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Education as Welfare - Enhancing opportunities for socially vulnerable youth in Europe

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New hope for socially vulnerable youth

An in-depth youth survey on education and welfare can help policymakers and academic experts create better opportunities for Europe's younger generation.

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The financial crisis has affected Europe's young generation, especially in the areas of education and social inclusion. First- and second-generation youth of migrant background have particularly been hit hard, providing fertile ground for more social discord and injustice in European cities. The EU-funded project EDUWEL (Education as welfare - Enhancing opportunities for socially vulnerable youth in Europe) sought to address this pressing issue. Bringing together 17 partner institutions from 10 countries with varied research experience, the project examined transition pathways of socially vulnerable youth from school to working life. It assessed the power of education and welfare to overcome the many challenges that European youth face and empower them. Importantly, the project provided insight for improving work opportunities and fostering social and economic independence. To achieve its aims, EDUWEL conducted an education and welfare survey to measure individual and structural capability development, taking into consideration the cultural differences of respondents. Training project participants in building the survey results, it provided sound empirical data on educational processes and vulnerabilities of different target groups in various academic settings across Europe. This ranged from migrant pupils in Germany to young women pursuing further education in the United Kingdom. The results of the survey were disseminated to academic circles, policymakers and welfare institutions. The project team also organised international events to promote collaboration on the topic and initiated partnerships with universities. It conducted conferences in Belgium and Spain that attracted academicians and EU policymakers, in addition to providing online resources through the Social Work and Society International Online Journal. By enhancing training in education and welfare, the project extended several opportunities for international and interdisciplinary discussion related to European youths' current challenges in society. It provided valuable research related to the effects of the recession on socially vulnerable youth that could help communities and policymakers address vital issues.

Keywords

Socially vulnerable youth, education, welfare, social inclusion, migrant

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