YOUTH MINISTRY DEPARTMENT

WORLD CONSULTATIVE GROUP FOR

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS AND CENTRES

Pisana. Rome 5 - 7 June, 2009

Proposal

FINAL DOCUMENT

Rome, June, 2009

MOTIVATIONS AND AIMS

The World Advisory Council for Technical Schools and Centres (SCTP).

Having received some directions from Salesians involved in the technical formation sector, presented the General Council during the recent Winter session with a request to prepare an outline of technical/professional formation. The Rector Major, together with members of the Council, was unanimous in agreeing that the topic should be dealt with at the level of the entire Congregation.

We are all aware that the sector deserves more attention and greater interest. We recognise the need to set in motion a process of specific animation and foster links between the various technical/professional formation institutions across the entire Congregation. We also recognise that it is a sector which allows us a real closeness to the world of work.

In all this we see an invitation to respond to the poorest, a response which can be more effective for those who are ‘eliminated’ from the school system, drop outs. We believe that such a response is timely and will allow us to return to Don Bosco and to young people who are most in need.

Given these days of work I hope we succeed in:

• offering a global panorama of your activities, the result of your efforts;

• drawing up some guidelines for regions such that synergy can already begin at regional level, and if possible, between regions as well;

• be able to provide some guidelines, practical ideas, for the immediate future of this Consultative group.

I hope some additional results will come about, if not at this meeting then in the near future, e.g.:

• how to deal with and manage contacts with the industrial sector;

• how to share best practice which can serve as an opportunity for other countries;

• what to so in order to share the charismatic formation 'know how' contained in our framework; and finally,

• what are the experiences for a ministry that reaches out to our young people who have to face up to the challenges of the working world. Technical formation is a field where the experience of technical formation should never be separated from the dimension of education to faith, that is from a youth and vocation ministry offering.

We are here for the good of our young people; for many of them this SCTP approach is the only thing left to them. For them and their future we have to think broadly and generously;

We must not forget that we are a Congregation in 130 countries, uniquely committed to the good of the young. This is not boasting, but a point to be exploited and developed in a corporate identity . It is one thing for Salesians in a country to speak of and foster SCTP, while it is quite another thing if the Congregation does so with its strength of numbers and the institutions it has, as well as the experiences it is carrying forward.

These are some basic ideas which should guide our efforts.

It is my hope that you all face up to the horizons of SCTP courageously and optimistically.

In Christ,

Fr Fabio Attard, SDB

WORD FROM THE RECTOR MAJOR

Technicalformation and education for work

Within the Salesian educative and pastoral project

(Extract from his message. 06 June 2009, Rome)

Education of the young for work and through work is a fundamental aspect of the Salesian educative and pastoral offering.

Some basic criteria for Salesian involvement in techncial education and formation of the young.

• Young people starting work, young workers, the young unemployed, as specific beneficiaries of our mission.

• Integral education.

• The pedagogy of work as an important element in a holistic Salesian education.

• A Gospel orientation which opens up into and becomes evangelisation

Some important concerns

 

• Need for a particular support for technical/professional education

• Ensuring holistic, integral education

• Young people fitting into the working world at the completion of their training.

• Integration of these works and serivces within the Province's Educative and Pastoral Project

• Self-sustainability of technical formation centres and programmes of work preparation.

 

Some of the fundamental needs to see to

In responding to these concerns it is especially necessary to foster, amongst SDBs and educative communities, a mindset which is more sensitive to the working world so that attention to these young people starting out in work can be something shared by all Salesian communities.

This requires: 

• Greater awareness of the working world and its principal tendencies and phenomena by Salesians and communities, through an ongoing effort of information, discernment and critical outlook regarding everything that happens and is expressed in the working world.

• A systematic in-depth social formation which can assure a mindset amongst us and the young people in our works which is more in tune with others and fosters a greater capacity to be more effectively committed to justice. This supposes a more complete and systematic awareness of the Church's Social Teaching, and cooperation in concrete projects of solidarity.

• Special attention to young workers or young unemployed in our works, especially in Oratory-Youth centres, Parishes, Hostels, groups etc., facilitating their acceptance and their involvement in these places, adopting an approach that facilitates their integration into the setting, initiatives that respond to the needs that are most felt by them themselves.

• Renewing the pedagogy of work in our Salesian educative and pastoral project, going beyond a pedagogy which is too intellectual and veyr often too selective. 

Along with the renewed way of thinking it is also necessary to fostera newapproach to educational and pastoral work by means of projects and processes realised through networking.

Our way of working is often much too sectorial in nature: each work or sector is concerned only about its own specific area, without seeing that today truly effective work requires being active in various aspects all at once, aspects that influence the very reality we want to transform. For example: if we want toe ducate young people to be capable of fitting into the world of work in a responsible manner, it is not sufficient to be concerned about their technical preparation alone, but we have to prepare them to fit intoa complex world of work and promote new experiences and possibilities which include teamwork on their part; we also need to be concerned about transforming circumstances around us to allow for new work initiatives and development so that professionally prepared young people don't end up having to look elsewhere for work, but can be helped where they are to create and develop their skills at the service of everyone.

Training, setting up work, accompaniment and support for work and for them humanly speaking, supporting the local area, etc. these are all elements in a global programme which, if sectorialised, lose many of their possibilities.

evidently a project of this kind cannot normally be realised by a single institution; it requires working along with others who can converge and collaborate around a common objective from their various points of view and with their various skills.

This manner of working via gloabl projects and through networking is still underdeveloped on our part but will be especially fundamental to this promotion and education of young people setting out to work; that is why it is an important concern for the Department. 

Here are the elements I consider to be important for setting up Salesian technical/professional foramtion well.

