Beyond (un)employment Discovery Phase Report

Convening & Collaborating
With and For Cities
The stories and learnings of how five Impact
Hubs have convened cross-sector, collaborative
learning circles to grow knowledge and
communities of action around the unemployment
challenges in their cities.
October 2017

2
Contents
Introduction
Programme session outline
Discovery phase summary #1: Zagreb
Discovery phase summary #2: Yerevan
Discovery phase summary #3: Moscow
Discovery phase summary #4: Florence
Discovery phase summary #5: Birmingham
Discovery phase discussion
Common (un)employment themes
Key Observations on the programme approach
Concluding thoughts
A thank you note
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Beyond (un)employment Discovery Phase Report // 3
Introduction
This paper is a way of sharing the core
lessons of the ‘discovery phase’ of the
Impact Hub programme beyond (un)
employment supported by Robert Bosch
Stiftung (foundation).
This innovative programme has explored and critically
engaged with the reality of persistent local challenges in
relation to (un)employment. The lessons drawn fall into two
linked areas: firstly, key features of the local (un)employment
context; and secondly, findings relating to the distinctive
convening processes of this collective learning and solution
prototyping programme.
Through their convening the Impact Hubs have created safe
spacesfordiversecohortstoforgenewconnections,question
assumptions, engage in learning as a group around their
(un)employment challenge, and in doing so develop their
capacities to collaborate in the prototyping of interventions
to affect change.

4
INTRODUCTION: THIS REPORT
The programme has been carefully designed
to create innovative opportunities for shared
learning and discovery by a twenty strong cohort
in each Impact Hub, who each bring different
knowledge(s), skills and life experiences in
relation to (un)employment. The cohort’s
shared learning culture has been encouraged at
individual Impact Hub level, but also importantly
between the five Impact Hubs.
This paper is divided into four sections. This
first section introduces the programme and
approach undertaken. The following section
offers insights into the local unemployment
situation in the five participating cities.
The third section offers a discussion of common
themes identified by the five cohorts during
this phase of collective learning to help draw
out areas of knowledge exchange and future
collaboration.
The discussion section begins with common
aspects of (un)employment challenges, causes
and realities; and then moves on to highlight
common lessons and experiences relating to
the beyond (un)employment programme design
and approach. It is striking that despite their
distinctivelocalgeo-political,culturalandsocio-
economic contexts the cohorts have identified
so many areas of common ground relating to
both (un)employment challenges and possible
intervention points.
Finally, the fourth section details concluding
thoughts concerning the human centred design
and collective learning approach used in this
programme.
This approach helped reveal perspectives,
insights and latent assets, (internal and
external to the cohorts), that had previously
been overlooked or underdeveloped in efforts
to respond to (un)employment challenges.
Both the third and fourth sections highlight the
key role of the Impact Hubs in convening and
designing this collective learning and discovery
journey.
In the context of persistent and chronic unemployment across
large parts of Europe the programme has purposely used a more
systems thinking and human centred design approach to explore
(un)employment as a factor of social inclusion.

INTRODUCTION: THE COHORT & THE PROGRAMME
The cohort members were invited to engage in a
nine month journey (March-November 2017) of
collective learning, questioning and prototyping
a range of potential solutions in relation to local
(un)employment challenges.
Each Impact Hub selected their specific problem
focus area at the beginning of the programme,
using their judgement of the most pressing
unemployment challenge and the area with the
highest potential impact.
The Impact Hub focus areas include:
• understanding persistent and increasing
youth unemployment (Florence and Zagreb);
• the future economy of a regional city post
Brexit (Birmingham);
• the exclusion of over 50s from employment
options (Moscow); and
• the creation of alternative models of
employment and business (Florence).
The local themes are discussed in more detail
in each dedicated Impact Hub summary section
below (pages 10 to 35).
The beyond (un)employment programme is
divided into two parts - a discovery phase and
a solution phase - which comprise six or more
face to face cohort sessions in each phase.
See Table 1 below for the programme session
summaries.
This is the first of two papers written to share
learning generated within the programme. This
paper pulls together a summary of local cohort
findings from the discovery phase relating to
local (un)employment challenges, and also the
cohort experience of this innovative programme.
The second paper (to be published in January
2018), will outline the work undertaken in the
programme as part of the solutions prototyping
and testing phase (August-December 2017).
Please note the findings in this paper are
intended as just a summary of the cohort
findings and are largely drawn from the lessons
gathered by local facilitators.
Cohorts of twenty people with a diverse range of backgrounds and
experiences in relation to employment and unemployment (e.g
students, academics, social entrepreneurs and policy makers)
were recruited by each of the Impact Hubs.

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IMPACT HUBS INVOLVED IN BEYOND (UN)EMPLOYMENT
The programme has been delivered by
five Impact Hubs: Birmingham, Florence,
Moscow, Yerevan, and Zagreb.
Impact Hubs make up a global network of
people, places, and programs that inspire,
connect and catalyze impact. They build on
the believe that change requires collective
action. Part innovation lab, part business
incubator, and part community center, the
100+ Impact Hubs around the world offer
their collective 15,000+ members a unique
ecosystem of resources, inspiration, and
collaboration opportunities to grow impact.
The map below indicates the Impact Hub locations. If you would like more
detailed learnings from a specific location, Click the hub locations on the map
to visit their respective webpages. Impact Hubs all all Impact Hubs welcome the
chance to share and build on their learning.

The Programme: Session Outlines
All the sessions have been
designed to encourage exchange
of findings and experiences across
the Impact Hubs to help foster
cross border learning.
Similarly they have been
developed to help bring new
knowledge from previous
sessions, as well as pre-session
preparation into each new step in
this cohort journey of learning and
exploration.
Over the following pages, you can
see a summary of session themes,
goals, aims and core methods
used.
SESSION ONE
Perceptions of
(un)employment
Exploring viewpoints, rationale and
myths around UE in our countries.
Opportunity to challenge views and
take in new perspectives.
Session Aims:
Discovering and unpacking
different perceptions of
unemployment locally in relation
to each Impact Hub focus.
Working together as a cohort
to understand how and why
unemployment is framed in that
way.
Exploring and testing out new
frameworks that foster alternative
perceptions and understandings of
(un)employment.
Core Method Ingredients:
Open inquiry, reflective practice,
world cafe, open space
SESSION TWO
The views of the
(un)employed
Getting those affected by
unemployment to share their
stories and be part of the solution
process.
Session Aims:
To connect with and gain a
deeper understanding of the lived
experience of (un)employment (as
currently experienced, or living
with the risk of unemployment,
or previous experiences of
unemployment).
To identify the resonance or
disconnect between perceptions
and lived experiences
To identify key points of
interaction/ touch-points in the
reality of this lived experience
for people locally that might be
altered in future.
Deep dive into case studies,
reflective practice, systems
mapping, future gaze - group open
discussion

