Section has been a key driver in pushing Scotland into an academic and political leadership position in sustainability and outdoor learning worldwide, producing a plethora of policy documents and educational publications. They have a national and international impact on practical training of educators, trainers and social and community workers.

Meaning of FOLM to the UoE:

The University of Edinburgh (UoE) is invested in improving education, training, and employment conditions in Scotland and abroad. FOLM strengthens the international position of the UoE as a driving force for social responsibility and sustainability. The strong multi-national and cross-sector consortium brought together by the EEA & Norway Fund affords valuable opportunities for collaborations in research, policy and education beyond the duration of the FOLM project.

The Outdoor Environmental Education team are delighted to collaborate in this international network of experts - particularly with Venture Trust, an expertise partner on outdoor education in Scotland that we value and have worked with for several decades.

 

About The Food Bank in Olsztyn

The Food Bank in Olsztyn is an independent non-governmental organization founded in 2000.

18 years ago, we decided to save food from waste. We extended our hand to the needy, not only providing them with food, but also by educating them and creating jobs. Thousands of volunteers help us spread our mission.

For 18 years every day:

  • We save food and pass it on to those in need. We cooperate with nearly 300 organizations, institutions, sharing knowledge and experience with food. Annually we bring help to approx. 95 000 people in the region. From the beginning of our work we managed to rescue more than 47 mln kg of food and pass it to the needy. Visually it is 110 km of trucks line filled to the brim.
  • We teach society how to eat healthy and we are experts in preventing the food waste. We are running annually approx. 300 workshops for almost 4 000 people

Since 2004, we have also been giving a job:

  • We activate people who want to return to the labor market. Till now we’ve managed to activate 150 people on the labor market. Right now we are running a few dedicated programs for more than 500 people.

Why is FOLM important for your entity?

Since 2004 the Food Bank is running a complex projects concerning the unemployed activation on the labor market. FOLM is an amazing opportunity for the Food Bank to develop the wider project range in this matter, as dedicated to NEETs. It’s natural and logical step for the organization to start the program which will focus on young people, empowering their potential. The formula of the project is also crucial. The Food Bank sees a great potential in this innovative approach which will bring a lot to organization itself. This program is needed especially here – in Warmia and Masuria region which presents the highest unemployment rate in Poland.