Final results of the SmartSt@rt project presented at JRF event.
The Johannes Rau Research Foundation (JRF) held an event titled “The Local Integration of Refugees – Experiences from NRW” at the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Düsseldorf on October 29, 2020. After a greeting by Dr. Joachim Stamp, Minister for Children, Family, Refugees and Integration of North Rhine-Westphalia, five JRF institutes – ILS – Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development, Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC), Stiftung Zentrum für Türkeistudien und Integrationsforschung (ZfTI), German Development Institute (DIE) and DST – examined the topic from different perspectives in their keynote speeches and illustrated them with current research results. The guests were connected online and were able to join in the discussion. A panel discussion with representatives from the field, including Duisburger Hafen AG, rounded off the program.
NRW Integration Minister Dr. Joachim Stamp joined online and spoke a greeting (Photo: JRF)
The DST was represented in the program by the SmartSt@rt research project. In his presentation titled “What do effective vocational preparation courses for refugees in inland navigation and port logistics look like?”, project manager Cyril Alias, head of the Department of Logistics and Transport, presented key findings from the project that serve as impulses for integration policy concepts that facilitate the acquisition of basic vocational skills.
The SmartSt@rt project aimed to develop a course concept for the technical-linguistic qualification of refugees in the fields of inland navigation and port logistics. Graduates should be able to take up employment – ideally even training – in one of these areas. The concept should be transferable in principle to other sectors of the economy (such as warehouse logistics or the skilled trades) and other target groups (such as migrants from southeastern Europe).
Cyril Alias (DST) presents results of the research project SmartSt@rt (Photo: JRF)
The experience gained from the course and the rest of the project work provided valuable insights for future similar projects. These relate to all project phases and tasks, such as participant recruitment and pre-selection, individual assessment of participant interests and suitability, course content, course delivery and accompanying participant support. These experiences were confirmed and supplemented by additional analyses based on interviews and literature research.
In October 2020, the joint project, which was coordinated by the DST as consortium leader, was completed. The DST worked together with the Federal Association of German Inland Navigation e. V. (BDB), Bundesverband der Selbständigen Abteilung Binnenschiffahrt e.V.), Duisburger Hafen AG, the ZfTI, the University of Duisburg-Essen and other partners from the field of further education.
The participants of the JRF event (from left to right): Katja von Loringhoven (Duisburger Hafen AG), Dr. Simone Christ (BICC), Veye Tatah (AIMMAD), Cyril Alias (DST), Dr. Eva Dick (DIE), Prof. Dr. Dieter Bathen (JRF), Ramona Fels (JRF), Miriram Koch (City of Düsseldorf), Dr. Heike Hanhörster (ILS), Cem Sentürk (ZfTI), Prof. Dr. Conrad Schetter (BICC) (Photo: JRF)
Point of contact:
Dipl.-Ök. Dieter Gründer, Tel.: +49 (0) 203 99369-56, E-Mail: gruender@dst-org.de
Cyril Alias M. Sc., Tel.: +49 (0) 203 99369-52, E-Mail: alias@dst-org.de
