Chapter 2 – Include Learners Outside the Institution
Learners who feel valued and listened to during their training are more likely to get involved outside, by investing in environmental, social or cultural issues. This is why it is important to rely on external partners who participate in the citizenship pathway.
1. Establish external partnerships
One of the priority issues is to find the trigger for a young person’s engagement. This is why the citizenship pathway is so important. Having the first successful volunteer experience for a learner is opening the doors to further engagement activities. To encourage engagement, it is necessary to support your learners by offering them concrete opportunities to get involved, while giving them the necessary tools to succeed in this engagement process. In this way, it is possible to establish links between learners and local structures or associations likely to offer them voluntary activities. To support this approach, it is essential to rely on your external partners such as associations, NGOs, and companies. The actors who intervene in the context of the citizenship pathway and who have already been in contact with learners are your key partners.
In some countries, there are specific mechanisms that allow voluntary work to be integrated into the training curriculum.
In France, for example, the learners (The Brevet de Technicien Supérieur (BTS), a 2-year French national post-secondary diploma) have the possibility of validating an optional unit entitled “Engagement” which takes the form of an oral exam. This test highlights the practical application of professional skills acquired through a voluntary activity and serves to recognise learners’ engagement in solidarity actions. It is also possible to rely on organisations that are known and recognised internationally or that embody themes in the collective imagination.
2. Encourage learner engagement outside of your institution
Engagement plays an active role in academic success. Also, in this context, it is necessary to adopt an individualised approach for each learner. To do this, it is possible to define standard missions, which will serve as a basis for reflection to individualise the paths. These missions can be adapted according to the skills of each learner and their interests. The objective is to facilitate the engagement of young people, by offering them concrete and structured missions.
When setting up these missions, one of the difficulties can be finding the trigger that will motivate a young person to get involved. Setting up a structured civic pathway helps to awaken young people’s commitment and awareness. A pathway that begins with a first successful volunteer experience can be a real trigger. This experience allows them to realise the positive impact of their actions on society and encourages young people to get involved outside their establishment.
Finally, learners’ voluntary engagement should not be seen as a simple additional activity, but rather as a real lever for training. When properly supported, engagement not only allows learners to develop professional and social skills, but also to promote their engagement within society.v