Embrace UAM - Supporting Unaccompanied Minors

15/05/2026

🇩🇪 A week of exchange, learning, and professional reflection in Germany

From 04–08 May 2026, the partners of the Erasmus+ project Embrace UAM came together in Bochum, Germany, for the second transnational learning mobility hosted by Urbanes Kulturteam Ruhr and partner organisations.

Throughout the week, participants from Germany, Greece, and Italy explored different approaches to supporting unaccompanied minors and young migrants through a combination of job shadowing, field visits, professional exchange, and peer learning. The programme included visits and exchanges with:
• QUAZ.ruhr
• Plan B shelter for unaccompanied minors (UMA)
• Medizinische Flüchtlingshilfe Bochum
• Refugee Reception Center at Nordbad , Bochum
• Project JUVENTUS & Aktiv F
• Project Woody
• Bosangani e.V.

The mobility provided valuable insight into topics such as:
🔹 integration pathways
🔹 psychosocial and health support
🔹 youth work & participation
🔹 vocational orientation
🔹 intercultural approaches
🔹 community-based support systems

A central focus throughout the week was the exchange of practices and experiences between professionals working with unaccompanied minors in different national contexts.

Thank you to all organisations, professionals, and participants who contributed to this meaningful and inspiring week in Bochum.

15/05/2026

Integration works best when organisations work together

One important lesson from the Germany mobility was the value of strong local cooperation between different institutions supporting unaccompanied minors.

Throughout the week, participants engaged with:
🔹 shelters
🔹 vocational education providers
🔹 youth organisations
🔹 municipalities
🔹 integration centres
🔹 community initiatives
🔹 psychosocial support actors

What became clear:
No single organisation can respond to all the needs of unaccompanied minors alone.

Successful integration requires:
✔ coordination
✔ communication
✔ referral pathways
✔ shared responsibility
✔ trust between institutions

📌 Key takeaway:
Integration becomes stronger when support systems function as connected ecosystems rather than isolated services.

15/05/2026

Using Virtual Reality for vocational & language learning

One of the most innovative practices presented during the Germany mobility was the use of Virtual Reality (VR) to support vocational learning and profession-specific language acquisition for unaccompanied minors.

Participants explored VR simulations for professions such as:
🍽 kitchen assistant
🧹 housekeeping
📦 stock management assistant

Through VR, learners can:
🔹 practise workplace routines
🔹 learn profession-specific German terminology
🔹 understand task sequences
🔹 familiarise themselves with work environments
🔹 gain confidence before entering real workplaces

Importantly, all of this happens in a safe and low-pressure learning environment.

📌 Key takeaway:
Innovative digital tools can make vocational learning more accessible, interactive & confidence-building for vulnerable youth.

15/05/2026

Vocational orientation as emotional stabilisation

A particularly important insight from the Germany mobility was the role of vocational preparation in supporting the well-being and motivation of unaccompanied minors.

At organisations such as QUAZ.ruhr and Project JUVENTUS, we observed how vocational orientation is introduced early through:
🔹 profession-oriented learning
🔹 practical activities
🔹 workplace preparation
🔹 language connected to employment contexts
🔹 realistic future planning

What stood out most was this:
Vocational preparation is not only about employment.

It is also about:
✔ structure
✔ confidence
✔ motivation
✔ independence
✔ future perspective

📌 Key takeaway:
Helping young people imagine a future is already part of psychosocial support.

15/05/2026

Integration starts with participation

One of the strongest lessons from the Germany mobility within was this:

Integration does not begin after stabilisation.
Integration begins through participation.

During our exchanges with local organisations in Bochum, we observed how unaccompanied minors are encouraged from the very beginning to:
🔹 participate in community life
🔹 build local social connections
🔹 engage in youth & cultural activities
🔹 interact with volunteers & local residents
🔹 develop a sense of belonging beyond institutional settings

The approach showed that everyday interaction can become a powerful integration tool.

📌 Key takeaway:
Belonging is not created through paperwork alone — it develops through relationships, visibility & participation in society.

20/04/2026

Embrace UAM – Job Shadowing in Germany (4–8 May)

From 4 to 8 May, we are happy to welcome our partners from Italy and Greece to Germany for the 2nd job shadowing activity within the Embrace UAM project. Hosted by Urbanes Kulturteam Ruhr, this activity will bring together VET trainers, youth workers, educators, facilitators, and frontline professionals for a week of exchange, observation, reflection, and peer learning.

During the programme, participants will explore practical methods, inclusive learning approaches, and transferable ideas that can support their daily work with unaccompanied minors.This job shadowing is about learning from each other, sharing experiences across countries, and strengthening professional support for unaccompanied minors across Europe.

Watch the video to see what participants can expect:
https://youtu.be/ZZbuLr-Nqbs

Your Job Shadowing Experience in Germany – Embrace UAM at Urbanes KulturTeam

16/03/2026

Why the Colombi visit matters

Several of the Italian articles highlighted the role of SAI Colombi as a place of practical learning during the Embrace UAM mobility in Rome.

According to the published information, in 2024 the centre hosted around 80 unaccompanied minors; 98% were enrolled in Italian language courses, 73% in school pathways, and 97% were regularised. The coverage also mentions internships, educational activities, and broader community-based support through Welfare Colombi, as well as 1,268 accesses to services by unaccompanied minors in Rome in 2025. These figures show why professional exchange in real settings matters so much.

Read more here:
Roma Capitale: https://www.comune.roma.it/web/it/notizia/minori-stranieri-non-accompagnati-arrivano-due-progetti-erasmus-.page

Roma Rete News 24: https://www.romaretenews24.it/erasmus-a-roma-con-bridge-ed-embrace-uam-la-formazione-passa-dal-campo/

Abitare a Roma: https://abitarearoma.it/accoglienza-minori-roma-guida-la-rete-europea-al-via-i-progetti-bridge-e-embrace-uam/

Non solo assistenza, ma formazione specializzata e standard europei. È questa la filosofia dietro l’incontro di job shadowing (apprendimento sul campo) che...Leggi tutto...