What were the outcomes?
The Apolié drop-in Centre has evolved a variety of responses to the challenges of its users:
• Helping jobseekers achieve basic workreadiness, by overcoming bureaucratic obstacles and housing issues
• Overcoming the cultural barriers faced by immigrant workers who don’t speak Italian or understand the systems
• Addressing users’ difficulties in accessing employment information
• Promoting the benefits of working legally
• Helping jobseekers gain access to training for specific skills and careers
Early successes
The drop-in centre received 730 users during the 2006. A survey of 100 users conducted in December 2006 showed that 75% had found work.
During 2006, two associations and two cooperatives were created with the help of centre staff. One works on educational inclusion projects for the children of immigrants in the local school system; the other advises immigrants who want to improve their skills through further study, at either high school or university level. The cooperatives provide porterage and cleaning services. Many of the employees are immigrants themselves.
What is special about this project?
The Apolié Association’s director Joseph Diadoue explains that the centre has “a very active relationship” with its users. This means support can be personalised. Advantages of this approach include:
• Deeper understanding of users’ multiple needs, which are often misunderstood. The association is able to develop ideas for programmes and policies that better respond to these needs.
• Staff members’ ability to identify and tackle other personal difficulties that are not directly linked to the job-search e.g. childcare, which are key to achieving job-readiness.
The neighbourhood market in the Piazza della Repubblica
That Mr. Diadoue himself is a local organiser / entrepreneur, and has emerged from an immigrant-focused training course, has rooted the project in the local community in a unique fashion. Because of his background, the centre’s director better understands the socio-cultural issues faced by many of the centre’s users.
The Association, which cannot itself deliver training due to Italian legislation, has forged strong links with an EU-funded network of training providers. By circumnavigating this obstacle, the Assocation is able to represent the needs of its users and work with providers to develop appropriate training programmes.
Topics associated with this project
Cohesion, Economy, Employment, Housing, International, Neighbourhood, Regeneration, Training