Page 130 - valuing-diversity-guidance-for-labour-market-integration-of-migrants

Valuing diversity: guidance for labour market integration of migrants

5.1.2. Practitioner skills of and methodologies

5.1.2.1. Practitioner skills
Practitioner skill affects the general quality of the practice, since their ability to
respond to clients’ needs is affected by their command of guidance
methodologies, their knowledge of other cultures and their previous experience
with immigrant communities.
In the cases analysed, professionals providing the services have some
degree of training in guidance methodologies (sometimes they are HR
professionals or cultural mediators). This is true even for roles not necessarily
pursued by career development professionals, such as tutoring or mentoring (as
with CED). The essential distinction among training of professionals is their
degree of preparation to deal with cultural diversity and the consequent variety
perceptions, values and career perspectives.
In both the main and secondary cases, available information indicates
widespread multicultural training. The contents of this training are not
homogeneous across practices and it is not always clear to what degree issues
are discussed. Training normally covers aspects such as knowledge of the other
cultures, empathy/understanding of the other, self-awareness (regarding value
judgements and prejudice generated by previous training).
In a number of cases the emphasis is on knowledge of the typology of
practical issues affecting immigrants and the resources available to overcome
them, more than on the psychological dimension of integration. Some practices
involve legal specialists in immigrant issues, or favour training advisors in the
knowledge of labour market, housing and residence law. This is the case of the
adaptation programme in Estonia, the validation centres in Berlin (IQ Netzwerk)
and Sweden or, to a degree, the ‘meeting point’ in in Austria. In other cases, such
as the National Careers Service in the United Kingdom, both aspects are
combined in the skills of professionals.
In a number of cases, involvement of professionals with an immigrant
background was a route followed to integrate multicultural competence. This is so
with PIA Frankfurt, IQ Netzwerk Berlin, the Eesti keele õpe in Estonia, the +
development project in Greece and meeting point in Austria (this was also
identified in some of the secondary cases).

5.1.2.2. Methodologies and tools
The adaptation of methodologies and tools to client group’s characteristics is
widely discussed in theoretical terms; particular praised is given to psychological
testing. Cultural adaptation counselling meets more scepticism, since adaptation

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