I am sure that your experience in fostering and sustaining so many centres and initiatives in technical education over the years, around the Salesian world, can enrich and complete the vision presented here.

Together, sharing the same frame of reference: criteria, objectives, priorities, we will succeeed in renewing and giving full significance to this field which is so characteristic of our mission: educating of young people who are beginning work. 

 

Pascual Chavez V.
Generalate. Rome, 6 June, 2009

MAIN CHALLENGES TO BE TACKLED

1. CORPORATE IDENTITY

We feel a need to enable Salesians in their belief that technical and professional schools are a field of activity which identifies with the Salesian charism in a specific way. This persuasion also needs to be developed externally, by strengthening the institutional identity of the Congregation as an educational community active in this sector of technical-professional education.

2. A SPECIFIC PASTORAL AND EDUCATIVE PROJECT

We are working for a project of holistic formation – educative, cultural, religious, technical and socio-political – in view of an alternative culture in the working world.

3. BENEFICIARIES

There is a gap between what we offer and what poor and needy youngsters expect.

4. FORMATION OF PERSONNEL

There is a lack of qualified Salesians and lay people to manage our SCTP.

5. SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability of Centres and cross-nation excchange seem to be a particular problem.

STRATEGIES in the light of CHALLENGES in view of following up certain OBJECTIVES

Summary

1. CORPORATE IDENTITY

To tackle this challenge successfully, we propose to:

1. develop what SCTP offers in collaboration with the Congregation, regions and Provinces;

2. Define quality guidelines and relevant standards for SCTP;

3. foster a culture and pedagogy of work.

4. study the possibility of having our own representatives in international organisations which operate in this field (e.g. ILO).

2. A SPECIFIC PASTORAL AND EDUCATIVE PROJECT

To tackle this challenge successfully, we propose to:

1. see to, in our educative project, education to faith as an aim running across all our efforts, and one which involves all of the educative community in its activities;

2. ensure that members of the Consultative group are aware of best practices, as for example quality indicators for spiritual formation (Spain), programmes for preparing catechists and curricula for the young (Italy), Projects for America South Cone;

3. strengthen awareness of rights and duties amongst pupils by educating them to democratic citizenship.

3. BENEFICIARIES

To tackle this challenge successfully, we propose to:

1. draw up more effective strategies to facilitate our young beneficiaries fitting into the working world, to improve the likelihood that they find work and to foster their own entrepreneurial sense;

2. rethink the preparation of those who are most disadvantaged (getting them back into their families, giving them new chances to take up schooling again, helping them to fit into work, social rehabilitation, etc.).

4. FORMATION OF PERSONNEL

To tackle this challenge successfully, we propose to:

1. in Salesian initial formation highlight the priority of serving the young through technical and professional formation as something which is an expression of the Salesian charism in a particular way;

2. find an adequate number of Salesians for SCTP, Brothers especially, since SCTP is an area of excellence for their vocation (cf. GC 26, n. 74), and preapre them effectively for directional roles particularly;

3. draw up a profile of the educator/formator and the leader (Salesians and laity) in SCTP and corresponding formation plans, beginning with proposals already in place (Spain, Belgium…);

4. ensure, in preparing educators / formators and leaders, a holistic preparation (technical, pedagogical, social, moral, religious), organising this, as far as possible, at various levels provincial, regional, international);

5. look at the possibility of exchange of personnel amongst provinces and regions, including twinning arrangements, by setting up a central coordination for this (YM Department), with a view to improving quality and overcoming possible gaps;

6. organising an evaluation of the service of SCTPs with appropriate surveys set up by Observers in the Congregation, at least at the level of the YM Department.

5. SUSTAINABILITY

To tackle this challenge successfully, we propose to:

1. create a database of SCTPs and those responsible at national level, as a basis for setting up cooperation and projects at cross-nation level;

2. setting up networks at province, regional and international level with a view to developing curricula, sharing resources, improving the quality of training;

3. organising an effective management which can ensure resources and adequate funding for SCTPs;

4. following up sustainability both through networks involving large corporations and multinationals and through production and advertising the service.

THE IDENTITY OF THE CONSULTATIVE GROUPS FOR THE SCTP

1. PURPOSE

1. The Consultative Group will foster Salesian identity of the various formation curricula in order to enable educational effectiveness on the part of SCTPs;

2. The Consultative Group is an opportunity offered by the YM Department to the Congregation for better coordination of SCTPs.

2. MEMBERS

1. A team of Salesians helping the YM Department to reflect, propose and foster initiatives in the SCTP sector;

2. The team is made up of Salesians coming from different regions (from 2 to 4 for each region), once indicated by the Regional Councillors.

3. TASKS

The Consultative Group's tasks are:

1. to gather, coordinate and communicate best practice;

2. study pastoral challenges in the SCTP field;

3. foster the institutional identity of the SCTP, evaluating possibilities for creating a juridical configuration at international level;

4. fostering a dialogue involving experiences and contacts (network of networks);

5. coordinating data-gathering on the current circumstances of SCTPs around the world;

6. fostering collaboration amongst SCTPs in various countries and amongst regions, as a platform of exchange for promoting

• contacts with businesses

• sharing content of courses

• experiences involving helping people fit into the working world

7. developing and fostering the educational worth of SCTPs;

8. encouraging regions and provinces to offer micro-business experiences;

9. carrying out decisions taken by the Consultative Group with the involvement of provincials and with coordination at regional level.

4. ORGANISATION

1. The department will call the Consultative Group together at least every two years;

2. The Councillor will set up a coordination group made up of members of the consultative group to help the Department between meetings;

3. the consultative group will foster coordination in and between regions for an improved organisation of SCTPs.

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Text updated 14 June 2009 by Frs Mario Tonini and Guglielmo Malizia.