Information center for career guidance (Switzerland, Ticino)
Città dei Mestieri is open to anyone in search of information and support, according to principles of open access, gratuity and anonymity. Its mission is to direct users to all the resources allowing them to formulate and achieve their career aims and to guide and support them in their choices by providing them in a single place with :
o Interviews with professionals belonging to institutions competent in the fields of counselling and professional life,
o Documentation in free access on employment, careers and vocational training,
o ICT resources and multimedia in a competence center providing also a help desk for the visitors,
o Information and short training sessions, symposia and meetings organised by all the partners or produced in cooperation with external partners.
CDMSI offers in one place all the resources needed to build individual development projects and assist beneficiaries in transitions throughout their own life.
CDMSI set of services is articulated into 4 areas:
o Guidance and orientation
o Living once own apprenticeship
o Looking for a job
o Adult education and continuous training
Users find at the CDMSI the opportunity:
o To meet experts in the fields of counseling, education and training counselors, employment, business creation.
o To participate in workshops, group information sessions, events and sign up for clubs to meet people who share the same professional issues you.
o To meet professionals from different industries.
Resources needed
Without considering initial investments needed for setting up the location (about 500.000 CHF), operational costs – including staff costs and charges to let the premises - are estimated in about 920.000 CHF per year.
Evidence of success
In the actual 10 months of opening, 4,459 people have benefited from one or more of the services offered (34% for individual consultations, 31% in meetings organized by partners, 24% in events and 11% for the multimedia documentation center and reception). Compared to the objective set (5,000 people in the first year of activity) and taking into account the exceptional situation related to COVID 19, the balance achieved is encouraging.
Potential for learning or transfer
The possibility of “modelling” the practice is actually witnessed by the Label and by the Charter. They were developed in a cooperative way, through the work done by the International Network, both through the constant development of the concepts at the basis of the Label and a permanent exchange of experiences (common projects, workshops, conference of directors, Spring School organised each year). The Charter of the “Cités des Métiers” is per se a clear model, totally independent from local policy frameworks, in which each Cité actually operates.
