Project to Improve Expert Knowledge for Work with Third-Country Nationals Has Come to a Close
25.06.2015. June 30 marks the end of the project Improving Cross-Institutional and Cross-Occupational Cooperation for Work with Third-Country Nationals aimed at improving and broadening cooperation between various institutions and professionals for work with third-country nationals and strengthening their skills and the ability to implement integration measures.
According to the project leader Alvis Skenders (Alvis Šķenders), five informative 1-day seminars in Olaine, Ozolnieki, Stopini, Aluksne, and Balvi assessed the possibility to continue the integration activities already initiated by the participants as well as the chance to ensure the said activities in long-term. 100 participants were educated in the course of these seminars.
3-day theoretical seminar Third-Country National – Institutional Client gave 27 participants the opportunity to learn about cultural differences, diversity management and social work with representatives of different cultures, reflected and separated the existing situation and issues in the area of immigrant integration in Latvia from the desirable one thus allowing participants to see what should be done in Latvia and how each and every one of them contribute to improve the situation in the area of immigrant integration.
The practical seminar organized in May was aimed at promoting development of social and professional competencies in the area of immigration, cross-cultural communication, and cultural diversity in participants who had gained knowledge at the theoretical seminar and improved their qualification for work with immigrant groups.
Society “Shelter “Safe House”” in association with Latvian Association of Higher Education Institutions for Life-Long Learning (LAKMA) also organized a seminar for representatives of universities and colleges who work with third-country nationals on a daily basis to improve competence of teaching and administrative university staff in the area of cross-cultural communication and knowledge about receiving and integrating third-country nationals as well as facilitate shaping of professional identity and room for analysis and reflection on good practice.
In order to create a dialogue among teaching and administrative staff at universities and colleges, third-country nationals – university students, and experts (consultants) a discussion / contact exchange was organized under the project. It was aimed at understanding the point of view of all parties regarding the current situation and work with third-country nationals at universities and colleges as well as coming up with suggestions for institutions of higher education in respect of work with third-country nationals – students.
The project is (co)funded by the European Union. Implementation of the project “Improvement of interinstitutional and intersectoral cooperation on working with third-country nationals” is co-funded by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (75%) and from the state budget (25%). This publication has been prepared with the support of the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals. Society “Shelter “Safe House”” is responsible for the content of this publication.
Project to Improve Knowledge Base for Work with Third-Country Nationals
13.04.2015. Since late last year society “Shelter “Safe House”” in association with its partner Latvian Association of Higher Education Institutions for Lifelong Learning have been implementing the project Improving Interinstitutional and Interoccupational Cooperation for Work with Third-Country Nationals. In order to achieve the aim to improve and broaden cooperation between various institutions and professionals for work with Third-Country Nationals* and strengthen their skills and ability to implement integration measures, activities were organized across 7 Latvian municipalities that trained around 120 field experts.
Project leader Alvis Skenders (Alvis Šķenders) points out that within the framework of the project over a period of 3 months 5 informative one-day seminars “Possibilities for Cooperation between Third-Country Nationals and the Local Community” were held in 5 municipalities: Stopini, Balvi, Aluksne, Olaine, and Ozolnieki as well as 1 three-day training seminar “Third-Country National – an Institutional Client”. Seminar lecturers included professionals from the society and experts working in the area of migration.
“At our seminars participants of training had the opportunity to learn more about Third-Country Nationals – their rights, obligations and opportunities for integration in Latvia as well as get some answers to practical issues. I must say that the majority agreed that there is no single integration system in Latvia and that integration should begin with learning Latvian”, tells A. Skenders about the activities organized so far. He is also happy to say that participants of the seminar are determined to engage in their municipalities as well and facilitate integration measures for Third-Country Nationals in Latvian society.
He adds that based on the seminars organized in the course of the project and the discussions held during the seminars according to the needs specified by participants, informative handouts are being prepared in the project to be handed out to the participants of the seminar and the local municipalities as aid in work with Third-Country Nationals.
In April and May various activities will be organized for university teaching staff and students as well as a post-training seminar to strengthen expert knowledge within the framework of the project.
Seminar for university and college representatives whose daily work involves students who are Third-Country Nationals “Improving Competence of Pedagogical and Administrative University and College Staff for Work with Third-Country Nationals” will take place on April 8-10. The training programme is mainly aimed at improving competence of academic and administrative university employees in the area of intercultural communication and knowledge about receiving and integrating Third-Country Nationals as well as encouraging shaping of professional identity and space for good practice analysis and reflection in order to ensure professional work with Third-Country Nationals at one`s work place.
