WHAT WORKS
Since 2020 Turning Tables has worked with the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Danish International Development Agency DANIDA, PLAN Jordan and the Novo Nordic Foundation to strengthen 21st century skills and creative employability both on the instrumental professional level and on the social level of the lives of unemployed refugee and Jordanian youth in East Amman, Irbid and As-Salt. The programs strengthen the professional capacity, while providing individual empowerment through building self-esteem and social skills and collective empowerment through peer-to-peer learning and building professional and social networks. The data backed key findings from the creative employability programs are:
Turning Tables creative employability programs has provided credible proof of concept that in depth training in creative disciplines and project management/entrepreneurship combined with job training within the creative and NGO sector respectively increases the target groups professional and life skills and overall quality of life.
The programs have proven that there exists a demand for creative jobs within the target group as well as a demand within the creative industries and the NGO industry for integrating qualified youth into job training programs, online jobs and regular jobs.
The programs have further uncovered an unexpected demand of young women to access creative training and internship opportunities that can help address the massive deficiency in female labor market participation and digital illiteracy among women in Jordan.
Product-Based Approach
Turning Tables’ product-based approach is designed to strengthen networks and build bridges within and outside communities. Building and designing creative products together reduces distances between people and furthers creative problem solving that can be applied in all aspects of life.
The product based approach is the fulcrum of our education, advocacy and employability programmes, as all our interventions are focused on providing the youth with learning-by-doing experience of developing digital products. The aim is to capacitate youth to learn about various topics through creative critical thinking and processing. Thus they learn to express themselves through digital advocacy inducing creative problem solving, transversal skills and hard technical knowledge that increase employability, resilience and life-mastering.
Outreach capability - The Turntable Lab
Based on years of testing and experience from around the world, we have developed an efficient and operational innovative outreach concept called the Turntable Lab. The Lab consists of mobile creative production facilities build into shipping containers where an experienced local and international team of filmmakers, music producers and digital content designers work directly with youth inside local communities or refugee camps.
The Lab functions not only as a production facility, but also as a creative safe-space for youth to come together and learn, exercise and practice their skills, nurturing a safe environment for mutual understanding and common ground for all youth.
The Turntable lab was developed in partnership with the Danish Center for Maritime Architecture. The space for a sustainable and scaleable solution for youth has been refined and is now implemented by our CSR partner Arcgency Architecture Copenhagen.
Turning Tables' work and innovation through digital engagement was honored at the MIT Build Peace Conference in 2014 and 2017, the UN Social Goods Summit 2015, 2016 2023 and by winning the Social Innovation and Leadership Award at the World CSR Congress 2017 and 2023.
Watch the video: The Turntable Lab
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