The Housing Authority is running a project, “Headstart”, which is an Equal project that falls under the European Social Fund. This programme has offered 15 young people leaving institutional care a holistic package that includes training in a particular skill or trade, job opportunities in fields chosen by the young people themselves and access to affordable housing. The project will cost a total of Lm113,215 (EUR263,721).
It started in January 2005 and the 15 young people have now completed their training programme in the trade which they wanted. Some of them will continue to further their studies while the others are undergoing work placements or have already found employment. The Housing Authority is now helping them all to secure employment in the area they studied.
Commenting on this project, Housing Authority chairman Marisa Micallef said: “These young persons have to leave these institutes at the age of 18 and they enter the world on a very vulnerable footing as they are often without a home or a job to go to. Youths leaving institutional care tend to have little or no educational qualifications; have great difficulty in finding a stable job; and even greater difficulty in securing affordable accommodation. This project offers an integrated package for this client group, comprising vocational guidance, training, work placement, and mentoring.”
The Employment and Training Corporation had a pivotal role in the project. They guided these young people in following training programmes that were of interest to them. Eventually mentors were also employed in order to help these young people manage the difficulties they encountered on a day-to-day basis. Life skills courses were also organised with topics such as communication skills, time management and decision-making.
The project is now coming to an end and collaboration has been established with transnational partners from Lithuania, Northern Ireland, Sweden and Netherlands by disseminating the results achieved through the different projects, sharing learning materials and good working practice.
At this final stage of the project the Housing Authority together with the young people will determine the best choice of housing to secure affordable accommodation for them. The authority is hoping to get more EU funding in order to extend the project to more young people leaving care.