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THE PROGRAMME: SESSION OUTLINES
SESSION THREE
Past, Present & Future
of the Issue
Explore the historical, spatial,
geographical context of
unemployment issue. Understand
the present situation for supply
and demand of employment.
Investigate possible future
scenarios from across age, gender
and diverse stakeholders.
Session Aims:
Use of local / national data sets -
showing past and present situation
- to gain a deeper understanding of
key drivers, agents and structural
features that support, perpetuate
(un)employment.
Critical engagement with data
to explore temporal and spatial
trends and key variables.
Digging into data in groups,
academic mini-lectures & group
Q&A, group open discussion
SESSION FOUR
Success & Failures:
Learning Across Borders
Investigate best practices that
inspire from around the globe.
Present local initiatives that
have failed to deliver and explore
why. Create a list of factors that
contribute to best and worst cases
for insight and learning
Session Aims:
Use of selected local-global
innovative models/ projects that
have engaged both successfully
and less successfully in changing
local unemployment challenges to
critically explore lessons and take-
aways for future interventions.
Use of best and worst case
models/ projects to identify and
prioritise factors that interact with
challenges and opportunities for
employment initiatives for social
change.
Shared learning, field trip, critical
exploration of case studies of best
and worst case scenarios ure gaze
- group open discussion
SESSION FIVE
Civic Engagement
- Public, Private &
Personal Responsibility
Create an atmosphere of
accountability across stakeholders
where individuals recognize where
they can positively contribute to
change in their circles of influence
Session Aims:
Cohort exploration (drawing
from their diversity of roles and
experiences within the ecosystem)
of what it means - in private,
public and personal spheres - to
be an engaged citizen in relation
to challenges and opportunities for
local (un)employment for all.
Exploring and nurturing cohort
journeys of increased awareness,
empathy and action (and
movement building).
World cafe, field trip, open house
discussion, reflective practice

THE PROGRAMME: SESSION OUTLINES
SESSION SIX
Strategic Solutions Lab
Reflect on learning takeaways
from previous sessions. List
all related problems that are
contributing to the cause and
consequences of unemployment.
Match problems to solutions that
can be developed by the team
based on interest, abilities and
networks to set future direction
and specific agendas going
forward.
Session Aims:
Synthesise learning of previous
sessions both individually
(personal perceptions and actions
in life/ work/ organisational) and
collectively.
Identification of problems to
be targeted by the cohort to be
developed in the solutions stage.
Deep listen/ interview in pairs,
problem/ solution sets, workshops,
reflective practice
SESSIONS SEVEN
-TWELVE
Action Plans/Multiplying
Impact
Sessions 7-12 are the practical
solutions focused aspects of the
programme. Thus this is left
open for local groups to shape/
customise as they need.- group
open discussion
Note the Impact Hubs were free to tailor
these sessions to their particular context so
this is shared here as a general programme
skeleton only.

Summary
They are exploring this challenge in the
context of a doubling of unemployment figures
in Croatia between 2008 and 2014 (Croatian
Bureau of Statistics). Croatia features in the
top ten highest unemployment figures in the
European Union, and top five highest youth
unemployment figures (EUROSTAT).
Existing assessments of the situation have
pointed to a lack of relevant work experience
in the labour pool, with a large mismatch
between skills and demand, particularly in
relation to business and entrepreneurial skills
and aptitudes. There has also been concern
relating to an absence of entrepreneurial
culture and activity, as well as a ‘prolonged
youth phenomenon’ noted by observers. The
‘prolonged youth phenomenon’ is in part
explained by young people remaining in the
parental family home owing to an absence of
employment opportunities, longer periods in
higher education, and so a lack of fiscal capacity
to live independently.
A new educational approach and curricula is
currently in development to try to address youth
employment issues that have in part contributed
to push migration factors, with young people
leaving Croatia to find work elsewhere.
The Impact Hub have outlined a need to respond
to an absence of employment infrastructure
relating to youth work experience, mentoring,
and social innovation /enterprise training and
support. As part of this programme this cohort
have sought to develop a much deeper collective
understanding of youth unemployment with the
intention of prototyping solutions that help build
a tailored and connected ecosystem of support
infrastructure.
The aspiration is that the support infrastructure
will in turn help foster the skills, behaviours,
capabilities and connections needed for
pathways to employment. In addition, they see
this programme as an opportunity to explore
ways in which to increase the communication
and co-operation between education and
employment stakeholders to secure more
connected action, (for example in relation to the
mismatch between skills/ education and labour
market demand).
The Impact Hub Zagreb (Croatia) cohort sought to understand
through this discovery phase the key drivers, agents, processes
and experiences of rapidly growing youth unemployment in their
city and across Croatia.
The findings from the Zagreb
cohort learning journey are
outlined briefly on the next
few pages.

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Local Learnings
1. Labour market profile/ local context
There were two particular elements of the local (un)
employment context that were noted by this cohort. Firstly,
in reflecting on their focus area of youth unemployment
they felt a more expansive definition of ‘youth’ was needed
to better reflect the ‘prolonged youth phenomenon’ which
can be linked to the prioritisation of higher education in the
light of absence of alternative options for employment. The
impact of categorisation and definitions is common feature
across the Hubs and is explored in more detail in the full
paper discussion on page 36.
Secondly, the discovery phase helped the group identify
and better understand the relationship between the city’s
social and industrial legacy and current (un)employment
trends that are characterised by an ongoing decline in Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) and social mobility. In particular.
they highlight the impact of declining obsolete heavy
industries, a cultural shift to open up the labour market to
women in the 1960-80s, and the current context of highly
skilled workers forced to take on less skilled work.
2. Perspectives and experiences
The cohort paid particular attention to identifying the
many and varied factors affecting youth experiences of
unemployment ranging from gender, disabilities, health,
geography, and socio-economic status.
Their discovery phase helped them to better understand
the diversity of factors that can further negatively effect
experiences of unemployment beyond absence of job
availability and in doing so highlighted the complexity of this
challenge. The wide range of perspectives and experiences of
youth (un)employment is explored in contrast to much of the
profiling of this demographic in national media. They argue
perceptions of young people as not being active citizens is
promoted in the media creating further misinformation and
barriers to their engagement in the labour market.
In exploring the perspectives of young people who have
experienced, or continue to experience unemployment,
the group highlighted an absence of social capital, or
self efficacy that makes securing employment even more
difficult. The cohort argue these deficits manifest in a lack
of self-confidence, or absence of resilience in the face of
unsuccessful interviews. In related observations they note
that this demographic are often viewed as being largely risk
averse, and as such indicate a lack of appetite for riskier or
more entrepreneurial endeavours, with negative knock on
effects for employment secured through small enterprises
and social innovation.