For the purpose of shaping a dialogue among pedagogical and administrative staff at universities and colleges, Third-Country Nationals who are university students, experts (consultants) Discussion / Contact Exchange will be organized on April 15 at RTU 22 Azenes Street (conference hall on 11th floor) aimed at understanding opinion of each involved party about the current situation and work with Third-Country Nationals at universities and colleges as well as preparing suggestions for institutions of higher education for work with Third-Country Nationals-university students.
Practical post-training seminar aimed at facilitating development of social and professional competencies of experts working in public administration and at different levels of service supply in areas such as integration, intercultural communication, and cultural diversity as well as encouraging shaping of professional identity and space for good practice analysis and reflection in order to ensure professional work with Third-Country Nationals at one`s work place is to take place on May 25-26.
The target audience in the activities are the employees of various institutions from the regions – Aluksne, Balvi, Liepaja, Olaine, Stopini, Salaspils and Ozolnieki, as well as the society “Lifelong Learning Association of Latvian Institutions of Higher Education and Colleges”, in which 10 Latvian institutions of higher education are unified: Daugavpils University, Latvia University of Agriculture, Latvian Academy of Sport Education, University of Latvia, Liepaja University, Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy, Riga Stradins University, Riga Technical University, Ventspils University College and Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences – academic and administrative staff of higher educational establishments and colleges who work with third-country nationals (students) on a daily basis and lack knowledge of intercultural communication.
*A third-country national is any person who is not a citizen of the member states of the European Union, the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation
The project is (co)funded by the European Union. Implementation of the project “Improvement of interinstitutional and intersectoral cooperation on working with third-country nationals” is co-funded by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (75%) and from the state budget (25%). This publication has been prepared with the support of the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals. Society “Shelter “Safe House”” is responsible for the content of this publication.
The project will contribute to building the capacity of professionals to work with third-country nationals
08.12.2014. In order to improve and expand the cooperation of different institutions and professionals on working with third-country nationals* and strengthen their skills and capacity to implement integration measures, the society “Shelter “Safe House”” with its partner, the society “Lifelong Learning Association of Latvian Institutions of Higher Education and Colleges”, has launched the project “Improvement of interinstitutional and intersectoral cooperation on working with third-country nationals”, which will take place from 28 November 2014 to June 2015.
Project manager Alvis Šķenders explains the necessity and urgency of the project with the fact that there is a lack of further education courses for educated professionals in Latvia. “Employees lack information on immigration issues, working with immigrants, and intercultural communication. There are few competent employees throughout the country, who are prepared for working with third-country nationals. Moreover, due to the increase in the number of foreign students in Latvian universities and colleges, the teaching staff is often faced with culture, mentality and an understanding of problems that tend to be different from what they are used to. Therefore, within the framework of this project, we will try to solve the identified problems and give a helping hand to professionals in the field.”
A variety of activities aimed at increasing the expertise of specialists by developing an intercultural dialogue shall be carried out within the framework of the project: the training course “Third-country national – institutional customer”; a post-training practical seminar for the improvement of professional competence; the improvement of the competence of high school and college teaching and administrative staff on working with third-country nationals; the informative seminar “Co-operation opportunities between third-country nationals and the local community”.
The target audience planned to be involved in the activities are the employees of various institutions from the regions – Aluksne, Balvi, Liepaja, Olaine, Stopini, Salaspils and Ozolnieki, as well as the society “Lifelong Learning Association of Latvian Institutions of Higher Education and Colleges”, in which 10 Latvian institutions of higher education are unified: Daugavpils University, Latvia University of Agriculture, Latvian Academy of Sport Education, University of Latvia, Liepaja University, Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy, Riga Stradins University, Riga Technical University, Ventspils University College and Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences – academic and administrative staff of higher educational establishments and colleges who work with third-country nationals (students) on a daily basis and lack knowledge of intercultural communication.
*A third-country national is any person who is not a citizen of the member states of the European Union, the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation
The project budget is EUR 44,214.77, including the Fund`s funding of EUR 33,161.08 and the state budget funding of EUR 11,053.69.
The project is (co)funded by the European Union. Implementation of the project “Improvement of interinstitutional and intersectoral cooperation on working with third-country nationals” is co-funded by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (75%) and from the state budget (25%). This publication has been prepared with the support of the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals. Society “Shelter “Safe House”” is responsible for the content of this publication.
Additional information:
Rasa Saliņa, PR specialist
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