"Make it work!
A training to improve the job skills of rural young people", 11-18 September 2010 in Ayr, Scotland

Rural Youth Europe co-operated with the Scottish Association of Young Farmers' Clubs (SAYFC) to organise "Make it work!", a practical training for rural young people in international job skills. The seminar was held 11-18 September 2010 in Ayr, Scotland and focused on the practical skills development of rural young people by giving guidance on topics such as writing job applications, making a good CV, managing interviews and presenting yourself in a professional way. Participants learned also how to train others in their organisations so they can act as multipliers in their home countries. The seminar is part of the Youth Employment Action (YEA) project of Rural Youth Europe which aims to improve the employability of rural young people.

Aims:

• To equip participants with the confidence and skills to become part of the national and international job market.
• To empower youth from across Europe with the knowledge, tools and practical experience to improve their employment status.

Objectives:

• To provide practical skills to participants in applying for jobs
• To raise awareness of how to promote yourself on the job market
• To exchange best practice between participants on job application techniques
• To gain insight into how job application processes differ in each country
• To develop a series of e-tools which can be used by participants and other
• young people in their home organisations
• To develop the training skills of the participants so they are able to act as multipliers in their own organisations

Profile of Participants

Participants represented a diverse range of youth organisations across Europe, covering 12 different countries and 15 different youth organisations. These included Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Slovenia, Poland and the United Kingdom. All participants were interested in the theme and in becoming active at the European level; they were motivated for a possible follow up and multiplication of the topics of the seminar; multipliers active at local/regional/national in a (rural) youth organisation; members of Rural Youth, Young Farmers' or 4H Clubs or other youth/minority organisation; aged 18-30; and with good language skills both in written and spoken English.


Main Outcomes of the study session

Main results for the organiser of the study session

• Network of 15 rural organisations, personal links and contacts - better communication, co-operation and more common projects
• Promotion of the Youth Employment Action project
• Development of skills that can be used in participants' local communities
• Realistic plans for sharing the information and for organising job skills training in their local organisations.
• Intercultural experience, awareness about the diversity of cultures in Europe - for a number of participants this was the first experience, when they worked and learned together with like minded people from all over Europe.
• Understanding how Rural Youth Europe functions at the international level and what are the opportunities for involvement

Main learning points for participants

With regard to knowledge:

• Rural Youth Europe and the Scottish Association of Young Farmers' clubs (SAYFC)
• Youth Employment Action project
• Recruitment processes
• Sharing practices from across Europe
• Europass - European-standard CV template

With regard to skills:

• Job skills - writing CVs and job applications, how to present oneself well, how to prepare for a job interview, facing an interview panel

With regard to attitudes:

• more open minded towards other cultures
• more respect to other cultures
• valuing diversity

Follow-up activities

Participants were asked to create a day-long workshop to be held in their home organisations, based on the skills and knowledge they gained during the training. Each participant designed a workshop which would be relevant to their own organisations. The workshops were designed to multiply the skills and knowledge learnt at this training in rural youth organisations across Europe.

In developing the workshops, participants compiled and adapted the materials used during the week to each person's home situation. Common workshop structures were also agreed upon by all participants. In addition, individual feedback was given by the prep team members on each workshop to assist in each participant's learning and personal development.

Materials used during the week will be made available on the Rural Youth Europe website so participants can easily access them. The materials will also be available for other young people who would like to learn more about job skills and make their own workshops for other young people.

The Rural Youth Europe office and prep team members will keep in contact with participants over the next few months to support the implementation of their workshops.


Find the full report below.

See the event pictures here.

Attachments:

Autumn seminar 2010 - participant's story.pdf

Autumn seminar 2010 - report.pdf

Programme.pdf