LOCAL LEARNINGS
3. Support infrastructure and the future of work
Emerging out of this intensive discovery and learning phase
this cohort are focussed upon solutions and interventions
relating to the need for better quality, and more transparent,
support for vocational training, work experience and
mentoring. The existing (un)employment infrastructure is
undermined by negative experiences of public administration
that acts as a further barrier to successful employment.
While the absence of effective key agency stakeholder
communication and exchange of data has amplified counter-
productive siloed working.
When exploring positive and negative examples of projects
to learn from the group highlighted issues of structural
sustainability, noting concerns regarding the negative
impact of funding dependency and restrictive bureaucracy.
While in the successful examples they highlighted lessons
from the development of informal learning models and
meaningful models of partnership in the development of
pre-employment skills. Drawing upon their learning though
this discovery phase this group want to prioritise the role of
young people in shaping and informing their own future.

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Zagreb’s Journey
The research findings highlight how this group really value the deeper exchange
of ideas, knowledge and values afforded by the design and extended timescale
of the programme learning journey.
They also note the importance of the combined influence of the cohort resulting from
opportunities to work together that would otherwise not have been realised without
the programme helping forge those connections. Specifically, the Zagreb cohort have
been struck by the explicit overlaps in their respective areas of work/ interests, and
so recognise the previously untapped combined resources, energies and knowledge
they can now bring to bear by working in a more connected and collaborative way.
However, it should be noted that they feel this sense of possibility of affecting change
is more than a function of their pooled resources, but rather the collective capacity
born of shared values and motivations, and believing they can achieve so much more
together than if they were acting as individual stakeholders. Through the programme
the group have been able to forge a clear aspiration to work collectively to bring about
change in youth (un)employment.
While the extended and rare time to build connections and shared learning was valued,
the cohort flagged concerns that this can present practical barriers to inclusion in
this form of social change programme. They identified ways to overcome this barrier,
including suggestions around flexible childcare to enable this to be replicated or
extended to aid greater cohort inclusion.
Being exposed to real stories and the voices of those with different experiences of
(un)employment was instructive in galvanising the energies, commitment and more
empathetic approach of this group to their work. While the role of mapping the core
issues, connections and linkages concerning unemployment locally has proved really
useful to this cohort in their move towards solutions, enabling them to hold the bigger
(un)employment picture while also delving into more specific projects and points of
intervention.
For more detail about the Zagreb
beyond (un)employment journey
Impact Hub Zagreb beyond (un)employment:
https://zagreb.impacthub.net/beyond-
unemployment/
Beyond (un)employment Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/
beyondunemployment
Impact Hub Zagreb beyond (un)employment:

16
Summary
Armed with this deeper insight they have begun
to explore alternative models of employment.
They are investigating this (un)employment
challenge in Armenia’s distinctive geo-political
context as a young ex Soviet democracy, with
closed trade borders to the east and west with
Turkey and Azerbaijan restricting all land trade
routes to the north and south via Georgia and
Iran.
Armenia is a small (3 million), but highly literate
population (99% literacy rates), with high levels
of emigration (26.3%) since independence in
1991. Current high levels of unemployment (over
19%) and poverty (32%) are compounded by an
absence of employment support infrastructure
andtrainingsuchascareersadvice,employment
agencies, apprenticeships, or vocational
training. Despite this there is evidence of high
levels of entrepreneurial activity, and potential
support from a resource rich diaspora seeking
to enable change in their home country.
The findings from the Yerevan cohort learning
journey highlight the value revealed and
challengesfacedbythecohortinengaginginthis
collective learning journey. They also highlight
a clear mapping of the local context and related
macro challenges, as well as a deep dive into
the range of social and cultural factors that
shape experiences of unemployment locally.
Finally, the findings highlight defining features
and risks identified by the group in imagining
and designing alternative employment futures
for the citizens of Yerevan.
The Impact Hub Yerevan (Armenia) cohort sought to understand
and map factors and drivers that relate to the persistently high
levels of unemployment across Armenian society.

Local Learnings
The high literacy levels in Armenia coupled with limited
numbers of skilled jobs has resulted in highly qualified
citizens being forced to take low skilled work. The mismatch
between labour skills and industry needs is a core feature of
this unemployment picture mapped out by this cohort.
They also note the distinctive geo-political context and
historical legacy of this young ex Soviet democracy which
directly shapes trade routes and migration flows. Issues
of corruption, collapsing industry, inadequate governance,
protected monopolies, and failed growth strategies have all
negatively affected post independence industrial/ corporate
investment with knock on affects upon the health of the
labour market.
This situation is compounded by closed trade borders
with Turkey and Azerbaijan, infrastructure damage and
the negative socio-economic legacy of conflict and major
natural hazards. The group highlighted the (un)employment
related data gap and data reliability challenge that makes
developing informed policy decisions problematic. The group
note that this data deficit, (in terms of content, accessibility
and connectivity) is linked to siloed working by relevant
institutions, agencies and organisations.
The cohort explored a broad range of very different
experiences of (un)employment linked to how citizens are
perceived by employers and society depending on their
health, gender, and socio-economic status.
The group explored the cultural framing of the unemployed
from both a capabilities deficit and structural inequalities
perspective. For example, societal expectations in relation
to gender and class status were highlighted as important
factors in shaping experiences of unemployment. While
the negative family and community impact of high levels
of emigration was also explored by this group. This
offered a more sociological interrogation of the impact of
unemployment upon familial bonds and inter-personal
relationships as well as the loss of human capital.
They also explored the links between unemployment and
health and wellbeing more specifically in relation to poor
mental health, substance abuse and gambling. Interestingly
this cohort also framed experiences of (un)employment in
relation to expressions of citizenship manifest in civil protest.

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LOCAL LEARNINGS
3. Imagining and designing the future
It is striking that the cohort experience of the ‘future gaze’
exercise surfaced feelings that it was almost impossible
to imagine zero unemployment in Armenia. This indicates
that the high levels of unemployment are so normalised
and entrenched that they make designing alternative
employment free futures really difficult. This pervasive
‘psychology of unemployment’ is a central area of learning
for the group. They feel that unpacking, challenging and
changing this perspective may be one of their biggest
achievements in seeking to affect positive change in
relation to (un)employment in Yerevan. With this in mind it is
unsurprising that a more hopeful and positive employment
future was characterised by this cohort as offering improved
personal and collective civic pride, and a greater sense of
connection to the country. They also made clear that reduced
unemployment would require a future Yerevan with gender
equality and a higher quality of life for its’ citizens.
An inspiring field trip to Kalavan village (an eco-village that
enjoys full employment) has been central to the learning
journey for this cohort. Their on site enquiry into the key
elements of the recently transformed Armenian eco-village
and tourism destination allowed the group to consider
alternative community development and employment
models.
As well as the inspiration provided by Kalavan the cohort also
reflected upon the vulnerability of such alternative models in
terms of key individual or organisational dependancy. Their
mapping and thinking for the solution phase takes account
of these risks, but also the need for inspiring examples to
help overcome feelings of hopelessness (i.e. linked to the
‘psychology of unemployment’). [See link to Kalavan village
case study below].
The cohort have identified four areas to delve deeper into in
the solution prototyping phase including: mentoring, peer to
peer networking, resources and information, and a public
service/ media campaign.

