<< Background >>Gen Z Digital Workforce: Improving online employability and resilience of young people with fewer opportunities is a 2-years initiative between 5 organisations (You(th) Develop Denmark (coordinator), Uniamoci Onlus (Italy), SFERA International (N.Macedonia), Innovaform (Hungary), My Madeira Island (Portugal)). The target group of the project is young people (also currently abbreviated as Generation Z or Gen Z), especially those with fewer opportunities as the materials will be developed specifically for them, and such groups will participate in the project activities. The project targets young people from remote and rural areas, migrants, representatives of minorities, those with health issues and disabilities, those with economic and educational barriers as they can leverage remote work opportunities for their benefit now.The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered unprecedented socio-economic changes in Europe.According to Eurostat’s update, in March 2021, 2.951 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU. Compared with March 2020, youth unemployment increased by 319 000 in the EU. The aim of this project is to contribute to the reduction of unemployment in the EU, focusing on supporting people with fewer opportunities. The priorities which this project covers, aim to pilot education and training systems that promote employability, upskilling, and innovation as well as increase social mobility and equality towards special groups.The project addresses the direct needs of the partnership and our target groups.1.Europe is having now unprecedented levels of youth unemployment, and at the same time normalizes the concept of remote work making more jobs available online. This project aims to equip young people with the competencies needed for receiving and retaining a job online, and developing hard and soft skills for self-organized work, including resilience. The priority is given to young people with fewer opportunities (migrants, those with health issues and disabilities, those from remote and rural areas). The interest of the partnership is to obtain competencies and tools to provide support to young people they work with so that they could transition to employment and retain it. 2.Young people with disabilities and people with a migrant background, as well as people living in rural and remote areas, people facing socio-economic difficulties need support in their involvement in the socio-economic life of their communities and at the European level. This project focuses on the inclusion of such groups, and the consortium partners are greatly interested in updating competencies, reinforcing the need among their local partners, stakeholders and international networks to continue this movement for the sake of diversity and equal access to opportunities of young people from various backgrounds around Europe.3.Digital-first is the priority of education and social and youth work for the next years, and the project focuses on increasing the digital competencies of young people, partner organisations, its partners and stakeholders and spreading the project results on the European level to any entities working with young people, employment and inclusion.4.Increasing youth work’s quality and the ability to respond to current challenges. This project is directly connected with one of the priorities of the Programme, namely capacity-building of youth workers in their online and offline practices, as well as support to the development and sharing of methods to reach marginalized young people. 5.Increasing the sense of initiative, civic participation, and lifelong learning for all the project participants, partners, and stakeholders. These crucial for 21-century skills are required by young people and adults due to the changing conditions and the need to adapt to whatever may come next, be able to congregate in stronger groups and fight the challenges, being directly involved in decision-making processes.<< Objectives >>The objectives of the project are:-Create a curriculum for young people with fewer opportunities and adults that work with youngsters (NGOs, trainers, facilitators, HR managers in SMEs, employment agencies, career offices, etc.) which will prepare and guide young people in building an online career and increase their employability, digital competencies, and resilience;-Promote inclusiveness in remote work and create conditions for more young people with fewer opportunities to enter the online workforce;-Update and improve competencies of non-profit associations, career counselors in universities, colleges, and VET, and specialists of employment agencies in helping young people become more employable in the current job market;-Increase the capacity of NGOs to help young people to boost their sense of initiative and entrepreneurship;-Increase the opportunities for NGOs, employment agencies, and career offices to support young people with fewer opportunities in their struggle to become more competitive in the online job market;-Enlarge their understanding and responsiveness to the social, linguistic, and cultural diversity of e-work, promote innovative pedagogies and methods for teaching, learning, and assessment, and support educators and learners to use digital technologies in creative, collaborative, and efficient ways;-Create a more modern and professional environment inside the organization: ready to integrate good practices and new methods into daily activities;-Promote the idea of remote work as a new norm and an opportunity for those who don’t have much access to the regular job market.<< Implementation >>Over 2 years’ period, the project will have the following activities:3 Transnational project meetings (a kick-off in Denmark, a mid-term in Hungary, a closing conference in N.Macedonia, with the representatives of all project partners)Production of Project Results:PR1 Youth Employment in Post-COVID Digital Age Survey&Report. 