"Y(m)ES": project summary and results

Y(m)ES- Youth Mobility Empowering Skills, a project coordinated by the InCo Association and co-funded through the ALMA call for proposals - a European Union initiative under the European Social Fund Plus ESF+), has come to an end. The project was carried out in collaboration with a network of local and international institutions and associations, enabling 24 young people aged between 18 and 29 who were not in education, employment or training, to undertake a two-month professional internship abroad in Spain or Germany. 

Project summary

The ambition and central objective of the proposal was to offer education, training or employment to young people in NEET situations, thanks to a learning mobility programme combined with a social prescribing approach and  methodology. The former is based on mentorship, vocational training and employment, the latter focuses on the  prescription of social and employment solutions to NEETs. The target group we were addressing consists of two NEETs Groups per participating country, Spain and Germany (24  people in total), with the following features: early school leavers; young people without work experience;  economically inactive people; persons with disabilities or other health issues (e.g. mental health); young people from a disadvantaged or minority background. 

The output we aimed to achieve was the increased motivation,  self-esteem and self-confidence of Neets regarding their own potential; a personal growth and learning how to set  up and achieve personal learning objectives; a partners network able to provide a wide range of possibilities to NEETs by combining expertise coming from the health and employment sectors, by mentorships, by associations  and local authorities. The key outcome foreseen was the social inclusion of participants, as they will enter a system of solutions planned for their specific needs and will exit  their isolation condition. Social economy stakeholders were involved in order to guarantee a multiplier effect for future programmes and community awareness. This specific aspect guarantees the sustainability of the Mobility programme results even beyond the specific experience abroad.

Project results

1. Results relating to participants

  • Participation of 24 young people in the whole project circle

The project succeeded in supporting 24 young NEETs and actively involving them in all phases of the project. With the exception of one participant who had to terminate the mobility phase prematurely for family reasons but then rejoined the follow-up phase, all participants successfully completed the two-month mobility phase and went on to participate in the follow-up phase. 

  • 20 participants left the NEET situation

20 of the 24 participants left the NEET situation within six months of the end of the mobility programme by starting a new job, training or study programme, thus reaching a rate of 83% of participants who left the NEET situation.

  • Personal and professional development of the participants

In terms of personal and professional development, a significant and important progress in most participants has been noted. A social research conducted in parallel with the project confirmed that participants' self-confidence and independence increased and their professional and personal skills improved. All participants showed great perseverance, a significant improvement in self-confidence, especially among those participants who were somewhat shy and reserved at the beginning. Almost all participants returned from abroad more independent and self-reliant. The survey confirmed the improvement of participants' self-confidence and independence, with 83,33% of the participants stating to feel more confident in themselves. The results of this survey revealed also that 83% of the participants feel more prepared for the job market, 67% stated that the experience improved their professional skills and 58% that the experience improved their personal skills. 

Another important aspect that has been noticed was the new positive attitude towards the future many gained through the project. Some participants have emphasised that they have regained confidence, new energy and hope for their future. 

 2. Creation of a local and international network

Another factor contributing to the success of our project is the network we have established at both the local and international levels. At the local level, we have succeeded in building a network that includes various NGOs working with young people, especially young NEETS, youth welfare offices in various local communities, an association that coordinates various self-help groups and deals with hikikomori, etc. At the unofficial level, we were able to count on the support of the local health authority and, during the crucial phases, the employment office. We also received valuable support from various professionals, such as psychologists, trainers, etc., for the preparation before departure and the follow-up phase. 

At the international level, we expanded our network by collaborating with two new and experienced partners to host our groups. The collaboration between our association and our international partners was crucial in helping us to organise the mobility phase in the best possible way and to support participants during their two months abroad.

The above-mentioned results ensured that Y(m)ES achieved its most important goals, including combating youth unemployment, building life skills, self-confidence and independence as well as promoting social inclusion and European solidarity.

 

Project partners

The international project partners who welcomed participants during the mobility phase abroad were: 

Local partners

At the local level, we have been able to collaborate with an important network of organisations, including the youth policy offices of the municipalities of Trento and Lavis and a network of youth organisations in Trentino

Contact information

Associazione InCo Interculturalità & Comunicazione APS

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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the European Social Fund Agency can be held responsible for them.