Yerevan’s Journey
The programme was welcomed as an opportunity for a highly diverse cohort to
engage in a much deeper exchange of ideas than is ordinarily possible. The creating
of a trusted space and nurturing of cohort relations enabled ‘deep and honest’
sharing of personal experiences that again would not otherwise be possible and
helped build the connections across the cohort members.
The appetite for this discovery and learning journey to be followed by a solution
phase was so great that visiting speakers joined this cohort in their journey. This
exploration of different experiences was engaged in sensitively by the cohort who
feared any unintentional contribution to misinformation or false perceptions owing
to the language or discourse used through their programme activities. The system
mapping enabled the group to build a more holistic and inter-connected picture of
the wide range of factors that impact upon the reality of (un)employment in Yerevan.
Thecollectivelearningjourneyhasenabledthisgrouptodevelopasharedmission,and
build upon shared understandings of the challenges with a clear focus on what they
can achieve as a group with their combined resources and networks. The group did
acknowledge that the time commitment necessary to be part of this learning journey
was a challenge for cohort member. The cohort reflected that another challenge of
the discovery phase was trying to resist rushing towards solution building before the
full local (un)employment picture was established.
The cohort have stressed the value going forward of working with the insights gained
through this discovery phase as well as the benefit of their pooled assets and energies.
They also make clear the importance of approaching the solution phase with honesty
by working to their groups’ strengths so that they can develop an actionable solutions
package.
For more detail about the Yerevan
Impact Hub Yerevan beyond (un)
employment: https://yerevan.impacthub.
net/programs-and-events/beyond-
unemployment/
Impact Hub Yerevan Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/
impacthubyerevan/
Kalavan Village case study:
http://repatarmenia.org/en/engage/
inspiration/a/armenia%27s-kalavan-village-
a-community-development-model-for-others

Summary
The group engaged in a detailed exploration and mapping
of the skills and behaviours required by this demographic
to engage in current and future employment models. They
centred their conversations on the lifestyles of the over 50s
and how this group can find ways to support the citizens in
this demographic find the specific work that suits their needs
and aspirations. This was coupled with an open and honest
explorationofthedeepersocietalculturalnorms,(heldbythis
demographic, their families, employers, policy makers and
society more generally) that act to compound infrastructure
and policy barriers to engagement in employment for older
generations.The cohort explored this employment challenge
in a specific cultural and demographic context. A shifting
balance of Russian population to an anticipated 40 million
retirees by 2022 (i.e. 27% of the population), coupled with
the high (and growing) cost of living in Moscow, has meant
the quality of life for unemployed over 50s is a particularly
pressing concern in the capital. The main reason for those
seeking employment in this demographic is the need for
additional income, but also a sense of relevance and social
interaction. Internal migration and a high percentage of
younger skilled workers in Moscow amplifies the pressure
upon limited employment opportunities for this group of
older citizens.
The aim of the cohort is to enable representatives of this
demographic to feel part of the co-design of a future
where the over 50s have an important and respected role
in economic growth, innovation, research and civic society.
The hope is that the partnerships, learning and projects
that emerge from this programme will help in time to shift
negative and excluding societal perspectives of over 50s that
act as a barrier to engagement. They stress that core to this
shift will be a move to more empathetic and inclusive design
in possible solutions that take better account of the needs,
aspirations and potential of older generations. This cohort
have focussed upon identifying the necessary infrastructure
and training to help prepare and support older generations
into the work they want and need. In addition they are
interested in looking at the entrepreneurial potential of this
demographic and developing a specific business curriculum
for this group.
The findings from the Moscow cohort learning journey
highlight the value of mapping the big picture through
the programme as well as perhaps the unexpected depth
of connection across the cohort. The mapping explores
the distinctive demographic and cultural context of this
employment challenge as well as helping explore the range
of social infrastructure solutions. Their solutions focus upon
inter-generational relations and support exchange as well
as targeted myth busting communications to undermine
discriminatory and exclusive perceptions of the over 50s in
society and business.
The Impact Hub Moscow (Russia) cohort sought to better understand the barriers
to, and factors involved in fostering conditions for greater inclusion of the over 50s
population in employment.

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Local Learnings
The detailed mapping of the current landscape highlighted
the absence of state activity in this area and the ineffective
or unintended negative consequences of policies relating
to tax and pensions that creates further barriers for older
generations.
The current demographic of over 55s are described as part
of a transition generation from the more paternalistic and
formalised USSR context to modern day Russia. This has
socio-economic and cultural implications that they explain
make this transition generation ill equipped for Russia’s
current labour market.
This vulnerability needs to be accounted for and understood
in exploring solutions. The group explored the knowledge
and capabilities deficit experienced by this demographic
that compounds a private sector that prioritises a younger
recently qualified workforce.
The group did surface a sense of not having any capacity
or power to change state infrastructure that might impact
upon key factors, drivers and agents of change in relation to
this (un)employment challenge.
As part of their exploration of complex work needs and
aspirations of this growing population the group found it
useful to divide the demographic into:
• 45-55 (before retirement) - the group found that women
are more vulnerable when it comes to discrimination,
so understanding and addressing this was the focus of
learning for this group.
• 55-70 (during retirement) - the group found that this age
group are mostly looking for flexible working conditions
at this time.
• 70+ - the cohort found that for this target group the focus
isn’t work, but rather other forms of social involvement
that supports their health and wellbeing.

Through this deep and honest discovery of personal
experiences the group were able to unpack and challenge
broad assumptions regarding barriers to employment
for the over 50s. The group shaped their conversations
around seven key interconnected areas including: social
connections; employment; health; level of income and
quality of life; hobbies and free time activities; education
and personal development; and finally access to information
& opportunities. These conversations helped reveal the
precarious situation of (un)employment for many in this
demographic.
This vulnerability was framed in terms of citizenship and
unrealised rights. As a related point the group found this
demographic experience widespread discrimination which
manifestsinarangeofbarrierstoemployment.Underpinning
elements of this discrimination are traditional societal
expectations that the older generation should remain in the
community supporting domestic work such as child care.
LOCAL LEARNINGS
The group suggested there is a business sector cultural
norm that prioritises and values the youth labour market that
acts as a further barrier for older generations. Identifying,
understanding and challenging these cultural norms formed
part of this discovery journey. The group investigated the
valuable societal benefits of increased employment for over
50s in terms of inter-generational knowledge exchange and
stronger relations. Conversely, they highlighted the risk
of the impact upon communities of financial, health and
wellbeing vulnerability of the over 50s if these employment
barriers are not overcome.

