Youth unemployment is a long-term issue in Europe. Whilst significant progress has been made in the last years with policies such as the Youth Guarantee, there were still over 12% of YP aged 15-29 not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2019. This does not only result in losses to EU economies in terms of social benefit payments or taxable income but has also longer-term consequences for YP people’s life chances. ComNetNEET partners analysed the quantitative situation regarding NEETs and 2 main lines of intervention were distinguished: intervention in education, training and (re-)insertion in education, training or work and intervention in social inclusion. Both are dependent on each other as education and training can be a means of social inclusion. The project’s main aims were to develop an innovative methodology, drawing on existing best practices in partners’ countries, to pilot it in PT, IT and ES, and to analyse the outputs, outcomes and impacts of these pilots. There were several objectives underlying these overall aims. These included: (1) To IDENTIFY THE STATE OF THE ART AND GOOD PRACTICES OF SOCIAL INCLUSION (using work based learning strategies) targeted at YP in partners’ countries; (3) To DESIGN, CONCEIVE AND DEVELOP A MODEL OF INTERVENTION relevant to the partners countries; (4) To conduct a PILOT APPLICATION of the methodology at local level in PT, ES and IT; (5) To promote AWARENESS MEETINGS in the context of the project to EXCHANGE EXPERIENCES and identify best practices already in place; (6) To validate the model through a LOCAL MULTI-STAKEHOLDER approach and to EVALUATE THE IMPACT of the model; (7) To reinforce and match the role of different local/regional stakeholders to find the best means of optimization, and increase the NETWORKING CAPACITY, with a view to enhance NEETs social inclusion and employability; (8) To DISSEMINATE and EXPLORE, the project results among relevant beneficiaries and ensure their SUSTAINABILITY, at a practice level, through the training of professionals and, at the institutional level, influencing policies and changing the culture of services provided. To achieve these aims and objectives, the project produced 4 IOs, organised 3 focus groups (30 part), several ME (networking activities (193 part) + 3 national seminars (127 part) in PT, ES and IT + 1 European final Conference (72 part)), 6 TMP (90 part), 2 LA (C1, with 13 and C2 with 37 part.), a dissemination strategy and a solid evaluation plan, and impacting directly 615 target groups representatives, more 171 than foreseen in the project application. The partnership worked cooperatively to develop a model of intervention, test it in 3 partner countries (PT, ES and IT) and evaluate its impact. The intervention combined innovative elements designed to address key local needs in target countries, with an evidence review of EU and national literature and existing good practices identified in partner countries (https://neetsinaction.eu/outputs/). The project achieved an impact in the 3 main target groups: at micro level (YP in a NEET situation); at meso level (professionals working for and with YP in a NEET situation); and at macro level (the ecosystem of organisations that are part of the NEET issue, at local/regional and national level). The project sought to an alternative solution to strategies and policies previously implemented, by strengthening and using community networks. Following a preparation phase which included a territory diagnostic, the selection of YP in a NEET situation as well as the identification of possible members for the local community of stakeholders’ networks, the main part of the piloting, conduced within IO2, involved supporting NEETs and building the networks. Across ES, IT and PT more than 50 YP in a NEET situation were engaged and took part in individual coaching-based sessions, group sessions and job-experiences, based on an individual action plan (IAP). The community networks were developed and will be maintained to create a shared ambition and understanding of ways to integrate NEETs as well as to give them a better opportunity to gain access to the world of work. Impact in YP in a NEET situation: significant improvement of their awareness of possible pathways, of their employability skills as well as of their social capital; mitigation of the danger of starting a vicious cycle of a perceived feeling of failure in life, increased potential of contributing to society and to combat a general feeling of “worthlessness”.Impact in professionals: availability of a methodology of intervention, practical tools and a better preparation to guide and support YP in a NEET situation.Impact at system/policy level: an increased awareness of the need for better coordination of local approaches for the integration of NEETs; an increased awareness that closer employer-community-VET provider-Youth networking is a valuable tool to foster the social integration of YP in a NEET situation.

