Focus on Digital Training for Asylum Seekers

Today, Integration Minister Katharina Binz, together with representatives from Mainz University of Applied Sciences and the Supervisory and Service Directorate (ADD), celebrated the launch of the project “Strengthening Digital Skills for Self-Determination and Mobility,” or DigiKoSMos for short. As part of the project, which is being carried out by Mainz University of Applied Sciences, measures for the digital continuing education of residents are to be implemented in all reception facilities for asylum seekers in the state.

“In Rhineland-Palatinate, it is important to us to create needs-based and low-threshold support services. With projects like DigiKoSMos, we’re making good use of the time spent in reception centers to not only provide residents with guidance but also to offer them the opportunity to expand their digital skills. The project thus has great potential to provide refugees with access to education and increase their chances of integrating into the labor market—ultimately making it easier for people to find work,” emphasized Katharina Binz.

The continuing education program includes, in particular, in-person and online courses as well as accompanying research activities. Residents of reception centers whose prospects for remaining in the country are still unclear are to be made aware of the possibility of returning to their country of origin and the opportunities that come with it. The goal is to increase participants’ employability worldwide by developing their digital skills and enabling them to use digital technologies independently.

“The ability to navigate the digital space actively and independently has now become a core competency in both private and professional contexts. I am therefore all the more pleased that, together with our project partners, we are able to offer this training to people housed in the state’s reception centers. This project adds an important component to the portfolio of continuing education programs at these facilities,” said Christiane Luxem, Vice President of the ADD.

The project, which launched on July 1, will run for three years and is funded with a total of approximately 2.15 million euros. As the central cooperation partner, the Ministry of Integration is supporting the initiative with approximately 215,000 euros. Additional funding is provided by the Asylum, Integration, and Migration Fund (AMIF).

Prof. Dr. Susanne Weissman, President of Mainz University of Applied Sciences, is pleased with the funding, “because the interdisciplinary DigiKoSMos project demonstrates once again how the university can, through socially relevant and research-based innovations in the field of digital media, empower people to improve their chances of professional and social reintegration in their home countries. By bringing together various areas of expertise, this project can contribute to positive impacts on the economy and society.”

“As Mainz University of Applied Sciences, we want to contribute to society’s digital education. We do this, among other things, for high school students, college students, and companies. In this project, we are now once again—and happily so—focusing on migrants,” explains Prof. Sven Pagel, Professor of Business Informatics and Media Management at Mainz University of Applied Sciences and strategic director of the project.

The creative approaches and innovative nature of the project thus create significant added value and sustainable benefits for the residents of the reception centers for asylum seekers.

You can find more information about the project here.