24
LOCAL LEARNINGS & JOURNEY
3. Alternative support infrastructure and designing the
future
Recognising the value of stronger inter-generational
relations the group are exploring in their solution phase
opportunities for inter-generational support, knowledge/
skills exchange and connection. Specifically, possible
solutions that provide (un)employment system navigation via
sign-posting and knowledge/ or capabilities development.
They recognise as a result of this discovery phase that there
is a need to create welcoming hubs/spaces for sharing of
user-friendly information with regard to work, learning and
support opportunities including skills development.
The group feel that the cultural perception of this
demographic needs to be changed through challenging
stereotypes and false perceptions and are exploring this in
terms of communications. In addition they are looking at the
improved wellbeing of older generations through increased
opportunities for interesting social interactions within their
communities and across generations.
Thoughts on the programme approach
This group identified a wide range of factors that impact upon
experiences, aspirations and opportunities for employment
for over 50s in Moscow. Again this illustrates the value of the
learning journeys in recognising and mapping the complexity
of the challenges. The extended time necessary for this
detailed discovery phase was a challenge for the group,
but also created the space and time for strong connections
and understanding of cohort member motivations and
experiences that helped forge group relations.
For more detail about the Impact Hub Moscow beyond (un)
employment journey
Impact Hub Moscow:
http://www.impacthubmoscow.net/beyond-un-employment/

Discovery Phase Summary

26
Summary
The Impact Hub Florence (Italy) cohort sought to better
understand the challenge of persistent youth unemployment
across Italy (26.2% of 15-29 year olds), and specifically as
experienced by the young citizens of the Tuscany region.
They have undertaken a detailed discovery phase to better
understand the existing labour market challenges, driving
factors and the reality of youth unemployment experiences.
The cohort have sought to explore through this learning
journey what interventions and innovations of the existing
system might help Florence move towards an alternative
future labour market where the structural failings
that currently trap young people in cycles of long term
unemployment are disrupted.
They have critically engaged with the role of public
employment services, as well as alternative models of
employment support, and how they better reflect the sense
of identity and communication norms of their target youth
demographic (i.e. in terms of both technology and language
used by this group).
The Impact Hub is especially interested in the power of
more connected working between cohort members that
better reflects the inter-dependency of the different factors,
The Impact Hub Florence (Italy) cohort sought to better understand the challenge
of persistent youth unemployment across Italy (26.2% of 15-29 year olds), and
specifically as experienced by the young citizens of the Tuscany region.
drivers and agents in youth unemployment they are able to
influence. They recognised the opportunity made possible
through this programme to help build design and systems
thinking behaviours, knowledge and skills within the cohort
to enable this way of working to address complex social
challenges.
This cohort are seeking to identify and help foster better
pathways to employment through apprenticeships and
traineeships, but also importantly, through fostering
conditions where young people can inform, and be part of
the co-design of emerging future labour markets.
The Florence cohort were also interested in understanding
the role of spaces/ or platforms like the Impact Hub acting
as a connecting space, where public employment services
and young people can come together to co-design more
aligned education, training, orientation and guidance.
As part of this learning journey they are interested in the
role of collaborative spaces in nurturing alternative models
of business and employment where young people develop
professional networks and incubate new enterprises.

Local Learnings
The findings from the Florence learning journey highlight a real focus on developing cohort trust
and capacities for collaboration, as well as testing new skills concerned with design and systems
thinking. This detailed discovery phase refined the groups’ knowledge of the existing drivers
and core factors affecting youth unemployment while making sure these were informed by the
reality of young people’s experiences. The cohort have worked collectively to begin to design
interventions in the solutions phase that aid the alignment of labour supply and demand via: new
learning spaces and pathways to work; related school to work mechanisms; and the development
of a co-designed skill chain.
Data digging helped the cohort evidence and
reflect upon the causes of the rapid increase
in youth unemployment between 2004 and
2017 in both the 15-24 years and 25-34 years
categories. The data also illustrated a growing
skills mismatch and so a disconnect between
labour demand and supply.
Concerns were also raised by the group
concerning the absence of relevant work
experience in this target group. This led on
to questions concerning the knock on effect
of skills, capabilities and experience based
deficits within the future labour market. This
was discussed in the context of a growth in
emigration of young Italians travelling across
Europe in search of work.
The programme brought a diverse group
together that helped surface a wide range of
perspectives on the factors involved in youth (un)
employment. For example, the group discussed
a disconnect between youth work expectations
and the reality of the labour market. This was
discussed in relation to a parallel disconnect
between qualifications secured and work
availability.
These disconnects are compounded by negative
interactions with public administration that
creates further barrier to employment. This
was identified as an experience that has the
potential to be designed differently for more
positive outcomes.

28
LOCAL LEARNINGS
3. Alternative support infrastructure and designing the
future
The group tested out a range of ideas around how to create
opportunities for young people to be involved in shaping of
new infrastructure, relationships and processes determining
the labour market.
There was a recognition that any future labour market will
likely have different qualities such as increased mobility and
flexibility, with precarity of work increasingly normalised.
The skills, capabilities and support needed to respond to
this new context were discussed by this cohort.
The programme design and facilitation encouraged the
cohort to think creatively about these challenges, and re-
frame their usual approaches to (un)employment. For
example, the group are experimenting with alternative
learning spaces and pathways. They are exploring the
possibility of a skill chain that would help young people sum
up in work compatible language the value of their range of
experiences and skills.
As part of the move to the solutions phase the group are
exploring prototypes where the use of technology to develop
a skills block chain mechanism would demand shared
infrastructure, close collaboration of stakeholders and
agreement on a common taxonomy of skills.
In a parallel experimentation they are exploring potential
projects for the solution phase that would help develop
alternative ‘school to work’ mechanisms. Both of these
projects are part of a broader effort by this group to explore
and design interventions that aid the alignment of labour
supply and demand in Florence. Through their initial
hacking of this local (un)employment challenge they have
looked at the role of the employment centre, businesses and
technology.

Florence’s Journey
This learning journey has prioritised the building of trust
and collaboration within the group which helped them share
more intimately, as well as identifying and valuing new ways
of working together. They stressed how much they valued
the strength born of working together on this complex
challenge.
The open and expansive engagement with the issue
resisted reductive definitions and framing of who should be
categorised as part of their youth focus, or what employment
might look like in future. Their enquiry considered current
and future youth challenges, as well as those who are under-
employed, or not in their job of choice. As well as alternative
categorisations of the focus and nature of employment, this
group also thought creatively about the alternative tools (at
a range of scales and sectors), and working practices that
would be needed in future labour markets to help respond
to this challenge.
This learning and discovery journey has involved in-depth
and big picture mapping that has helped the cohort to
identify inter-connectivity, overlaps and possible points of
intervention.Forexample,theyhaveexploredboththeagency
of, and impact upon, the environment, neighbourhoods,
and families in relation to existing and future models of
employment.
For more detail about the Impact Hub Florence
Impact Hub Florence beyond (un)employment. Programme introduction:
https://florence.impacthub.net/2017/04/03/beyond-unemployment/
Beyond (un)employment blogs:
https://florence.impacthub.net/2017/05/08/beyond-unemployment-giovani-lavoro/
https://florence.impacthub.net/2017/06/16/beyond-unemployment-giugno/

