SEEDs among NEETs: Spreading Entrepreneurship and Economic Development among NEETs Erasmus Project

Project Title

SEEDs among NEETs: Spreading Entrepreneurship and Economic Development among NEETs

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Inclusion – equity; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)

Project Summary

SEEDs among NEETs was implemented as a strategic partnership for exchanging of good practices. It was a result of the needs of youth workers and organizations in the rural areas of 6 European countries to combat the NEETs phenomenon (BG, LV, MT, PT, RO, SI). The worst NEETs situation in Europe and within this partnership was and still is in Bulgaria where the total percentage is much higher – 26.1, followed by Romania. At the same time unemployment rates of youth aged 15-24 in the EU rural areas is 22%, in Bulgaria it goes to 30.9%, in Portugal to 28.3%. Taking into consideration these figures the partners within SEEDs among NEETs made efforts to achieve the following objectives: 1) increased capacity of rural youth workers to support NEETs and get them involved in local community life, the training system and/or the labour market; 2) improved non-formal learning opportunities for 14 people active in youth work in rural areas; 3) improved quality in the youth work of the participating organizations and their communities. About 650 representatives of the targets benefited from the project activities. Youth organizations and workers, public authorities, schools and school psychologists, local organizations engaged with young people, NGOs, local development agencies, parents and relatives of NEETs and youth volunteers in the rural areas got involved in the promotion and dissemination events, study visits, surveys, inter-institutional meetings and working sessions, transnational meetings, etc. 14 youth workers took part in a short term joint staff training event which added value to the project as it further provided for non-formal learning opportunities and Youthpass certified skills. While encouraging inter-institutional cooperation and networking, active and full engagement of participants, reflections and self-reflections, critical thinking and comparison, the partnership created the following deliverables: comparative analyses on the challenges to approach NEETs, an open web space of good practices and a set of projects helping NEETs become successful. All partners developed their own strategic plans for local inter-institutional cooperation to enhance inclusion of NEETs in community life or in the job market.
Throughout the project the partnership acted as a model example of a cross-sector and inter-institutional approach to NEETs as it included youth NGOs and non-formal training providers, a development agency and local authority, a group of schools providing VET and entrepreneurship trainings to students and adults, a professional association representing businesses. As a result of the project, similar local networks designed strategic community plans to prevent and combat the NEETs phenomenon. These, along with partner action plans, will provide for the project sustainability and long-term effect upon the organizations and participants involved and indirectly upon local NEETs and communities. Furthermore, they enhanced and will synergies between sectors and institutions.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 59641,68 Eur

Project Coordinator

Vyara Foundation & Country: BG

Project Partners

• LATVIJAS LAUKU TURISMA ASOCIACIJA LAUKU CELOTAJS
• ASOCIATIA FORUMUL CETATENESC PENTRUACTIUNE SOCIALA SI EDUCATIE CIVICA
• Agrupamento de Escolas de Silves
• RAZVOJNI CENTER SRCA SLOVENIJE DOO
• GENISTA RESEARCH FOUNDATION