Poverty and unemployment are devastating issues for many young Europeans. The recent outbreak of coronavirus only aggravates already-detrimental employment situation. Amidst the 2008 financial crisis, youth unemployment reached 20 per cent. According to the London-based Institute of Student Employers, 27% of graduate employers plan to hire fewer graduates, and the number of internships is bound to decrease by 31%, affecting the routes into graduate jobs. Young people and students, many of whom work part-time to support themselves while studying or are at entry-level positions are the first in a line to be laid off. Losing a job can mean dropping out of university, undergoing a significant cut of comfort and losing hope of realising life goals. The situation is not going to improve any time soon. After the 2008 financial crisis, it has taken seven years until the salaries returned to the pre-crisis levels.
We are convinced that social entrepreneurship can be as good help in mitigating the impacts of the crisis on young people as any, yet, so many of them, who are motivated to start their businesses and contribute to societal development are discouraged by the bureaucracy and lack of information (concerning the structure, legal procedure, getting substantial funding, claiming benefits). This shortage of transparency gives a floor to the misuse of the system by those who are connected to the government. This has been happening in all partner countries.
o improve the situation, we implement 5 following steps:
- Execute 1 training seminar in Slovakia and 1 study visit in Georgia for youth workers, young leaders, representatives of government authorities and entrepreneurs, connecting professionals from Europe and young motivated people from V4 and EaP Countries to educate them about the implementation of SE practices, exchange knowledge and gather information for the production of the website.
- Create a dynamic website examining the entrepreneurial landscape, containing geographically-targeted plans, instructions and advice for setting up a social enterprise in all partner countries. This website will be updated on a quarterly basis and will map the legal landscape of social entrepreneurship in all partner countries.
- The biggest obstacle most youth and NGO workers endure is the lack of resources. We desire to create an accessible easy-to-use tool providing guidance in establishing a social enterprise.
- Implement the knowledge in 4 social-entrepreneurship projects
- Launch an online information campaign focused on:
- Raising awareness about the problems of youth unemployment and the impact of COVID-19 on the employment situation of young people,
- Spreading awareness about social entrepreneurship,
- Disseminating the website.
- Organise a local youth conference in every partner country, focused on presenting the outcomes of the project. The conferences will focus on presenting social entrepreneurship as a tool to decrease the youth unemployment and support youth empowerment.
Our partners are from Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Georgia and Armenia.
GET INVOLVED! Contact us at info@youthforequality.sk