The recent E-VOICE project‘s 5th transnational event on March 14th and 15th, facilitated online by UBBSLA, marked a significant milestone in addressing the persistent challenge of youth unemployment. This event, supported by the CERV programme, is spearheaded by the Municipality of Gazzo in Italy, with a diverse consortium of partners from Province of Padua (Italy), Sibenik (Croatia), Mioveni (Romania), UBBSLA (Bulgaria), ACR+ (Belgium), ALDA (France), and FAMSI.
The event started with insightful presentations by the Municipality of Gazzo and the Province of Padova, presenting the preliminary findings from the E-VOICE survey. This survey showed the multifaceted impacts of the pandemic on young individuals across the consortium’s diverse geographical landscape. Over the course of two engaging days, consortium partners embarked on a collaborative journey, sharing their diverse experiences and innovative approaches aimed at bolstering the integration of young people into the labour market. Central to the discussions were pragmatic solutions, ranging from targeted training initiatives to fostering professional growth opportunities. Additionally, the importance of forging robust partnerships with local employment agencies and educational institutions emerged as one of the topics. These partnerships serve as a channelling resources and support towards youth empowerment and employability enhancement.
A notable highlight of the event was Stefania Bertazzo’s, cooperative manager of the Eleison Cooperative, which supports and integrates international asylum seekers. Bertazzo shed light on the challenges encountered in bridging the gap between asylum seekers and local communities amidst the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her insights underscored the imperative of fostering inclusive frameworks that amplify the voices of marginalised youth cohorts, including migrants and refugees.
Moreover, ALDA, as the partner responsible for communication and dissemination, outlined the project’s strategy on how to better engage young people and citizens through social media as well as offline dissemination tools
With the help of social media platforms and deploying targeted offline dissemination tools, ALDA is able to engage young people and citizens at large in meaningful dialogues around youth empowerment.
The last part of the event witnessed an enriching dialogue featuring young individuals and students, who shared their lived experiences and navigational challenges encountered during the COVID-19 era. The exchange demonstrated that despite facing difficulties, communities can come together, confront adversities, reinvent themselves, and emerge even more resilient. It served as a crucible for forging meaningful partnerships, amplifying marginalised voices, and charting actionable pathways towards youth empowerment and inclusive economic prosperity. By prioritising the development and well-being of young people, the project endeavours to catalyse transformative change that could spread across communities, fostering a more equitable and inclusive future for all.