100 young people interviews (at least half – young people with fewer opportunities)100 SMEs who tend to involve remote workers5 large employment agencies. The survey and report will provide an insight into remote work each of the countries (and some European-level conclusions may be extrapolated), the profile and the needs of young people (including those with fewer opportunities) who seek employment and their preparedness for remote work. The report will serve as the knowledge base for stakeholders involved in work with young people with fewer opportunities and those caring for employment and socio-economic development of their communities. PR2 “E-learning materials on online employment for young people with fewer opportunities”E-learning materials disseminated at local, regional, national and European levels to stakeholders in the area of youth affairs and employment.Pilot testing: 50 young people with fewer opportunities take part in Pilot testing of the curriculumPR 3: Methodology “Supporting online career of young people with fewer opportunities” developed and spread according to the dissemination plan – at the local, regional, national and European levels. Expected outreach: at least 100 stakeholders around Europe who will use the materials in their work (more details in the dissemination plan).LTT 1: Youth workers’ mobility “Digital Tools for Online Career Coaches” hosted in Portugal, 20 participants-youth workers. 20 youth workers/career coaches from 5 European countries will firstly obtain new competencies in digital youth work and creating e-learning materials for youth. They will become more professional youth career coaches and will be more confident about performing e-tutoring online.LTT 2: YE Online Career Bootcamp hosted in Italy, 15 young people with fewer opportunities and 10 youth workers and accompanying persons.Young people will increase their competencies in acquiring online employment; they will deepen their competencies in career retention, also learn more about resilience and supporting own mental health.Multiplier events: 1 in each country = 5 in total, with at least 30 local, 5 international and 20 virtual participants - the project results are disseminated among the interested audience.2-months dedicated dissemination activities: a network of organisations involved in supporting employability of young people with fewer opportunities will be built by the consortium as a result of the project and leveraged for further activities of the partners beyond this project.Production of the website, photo, video, text content and other supporting materials; internal meetings and documentation.<< Results >>The project aims to change the dynamics of how nowadays young people, also known as Generation Z, especially those with fewer opportunities, can leverage the current socio-economic changed due to COVID-19 and the increasing number of remote work positions – for their own employability. We expect to enable youth workers and other stakeholders who work with youth affairs and employment with competencies and methodologies to support such young people with fewer opportunities from their regions with career coaching and guidance, as well as improving their resilience to societal challenges and mental well-being.Project outcomes:PR1 Youth Employment in Post-COVID Digital Age Survey&Report. The survey and report will provide an insight into remote work each of the countries (and some European-level conclusions may be extrapolated), the profile and the needs of young people (including those with fewer opportunities) who seek employment and their preparedness for remote work. The report will serve as the knowledge base for stakeholders involved in work with young people with fewer opportunities and those caring for employment and socio-economic development of their communities. PR2 “E-learning materials on online employment for young people with fewer opportunities”E-learning materials disseminated at local, regional, national and European levels to stakeholders in the area of youth affairs and employment.PR 3: Methodology “Supporting online career of young people with fewer opportunities” developed and spread according to the dissemination plan – at the local, regional, national and European levels. Expected outreach: at least 100 stakeholders around Europe who will use the materials in their work (more details in the dissemination plan).LTT 1: Youth workers’ mobility “Digital Tools for Online Career Coaches”20 youth workers/career coaches from 5 European countries will firstly obtain new competencies in digital youth work and creating e-learning materials for youth. They will become more professional youth career coaches and will be more confident about performing e-tutoring online.LTT 2: YE Online Career Bootcamp Young people will increase their competencies in acquiring online employment; they will deepen their competencies in career retention, also learn more about resilience and supporting own mental health.An online community of 100 young people built who go through the Pilot Course created. They continue international communication, participate in other activities beyond the project.Multiplier events: 1 in each country = 5 in total: the project results are disseminated among the interested audience.Dissemination results: a network of organisations involved in supporting employability of young people with fewer opportunities will be built as a result of the project and leveraged for further activities of the partners beyond this project.Young people with fewer opportunities are expected to obtain competencies for remote employment, they will become more confident, increase their sense of initiative, build meaningful connections with their tutors and peers from other countries, increase their digital and language skills. The participating organisations will become more equipped to continue their activities in the area of non-formal education in the new format - digital; the consortium will also strengthen the cooperation between the participants; the open project materials will help to support new talents and foster entrepreneurship; the project will also increase the sense of initiative, active participation, multiculturalism among young and adult participants.