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Valuing diversity: guidance for labour market integration of migrants

can be fundamental to the ‘invisible’ communities of western, more affluent
immigrants (much of intra-EU migration and North American immigrants).
Only after these competences are assured, can immigrants start to work on
finding communicative notions and structures between their personal, culturally-
based constructs about career, life and relationships and the constructs of the
receiving country.
Translating cultural constructs and enabling cultural exchange is not simple
and meets individual and collective resilience. Although individuals admit new
world visions, they do it in a controlled way, which frequently has to be mediated
by familiar figures that can be respected and admired. Resource to cultural
mediators, role models and early interventions with parental involvement is highly
advisable, to aid cultural transition.
Role models permit perception of successful integration in the receiving
society and play a fundamental role for the more vulnerable subgroups of
immigrants, such as women and youth. Projects with the intervention of role
models acting as mentors or providing informative sessions are reported to have
a very positive impact, especially when correctly inserted in socialising
environments such as schools, apprenticeships, or community associations.
Teachers and tutors have significant potential to translate values across
cultures, if they have appropriate multicultural training. Parental involvement from
a very early stage is also considered to be a very important factor influencing
later stages of integration into work or higher education. Especially for young
girls, the active engagement of mothers in their education seems to play a
powerful part in combating self-stigmatisation based on traditional gender role
imposition. The third edition of the European Commission’s handbook on
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integration identifies two projects along these lines ( ): Rainbow kids, in
Denmark, which activates immigrant mothers in conjunction with childcare;
Rucksack, in Germany, which trains migrant mothers of children in elementary
education to acquire skills to support children's learning.

Practitioners delivering guidance to migrants need to have the appropriate
training
Professionals should have training not only in guidance methodologies but also in
multicultural issues, to be sensitive to diversity, to different world visions,
perspectives of life and career. Achieving a productive counselling relationship
that generates good results requires a set of skills and attitudes which the

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( ) http://ec.europa.eu/ewsi/UDRW/images/items/docl_12892_168517401.pdf [accessed
1.4.2014].

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