OSMO2 - Multicultural Competences in One-Stop-Guidance Centers

OSMO2 - Multicultural competences in One-Stop Guidance Centers

A low-threshold One-Stop Guidance Center
service model (Ohjaamo) for young people has been built in Finland as a part of
the implementation of the Youth Guarantee. The multidisciplinary One-Stop Guidance
Centers are service points for young people under the age of 30. Their core
activities include personal advice and guidance, support in life management,
career planning, developing social skills and competence, and supporting
education and employment. The clients of the One-Stop Guidance Centers include
young people with an immigrant background, and in the future this client group
is expected to grow also in municipalities with a low number of
immigrants.  

The OSMO2 implemented training, sparring
and coaching for the personnel working at the One-Stop Guidance Centers and
their background organisations in a needs-oriented and customer-oriented
manner. OSMO2 paid particular attention to the development of competences that
promote equality, accessibility and customer participation at One-Stop Guidance
Centers. These events and the online course were attended more than 400 times,
which means more than 130 people from approximately 35 One-Stop Guidance
Centers participated. The target of 80 participants was thus exceeded. The
original objective of the project was to achieve longer-lasting and One-Stop
Guidance Center-specific coaching. However, it was hindered by the personnel
turnover at One-Stop Guidance Centers and local government pilots for
employment, not to mention the coronavirus pandemic. The project still
succeeded in achieving the objectives. The target was 170 person-days, and the
result was approximately 250 person-days.  

The project reached both people of One-Stop
Guidance Centers and those interested in multiculturalism and equality also on
social media channels and websites. During the project, an online course
Yhdenvertainen opetus ja ohjaus ('Equal teaching and guidance,' 5 cr) was
developed in cooperation with the Potentiaali – Stereotypioita purkavan
ohjauksen kehittämishanke development project ('Potential – breaking down
stereotypes through guidance'), which will remain, for example, in JAMK Open
University of Applied Sciences' course selection. The online course also became
a compulsory part of the professional teacher education
at JAMK School of Professional Teacher Education and an optional part of
the study counsellor education.  

Another main objective of the project was
to develop a manual on multicultural guidance from the perspective of
accessibility, equality and participation in guidance, which would be available
to One-Stop Guidance Centers even after the end of the project. The Equal One-Stop Guidance Center website was created as part
of the previously developed Multicultural Guidance Toolkit website at oppimateriaalit.jamk.fi/monikulttuurinenohjaus
(in Finnish).  The Equal One-Stop Guidance Center website can be found at
the short address bit.ly/YhdenvertainenOhjaamo in Finnish and
bit.ly/LikabehandlingNavigatorn in Swedish. The project website at
jamk.fi/osmo2 (in Finnish) describes the activities during the project. 

The project also aimed to influence the
structures and practices of the One-Stop Guidance Centers so that genuine
non-discrimination and equality would be ensured for clients with an immigrant
background as well. This was partly achieved by developing equality and
accessibility criteria for the One-Stop Guidance Centers to assess and develop
operations and for common discussion. Additionally, OSMO2 piloted the One-Stop
Guidance Centers' own equality and non-discrimination planning process. The
purpose of the plan was to ensure equal treatment of everyone at One-Stop
Guidance Centers and to involve the target group, i.e., young people, in the
planning. OSMO2 also aimed to influence the promotion of equality issues at
One-Stop Guidance Centers and the background organisations steering them, even
in the future. This was achieved partly, for example, through the steering
group and other support projects of the One-Stop Guidance Centers. 

The third objective set for the project was
to ensure cooperation within the project group and to cooperate with the
support projects of the One-Stop Guidance Centers. This was also realised
throughout the project, especially by participating in common events organised
by the Kohtaamo project, such as the One-Stop Guidance Center Days and by
planning joint coaching sessions, for example with the TESSU2 – Training and
supporting the One-Stop Guidance Centers project.