Serve the City International Promoting the Value of Volunteering in EU-funded “EYES” Project
Written by: Sara Tchaparian
Serve the City International is taking part in the EU-funded project, “Empowering Youth through Entrepreneurial Skills” (EYES), which aims to accompany inactive youth in North-Western Europe onto the labour market. The European Union has contributed 2.56 million euros towards this project.
An estimated 14% of young people aged between 15-34 are not in employment, education or training in North-Western Europe, and this group risks long-term exclusion from the labour market . Serve the City’s research contribution in this project will promote the key role of volunteer coaches in triggering motivation and in providing a personalised touch for youth in order to direct them towards labour market integration.
The EYES project highlights an innovative approach that combines entrepreneurial education and personal coaching through the use of digital tools. These will enable youth to access coaching networks, information, training schemes, and regular support schemes that they would otherwise perhaps refuse, breaking down the barriers of labour market exclusion.
Up to 1000 youths will test the digital product and benefit from coaching during the project pilot phase. The project will be piloted in metropolitan areas of North-Western Europe, with at least 400 youths entering regular employment or entrepreneurship training schemes by the end of the project in 2021.
