Empowering Vulnerable Youth: 20 SKILLS Projects Launched to Support NEETs’ Reintegration into the Labour Market

SKILLS Projects Are Set in Motion! 

By the end of November 2024, 20 Grant Agreements had been signed with project coordinators from 11 EU Member States under the Call ‘Social Innovations for the Upskilling of Vulnerable Youth, Especially Young People Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEETs).’ With over €9.2 million in funding allocated—an average of more than €450,000 per project—this ambitious initiative is set to make a real impact across Europe. 

The primary aim of the Call is to equip vulnerable young people, especially NEETs, with the skills and support they need to re-engage with education and enter the labour market. Through transnational collaboration and knowledge exchange, the initiative focuses on scaling up proven social innovations in skills development and validation. 

The selected projects unite partners from 20 EU countries: Italy, Spain, Greece, Austria, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Lithuania, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Malta, Romania, Slovenia, Poland, Latvia, France, Portugal, and Ireland. These transnational consortia will collaborate on developing and scaling up innovative approaches that have previously been piloted in different contexts. 

The focus will be on three key domains: 

• Effective outreach to the target group, leading to a high take-up rate. 

• Innovative learning models and environments, enabling learners to develop skills relevant to the labour market. 

• Appropriate arrangements for skills validation and activation in the labour market. 

Together, these 20 projects will directly support more than 5,000 vulnerable young people across Europe. Recognising that NEETs represent a highly diverse group requiring individualised and flexible approaches, the projects are designed to go beyond traditional employment services by offering ongoing mentorship, personalised learning pathways, and targeted interventions. As such, project implementers were challenged to identify and apply the most promising innovative approaches that effectively address the needs of this group. 

Several projects will build on successful past initiatives. For example, efforts to support vulnerable young women will expand on models such as ‘Digi Womunication’ (Italy) and ‘The Break Fellowship’ (Spain). Meanwhile, personalised coaching and mentoring will be strengthened through the scaling of tested approaches such as the Work Integration Social Enterprise (WISE) and Local Stakeholder Committees (LSCs) models, as well as the Tailor-Made Studying and Working Model developed under the SWOM project. These initiatives are not just about training—they’re about restoring confidence, building futures, and helping young people find their way in society. 

Find out more about the projects funded here.