This summer, Malmö University, in collaboration with the City of Malmö, is offering young people an internship program focused on social innovation and entrepreneurship. The internship is designed to give participating young people the tools to shape their own future and encourage them to pursue higher education.
"Young This Summer" is a Malmö City initiative designed to give young people in Malmö between the ages of 16 and 19 the opportunity to participate in internships during the summer and thus get a foot in the door of the workforce. This year, Malmö University, through the Malmö University and City of Malmö knowledge alliance Malmöungdomars väg till arbete genom högre utbildning (Muvah), is launching an internship program for young people in Malmö focused on social innovation and entrepreneurship as part of Ung i sommar.
“This initiative is fully in line with our goal of increasing the entry of Malmö’s young people into the labor market, encouraging more young people from underrepresented groups to pursue higher education, and improving understanding of the educational choices available to Malmö’s youth,” says Cecilia Christersson, Vice President, Malmö University.
The number of young people who are neither working nor studying is high in Malmö, both compared to the national average and to other metropolitan areas. The job market for people with low levels of education and those with a foreign background is weaker than in other parts of the country, and a lack of education has a more severe impact here than elsewhere.
“The low employment rate is a concern in Malmö and primarily affects people with low levels of education and those with immigrant backgrounds. At Malmö University, we’re working to broaden our recruitment efforts and encourage young people from non-academic backgrounds to pursue higher education. We hope this internship will empower them,” says Cecilia Christersson.
Working on solutions to societal challenges
Over the course of three weeks, the students—using challenge-based learning, a learning process in which students co-create their own learning and which aims to equip them with the tools to act as agents of change and build the capacity to face the unknown—selected a societal challenge and worked in groups to find a solution, which they then pitched. They have learned what social innovation and entrepreneurship are and how, through exploration and inquiry, they can identify a societal challenge and create and develop ideas for solutions to the challenge or problem. The internship program also included lectures, workshops, and field trips focusing on further studies, research, and educational programs at Malmö University, as well as topics such as daring to fail, dreams, and the art of self-presentation. The young people have had the opportunity to meet a range of people at Malmö University, including representatives from Forum for Social Innovation Sweden, Mau Innovation, Career Services, and Student Health, as well as individuals from the City of Malmö, Drivhuset, Möllans Basement, Level, and Minc.
“We hope that the young people will gain new perspectives and tools for their future studies and careers. We want to give them the opportunity to make their own well-informed decisions about their future,” says Gloria-Karin López, project manager at Forum for Social Innovation Sweden, who came up with the idea for the internship program and, together with Jenny Levhag, is project manager for the “Ung i sommar” initiative at Malmö University.
Wants to learn new things and meet new people
Fourteen young people from various neighborhoods in Malmö participated in Malmö University’s internship program this summer. Maya Kamla is 16 years old and recently moved to Malmö. This fall, Maya Kamla will begin the IB program at Borgarskolan.
“I wanted to learn something new, and since I just moved here from Kristianstad, I wanted to meet new people,” she says.
What have you learned during your internship?
– It’s been so inspiring, both the focus on social innovation and the journey itself.
During the internship program, her group has chosen to focus on the social challenge of youth unemployment.
“Our initiative is created by young people for young people and is designed to support their personal development and improve their prospects for the workforce. We’ll continue to work on this initiative,” says Maya Kamla.
When asked what she plans to do next, Maya Kamla says:
– I have big dreams and goals. I hope to be able to contribute my ideas, help others, solve problems, and bring about change at the societal level.
Students mentor the young people
Three students in the Upper Secondary School Teacher Education Program at Malmö University have been supervising the student teachers. Murtadha “Morti” Al-Kefagy has just earned her degree in upper secondary school teaching in English and religion and has been hired as a teacher at Kunskapsskolan and LBS Lund.
“Mentoring young people has been the most rewarding job I’ve ever had,” he says.
Henrietta Edlund and Mine Salihi agree, and they themselves have also learned a great deal.
“It’s been a very educational and inspiring experience. We can use the methods, processes, and exercises we’ve learned in our work as teachers. Teacher training programs should include certain exercises to strengthen collaboration skills and creativity,” they say.
When the young people pitch their ideas and projects at Malmö University’s innovation hub, Storm, it’s clear that their internship weeks have expanded their knowledge and experience. But above all, it’s the positive atmosphere and sense of camaraderie that stand out. Everyone has made new connections and friends, which is also essential for shaping the future.
Read more
Muvah: Helping Malmö Youth Find Work Through Higher Education
https://mau.se/samverkan/samverkan-och-externa-relationer/plattformar-natverk-och-projekt/muvah/
Forum for Social Innovation Sweden
Mau Innovation
https://storm.mau.se/mau-innovation/
Young This Summer
https://malmo.se/Om-Malmo-stad/Praktik-for-unga-och-vuxna/Ung-i-sommar.html