The project entitled “Expansion of the network of Czech-Vietnamese assistants”, Reg. No. CZ.2.17/2.1.00/35135, has been completed. The main aim of the project was to tackle and further develop the forms of interconnection between the Czech and Vietnamese societies which are necessary for the effective integration of the Vietnamese into the Czech labour market. The following lines illustrate how we have succeeded in meeting our goals.
At the very beginning of the project implementation, we recruited candidates for a retraining course Trainer in the field of intercultural education during which around 35 people from the target group – i.e. the Vietnamese, immigrants from different socio-cultural background, and persons disadvantaged on the labour market got gradually involved. 150 hours of course training included seminars on communication skills and mediation, law, intercultural skills as well as interpreting exercises, and lecturing skills. Successful graduates could then engage in training jobs with the project partner – Volotné Czech or they had the opportunity to get a specific job with another suitable employer.
The main objective was divided into several “sub-objectives” that were fulfilled in the course of the implementation of the project as follows:
- providing support and motivational activities (such as expert consultations) for the 25 graduates to enable them to find and maintain a job;
- implementation of an accredited course Trainer in the field of intercultural education for 35 persons from the target group; 25 graduates of the course successfully passed the final examination before the expert committee;
- creation of a manual Materials on Intercultural Issues for Czech-Vietnamese Intercultural Assistants;
- creation of a database of potential employers of Czech-Vietnamese intercultural assistants which will be updated continuously;
- creating 6 jobs for 12 successful course graduates with selected employers who have shown an eminent interest in the services of an intercultural assistant.
- creating 3 training jobs for 12 successful course graduates with the project partner – Volonté Czech, o.p.s .;
Klub Hanoi and the project partner – Volonté Czech thus responded to the growing demand from a number of public and commercial entities (MoLSA, MoI, Police of the Czech Republic, Integration Centres for Foreigners in the Czech Republic, Caritas Czech Republic, the House of National Minorities, TRW Automotive, law and distraintment offices, hospitals, schools, etc.) to provide services of a qualified bilingual Czech-Vietnamese assistant, as well as to the demands of the Vietnamese who have worked with Klub Hanoi on a number of projects as volunteers but lack a professional basis needed for the position of a Czech-Vietnamese assistant.
The Czech-Vietnamese assistants provide translation and interpreting services, they have a command of Czech legal language, know the differences between the two cultures, can explain and describe them, they can explain what they interpret, and have experience in communication, negotiation, and methods of conflict resolution.
Therefore, we can state that we have achieved the main goal of the project. All 25 successful graduates have developed the prerequisites for active and lasting engagement in the labour market. Their involvement in the project has also created conditions for supporting a secondary group of Vietnamese immigrants (not only) in Prague with whom the group of trained intercultural assistants is in contact and will continue to transfer their knowledge and experience to them.
The role of these assistants is steadily growing as the number of the Vietnamese in the Czech Republic – and especially in Prague – is still growing thanks to the high birth-rates of Vietnamese families and also because of the fact that there are many Vietnamese migrants coming in recent years to the Czech Republic from a different social environment with a very poor professional potential, they lack language skills and information about the Czech Republic, yet for Czech companies, they are desirable workers. However, their employment is often impossible without an involvement of a qualified assistant. Also, many institutions are not able to successfully address the needs of this significant community without the involvement of trained bilingual assistants.
In the Czech Republic, there have been efforts for a systemic establishment of the profession and the provision of an institutional background for professional intercultural intermediaries so that the trained immigrants can professionally perform their work using their specific knowledge and skills.
Klub Hanoi has, along with Volonté Czech, devoted itself to the integration activities and their methodologies over the long term. Klub Hanoi has introduced to the Czech Republic some of the integration tools that are now used by many other organizations such as training of intercultural assistants as well as integration education in Czech language, integration courses, community interpreting, etc. Both partners will continue to pursue these activities using the experience gained during the project, regardless of resources from the European Union.
The project is co-funded by the European Social Fund under the Operational Programme Prague – Adaptability. European Social Fund Prague and the EU – Investing in your future