The project ‘Empowering unemployed youngsters’ is aimed at the social inclusion and well­being of unemployed young people. Youth unemployment is a big problem in Europe and around the globe. Long­term unemployment for youngsters is causing financial and social difficulties. These difficulties can lead to an even more problematic entry into the job market.

The main goal of the project is to give youngsters perspective about their current unemployed situation and give them tools to make the best of that situation, socially as well as financially. By sharing new viewpoints on owning goods, spending money, making money (entrepreneurship), sharing goods and services (the sharing economy), youngsters will be better able to cope with and get the most out of their financial situation. By connecting to other people and together developing new ideas, youngster remain socially active.The overall objective of the project is to increase positivity and social activity with youngsters; both essential ingredients for finding a job.

The project aims to educate and train 25 participants from mostly countries with a high youth unemployment rate; Spain, Italy, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, The Netherlands.

Age of the participants ranges from 20 to 28.

The training week will take place in Spain, with a 6­day duration.

The participants should meet the following criteria:

  • Good english language skills
  • Experience with unemployment or affinity with the topic
  • Genuine interest or willingness to learn about the sharing economy, entrepreneurship and social activation
  • Interest in learning and discussing topics using training games
  • Possession of a smartphone (Android or Iphone)
  • Organisational skills
  • Commitment to initiate or implement trainings for unemployed in own community
  • Dedication to empower unemployed youth

The training goals are as following:

  • Educate about the reasons and effects of youth unemployment
  • Demonstrate effective and engaging training tools, like interactive training games
  • Become familiar with the sharing economy
  • Teach basic entrepreneurial skills
  • Teach about social activation
  • Teach participants to educate unemployed youth in their own community
  • Give insights in using new digital tools (for the sharing economy, entrepreneurship and social activation)

The training course will use a wide variety of working methods to ensure the best possible learning outcome for all participants. The focus will be on active participation throughout the training course. Experts and trainers will serve more as facilitators than as educators in one­ way communication. During the course many smartphone and online applications will be used and discussed. One of the pillars of the training course is usage of interactive professional training games; it is very important that participants have fun while learning. The project will be successful when participants exchange and learn new ideas and implement these ideas in their own community.

Lectures from experts will be combined with different forms of group work (workshops / discussions / brain storming / training games). Each day has a long and packed program and to keep energy levels high the program will provide daily variety in the way topics are presented and discussed, combined with outdoor activities and different energisers. The facilitators will have a range of different methods to choose from, but the group of participants will also have a say in what works for the group.

Participants will take with them what they have learned and will be able to build upon this knowledge when planning new activities. Participants are stimulated to become more involved in their sending organisation and actively participate in the planning of new projects. They are also stimulated to spread their skills and knowledge of the Erasmus+ program in other ways.

After the training the participants should be able to:

  • Know more about the causes and effects of youth unemployment
  • Become (more) active in their NGO
  • Have a better understanding of the sharing economy and social activation..
  • Be effective as basic entrepreneurs
  • Utilize their new international contacts
  • Create new ideas for innovative projects

Part of the wording and structure of this project has been based on the results gained from previous EIDP Youth in Action projects. The format of the training course is such that the overall idea can easily be replicated in other communities with other promoters and participants. It will be possible for all promoters in this project to use the idea and format of the project in future projects. The evaluation phase of this project will ensure that the promoters can carry forward the best practices from this project and make adjustments based on feedback from the participants and evaluation among promoters. This way the project idea will continue to evolve and adjust to the needs and interest of the participants.