Description
In the first phase, a comparative analysis of the situation of NEETs in Slovenia and Norway was carried out, a post-test with NEETs was carried out in Slovenia. The Slovenian partners went to Norway to look for examples of good practice. The whole visit was organised by the Norwegian partner. The Slovenian partners took the inspiring ideas back home, where they developed an integrated empowerment and social inclusion programme, also based in the best practice examples from Norway. 30 NEETs were included in the programme. The programme consisted of educational workshops, soft skills workshops and, most importantly, career and psychosocial counselling.
40 mentors (from the youth sector and Employment Service counsellors) were involved in the training for mentors. A manual for mentors for working with NEETs was written. Mentors were involved in a two-tier mentoring scheme (innovative element of the project) and mentored 30 NEETs who were enrolled in the developed programme.
What followed was the development of a methodology to identify the basic characteristics and needs of the NEET population, which included interviews with representatives of relevant institutions working with NEETs. The interviewees were invited to join the consultation to identify synergies for more effective monitoring and targeting of NEETs. All the data and the results were compiled into a policy recommendation paper.
Level of implementation / Scope
Aims of policy/initiative
The main objective of the initiative was to have a three-pronged project approach, involving activities at the level of NEETs, activities for people working in the field of NEETs, and activities at the system level.
Features and types of activities implemented
- The tailored programme of empowerment and social activation of young NEETs
- Training for mentors
- Establishment of a two-tire mentor scheme
- Development of a new methodology of basic needs and characteristics of the NEET population
- Policy recommendations
Resources
The PreseNEETi project is co-financed by Norway with funds from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism [Norway Grants (85 %), Republic of Slovenia (15 %)] with an overall amount of €498,792.
Partners:
The project partnership consists of the People's University of Celje, the University of Maribor, the Youth Council of Slovenia, the Employment Agency of the Republic of Slovenia and the Norwegian partner Veiledernettverket NOSCO / Norwegian Organization for Supervision and Co-Operation.
Evaluation of the measure
All elements of PreseNEETi were evaluated by Norwegian partner NOSCO:
The concrete results with comparison to the planned aims / goals:
All the project results were met to a certain degree according to the timetable of the project:
- In total, 30 NEET individuals were enrolled in the programme.
- In total, 40 youth and other workers completed the mentor training programme to work with NEETs.
- Two-tier mentoring scheme was established.
- Methodology was developed to identify the basic characteristics and needs of the NEET population.
- A comprehensive empowerment and social activation programme for NEETs was developed and tested.
- Consortium partners were empowered to work with NEETs (study visit to Norway, State of the art presentation).
- Bilateral cooperation in the field of work with NEETs between Slovenia and Norway was established according to a plan (study visit to Norway, three visits from Norwegian delegation to Slovenia).
- Integrated career and psychosocial empowerment of NEETs who participated in the programme (group and individual counselling).
- The establishment of in-depth dialogue and seeking institutional synergies for more effective monitoring and targeting of NEETs (5 multi-stakeholder meetings).
Evidence of effectiveness of the measure
As stated in the Post-test report – based on qualitative results, all integral parts of the project activities provided a positive impact.
All 30 participants took a significant step towards social inclusion and thus achieved a positive outcome:
- 3 were registered as active jobseekers at the Employment Service of Slovenia.
- 11 became volunteers.
- 12 got employed.
- 1 person developed a business plan.
- 3 people took part in a Slovene language course.
The share of participating service providers demonstrating improved skills in relevant institutions and organisations working directly with young people: 129 out of 120 beneficiaries were reached, which is 107.5%.
The share of participating service providers demonstrating improved skills in the field of relevant state and public authorities and organisations - political decision-makers: We reached 193 beneficiaries out of the 200 expected, which is 97%.
Success factors
The key innovative element of this initiative was a three-pronged project approach, involving activities at the level of NEETs, activities for people working in the field of NEETs, and activities at the system level. The programme goes beyond the existing practice in the field of NEET management, which has shown that both individuals and institutions take only one or two of the three approaches, usually missing the micro or macro level. To overcome this, an integrated approach was needed at the EU level to act as a focal point. The key success factors are described below:
Mentoring scheme and training: training of at least 40 mentors was crucial for the successful management and support of NEETs. The mentoring scheme allowed for personalised support to NEET individuals and at the same time ensured that NGOs, educational institutions, and public institutions gained new skills to deal with them in the long term.
Counselling: this was the most important aspect of the project, for it enabled targeting of the roots of the problem of young NEETS.
Inclusiveness and adaptability of the programme: the programme was also successful because of the adaptability of the activities to the specific needs of NEETs. This allowed the individual needs of the NEETs to be addressed appropriately, increasing their participation and the impact of the programme.
Development of a targeted methodology: a key success factor has been the development of a methodology for identifying and addressing NEETs. This established clear guidelines for early intervention and social activation of the NEET population, which increased the effectiveness of the programme.
Tailored education and training programmes: The empowerment and social integration programme for young NEETs was a tailored programme adjusted to their special needs, which means that they participated in creating the programme and emphasised what kind of knowledge and skills they lacked. The NEET participants with migration backgrounds lack knowledge of the Slovenian language, which was one of the biggest obstacles to their integration into the labour market. After gaining a sufficient level of Slovenian language, they easily got integrated into the labour market or voluntary work. Other participants lacked foreign language knowledge (German), digital skills, or communication skills. Upskilling them through tailored programmes enabled their integration and social inclusion.
Peer-groups: played a crucial role to provide peer support for NEETs in overcoming social anxieties and challenges of adaptation to new situations.
