Project name: "BACK ON TRACK"(BoT)
"ENHANCING THE (RE)INTEGRATION OF NEETs IN RURAL AREAS IN EDUCATION, TRAINING AND THE LABOUR MARKET BY IMPROVING THEIR BASIC SKILLS, RESILIENCE AND VIRTUAL MOBILITY"
PROJECT SUMMARY
In 2021, the European Union (EU) is facing a worrying problem related to the high percentage of young people aged between 15 and 29 who fall into the "Not in Education, Employment or training" (NEET) category. In particular, 13.1% of young people were classified as NEET, which is a serious concern, especially in rural regions. This situation not only negatively affects the well-being and living standards of NEETs, but also poses a threat to the social and economic sustainability of these areas. To tackle this urgent challenge, the EU has set itself the target of reducing the NEET rate to below 9% by 2030 and has recognised rural revitalisation as a common European vision. In response to this, the "Back on track" project was developed as a means to address these challenges and contribute to the common goals.
Aim of the Project:
Integrating rural NEETs into society, education and the labour market: this involves creating opportunities for rural NEETs to access education, training and employment, thereby facilitating their socio-economic inclusion. The project aims to provide tailored counselling, training and support to improve their standard of living and ensure a smooth transition into the labour market.
Improving basic, life and digital skills: Another important objective is to improve the basic skills, life skills and mental well-being of NEETs in rural areas. The project aims to provide targeted and personalised support to help these individuals pursue their personal aspirations, along with increasing their resilience and digital inclusion.
Promoting virtual mobility and strengthening rural-urban linkages: The project emphasizes increasing virtual mobility of NEETs in rural areas to bridge the gap between rural and urban benefits. This includes extending education and employment opportunities that are typically concentrated in urban areas to rural residents through digital means, thereby making rural areas more attractive and reducing the brain drain.
Building a transnational, cross-sectoral network of stakeholders: a key objective is to create a network that will ensure the long-term sustainability of project results. This includes fostering collaboration between different stakeholders in different sectors and countries to share knowledge, experiences and best practices.
These targets are in line with the wider European objectives of reducing NEET rates and revitalising rural areas to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth across the region.
Activities:
- Building a transnational, cross-sectoral network of stakeholders to ensure sustainable collaboration between education, employment and social services and to ensure uptake of project outcomes.
- Understanding the characteristics and diversity of rural NEETs in the Danube Region to facilitate the development of solutions and measures tailored to their identified needs.
- Develop a joint outreach strategy and regional action plans to adapt effective methods of engagement and establish sustainable, trusted relationships with NEETs in rural areas.
- Develop training and mentoring programmes to build the capacity of stakeholders to facilitate access and sustainable engagement of NEETs in rural areas.
- Offering one-to-one support for integration through the establishment of a pilot mentoring programme to assist NEETs in rural areas in creating an individual plan for integration into education, training or the labour market.
- Raising awareness of remote working opportunities and enhancing rural attractiveness by boosting the digital readiness of NEETs and encouraging new career prospects.
- Increasing the human capital of NEETs in rural areas by enhancing their core skills and intellectual potential through the development of a digital training course tailored to their identified specific needs.
- Improving the quality of life and mental readiness of NEETs in rural areas by enhancing their self-management skills and resilience.
Partners:
The project involves 14 partners from 10 different countries, namely: Austria (coordinator), Germany, Czechia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary. These partners represent non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, public bodies, and other interest groups.
Expected results:
⦁ Improved social and educational integration of NEETs.
⦁ Improved basic and life skills of rural youth.
⦁ Increased attractiveness of rural areas and reduced migration to urban centres.
Duration of the project: January 2023 - June 2026
