Youth in transition – European project
Moeve contributed with vocational and methodological expertise to the European KA2 project ´Youth in transition´, 2018 – 2021. The project belonged to the portfolio of activities, initiated and carryied out by UU DANMARK (later on: EUK/KL).
Youth in transition (YIT) aimed to improve the scaffolding of the most endangered sub-group of the NEETs on their pathways. These “young people on the edge” are characterized by a complexity of personal and social difficulties, caused by psychological diagnoses, socially disadvantaged backgrounds, abuse, drugs, crime or other burdens.
Usually less apparent, the same youths also have strengths, dreams and experiences that can become strong drivers for them. In YIT, experts and practitioners worked with a resource-oriented and appreciative approach, promoting these potentials. Methods, such as mastering strategies, building relationships, and motivational orientations were applied in the framework of career guidance. YIT worked mainly from a youth perspective, concurrently trying to align this perspective with the conditions of the educational, social, and employment system.
This approach, these methods and tools were piloted in Denmark, Iceland and Slovenia, and quality assured by the German research partner. Thus, it was aimed to involve 280 young people to succeed in entering VET, with indicators for completion of their educational programs.
Context
“Young people in transition” are challenged in many societies, when straying on their way from upper primary school to youth education. At the same time, these youths are needed desperately in the aging European societies, and the trades are calling out loudly for skilled workers.
For one group in particular, the figures are worrying: youths of 15–29 years who are neither in education nor in sustainable employment, the so-called NEETs. NEETs represented a share of 18.3 % in the EU in 2016 (Eurostat 2017).
In times where inequality in European societies is increasing (2017), the focus on NEETs is even more urgent. Youths risk becoming social outsiders with extremely limited chances of achieving a self-sustaining life. As research shows, transitions are the most sensitive phases on their pathways: such as starting an educational program, coming of age or losing a relationship.
Activities and outputs
YIT created 7 outputs, which all were implemented during the project. The development took place cross-nationally, with implementation in local consortia. These consortia consisted of professionals from youth counselling, employment centres, social workers, educational instiutions, other experts and volunteers.
The outputs
- Analysis of “the needs of the NEETs and the needs of the professionals” (IO1)
- Assessment method to identify vocational maturity of youths as an interactive online tool (IO2) – Flyer in Danish
- Piloting of the assessment tool for vocational maturity in Iceland, Slovenia and Denmark (IO3)
- Competence profile for ´scouts´: personal contact persons with a coordinating, organising and guiding role (IO4)
- Training unit for the professionals: supportive methods for their work with NEETs; conducted in Iceland, Slovenia and Denmark (IO5)
- ´Individual development pathways´ of NEETs, facilitated by the scouts and their local cross-professional teams (IO6)
- Political recommendations, referring to the political context, reform work and legislation in the four partner countries and in Europe (IO7)
