Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, was in Marseille today to take part in the 43rd Congress of French health insurance. As part of his visit to France, the Commissioner met students from two schools that are using European Social Fund money to drive innovation in education: the Second Chance School, which has laid the foundations for a national model for alternative education, and Equinox Smart Campus at Science Po Aix in Aix en Provence.
Uplifting Education
The Second Chance School (E2C) creates new opportunities for young people aged 16-25 who have left school without obtaining a diploma or qualification. The centre builds the confidence of participants through personalised support – acknowledging each participant’s capacity to use the skills they acquire to build a successful, sustainable career. It also helps to develop the students’ social skills, and ultimately ensures that they don’t become excluded from society.
Commissioner Schmit said,'It has been wonderful to meet students from the E2C Marseille, the first school for a second chance. With support from the European Social Fund, the E2C helps young people acquire not only new skills but also the confidence they need to identify what they want to do with their lives and to enter the labour market.'
The E2C does not issue a diploma, but works individually with each trainee by evaluating their engagement with school activities. The school focuses on developing fundamental knowledge, interpersonal skills and know-how with a view to finding a job, work-study or qualifying training. This approach places the trainee at the heart of the system, with personalised, long-term support to participants.
The school partners with companies and qualifying training organisations, ensuring trainees are fully prepared for employment, and employers can expect skills that are in demand in today’s labour market. This is crucial at a time where labour shortages are prevalent across many sectors in Europe. At the end of the course, the trainee is issued with a ‘Certificate of Acquired Skills’, which lists the skills acquired during training in the centre and in the company.
Since its launch in 1995, the school has supported nearly 9 000 trainees, including more than 900 in 2021. E2C’s effective model for giving a second chance to young people has now been replicated in 138 schools across France, in many cases with ESF support, creating a national network, with the Marseille school taking the position of vice chair. The school is continuing to innovate - it has now extended its programme to young people who have already achieved their Baccalaureate, so they can continue developing their skills for their future career.
High performing and innovative distance learning
The Commissioner also met students in Sciences Po Aix who benefit from an innovative virtual campus – the Equinox pedagogical platform – which will host Science Po Aix TV, offering a variety of attractive, interactive and dynamic distance learning opportunities thanks to funding from the ESF. Launched in 2020, the project is upgrading and enhancing the security of the Equinox platform, as well as integrating it with highly performing digital TV equipment in most of the lecture rooms. These enhancements will allow it to stream courses and events, while engaging virtual participants with its interactive and on-demand features.
The two projects demonstrate the wide spectrum of ESF-funded opportunities for boosting the skills and learning potential of young people. They represent examples of innovative and engaging education, applying methods that adapt to the individual needs of students and signifying a major investment in their future.
