PROJECT DESCRIPTION Record shown that about 75 million people lacked basic ICT, reading and writing skills making it hard to get a job and increasing their risk of poverty and social exclusion according to a European Commission Literacy Report. In recent years, ICT skills and competencies have come to be seen as crucial to the economic performance of industrialized nations as it is no longer defined merely in terms of a basic threshold of reading ability which everyone growing up in developed countries is expected to attain, rather, it's now equated with an individual’s ability to use written information to function in the society. Unlike their predecessors, people today need a higher level of ICT skills to function well, as the society becomes more complex and low-skill jobs are disappearing, inadequate levels of ICT skills therefore have serious implications not only in developing countries but also in developed ones. Bearing this in mind in line with European Union policy and drive to reduce lack of ICT skills and employability drives among disadvantaged young people ‘LCP’ was designed in collaboration with young people, trainers and youth representatives from participating countries. PROJECT BACKGROUND Functionally, a strategic partnership of disadvantaged young people of like minds on visualizing structural misalignment in ICT, employability skills and social enterprise drives and knowledge in participating countries decided to map out an action plan to address the issue, especially at the international levels involving trainers, youth workers etc who are agents of change and learning. This was realized in one of the project sessions with participating countries with a single purpose of revolutionizing the ICT, employability skills and social enterprise competencies among disadvantaged young people through ICT empowerment training courses to sustain and widen networks of participants; thereby boosting skills and employability drives; modernizing education, training and youth work in line with European Commission's key priority. ‘LCP in line with EU thematic priorities; of ICT improvement,employability skills and social enterprises drives and participation of disadvantaged learners, cultural diversity and inclusivity of people with fewer opportunities; coupled with annual priorities of inclusive growth, fight against marginalization of people of fewer opportunities encouraging them to participate effectively in the project life cycle achieved the following: PROJECT AIM: Encouraged disadvantaged young people, trainers, youth workers, project multipliers and youth representatives to connect, learn how to deliver empowerment and employability skills training using Information Communication Technology, social networking media processes, platforms etc. PROJECT OBJECTIVES Created opportunities to gain better understanding of the European and neighbouring countries dimension on ICT skills, social enterprises and employability problems Enhanced participant’s knowledge of other European and neighbouring countries' education systems and their provision of ICT, employability skills training and learning process Improved specific skills required to teach ICT, employability and social enterprise skills to young people, present and future trainers, youth workers, project multipliers and youth representatives Encouraged inter-cultural learning, ICT and employability skills acquisition through cultural mobility, encouraged innovation, creativity through new learning and education using Information Technology. Youth Involvement: Before Manchester meet, partners consulted participants in their respective organizations, during previous projects and decided on the project process and project theme (life cycle) Questionnaires/surveys of participants needs shown interests in ICT and employability and social enterprise skills acquisition. Venue: The Dalton Ellis Hall, Conyngham Rd, Manchester M14 5RL Workshop Date: 17/07 - 23/07/16 Type of Project: Informal/Non-formal Training and practical hands-on ICT skills acquisition Project Theme: ‘’Let us Connect Project’’: Using Information Communication,Technology as a tool for Sustainable Employability Drives among Disadvantaged Youths.’’ Target Participants: 35 excluded and disadvantaged young people, youth workers, leaders, trainers etc from UK, Serbia, Georgia, Lithuania, Egypt , Jordan and Spain. Roles and activities of each participating country are further detailed in the programme plan attached with this report.