<< Background >>The Covid 19 pandemic directly influenced the increase of unemployment rates for young adults not in employment, education or training (NEET), with women and other vulnerable groups being the most affected. This is particularly true for countries such as: Hungary, Romania, Italy, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Croatia where prior to the pandemics, 1 in 4 young individuals aged 15-29 belonged to the NEET category.To combat these rates, the European Council emphasised the urgent need for education and training along with awareness raising in a period of digital and green transition.In response, the partners in the project will use their expertise in education, entrepreneurship and mental health to launch blended educational programs for NEETs (20-30), with priority given to women and other vulnerable groups. The beneficiaries of the program will develop social and practical competences as well as proactive mindset. Moreover, they will get access to international networks and resources. The new program will make them ready to found/join social businesses and become proactive change-makers who will inspire and mobilise their peers.<< Objectives >>The main purpose of this project is to stimulate engagement and entrepreneurship, increase employability of NEETs (20-30) and provide equal access to education to all. The individuals enrolled in the new educational program will develop social and practical skills and competences as well as a proactive mindset, while simultaneously getting access to international networks and resources. The new program will make them ready to found/join social businesses and become proactive change-makers who will inspire and mobilise their peers. As program alumni, they will further contribute in combating unemployment and embracing sustainability, leading to faster accomplishment of SDGs 8, 3 and 4.<< Implementation >>This project will start with the creation of transnational research report illustrating the specific educational needs of NEETs (20-30). The research is a prerequisite for the major output of the project, a customised blended educational program that will tackle the skill and competence gaps on a per country basis. The program will involve 70 participants, both in the pilot and the official launch of the program, directly increasing participation in education and training. Moreover, 28 social businesses, opening space for peer employment. Along with the blended educational program, a transnational online learning and networking platform will be established. The platform will connect participants with peers and key stakeholders on an international basis, encouraging exchange of experiences and best practices. Inspired by the positive change, the beneficiaries will take the role of the ambassador, scaling the initiative and improving the lives of a larger number of NEETs.<< Results >>The end result will be a newly created program through which the knowledge and practices of the SIA and YHO will be shared on transnational basis, changing the lives of 70 individuals located in the above-mentioned countries. In addition, an international online learning and networking platform will be established to connect the beneficiaries with their peers as well as with key stakeholders on an international basis, encouraging exchange of experiences and best practices.The program and the cooperation between the partners will continue beyond the duration of the projects. Beneficiary partners will run the program on country specific basis with continuous advice from the lead partner. The expert partner will multiply the effect by spreading the program across 30+ SIA countries by 2027.

The Council Resolution on youth work, 2010, identifies eight fields in which cross-sectoral youth policy initiatives should be taken and how youth work can contribute, as well human rights and democracy, cultural diversity and mobility. The youth work activities and processes are self-managed, co-managed or managed under educational or pedagogical guidance by either professional or voluntary youth workers and youth leaders. The report of the expert group set up under the EU Work Plan for Youth for 2014 – 2015 describes the concrete role of the value of the youth work in addressing challenges young people are facing, notes the so important youth work approach as a link and broker between young people and different fields, sectors and services, such as the local communities, schools, social services, media and police. As well the report focus on the importance of the inclusion of the youth workers in the youth policy formulation - youth work is “like a radar, it is first in line and can pick up early indicators of changes, tendencies and trends among young people and help trigger quicker responses”. The new EU Youth Strategy /2019 -2027/ pointed 3 main core areas of youth sector: Engage, Connect, Empower. These 3 areas cover the general path how to engage young people to be part of the community life and to be creative architects of their own life, how to work together, to experience solidarity, to share best practices and to further work on effective systems of recognition and validation of gained competences outside the formal education. Youth work is addressed as catalyst of empowerment. Having that in mind the project partners agreed, that it is important to make further efforts to share different practices, increase training opportunities for youth workers, recognise competencies, as key to improving quality of youth work and the well-being of young people. The main objective of the project “Youth work and Youth workers across EUROPE – good examples from practice about volunteering, employment, education and training” is to explore, to describe and to exchange good practices concerning youth work in the different countries of the project partnership in order to ensure synchronised information and additional access to education and training for youth workers. The project will have the following main sub -objectives: 1. Exploring different practices in detail of youth work volunteering, employment, education and training in different European countries 2. Sharing good practices of youth work education and training within partnership3. Exploring possibilities of implementation of the shared youth work educational programs within partnership 4. Development of supportive network for information and experience exchange concerning youth work5. Better the competences of the partnering organisations of project management, achieving common goals and results and quality assurance of process. The expected results on the project completion include report on the different practices of youth work in the partnership countries; good practices collection book; shared within the partnership educational program for youth workers; development of pilot versions in the participating organisations; development of the competences of the participating organisation concerning quality assurance of processes and projects. The project will involve in the different activities youth workers and/or experts who are practitioners, who could deliver correct and evidence - based information, who could develop content, who are ready to share and improve their knowledge and experience. The project aims to get together practitioners who have an intimate knowledge of the needs of the sector and have motivation to find and deliver different solutions. Participants who are familiar with the process of non – formal learning, learning outcomes achievement, recognition and validation. The impact for the partnering organisations and other relevant stakeholders– more knowledge about youth work in practice, new partners, new competences for international cooperation, new service that they can provide to the youth workers or future youth workers in their countries. The impact for the target groups - more knowledge about youth work in practice /collection book/, new instruments and examples about the work on the field, new educational program. Enable access for youth workers to cross – border mobility opportunities, including employment and volunteering in the civic sector.The project “Youth work and Youth workers across EUROPE – good examples from practice about volunteering, employment, education and training” is complementary to the activities already carried out by the participating organisations, but as well to the institutional efforts by exchanging quality and good practices on practical level and developing new opportunities for youth workers to have access to educational programs and training outside the formal educational system.