Summary
Through this discovery phase the cohort have explored the
loss of EU job mobility, Birmingham’s regional-city context,
and broader narratives and perceptions of (un)employment.
The cohort are exploring these issues in the context of
persistently high unemployment in Birmingham (three times
the UK national average); higher than average working age
population with no qualifications (double the UK national
average);andpocketsofseveredeprivationwithinthecitythat
have been compounded by nearly a decade of government
austerity. Birmingham has a distinctive governance and
political context - as the largest local authority in the
country, that also forms a core part of the recently devolved
West Midlands Combined Authority (2017) - that results in a
unique mix of responsibilities, challenges and budgets.
Further, the social, cultural and economic implications and
potential of a post Brexit economy warrant particular focus
in a city with the youngest and most diverse working age
population in the UK (40% of working age individuals are
from BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) backgrounds).
The Impact Hub Birmingham (UK) cohort seek to better understand how leaving
the European Union (EU) will affect the future workforce of their regional city.
The Birmingham cohort highlighted the importance of
the collaborative learning process, where alternative
perspectives, concepts, and values in relation to work have
made clear the need for a more expansive, and empathetic
approach to an aspiration for zero unemployment.
This collective learning journey has enabled the group
to question, imagine and gain a deeper understanding
of the challenges, processes, and drivers that shape (un)
employment in Birmingham. This discovery phase has been
heavily informed by, and indeed challenged by, gaining
insights into the reality of employment and unemployment
from a broad range of citizens. The cohort findings are
summarised in the following pages.

32
Local Learnings
The data digging by this cohort highlighted key trends
relating to local (un)employment including: a reduction in
those taking retirement; a drop in public sector employment
(in the context of fiscal austerity and redundancies across
the public sector); higher unemployment in Birmingham
than the rest of the West Midlands region with a picture of
extremely low average wages, a skills supply and demand
mismatch driving internal migration, and an absence of
growth in Gross Value Added (GVA) since 1997 indicating
poor productivity. The data also illustrated a marked spatial
unevenness in the socio-economic profile of the city with
particular concentrations of high unemployment and poverty
in east Birmingham.
The group critically explored this profile exploring relations
between areas of the city with severe deprivation, high
unemployment, low wages and poor health (indicated by
lower life expectancy).
Barriers to employment were identified around access and
representation. The group noted uneven access to training
and qualifications, networks, and personal development
opportunities. The group also stressed the absence of
representation (i.e. role models) for members of some
communities meaning that job opportunities and careers
outside cultural, familial, or community expectations are not
known, valued, or even possible for some.
The group explored toxic narratives around unemployment,
immigration and social benefit claimants that have been
pervasive in UK media and parts of UK society in the
context of Brexit. However, their data digging indicated that
current figures show less than 50% of those eligible for
unemployment support claimed that support.
This led to the cohort exploring barriers to accessing
support (including misinformation, negative interactions
with the relevant agencies and processes, as well as
feelings of shame compounded by xenophobic narratives).
Furthermore, the implication of the potential loss of the
economic contribution from EU citizens (via skills, labour,
businesses, or supply chains) was explored in terms of an
economy characterised by uncertainty.

LOCAL LEARNINGS
From the beginning of their learning journey the cohort
encountered a broad range of perspectives and recognised
the powerful impact of cultural signifiers such as language,
categorisation (labels), and conversational norms around
work and employment. This was particularly explicit in
relation to Brexit with rhetoric around race, migration and
unemployment prominent throughout.
The group reflected upon ideas and values relating to ‘what
is valuable work?’ by exploring a range of formal AND
informal expressions of work, volunteering, learning, and
care. This surfaced ideas in relation to different spaces
of work and unemployment for example: domestic, civic,
community, public, the job centre, and private businesses;
and also different temporal factors in relation to work for
example: the gig economy, retirement, redundancy, part-
time, occasional, job for life and shift work.
The cohort highlighted the networked impact of (un)
employment upon familial and community relations
stressing how this programme explores unemployment in a
highly interconnected and social framing.
The intimate sharing of experiences around the impact of
unemployment and unhappy employment helped surface
important links to housing, transport, mental and physical
health, wellbeing, familial relations, cultural norms and
expectations, immigration, gender, age, race and citizenship.
Approaching employment from a deeply human perspective
in this way helped in drawing a much broader and systems
based understanding of the role of work and employment in
our society. A lite systems analysis highlighted structural
inequalities in the city/ region that compound, or directly
cause social injustice in relation to (un)employment.The
nature and impact of some existing responses to these
inequalities such as, trade unionism, social infrastructure
(e.g. the NHS or unemployment support), universal basic
income campaigns, and anti-austerity protests have
been considered in terms of a future where there is zero
unemployment in the city.
The link between (un)employment and our multiple identities
has been explored carefully and thoughtfully by this
cohort. This has raised multiple questions in terms of: the
legacy of empire and colonialism; immigrant experiences
of Birmingham; Black, asian and minority ethnic British
citizens’ sense of belonging in a post Brexit UK; attitudes to
and experiences of: retired citizens, carers, those suffering
from poor mental or physical health; as well as highlighting
concerns relating to inter-generational (dis)connections,
and cultural exchange or isolation. The context of Brexit
has forced a greater interrogation of the complex and
different anxieties of the British citizenry in relation to their
individual and collective identities and sense of belonging.
Understanding these links in relation to (un)employment has
helped inform their development of possible interventions.

34
LOCAL LEARNINGS
3. Designing the future economy of zero unemployment
In seeking to design interventions to work towards a city of
zero unemployment this cohort have challenged themselves
to consider what is needed for a future regional economy
characterised by hope, creativity, and the ability for all to
live a good life.
The group have resisted their instinct to rush to solutions,
and instead used this discovery journey to develop new ways
of working that help them think critically about the links
between individual project solutions and the wider systems
picture. These will also aid collaboration going forward to
help release previously untapped assets, networks and
insights; and draw upon their learning from examples
of interventions that are designed around principles of
empathy, trust, embracing of ongoing experimentation, and
pathways to sustainability. The role of data visualisation and
systems mapping continues to be really useful for this group
in self-organising around topics of interest and identifying
priority areas of intervention.

