The “Youth Regained” project has recently published research findings addressing the lack of education and employability among ex-convicted child offenders across Europe. The project aims to raise awareness about the competences that young offenders need to develop to increase their employability and to support their integration into society.
The research focused on what competences young offenders should cultivate to increase their chances of employment. The majority of young people in juvenile detention centers have an extremely low level of education, with difficulties even in basic skills such as reading and writing. Common competences that emerged from the project’s activities included literacy skills, basic rules of conduct, communication, etiquette, speech skills, social skills, self-awareness, digital skills, leadership and coping skills, time management, active listening, teamwork, financial and legal knowledge, and job search skills.
The research also highlighted the importance of emotional competences, which help young offenders develop emotional intelligence, connect with their inner selves, control their emotions, understand the effects of their actions, and create positive interpersonal connections. It also focused on developing games that help young offenders develop employability skills, including board games and online games that promote teamwork, job interview skills, and other skills based on real-life facts.
The full research is available HERE.
You can find a summary of its conclusions and recommendations HERE.
For more information on the project, please visit: https://youthregained.eu/
