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Description
Cowork4YOUTH is a research project aiming to increase knowledge on the impact of existing policies and offer policy suggestions to enhance youth employment opportunities in less-developed EEA regions. The direct target groups are the, usually ignored, NEETs aged 25-29, with particular emphasis put on young mothers and the long-term unemployed. From July 2022 until its completion in January 2024, Cowork4YOUTH will deliver 14 outputs, including a Research Network, an Observatory, papers, and policy suggestions. Through an integrated multi-scalar methodology, these outputs will help accomplish 5 outcomes.
Unemployment is a multi-faceted problem, with personal, social, and financial repercussions. If we are to overcome the issue, it is important to assess the effectiveness of European employment policies, such as the Youth Guarantee which in recent years has been the EU’s main instrument to tackle youth unemployment. It is also important to provide informed recommendations for improvement. To provide more targeted solutions, the project adopts a regional perspective across the study countries, focusing on tourism-dependent regions and regions in energy transition or industrial decline. Cowork4YOUTH, however, also explores the potential of alternative practices such as a socially-oriented platform economy and collaborative working spaces to contribute to the effectiveness of employment policies. The pandemic and its repercussions have forced stakeholders to look into alternative ways of invigorating the economy, and the time is right to investigate these practices.
Cowork4YOUTH will expand its impact beyond the funding duration following an integrated sustainability and scalability plan.