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NEETs for NEETs: Youth-run conference concludes the project on co-creating social sustainability

04/12/2023

On November 29, 2023, the Erasmus+ NEETs for NEETs project came to a close with a final conference organized at the offices of the Region Västra Götaland in Brussels. The project aimed to enhance inclusive methods empowering young adults and thereby improving the conditions of NEETs (young people not in education, employment, or training). Region Västra Götaland coordinated the project in collaboration with the Support Group Network; Borås Stad; City of Stuttgart; Save the Children organization (Sweden); Volkshochschulverband Baden-Württemberg; Oslo Adult Education Rosenhof; NAV Bjerke; and EARLALL.

Jonas Abrahamsson, the project coordinator for NEETs for NEETs, inaugurated the session, welcoming the participants to the event, which celebrated and reflected upon the conclusion of the project. He also introduced the video address by Swedish MEP David Lega, sent for the event in his absence.  Therese Ydrén, Project Manager in Region Västra Götaland, detailed the region’s involvement in the project, highlighting strong cooperation within the EARLALL network with fellow member Baden-Württemberg and associate member Borås Stad.

Project partners presented the primary outcomes of the project, which included:

  • A handbook for adult education institutions and diverse stakeholders, outlining how to utilize the training tools developed in NEETs (presented by Oslo Adult Education Rosenhof)
  • International exchanges within the project (presented by VHS Baden-Württemberg)
  • Learning Teacher Training Activities in Sweden and Germany (presented by Support Group Network)

Staff members reflected on how the project outcomes and processes had influenced their perceptions of working with NEETs, concluding that their expectations had been reversed. Staff shared personal experiences of traveling with, mentoring, and supporting youth, while also learning how they could improve their own skills.

Youth voices at the forefront

Given that co-creation was a central theme in the project, the conference provided an opportunity for some young participants to share their experiences. Haya Iskander, from Sweden, shared her story of resilience and expressed hope that young people would not give up on themselves. Following this, another young participant in the project, Amal Taifour, presented her future project idea on global youth entrepreneurship titled ‘Global Spark: Igniting Youth Entrepreneurship.’ She mentioned being inspired by the NEETs for NEETs experience and hoped that the networking and skills of each participant could be further developed in a future cross-border project. After the session, participants had the chance to interact with the young beneficiaries of the project and gain further insights into their experiences.

To access the conference material: