STAY TUNED
There are many different strategies for tackling ‘Early Leaving from Education and Training’ (ELET – also known as Early School Leaving). But how do we turn good policy and strategy into actions that deliver results?
Stay Tuned is a network of nine European cities that have been implementing diverse projects to do just that. Working together since 2016, the Stay Tuned cities have been working as one of four “Implementation Networks” within URBACT, the European Union’s learning and exchange programme for cities.
The URBACT Implementation Networks have supported cities to exchange expertise and knowledge about how to implement their projects more successfully, looking to understand and improve how the implementation of policy works in reality. Stay Tuned has been specifically focussed on projects to reduce ELET, following and supporting the nine cities on their journey to turn their strategies into action at a local level.
Not only the WHAT, but also the HOW was at the heart of the project: how to make solutions work, how to implement them well, and how to ensure they have the impact we hope for.
Many social challenges exist within complex systems. These challenges manifest themselves as complex or “wicked” problems. ELET is no exception - it is caused by a range of factors, which combine and interrelate in a complex way that is difficult (or even impossible) to analyse. This makes traditional top-down or linear project methods unsuitable for tackling such challenges effectively. Through Stay Tuned, we have explored what this means in reality as the nine partner cities followed each other’s change processes to implement their plans and policies.
Stay Tuned aims to reduce the high urban rates of ELET by actively pursuing the implementation of the 2011 Council Recommendation on policies to reduce ELET. The network capitalises on existing urban expertise and strive for improved implementation with sustainable impact. This requires changes in organisations and the mind-set of people: a systematic configuration of services, eroded boundaries between services and professions, development of synergies, clear definition of roles and responsibilities.
Early Leaving from Education and Training (ELET)
European cities face higher levels of ELET than their national averages and their corresponding European target rates. This represents a serious challenge, as ELET has significant societal and individual consequences, such as a higher risk of unemployment, poverty, marginalization and social exclusion. Tackling ELET means breaking the cycle of deprivation and the intergenerational transmission of poverty and inequality.
ELET is a specific problem, but engages a very complex field of play to solve it. It calls for a shift from implementing isolated ELET measures to introducing integrated, comprehensive policies, based on strong and continuous political commitment of all stakeholders at all levels.
The role of local authorities in developing and implementing ELET policies is crucial: they can translate European and national strategies into specific actions tailored to the local needs and coordinate cross sectoral implementation at the right level.
URBACT
Stay Tuned is a project of URBACT, a European exchange and learning programme promoting sustainable urban development. URBACT enable CITIES to work together to develop solutions to major urban challenges, reaffirming the key role ther play in facing increasingly complex societal changes.
URBACT helps cities to develop pragmatic solutions that are new and sustainable, and that integrate economic, social and environmental dimensions. It enables cities to share good practices and ‘lessons learned’ with all professionals involved in urban policy throughout Europe.
More information on www.urbact.eu