Non Formal Learning Processes of Young People

Which key competencies do young people need for a successful transition into the labour market? Which role can non formal learning processes play in that context? Which concepts and methods exist in Germany and in the European Union in order to foster non formal learning and to strengthen thereby active citizenship of the young generation? These topics were lively discussed with a high-rank delegation of education experts from the US at the C·A·P on October 7, who have been invited to Germany in the framework of the Transatlantic Outreach Program.

The Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP) is a partnership program between the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, the Goethe-Institut, Deutsche Bank, the Robert Bosch Stiftung, and the Siemens Corporation. This initiative encourages the cross-cultural dialogue between experts and institutions in Germany and the US, and offers the opportunity to get an overview of Germany's educational system, training programs, and learning approaches. As part of their two week visit around Germany, the delegation was warmly welcomed at the C·A·P by Eva Feldmann-Wojtachnia. She gave an insight into the work of the Research Group Youth & Europe at C·A·P, such as research results of the current evaluations on non formal learning programs, policy consulting in the field of youth policy in Germany and the European Union, innovative learning methods fostering youth participation and interactive dialogue approaches between youth and politics. Since providing high-quality formal learning processes and offering an adequate mentoring program in the job is considered to be the core question in the US in order to reach a better employability of the young generation, the American experts were highly impressed by the EU’s non formal learning concept and its focus on active citizenship and youth participation. In this context, the impact of non formal learning processes on the one hand and of the vocational training in the dual system in Germany on the other hand was of great interest to the experts.

Concluding, the C·A·P was delighted to make a contribution to the Transatlantic Outreach Program and very much enjoyed the inspiring discussion. It would be interesting to continue the transatlantic exchange on this expert level in order to learn from each other best practise and to identify relevant interfaces between the German and the American way of setting up young people for their professional life.

Author: Maria Idzikowski, currently an intern at the Research Group Youth & Europe (C·A·P)