Immigration is a key support to labour force growth and a common practice among EU countries, especially in lower skilled occupations. Countries such as Italy, Greece and Cyprus have been fuelled by migrants arriving from the Balkans during the past 15 years. Despite the large number of migrants within the EU, severe barriers are identified to their progress and social integration in the receiving labour markets, mainly concerning their poor language skills, the non-recognition of qualifications and experience and the bureaucracy and formal procedures necessary to set-up a new life, acquire formal documents, etc.
The project’s goal is to enhance the quality of life and facilitate the integration to local society of migrant workers, by improving their access to language training courses and other guidance material, helping them become active members of the hosting society. This will be achieved by developing a web-based, easy-to-use Distance Learning Application and the respective educational content for teaching the language of the receiving country to the migrants. Through the DLA migrants will also socialise and communicate with each other, forming a learning group comprised of people from the same country. A Survival Guide in the migrants’ native language for starting a new life at the hosting country will also be available.
Access to the application will be provided free of charge by organisations acting as migrant “welcomers”, which will set-up information and language learning centres, i.e. small labs with the necessary equipment.
Within the project 30 migrant workers in each receiving country (GR, IT, CY) will be involved, coming from Bulgaria and Romania. These groups will use and evaluate the pilot system for 4 months, providing feedback on the efficacy and effectiveness of the overall educational system, content and application.
Project Director: Dr Yiannis Laouris
Project Coordinator: Elena Aristodemou
Project team members: Aliki Economidou