Finding Purpose, Shaping Futures: How ALMA Empowers Italian Youth
Meet Elena Ricca, a young woman from Italy on a quest to discover her passion in life – a simple yet sometimes complicated goal shared by many young Europeans.
Elena had completed a year of civil service in a library and tried her hand as a preschool assistant but kept finding herself in a state of uncertainty.
“I’ve worked in various environments, but I was still searching for a meaningful learning opportunity,” she explains. “I also wanted to challenge myself abroad.”
That’s when an unexpected email changed everything.
Embracing the Unexpected
One day, Elena opened a newsletter from a local organisation promoting Neetwork – one of 28 projects under the ALMA (Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve) initiative, co-funded by the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus Social Innovation+ initiative. She clicked through and kept reading.
Elena could hardly believe her eyes – it was exactly what she had been looking for: a project designed to support young people not in education, employment, or training, blending local training with hands-on work experience abroad.
ALMA offered participants a tailored training in their home country, followed by a supervised, work-related learning experience with mentoring in another EU country for two months. After that, the support continued, helping young people apply their newly acquired skills towards employment or further education.
At around the same time, Karamoko Doumbia found himself in a similar position to Elena. That was when his mental coach mentioned the project – and the timing was just right.
“I was in a rather confusing period,” he recalls. “I wasn’t sure whether to continue studying or gain more work experience. I felt the need to try something new, and then I heard about ALMA.”
Elena, Karamoko and 38 other young people from Italy signed up for Neetwork, embarking on a transformational journey filled with guidance, support, opportunities for personal and professional growth, and a work-related learning experience in either Spain, Sweden or Germany.
Learning Beyond Borders
The experience began with training. Both Elena and Karamoko were placed in the same group and were set to travel to Spain. Before their trip, the participants attended language and culture classes, which equipped them with the knowledge needed to succeed.
“We participated in many group activities that helped us get to know each other,” says Elena. “I learned the basics of Spanish, navigating grammar, vocabulary, and conversation.”
After that, Neetwork participants went abroad. Karamoko got a position in a Spanish company, Lofes 90, which taught him valuable skills. Meanwhile, Elena’s experience in Spain started a bit later, but that did not stop her from making the most of it.
“Starting later than the rest of the group was a bit destabilising, but it taught me to accept situations as they come and be more flexible,” she says. “I tried to learn as much as possible, stepping into situations whenever the opportunity presented itself.”
All costs, including travel, insurance, social security, food, and accommodation, were fully covered by the initiative, removing logistical barriers and allowing participants to focus on developing new skills.
“The experience was fantastic and enriching,” says Karamoko. “I learned new ways of working in a team, how to manage my time and, even more importantly, how to manage money.”
Growing Skills, Gaining Confidence
According to Tempo Libero Società Cooperativa Sociale ONLUS, an organisation which implemented the Neetwork project, ALMA’s value lies in its ability to teach young people both soft and hard skills.
“Participants have improved their self-awareness, soft skills such as autonomy and adaptability, and key professional competencies, including language, digital, and entrepreneurial skills. These are all crucial for employability,” says an ONLUS representative, Mauro Guaschi.
For Elena, the biggest lesson was learning to be patient. “The whole project was rich in experience. It gave me the chance to explore different things and helped me ‘tame’ my impatience,” she says.
While neither Elena nor Karamoko claims to have undergone an overnight transformation, the impact is clear. Elena now sees the European job market in a new light.
“I feel more aware of the range of work, internship, and volunteering opportunities available across Europe,” she says. Her next goal is to use this experience to find a fulfilling job.
Karamoko echoes that sense of quiet confidence. “I’ve gained valuable cultural and professional insights,” he says. “Now, I want to apply everything I’ve learned in my current role and continue improving.”
He has remained in touch with the people he met through ALMA and now views European citizenship not just as a legal identity but as a network full of opportunities.
A European Future, Reimagined
What unites their stories isn’t just the travel or training – it’s the transformation that comes from stepping outside your comfort zone with the proper support and realising you’re more capable than you ever imagined.
ALMA doesn’t just connect young people with jobs or qualifications. It offers a sense of direction and belonging. It creates bridges between peers, mentors, and institutions across Europe. It gives participants the confidence to say, “I can do this,” even when things feel uncertain.
To anyone considering joining such initiatives in the future, Karamoko has this advice: “Give it a go while you have the chance. It shapes you both physically and spiritually. It gives you a whole new perspective.”
Elena agrees and encourages others not to let fear or doubt hold them back.
“Every opportunity you don’t take is a missed one,” she says. “Whether good or bad, every experience teaches you something and helps you grow. Don’t be afraid.”
In Europe, where opportunities can sometimes feel distant or unevenly distributed, initiatives like ALMA remind us that these gaps can be bridged. And sometimes, it all begins with one simple decision: to say yes.
Learn more: Neetwork project
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