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Description
“Career centre Posavje” project represents and innovative approach towards employment promotion for youth in underdeveloped region Posavje and gaining competencies for better employment. The aspect of the project is to establish a dynamic and digitally equipped support environment in region, with the intention of connecting youth, employers and local youth and educational organizations. The goal of the project is to enhance the employment potential of youth in Posavje region, which will be achieved via specific goals of the project – establishment of an online platform, qualified youth consultants and establishing a network of supportive organizations.
Region is facing a high rate of work migrations and emigration of youth due to employment in other regions (after the gain of university degree in urban environment with universities, youth do not return to Posavje region). The challenge is the uncoordinated proportion between the offer and demand of job opportunities and the lack of information regarding the employment needs and the possibilities of networking with employers in Posavje region. The project addresses the region''s identified challenges with an integrated approach regarding enhancing the supportive environment for gaining informal competencies and information regarding the opportunities in the labour market. A comprehensive training of youth consultants to work with youth represents a vital part to achieve long-term goals. The project contributes to output “Support to youth provided”, which will be achieved with the establishment of 1 new service, at least 10 members of staff trained and 15 activities for the young, with the emphasis on networking, training or advisory activities and enhancing youth competencies. The target groups are young of age 16- 29, who aspire to acknowledge their employment advantages, enhance their competencies and become acquainted with career opportunities in Posavje region, during or after gaining a formal education.
Summary of project results
The project addressed the region''s identified challenges with an integrated approach to enhancing the supportive environment for gaining informal competencies and information about labour market opportunities. The Posavje region is facing a high rate of work migrations and emigration of youth due to employment opportunities in other regions. After obtaining a university degree in urban environment with universities, young people often do not return to Posavje region. The challenge lies in the imbalance between the offer and demand of job opportunities and the lack of information regarding employment needs and the possibilities for networking with employers in Posavje region.
The project implemented activities of researching the needs of employers in Posavje region, good practice exchange with the Norway partner, supportive network establishment, providing content and the required knowledge for youth digitally and establishing a physical and virtual place to implement activities. A comprehensive training of youth consultants to work with youth represents is a vital part to achieve long-term goals.
The project represents and innovative approach towards employment promotion for youth in underdeveloped Posavje region and developing competencies for better job prospects. The project focus was to establish a dynamic and digitally equipped support environment in Posavje region, intending to connect youth, employers and educational organizations. The goal of the project was to enhance the employment potential of youth in Posavje region, which was achieved through various project activities and outputs:
1. Comprehensive Research: a thorough study of employer needs and the labour market situation in the Posavje region was conducted.
2. Establishment of a supportive network: a network of supportive organisations was created, involving over 20 regional organisations and companies.
3. Exchange of good practices: successful practices were exchanged through study visits and meetings with a Norwegian roject partner.
4. Training of youth career consultants: a 40-hour training programme was prepared and carried out through which 12 youth career consultants received the title "Competent Professional Worker for Youth Career Guidance."
5. Individual counselling and career orientation: the project enabled individual counselling, career orientation, and evaluation of informal knowledge using modern tools and tests.
6. Skill-building and networking events: 19 events for acquiring informal skills and competencies, as well as networking events for youth, were conducted. More than 311 young users were involved in the activities of individual counselling and events.
7. Digital platform: a digital platform was established for connecting youth with employers, along with a database of opportunities, promotional videos for promoting regional professions and employers, educational blog content and numerous informational resources for youth.
8. Renovated space: a significant result of the project is the Career Centre Posavje - a rennovated dedicated space in Krško and purchase of technical and office equipment.
9. Implementation of public events: public events were implemented, along with the preparation and printing of a publication, PR articles for media, and the establishment of online communication tools such as social media pages for disseminating project results.
The main results achieved were the establishment of all-in-one career support environment with a knowledge and information base and the training of consultants for higher-quality content delivery. These results impacted all direct indicators of the programme: creating a knowledge base led to the development of new or upgraded services; training consultants increased the number of skilled staff; and enhancing service offerings expanded activities related to networking, training, and counselling for youth. Indirectly, the project also focused on improving education and the social environment for disadvantaged groups, by enhancing regional education and strengthening the social support system for youth services.
The project main beneficiaries are:
• Youth (aged 16 to 26 years) who gained access to improved career guidance, knowledge and expanded opportunities for networking and skill-building.
• Career consultants who received specialized training, increasing their effectiveness and professional skills.
• Local employers and educational institutions who benefitted from a well-organised knowledge base and a more skilled workforce.
• Disadvantaged groups who strengthened social environment through improved digital platform and regional services.
Summary of bilateral results
The involvement of a donor project partner from Norway brought valuable expertise and best practices that enriched the project. For example, the exchange of best practices with a Norwegian project partner provided the project with insights into innovative approaches not previously available in the region. This knowledge transfer helped improve the quality and effectiveness of the project''s activities, such as the training programmes, career guidance services and innovation in communication approaches. This bilateral partnership also increased project''s credibility and helped attract more attention from local organisations and wider public. The bilateral partnership led to the development of innovative support environments and training programmes, incorporating best practices from both countries. Meetings, study visits and joint events further facilitated knowledge sharing and highlighted the achievements of the collaboration. Project partners gained enhanced expertise and new insights into support environments and training through this shared learning experience. The cross-cultural exchange offered valuable perspectives on diverse approaches to youth support. The capacity-building efforts of the Norwegian project partner contributed to the long-term sustainability of the project. Local staff and organisations developed new skills and competencies that will continue to benefit the region beyond the project’s lifespan.The bilateral collaboration was successful, paving the way for ongoing bilateral cooperation. Project partners recognise the significant mutual benefits they have gained and intend to maintain contact and explore potential opportunities for future collaboration to upgrade innovative solutions and expanding support services for youth. Project partners are enthusiastic about continuing collaboration and are dedicated to ensuring that partnership remains productive and impactful in the future.