The Youth Exchange “Increase your Employability” took place from 13.11-21.11.2023 in Guadeloupe in the city of Le Moule. The German team consisting of 4 participants extended the stay and remained on the island from 11.11.-23.11.2023 and thus used the travel days. In total, almost 30 people from 5 countries took part: Bulgaria, Spain, Croatia, Guadeloupe and Germany. For this purpose, each team had a team leader to support.
The main idea of the project was to exchange views on unemployment in the various countries and to focus particularly on the young generation. Thoughts on integration into the labor market should be exchanged and solutions for unemployment at a young age should be found. By means of various workshops, participants should be better prepared for working life and thus increase the chances for themselves but also for young people in their country. By training the participants and inspiring other participants through ideas, participants should bring this knowledge back to their countries and share their knowledge through further in-country workshops.
What were the main activities?
11 + 12 November
We arrived in Guadeloupe two days before the start of the project and had the opportunity to explore the town of Le Moule and the beaches.
13 November
Together with our team leader, we went on an excursion to a neighbouring town and met locals who offered us local specialties. They also showed us how to enjoy traditional rum in Guadeloupe. In the evening, we met at the bungalows where the Youth Exchange took place and enjoyed dinner together.
14 November
After an atmospheric outdoor breakfast, the day usually started with a high-energy warm-up that got our circulation going in a playful way. After a general introduction and discussion of our expectations, fears, and contributions, we started with a team-building activity.
After lunch, the first workshops prepared by the individual countries were on the programme. Before dinner, reflections on the day’s events took place in the national groups.
15 November
On this day, two extensive workshops were on the programme. In the morning, we took part in a round table discussion on unemployment in Europe, where we worked in groups to ana-lyse the topic in depth.
In the afternoon, we participated in the workshop “What are my limiting beliefs?”, which was led by an external expert and aimed to strengthen self-confidence.
16. November
On this day, we had the opportunity to get to know the local culture. In the morning, we first went to a rum distillery. Then we had the opportunity to get to know the town of Saint Francois. After lunch, we visited a professional school in Le Moule and had the opportunity to talk to the young people.
17. November
The countries once again organised various workshops. The self-reflective workshop “ikigai” was particularly appreciated by most people. Here we were able to look at and analyses the four areas of life: passion, mission, profession, and vocation.
18. November
In the morning, we actively helped to clean up the local beach in Le Moule. This was followed by a reflection on sustainability and environmental impact issues related to our clean-up activity. In the afternoon, we took part in a “World Cafe” where we talked about the many European/international and youth opportunities that exist in Europe and some-times beyond.
19 November
This day was all about applying for a job. For example, we discussed the topic of CVs and motivation letters. The crowning glory of the day was the talent show in the evening.
20 + 21 November
On the last two days of the project, we had various discussion rounds, an evaluation, and the Youth Pass Ceremony.
On the afternoon of 21 November, most of us made our way home.
22 + 23 November
The German team had the opportunity to spend two more days in Guadeloupe after the project. After renting a car, we were able to explore the diverse island with its friendly inhabitants even more. The cultural differences were very inspiring for all of us!
“I have felt like this whole project was a dream. It was so beautiful and emotional as well. I really enjoyed being around all the people and getting to know other people and their cultures. The weather was really nice, such as the landscapes that kept my mouth wide open. It was truly incredible. I hope I get to experience more cultural exchanges such as this one. I feel very lucky and honoured to be a part of this whole project.” – Devrim, one of the German group participants
“Increase your employability” youth exchange is financed by the Erasmus+ Programme and organized by our partner organisation Jeunesse Outre-Mer.
