Work in progress

Achieving the of autonomy through employment, housing and social inclusion is the result that “Work in progress: transition to citizenship” wants to reach, an initiative targeted to unaccompanied children living in Milan. The goal is to give them the necessary tools to overcome the frailties and uncertainties that often occur when a young migrant approaches adulthood and ends therefore his/her period of reception in the care facility.

“Work in progress” is run by a network of thirteen organizations, including public institutions and private social bodies – which boast a long experience of collaboration in favour of unaccompanied children. The project leader is the CeAS association – Centro Ambrosiano di Solidarietà Onlus (Ambrosian Centre of Solidiarity ndt), and the partners are four: Milan Bicocca University, Architecture Association of Coexistence, New Ideas for Welfare Cooperative, Imagine Factory Association. The direct beneficiaries will be 160 unaccompanied children and 210 peers attending high schools.

The main idea is that a better interaction between the reception system and the civil society (workplace, associations, peer relations) might improve the outcomes of job placement and social inclusion, increase the children’s social and interpersonal skills, and create a protection factor for young people at the end of their reception path.

The ultimate project goal is to complete the young migrants’ process of emancipation and civil society inclusion, notably the three fundamental areas at the basis of autonomy: employment, housing, social inclusion.

The project includes several actions focused on three main areas: job placement and training, social inclusion, transition to the housing market. The project includes also trainings, apprenticeships and social inclusion, with the involvement in particular of Italian peers with the aim of building lasting relationships.

All the above-mentioned areas include advocacy activities.