Trajectòries d’èxit de joves immigrants a l’ensenyament superior i al món professional

Objectives

The main aims of this project develop along three axes:

• We wish to shed light on an issue that has been under-studied in Catalonia. By developing a meta-analysis of existing studies, we will look at the access to, participation in and learning results of immigrants in high education, and their later insertion into the professional sector that is open to those who have university degrees.
• We will identify and analyse the features that characterize the educational careers of a group of young people immigrants(men and women) who are at university or who already have joined the professional sector, having successfully earned a university degree.
• Finally, we will extract elements for policy development and for developing teaching and labour practices.

Impact

1. Furthering research
   1. Determine which factors favour success at primary and secondary school — and possibly in vocational education given its increasing popularity — and therefore support non-European immigrants who go on to study at the University, as well as those factors that work against them.
   2. Determine what factors promote or hinder the completion of university studies.
   3. Determine what factors facilitate, or not, a successful entry into the workplace, in fields related to students’ university degree.
   4. Broaden the perspective of research that looks at immigrant integration, by developing a meta-analysis focused on the detection of factors that contribute to successful paths towards higher education and professional careers.
2. Proposals for policies that help immigrants
   1. An evaluation of the possibility of implementing positive discrimination policies in University admissions, to favour non-European immigrants, as is being done in other countries.
   2. An evaluation of the appropriateness of adjusting social policies that support families and students in terms of scholarships, study support and career counselling.
   3. The drafting of guidelines to encourage the development of leadership and entrepreneurship among young immigrants, jointly with the Chamber of Commerce, trade unions and business organizations.
   4. A proposal for possible social awareness campaigns similar to those that have been aimed at other groups.
   5. An evaluation of the need to track immigrant youth during their early years at University and in the workplace.
   6. The preparation of guidelines, especially for high schools and vocational education centres, in relation to the need to consider learning styles mediated by the social and cultural contexts of young immigrants.
   7. The development of proposals that encourage new ways of thinking about “the other”, in order to move towards developing a culture of the general public, as is suggested by the National Pact on Immigration of the Government of Catalonia.
3. Success stories
   1. Basing the final report on the success stories of a selection of young immigrants allows us to recognise those who participated in the study, and will aid in making the factors that facilitated their success public.
   2. The videos that capture the journeys of 8 immigrants (4 students and 4 professionals), can be used as educational resources for schools and career counselling services.
   3. These stories can serve as material for learning and reflection not only for policy-makers, but also for schools, families and youth.
   4. Overall, the results from this study into success stories can be used as material related new ways of thinking about “the other” (in the form of brochures, flyers, posters, video clips …).

Results

Participants

• Juana María Sancho Gil
• Fernando Hernández i Hernández
• Fernando Herraiz García
• Paulo Padilla Petry
• Xavier Giró Gràcia
• Roser Valenzuela i Segura
• Rachel Fendler
• Judith Arrazola Carballo

Generalitat de Catalunya, Secretaria per la immigració – AGAUR. 2010 ARF1 00039. 2011–2012