Birmingham’s Journey
Throughout this first phase of discovery the Impact Hub
facilitators have prioritised the nurturing of conditions for
collaborative learning (for example through the design of
spaces, exercises, interactions, experiences, or invitations
to engage). These conditions have been central to forging
trusting relations across the cohort so that they feel
comfortable sharing personal experiences, values and
ideas. As a consequence the cohort have stressed the value
they now place upon co-creating knowledges, the collective
intelligence they share relating to local (un)employment
issues, as well as celebrating the potential of collaborations
and sharing of resources and assets.
The group used a range of methods to explore a future of zero
unemployment. For example, data visualisation, project field
trips, and film viewing all introduced very different spaces,
framing narratives, and provocations that helped the group
approach their challenge in ways that were often unfamiliar
and challenging for them. Further, the focus upon developing
new skills and capabilities relating to design approaches
and systems thinking, were gently introduced via sessions
that included active listening, reflective practice, systems
mapping, and critical enquiry or research skills.
For more detail about the Birmingham beyond (un)employment journey
https://birmingham.impacthub.net/mission/beyond-unemployment/

36
Discovery Phase Discussion
Despite the very different local geo-political and socio-
economic contexts the analysis of facilitator feedback
shows there are considerable areas of overlap in their
respective (un)employment challenges and lessons
learnt from previous interventions.
Further, the following discussion outlines common
programme specific themes in terms of: the important
practice of convening undertaken by the Impact Hubs;
as well as the value of a more human centred design
approach to discovery used in this programme that
engages systems thinking, empathy and collective
learning.

Common (un)employment themes
Through the analysis we can see three key routes of enquiry
broadly divided into people space and time.
Firstly,thepeoplerouteofenquiryhelpedthegroupunderstand
theimpactof(un)employmentfromanindividualperspectivevia
the reality and intimacy of the experiences of (un)employment
of both cohort and non-cohort members.
The second route of enquiry helped explore the multiplespatial
factors influencing (un)employment challenges. This route
of enquiry explored the hyper-local specific unemployment
challenges; the role of internal and regional migration; as well
as globalised geo-political and economic factors (such as trade
routes).
The third route of enquiry considered the role of time in
factors affecting (un)employment. All the cohorts drew on ‘the
long view’ by situating their current unemployment challenge
within an historical context, alive to the legacy of the near and
distant past and its’ capacity to shape both the present and
future (e.g. legacies of the British Empire, USSR and European
Union). Similarly, exercises in imagining alternative futures
gave the analysis an aspirational forward motion, whilst also
recognising the time it takes to shift societal perceptions of
work, the nature of work, and who should be working/ and in
what capacity.
Via these multiple routes of enquiry the cohorts were able
to reveal the complex relations between different aspects of
(un)employment and the wider social, cultural and economic
context. This exploration of connectivity of different factors
that influence the unemployment reality locally made clear the
need to understand the wider system in order to create positive
interventions without unintended negative consequences.
Connected factors raised included education and employment
with cohorts stressing a mismatch between labour supply and
demand. This connection was in turn linked to migratory push/
pull factors, skills/ experience deficits, as well as unrealised
assets/ skills and under-employment. As well as this obvious
skills and education link, the cohorts also looked more broadly
at the interactions between housing, transport, health and (un)
employment.
While the negative networked impact of (un)employment
across families and communities (both in close proximity, but
also via global diasporas and migratory forces) was a common
finding. Through this line of enquiry the cohorts explored (un)
employment interventions concerning the connections with
inter-generational relations and knowledge exchange.
Complexity of challenges unpacked using different routes of enquiry
All five cohorts engaged in the discovery and learning about their challenge
through multiple vantage points or routes of enquiry that helped them unpack the
complexity of factors affecting (un)employment.

38
COMMON (UN)EMPLOYMENT THEMES
Citizenship and identity
A number of the cohorts framed the experiences and impact
of (un)employment within notions of citizenship, for example,
in terms of rights for state support, personal responsibility,
and civil protests in relation to labour and welfare rights
(e.g. universal basic income).
All the cohorts surfaced a wide range of perspectives and
experiences of (un)employment and gained insight into how
they in turn relate to our multiple identities (for example, as
citizens of a particular nation state, or as immigrants, or as
children/grandchildren of immigrants, or as a retiree, or as
a young person). This link was evident where the absence
of positive representation of role models from different
communities was highlighted as a distinct barrier to
training and employment in roles that lie outside of cultural
expectations.
While in some national contexts the experience of chronic
and persistent unemployment has made imagining an
alternative future almost impossible, highlighting how
persistent complex social challenges can scar our public
consciousness and imagination. In one case this was
explored in terms of national identity and sense of belonging.
Understanding these identities and how they interact with
experiences, or life opportunities relating to (un)employment
will help the cohort better design possible solutions to local
(un)employment challenges.
Language and narratives
The agency of language and narratives became apparent
throughthislearningjourney.Forexample,allthefacilitators
stressed the power of story-telling in enabling their cohorts
to access and empathise with alternative narratives and
perspectives concerning (un)employment.
In contrast, a number of the cohorts explored the role
of language, definitions and categorisations within (un)
employment that can be inflexible, pejorative and excluding.
Further, these cohorts also noted the use of common
narratives that animate negative cultural framing of citizens
in relation to their (un)employment status with assumptions
made about their capabilities and attitudes according to
their age, their socio-economic status, their ethnicity, their
nationality, and their gender.
The inter-play of these narratives and structural inequalities
in relation to (un)employment was explored through this
learning journey.

COMMON (UN)EMPLOYMENT THEMES
Infrastructure experiences and deficits
Formostofthecohortstherewasacommonconcernrelating
to ineffective, counter-productive, or even toxic experiences
with (un)employment agencies / state infrastructure.
A number of the cohorts have focussed on prototyping
alternative infrastructure experiences, (including innovative
linkages between education, training, work experience, soft
skill development, networks and fiscal support).
The cohorts also noted the common disconnect, or siloed
activities by different organisations (public, civic and private),
which they identified as being compounded by: lack of trust,
examples of corruption, risk averse organisational cultures,
key person over-reliance, extensive bureaucracy, and areas
of data/ knowledge gaps or data inaccessibility.
This highly flawed organisational/ civic infrastructure makes
more connected policy planning highly problematic, and
commonly results in siloed interventions with unintended
consequences.
(Un)employment, health and wellbeing
The cohorts all discussed the negative relationship between
(un)employment and ill health (both physical and mental).
Issuesofselfconfidence,senseofidentify,senseofbelonging,
and self efficacy are all highlighted as being detrimentally
affected by the day to day reality of unemployment.
Risk of ‘lost generations’
The pervasive and accelerating unemployment levels in
certain demographics across Europe raises the prospect of
the loss of the potential of large parts of generations. The
risk of ‘lost generations’ is stressed by the cohorts who
argue we are not creating the opportunities and pathways
to opportunities that will help citizens unlock their skills and
capabilities to live happy and good lives that contribute in a
range of ways to their communities.

