On December 12, 2023, the Pere Closa Private Foundation held the final conference named ¨Transition from school to the labour market¨, in Badalona Sud. We invited social and labour agents, NGOs, and labour office services to reflect on the territorial difficulties and opportunities to improve the school-work transition period and increase the employment opportunities of young people at risk or social exclusion. The conference was organized in the framework of the final dissemination event, synchronized with the rest of the partners from the European project SEPAL PRO.
Through the positive experiences of the Pere Closa Private Foundation, in collaboration with more than 20 local stakeholders, and the work shared with 4 European collaborators, the objective of this day was to connect current resources, consolidate a network of work that enables the nurturing of the territory and seek social promotion.
The debate of the conference was oriented on trying to give a response to the following questions: How can we implement European policies at a local (micro) level? What measures can we take to prevent young people from disengaging from the education system and encourage them to continue? What opportunities already exist in the territories to accompany young people in the school-work transition period and prevent them from becoming invisible? What can the Administration and organizations contribute to deal with the problem of youth unemployment? How do we motivate our youngsters? How are references built? Is absenteeism a matter of expectations?
The participants of the day drew together the following conclusions and proposals.
- The socio-political context of Badalona is very complex, which makes it difficult to apply social policies and actions, which represents an additional challenge.
- The importance of having spaces for analysis and reflection that involve different economic and social areas and that allow the emphasis on the construction of joint, situated, and concrete action models, which is why this conference is highly valued.
- It is necessary for the Department of Education and Work to establish joint work lines that allow the development of micro-skills training actions aimed at improving the acquisition of labour skills and increasing opportunities for job insertion.
- It is necessary to develop models of accompaniment and support for young people that include preventive actions aimed at restorative practices for emotional well-being, social skills, and emotional management. Offering spaces of proximity, trust, and security that allow for healthy, solid bonds and co-responsibility to be established. In addition, it highlights the need to carry out prevention actions before they leave the education system, that is to say, at least between the ages of 14-16 to increase the chances of prospecting.
- To improve the school-work transition, resources, territorial services, the Administration must be connected… in other words, it is necessary to carry out a real network task and involve all the socio-educational systems and agents in which young people and adolescents develop. Carry out joint, coordinated, and non-sectoral actions that advocate transversality, co-responsibility and collaboration.
- The great importance of changing the term studying to learning is highlighted, to be able to see the educational field in a different way together with the students. Also, the importance of the family and its involvement with the students is highlighted, to improve the participation of minors in school.
