eNEET Rural: Facilitating entrepreneurship and improving skills of NEETs living in rural areas – Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities

The eNEET Rural project is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through
the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment

eNEET Rural:

Facilitating entrepreneurship and improving skills of NEETs living in rural areas

Project Contract no. 2017-1-315

The project is implemented by:
Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities (lead partner)
Center for the Development of the Structural Funds Romania (CPDIS)
Business Research Association National Agrofood Technological Center, Extremadura, Spain (STAEX)
Fruto Consulting Ltd. (FRUTO)
STYRIAN TECHNOLOGY PARK, Slovenia (STP)
Mantuan Oltrepò Consortium, Italy (COM)
Inclusion AS, Norway (expertise partner)
Project duration: 01.10.2018 – 30.09.2021
Project grant amount: Euro 1,5 million

About the project:
WHY: In many rural areas of Europe there are few job opportunities. Youth unemployment is high, and many young people who have dropped out of school are low-skilled and have difficulties getting a job. This is especially true for the disabled and those belonging to ethnic minorities, who face discrimination from education and employers.

WHAT: The project partners will offer training and preparation for two distinct groups: those with a secondary school diploma will receive entrepreneurship training, while those without a diploma will receive training that prepares them for jobs. The project will focus on innovation and technology in the agricultural sector and create a toolkit that will include various forms of training, a competition, staff exchange and mentoring.

Project’s approach/method in addressing the challenges:
1. Transferring efficient practices:
* NOBLE Ideas’ methodology for the target group with interest to set-up businesses
* PHILOXENIA’s adopted common operational mechanism for the reception activities of people opening their business in rural areas
* JOBKIT methodology for participants to individualize internal and external resources of each one and each group: share the resources to overcome those obstacles
2. Innovative solutions on how to train young people:Using the JOBKIT method of self-empowerment to follow young people in the changes of the labour market and transform this method from non-formal off-line to nonformal on-line tools
3. Widening involvement of stakeholders to maximize the visibility of the present project as well as to reach the necessary number of candidates during the project and in the capitalization phase
4. Involvement of non-traditional employers and sectors, for instance NGOs, civil society organisations and SMEs: We will engage agricultural associations, holdings to contribute to the preparation of the on-line training materials and act as hosting and mentoring organisations for the trained young people, supported by chambers of commerce and crafts, respective NGO’s which support young people on their education and business way
5. Innovative start-up support to young entrepreneurs: the target group with interest in setting up business will benefit from special start-up programs: upon PHILOXENIA and NOBLE Ideas practice
6. New mentoring and coaching approaches: the actors from the rural development and agricultural sector will act as coach of the young people attending the trainings
7. Innovative focus on employability and soft skills development: not only agro-professional but soft skills-facilitating training to be held upon Inclusion’s practice
8. Mixing learning arenas: online and on-the-spot trainings at the actors of rural areas and/or in the innovation parks/incubators will be held Innovative short and long mobility staff exchanges

Target groups: Low-skilled young people not in employment, education or training living in rural areas and registered with the public employment services, who face multiple barriers in entering the labour market.

Project website: WWW.ENEET-PROJECT.EU

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