Description
The "Social Angels" are an entrepreneurial community to be established under this project in Povoa de Lanhoso (northern Portugal), involving 50 young people ending vocational training as they prepare for entry into the labour market, and which require pathways to employability; and 30 public and private entities that will frame these youngsters’ entrepreneurship projects. The project comprises five action components: "entrepreneur shock", alerting the community to the need for their mobilization for entrepreneurship; identification and structuring of projects and mobilization of new strategic actors; consolidation of projects and creation of collaborative networks in the wider community; training workshops in the area of Human Rights, for the creation of young entrepreneurs which are respectful of these rights; and evaluation of the project and creation of a good practices guide which facilitates its replication.
Summary of project results
The Portuguese economy has faced significant challenges since the turn of the century, and the difficulties faced by the youth in accessing the labour market have been increasing, especially since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2009. By the time the Social Angels project was proposed for support by the EEA Grants in 2014, youth unemployment exceeded 35% nationwide. Portugal has also been facing falling fertility rates and the rapid ageing of its population, and because of the economic outlook since 2008, many young people have delayed starting a family, and moved to other parts of the country or migrated to other countries in order to find a job. The project’s promoter, the Sol do Ave association, has fostered regional development in northern Portugal for over two decades. With the Social Angels project, it addressed youth employability and entrepreneurship in partnership with the municipality of Póvoa de Lanhoso, where the project was implemented. The local community – entrepreneurs, public and private entities – was mobilised to support 99 young people as they finished their vocational training (the goal was 50), in the creation of their own entrepreneurial projects. Social Angels successfully helped setting up entrepreneurship initiatives, and in assisting with their first steps. After initial difficulties in drawing its target audience, in a region where immigration has become the norm for young people, the project ended up exceeding many of its targets. 18 of the young participants in the project created entrepreneurial projects. On the other hand, the project mobilised strategic stakeholders in the wider community – these ensured the initiatives’ success, and were made aware of ways in which they can foster local entrepreneurship and the creation of needed economic activities in the future. The project was evaluated in the end, and a good practices guide was created in order to facilitate its future replication.
Summary of bilateral results