We want to carry out this project both for valorising the partner organizations’ complementary expertise and for meeting common needs and challenges arisen from their strategic documents. The main problem we address is one of the biggest problems at EU and global level - the increasing unemployment rate among youth - particularly the increasing trend in NEETs percentage at EU level combined with a dull forecast according to “50% of occupations today will no longer exist in 2025”. One of the possible solutions (taken into account more and more by EU decision makers) is empowering and promoting entrepreneurship among young people. Particularly, social entrepreneurship (also a “hot” point on EU and global political agenda) that could support young NEETs in finding a job, creating jobs for others and contribute to the sustainable development of their communities.

So the overall objective is to contribute, at the level of partners’ countries, to increasing employability and social inclusion of young persons from vulnerable groups - particularly NEETs with a higher risk of social exclusion (as ethnic/religious minorities, youngsters from migrant/single parent/with low level of income families, living in isolated rural areas etc.)

Specific objectives:

1 To equip 24 youth workers from 8 EU countries with the knowledge/information in social economy issues also with competences and basic&transversal skills (such as entrepreneurship, digital skills and multilingualism, decision making, creativity and innovation, communication, interpersonal and self-related skills etc.) that will increase the quality of their work with youth - particularly in increasing employability and social inclusion of NEETS with a higher risk of marginalization.

In this respect we will organize a training course for 24 youth workers - 3 from each partner organization. After the 9 days ( - 2018) training course participants will:

- share information and experiences about NEETs’ situation in each partner’s country

- gain basic information about social economy/entrepreneurship/business and the values that underpin this type of enterprise

- have a clear idea on how to start a social business - with a clear focus on their values and practice in a youth work context, particularly in supporting NEETs to change their status on labour market

- be able to draw - using “business model canvas” a real plan for a social business aiming to support NEETs to change their status on labour market

- draw a plan for a non-formal education activity focused on support NEETs in developing a social business and be prepared to present it in a training that they will held in their organizations/communities after their return -

Participants will develop, in 4 working groups, 4 plans for a non-formal education activity focused on support NEETs in developing a social business, then the working groups will test the activities on 4 groups of young persons (each group of about 10 members from which about 50% will be NEETs)

2. to develop - at the level of 56 youngsters with fewer opportunities + 8 leaders - basic and transversal skills (such as critical thinking and sense of initiative/entrepreneurship, digital skills and multilingualism, decision making, creativity and innovation, communication, interpersonal and self-related skills etc.) necessary for improving their status on the labour market and their social inclusion.

In this respect we will develop a Youth Exchange that will gather 7 participants + 1 leader (NEETs or in risk to become NEET) from each partner organization

As a result of working and living together in not only a multinational but also multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multicultural environment for 9 days - 07 - - participants will gain:

- improved knowledge about other partners’ countries, increased capacity to identify the identity of each nation represented by the participants

- increased awareness on the unity in the European multinational diversity

- better awareness of the European project and EU values, increased awareness on issues related to promoting diversity, intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, common values of freedom, tolerance and respect of human rights

Creative activities focused on create artistic objects from recycled materials, stimulation games, role plays and all peer-to-peer education instruments will increase participants’ knowledge about how social economy could support NEETs to change their status on labour market, develop their critical thinking and sense of initiative, entrepreneurial capacities, artistic skills, self-empowerment and self-esteem.

Both activities will take place in Nicolae Balcescu village, accommodation and almost all meals will be at “Motel Topologu”

 Education and Training

 Youth Workers