40
Key Observations on the
programme approach
The careful design of the invitation, experiences and
spaces for building of a collective knowledge and wider
set of capabilities is central to the success of exploring
these complex local (un)employment challenges together
as a cohort. In the second phase of the programme this
design approach will be used by the Impact Hubs to support
experimentation and innovation for alternative ‘solutions’/
interventions grounded in: the insights and capabilities
built in the discovery phase; as well as the cohort energies
and trust nurtured during this phase to make collaboration
possible; and also the freedom/ confidence (again built up
through the programme) to think creatively beyond the usual
organisational norms, structures and ways of working.
The analysis highlights how much the cohorts have valued
such a rare opportunity to come together as a diverse
group to engage in a more intimate, extended and creative
discovery phase, that allows for a deeper exchange of ideas,
values, experiences. The resulting trust and comfort from
this convening by Impact Hubs has forged stronger relations
across the cohort members and created fruitful conditions
for collaborations. These collaborations and connections in
turnhavenurturedasenseofhopefulnessandabeliefintheir
collective power to affect change that was otherwise absent
in their capacity as individual stakeholders. The groups now
share a common and more complex understanding of their
local (un)employment challenge in addition to understanding
each other’s interests and capacities which sets them up to
worktogethermoreeffectivelyastheymoveintothesolutions
phase. Through these stronger ties and understanding they
are now able to more meaningfully share data/ resources
and make better use of their collective spheres of influence.
Through coming together the cohorts have gained new
knowledge in relation to key drivers and interdependencies
affecting (un)employment locally and globally. They now hold
more nuanced insights and understanding of alternative and
challenging perspectives in relation to (un)employment that
allows them to more thoughtfully participate in prototyping
possible interventions that better reflect the complexity of
the challenge. The programme has not just helped share
and reveal knowledge, but also purposefully helped develop
capabilities and skills in relation to critical enquiry, systems
mapping and thinking, and design approaches to complex
challenges that include cycles of discovery, prototyping and
testing.
A design approach to convening and collaborative learning
The role of the Impact Hubs as platforms convening collaborative learning and
change making is a distinctive feature of this programme.

A flexible approach to the programme facilitation meant
responding to the energies, needs, and circumstance of
the local cohort and the specificity of their (un)employment
challenge. This involved the facilitators tailoring their local
session programmes accordingly. For example, some
Impact Hubs facilitated conceptual discussions of what
constitutes work and the nature of good work in order to
entirely reframe and unpack notions of (un)employment.
This more open discovery and learning approach helped
consideration of alternative solutions (e.g new economic
models that separate labour and money).
All the cohorts struggled with the time commitment
demanded by the programme which includes preparation
time, session time and follow-up/feedback time. Finding
ways to support this considerable time commitment for
the cohorts might help any programme model transfer
(e.g. consideration of child-care provision). That said the
extended time commitment did help create the conditions to
build deeper connections and trust within the cohorts over a
relatively short, but intensive period. This enabled the groups
to benefit from the programme momentum that helps them
to move from deep enquiry to prototyping possible solutions.
KEY OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROGRAMME APPROACH
Some knowledge exchange lessons
The Impact Hubs have worked to exchange insights and
experiences across the different cohorts through videos,
blogs and facilitator summary notes. However, given the
complexityoftheissuesengagedwiththerewasafeelingthat
there needs to be a greater introduction to the local context
to help enable a more meaningful knowledge exchange. Also
in relation to knowledge exchange the Impact Hubs intend
to ensure that the beyond (un)employment programme
insights are strategically introduced to wider debates and
action.

42
Concluding thoughts
It is worth stressing in this concluding note the emotional
reassurance the cohorts gained from recognising the
commonality of both challenges faced and potential
interventions being developed across highly diverse
contexts. This sense of ‘not being alone’ helped erode
feelings of isolation that can otherwise be toxic for innovation
and aspirations for change. There are a number of core
ingredients in this part learning journey/ part solutions lab
programme that have been introduced over the course of
the discussion above that can be usefully highlighted here.
Firstly, the programme draws on design and systems
thinking that has encouraged and enabled the cohort
members to explore (un)employment in a more holistic
way. This approach acknowledges the complexity and
interdependency of multiple dynamic variables affecting
(un)employment. Through this acknowledgement of
complexity the programme has sought to explore ways
to avoid siloed interventions that can have unintended or
negative consequences. Instead, beyond (un)employment
foregrounds collective learning, knowledge exchange and
collaboration across range of scales and contexts. With
this in mind the bringing together of such a diverse range
of cohort members for an extended and intimate learning
journey has been key.
In addition, the programme has taken a more human
centred approach that has involved prioritising techniques
that help the cohort to use a more empathetic line of enquiry
that enables deeper insights into multiple perspectives on
(un)employment. In this way it is hoped that the groups are
better able to design possible interventions that respond to
the reality of citizen needs and aspirations.
While this first phase has prioritised discovery and cohort
relationships, it has done this with a clear view of what it
takes to move towards an action and solution focus in the
second phase. With this in mind it has been designed to help
foster the skills, capabilities and conditions for collaboration.
In this way the programme seeks to build a legacy that
strengthens civic involvement in employment issues as a
factor of social inclusion.

A thank you note
Thank you to Anne Merkle (Impact Hub Global) and Dan
Zastawny (Impact Hub Birmingham) for helping me rapidly
navigate the programme, and for allowing me the freedom
to dig into the discovery phase findings from facilitators in a
way that lets us reflect upon the distinctive ways of working
in this programme.
- Johanne Orchard-Webb, Research Reporter
TotheRobertBoschStiftung,especiallyMarikaBaur,Markus
Lux and Natalie Ferber, who went with us on a journey to
explore new ways of tackling the challenge of unemployment
in Europe.Combining our believe for bottom up change and
community empowerment, we jointly designed this program
to be locally meaningful while ensuring knowledge exchange
across countries. Thank you for sharing from your rich pool
of experience and for being courageous and visionary.
To the beyond (un)employment Impact Hubs, who were
100% committed from day 1 to create impact on the local
unemployment challenges together. You shaped this
program into a deep learning journey for the participants
and made every minute they invested matter. You are
holding the space for honest sharing and bold steps towards
life changing solutions. Thank you for taking ownership and
investing your time, energy and passion into this program.“
- Anne Merkle, Programme Manager, Impact Hub Company
The Robert Bosch Stiftung is one of the major
German foundations associated with a private
company and has managed the philanthropic
bequest of company founder Robert Bosch for
over 50 years. Indeed it was his entrepreneurial
vision, political farsightedness, moral fortitude and
charitable initiatives that set the standards for the
work of the Robert Bosch Stiftung.
The Foundation is divided into areas to support
and operate its aid program. In order to pursue
the Foundation’s objectives, it promotes external
projects and initiates its own projects for
developing and running programs. Within the
foundation 200 employees manage an average of
about 800 internal and external projects a year.
The Robert Bosch Stiftung has its headquarters in
Stuttgart and an office in Berlin.
The Robert Bosch Stiftung
is active in five areas:
1. Health
2. Science
3. Society
4. Education
5. International Relations
The focus areas on
current social challenges
are:
• Migration, integration,
and inclusion
• Social Cohesion in
Germany and Europe
• Sustainable living
spaces

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