Description
In Romania, the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) is increasing, thus the project answers the call for shaping better public policies, addressing the needs of this special category by directly involving NGOs that provide social services to young NEETs and the beneficiaries themselves. The main aim is to engage young NEETs in community development and empower NGOs & youth workers to advocate for public policies that would increase the sustainability of their work and would promote an integrated approach towards NEET phenomena (combining labor market & social inclusion issues). The project is expected to (1) create a national coalition of 20 NGOs that would work more at policy level, (2) build capacities of 30 youth workers and 15 young girls & women in NEET situations to be more engaged at community level (through 3 regional, capacity-building trainings), (3) 1 national research on the costs of young NEETs. Direct beneficiaries of the project will be young people in NEET situations & NGOs providing services to youth at risk, while indirect beneficiaries will be communities at whole, public authorities and other stakeholders.
Summary of project results
The project ‘’NGO Coalition for young NEETs’ rights - Investing in Social DOers’’ aimed at addressing a double need. On one hand, it made the voice of young NEETs (Not in education, employment or training) heard at policy level, and on the other hand, it helped raise the quality of services provided by youth workers to NEETs. The project resulted in: 1 NGO Coalition formed by 34 NGOs which currently participates in national debates on youth policies representing the needs of young NEETs; the first comprehensive study on this topic (focusing on quality research); 4 regional trainings for youth workers & young NEETs; 3 coordination meetings of the Coalition and 1 National Conference named ”Romania’s Invisible Generation”. The objectives have been successfully fulfilled. Overall, the greatest benefit of the project is that young NEETs have a constant and more accurate voice at the policy level, that it has increased public debates on the topic and gained media attention and, respectively, that it has created the starting point for civil society organizations to monitor the public funds allocated for young NEETs.
Summary of bilateral results