14 August 2024 – The Education, Scholarships, Apprenticeship, and Youth Entrepreneurship Programme, implemented in the 2014-2021 programming period, aims to enhance human capital and develop essential 21st-century skills.
This programme emphasizes connecting education with practical experience, supporting vulnerable groups, balancing work life and private life, and strengthening institutional capacities for good governance. The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills and the National Agency for International Education Affairs from Liechtenstein are key partners in its implementation.
Contribution to Improving Education and the Social Environment for Disadvantaged Groups
Under the Education, Scholarships, Apprenticeship and Youth Entrepreneurship Programme, seven projects contributing to education and the social environment for disadvantaged groups have been implemented with support from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. These projects have driven the development of innovative solutions aimed at empowering young people, reducing unemployment, and fostering entrepreneurial and social competencies. The collaborative efforts of the participating organizations and project partners have created lasting positive impacts that will continue to support youth and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable society.
Project Career Centre Posavje
The Career Centre Posavje project, led by the Regional Development Agency Posavje, has established an innovative approach to improving the employability of young people in the Posavje region. The project has created a digital support environment to enhance the employability of young people. Key achievements include a comprehensive survey of employers’ needs, and the labour market conditions, the establishment of a youth support network, the exchange of good practices with a Norwegian partner and the delivery of a 40-hour training course for career counsellors. Over 253 individual counselling sessions were conducted, along with 19 events to develop informal skills, and an online platform was launched to connect youth with regional employers. To support these activities, a space in the attic of the Mencinger House in Krško was renovated, ensuring ongoing support for young people on their career paths. The project also involved key regional stakeholders including the Centre for Youth and Sport Krško, the Institute of Adult Education Krško, the Regional Chamber of Craft and Small Business Krško, the Municipality of Krško, and Collective Innovation.
Project KOR-NET
The KOR-NET project, whose project promoter is the Dravit Dravograd Public Institute for Sports, Tourism, Culture and Youth Activities, aimed to strengthen the support environment for young people in Carinthia and reduce the brain drain, while at the same time equalising opportunities for all young people, especially those from demographically deprived areas, and empowering them to participate actively in public life and the labour market. The project activities were based on cooperation between youth organisations, the business world, and educational institutions, which helped to establish the Virtual Youth Incubator of Carinthia and 13 youth workstations across the region. Workshops, camps, seminars and events were organised to develop soft skills and entrepreneurial competences. The project activities also led to the creation of a handbook of good practices in the field of youth work. Project partners included in the project are Public Institute for Tourism, Sports, Youth and Social Programs SPOTUR Slovenj Gradec, Kompleks Youth Culture Centre, the Regional Chamber of Craft and Small Business Ravne na Koroškem, A. L. P. PECA Company for Product Development and Marketing, and Bjerkaker LearningLab.
Project NEKSTEP
The NEKSTEP project, whose project promoter is the Adult Education Centre Koper, provided young people in local communities with workshops on entrepreneurship and career orientation, individual counselling, mentor training, and networking opportunities. More than 350 young people took part in the career orientation workshops, preparing themselves for the job market. The workshops taught them how to design a CV and prepare for a job interview, while exploring digital tools, learning the basics of coding, discovering less common professions and meeting employers in the local area. Special attention was placed on young people considering entrepreneurship, with more than 180 young people taking part in entrepreneurship workshops. The project also included refresher training for 50 mentors and counsellors on creative methods for working with youth. One of the project’s highlights was the »Karierijada«, a Career Olympiad combining a hackathon, career workshops and speed meetings with employers. To ensure the sustainability of the results, the project partners have produced a range of materials that will remain freely accessible on their websites after the end of the project. The project also involved project partners such as the Adult Education Centre Sežana, the Središče Rotunda, Social Centre in the Littoral Region, and the International Development Norway.
Project PoMP
The PoMP project, whose project promoter is the Scientific Research Centre Bistra Ptuj, has established a comprehensive and sustainable support environment to encourage young people to think entrepreneurially and to develop entrepreneurial ideas. A key part of the project was the PoMP Academy, which provided teachers and mentors from primary and secondary schools with practical tools, methodologies, and training modules for teaching entrepreneurship. The Academy delivered 20 hours of specialised training to 75 teachers from 41 schools. The project led to the implementation of 20 pilot entrepreneurship workshops across the country, involving 379 pupils and 38 teachers. In addition, the project activities included the exchange of good practices with Norwegian partners and the establishment of a network of entrepreneurial schools and support institutions to enable the sustainability of the project. Project partners included in the project are the Primorska Technology Park, Development Centre Novo mesto, the Technology Park Ljubljana, the SAŠA Incubator, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
Project PreseNEETi se
The PreseNEETi se project, whose project promoter is the University of Adult Education Celje, focused on the empowerment and social activation of NEETs, young people aged between 15 and 29 who are not in education, employment, or training, with a particular focus on the older age group between 25 and 29 years. The project partners have carried out an analysis of the situation of NEETs in Slovenia and Norway and developed an empowerment and social activation programme based on good practices. The programme, which included educational workshops, career and psychosocial counselling and soft skills workshops, involved 30 NEETs. Additionally, 40 mentors were trained, a mentoring scheme was established, and a handbook for mentors was created. Finally, a publication with recommendations was produced and presented at consultations with policy makers. The project empowered 30 NEETs, trained 40 mentors and improved the methodology for identifying the needs of NEETs. Partners included the Employment Service of Slovenia, the University of Maribor, the National Youth Council of Slovenia, and the Norwegian Organisation for Supervision and Co-Operation.
Project TALENT LAB
The TALENT LAB project, led by the Pomurje Technology Park, aimed to increase employment opportunities in Pomurje by connecting 61 young talents with 22 local companies. Students were mentored to solve entrepreneurial challenges, gain insights into business processes, and develop concrete solutions. The companies benefited from fresh ideas and met potential new hires. The results of these efforts were presented at two Pitch Day events. The project also supported 25 early-stage entrepreneurs in developing their business ideas and starting their businesses. In addition, two start-up academies were organised, a mentoring scheme was set up, a best practice guide for fostering youth entrepreneurship was produced and an online database of educational resources was created. Partners in the project included the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maribor, the School of Economics Murska Sobota, the Bilingual Secondary School Lendava, the Biotechnological School Rakičan, the Secondary School for Catering and Tourism Radenci, and the Faculty of Humanities at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
Project TRIALOG
The TRIALOG project, whose project promoter is the Gender Equality Research Institute Maribor, was a response to the challenges posed by COVID-19, such as increased social isolation, peer violence, and psychosocial distress. The project aimed to empower young people by implementing a prevention program targeting online and intimate partner violence in secondary schools, complemented by training mentors within local networks. An online platform for positive dialogue was set up, offering young people an anonymous chat room and the possibility for youth to engage in local communities. Recommendations were also made to policy makers, focusing on young people’s mental health, which contributed to better integration of young people in local environments as well as to strengthening the competencies of youth and professional workers in the Podravska region. The project was carried out in partnership with the Municipality of Ptuj, the University of Adult Education Ormož, the Centre for Free Time Activities Ptuj, the Youth Council of the Municipality of Ptuj, and Avisensa, the Avisensa, Institute for psychology, counselling, and education.
SOURCE: Career Centre Posavje, KOR-NET, NEKSTEP, PoMP, PreseNEETi se, TALENT LAB, TRIALOG