MENTOR 2 - Mediterranean Network for Training Orientation to Regular Migration

The MENTOR 2 project, financed by the European Mobility Partnership Facility III programme, managed by ICMPD, intends to improve and make more sustainable the circular mobility and migration model between Italy, Morocco and Tunisia for study/work reasons, already adopted in the previous intervention of the 2017/2018.

The MENTOR 1 project has, in fact, allowed a group of young people from the target areas of the partner countries to carry out professional internships in companies in Milan and Turin, and then return to their territories of origin with greater skills and the possibility of accessing the job market , contributing to local development. 

The approach that characterizes this process is based on cooperation between territories, which, through the creation of multi-stakeholder partnerships led by Local Authorities, network to facilitate and accompany this type of paths, focused on the valorisation of new generations, through the exchange of experiences, know-how and good practices, in a perspective of mutual social and economic development. 
The main innovations of the new project concern: a more extensive territorial and temporal approach; increasing the number of trainees; the drafting of framework agreements between the institutions involved; the support of national authorities to facilitate dialogue and multi-level coordination; the exchange with European cities on similar practices; the greater involvement of Italian companies; research, monitoring and evaluation activities to provide useful recommendations to influence the adaptation of policies and procedures regarding migration/mobility for study/work reasons, from a sustainability perspective.

The partnership is made up as follows:

  • In Italy: Municipality of Milan (leader), Municipality of Turin, Agenzia Piemonte Lavoro, AFOL – Milan training and employment agency, Anolf Piemonte, Soleterre, CEIPiemonte - Foreign Center for Internationalisation, PROMOS Italia, CeSPI – Center for international political studies.
  • In Morocco: ANAPEC - Agence Nationale de Promotion de l'Emploi et des Compétences, Region of Beni Mellal – Khenifra, Municipality of Tangier.
  • In Tunisia: ANETI - Agence Nationale pour l'Emploi et le Travail Indépendant, Municipality of Tunis, Municipality of Sfax.

The project is also supported by: Ministry of Labor and Social Policies - Italy, Eurocities. 

The project started on July 2021, 30 and will end on June 2024, 36 (duration: XNUMX months)

General objective: improve cooperation between the EU and Mediterranean third countries in the field of migration and legal, circular, work-related mobility of young people.

Specific objectives:

  1. Improve the capacity of territorial actors and institutions in implementing valid circular migration schemes in the target areas in Italy (Milan and Turin), Morocco (Beni Mellal-Khenifra region and Tangier) and Tunisia (Tunis and Sfax);
  2. Increase the awareness of migrants and businesses in Italy, Morocco and Tunisia on existing opportunities for training, work-related exchanges and youth employment;
  3. Improve the capacity of local actors and institutions to learn from experience and thus influence the adaptation of policies, programming and procedures for migration for work purposes.

Activities related to objective 1 - circular mobility for internships: 

  • Multi-level institutional involvement - stakeholder mapping, creation of local consultation committees, drafting of institutional and territorial agreements on migration and circular mobility for work reasons in the Mediterranean, project sustainability plan;
  • Capacity building - training for trainers and peer exchanges;
  • Research, exchanges and capitalization - study on the labor market in Morocco and Tunisia and on the strategic sectors of the Italian companies involved; mapping of EU projects on work in Morocco and Tunisia; research and exchanges on circular mobility with European cities; analysis of the territorial approach applied to circular mobility;
  • Selection and matching of candidates and companies; 
  • Pre-departure training for candidates and carrying out procedures for approving internships and obtaining visas;
  • Carrying out six-monthly internships at host companies in Italy;
  • Mentoring and support for post-return interns.

Activities related to objective 2 - communication, dissemination, advocacy:

  • Site update: networkmentor.org;
  • Involvement of Italian companies - information campaigns and workshops; 
  • Multilingual practical guide on the rules and procedures for migration and mobility for internship/work purposes between Italy, Morocco and Tunisia;
  • National meeting on good practices of legal and circular migration to Italy, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Labor;
  • Information campaign in Morocco and Tunisia on the success stories of returned trainees and on integration opportunities after return;
  • Final communication and dissemination conference. 

Activities related to objective 3 - monitoring and evaluation:

  • Monitoring of project activities; 
  • Retrospective evaluation of the previous project MENTOR 1;
  • Evaluation of MENTOR 2 through a participatory approach. 

  1. Territorial actors (local authorities, private sector, employment agencies) and institutions have acquired specific skills in promoting circular migration schemes between target areas and developed strong ownership of the process;
  2. Migrants and businesses in the target territories are aware of the existing international opportunities in terms of training, work-related exchanges and youth employment;
  3. Territorial actors and institutions have learned from experience and are able to influence the adaptation of policies, programming and procedures regarding migration for study/work reasons.

Updated: 03/08/2022