The “Opening Up”, connecting youth to society learning circle was again an effective follow up of the learning circle ‘Connecting youth to society’. This 'Open up!' network with partners in 11 countries empower s youth with fewer opportunities to debated and campaign further for an inclusive and resilient Europe on the basis of non discrimination. We empowered therefore our primary target group were (24-38) youth workers or debate educators to support their final beneficiaries in this project. Those are the (84) youth with fewer opportunities, growing up in the periphery of Europe either because they live in disadvantaged neighborhoods or have hyphenated identities or no legal status , they have mental or phsyical disabilities or they grow up in rural areas. We want to develop this European network to connect those young people to their societies, to promote their ideas and solutions for change and to give them a voice and avenues to be heard at local and European level. We want to make this network more visible, pedagogic, educational and cooperative in shared common goals. We jointly aimed to learn to harvest specific key messages in order to campaign more focused for more inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities in Europe. This year we focused more specific on overcoming hidden aspects like hidden discrimination, being illegal or with hyphenated identities, bullying, fear or pain, mental or physical disturbance or limitations. And we want to be linked more to relevant networks. To achieve this we trained 24 -32 (depending of the training) participants which were youth workers , volunteers and debate educators. In our approach we developed a mutual cooperation between youth workers and debate educators from 11 countries. During the trainings for multipliers we used the strategy of debate education and other informal innovative ways of learning. The first training for training took place in March 2016 in Bucarest where we were very inspired by staff and youth from the host, the Policy Centre for Roma and Minorities Children. After this training the participants applied the trainings and harvested the key messages in their own communities. They also wrote an assignment to develop their learning process. The second phase was focused on development of a small pilot debate campaign. It started again with a training for trainers in a village dominated by the mafia nearby Napels. In this closed community we worked on the development of key messages to OPEN UP! the society. All participants (idem as in March) shared their experiences and their own learning questions with their buddies and they were coached on their training skills in public speaking and debating. Meanwhile we shared all harvested key messages from 11 countries and analysed the common ground. Through creative, logical and physical exercises and excursions we developed final key messages, short one minute speeches, the lay out for the website www.openupconnect.org and the line up of the final campaigning momentum in Brussels. This last exchange took place in Brussels in the Month for the Rights of the Child. The OPEN UP! network shared their key messages in high level EU debates . The exchange was perfectly prepared, on the basis of mutual cooperation and friendship, and we had extremely effective meetings and exchanges in Brussels in November. This offered growth in self-esteem, motivation and trust of the network, examples for the future and a joint feeling ‘that the voices were well raised and heard’. Results: 84 young people with fewer opportunities grow into their skills, self-esteem and understanding of how to raise their voices and debate about violations of their rights. Their youth workers have grown in their intercultural communication skills and friendship. We deepened the cooperation of this learning network of 'local heroes' that are grassroots leaders in social change in communities across Europe. These local heroes were enabled to 'open up' the society by fostering debates and dialogue about discrimination (of youth) at local and international level . This resulted in small scale youth driven local and international policy debates with clear key messages that delivered action oriented agenda setting to achieve social inclusion for all. And they- and their youth- are more connected and seen now in relevant other networks. They are able and very motivated to foster debates and further campaign against discrimination to achieve social inclusion for all also in 2018 and longer. Multiplication effects were mainly that trainers that we trained, transferred skills to other young people and within their organisation. Affiliated networks are inspired to exchange ideas and practices, such as networks of police, youth care, policy makers. This all contribute on the long term to resilient communities where social inclusion for all is achieved.

OPEN UP! let youth be heard and connected is a follow up of previous learning circles that IDEA coordinates for youth workers who work with disadvantaged youth. We aim to empower them to be European active citizens. We do this through mutual training for trainers on debate education methods, public speaking and developing persuasive motions and key messages. Another aim was to improve the way that we can make sure that the youth with fewer opportunities are heard and reach out to a wider audience than the 'debate room'. This means that our participants, volunteers and youth workers will harvest key messages when they apply debate education and local debates in their communities for youth with fewer opportunities. Our final goal is the intention to make this OPEN UP! network more sustainable and structured so that the partners, their youth workers and volunteers who work with youth with fewer opportunities can really work on impact, progress and empowerment of youth with fewer opportunities. The problems of these youth will be adressed in this project. Firstly, problems of being excluded and lacking the skills that are needed in the 21st century. We offer them skills- through our trained participants- such as critical thinking, active citizenship, argumentation, networking, public speaking and leadership skills. Secondly, problems with the growing gap between the target group and public autorities. In general, youth are not heard on issues of their interest and their needs are not well reflected in policy documents. Therefore, this year, we want to emphazise strongly the need of youth to be heard and we want to develop strong key messages via the debate activities at grass-roots level and improve campaigning in order for youth to be heard and connected. The participants in the OPEN UP! network did not only learn technical skills to train youth in debating and campaining. They also learned to work with pedagogical approaches that put youth in their strenght; open space, co creation, action learning and other innovative learning skills. The activities were simple but effective: We started with a thorough preporatory session with our partners, based on setting own learning goals, reflection on products of OPEN UP in the last years, and a joint cooperation to develop the trainings. Then, we implemented a training on developing 'Training for Trainers' skills to teach others to debate and speak in public as well as developing persuasive strategies to campaign for the key messages of local youth. This was applied in the local communities among target groups like minorities, Roma youth, Russian minorities, refugees and youth who need to be prevented from radicalisation. This application stimulated reflection on own learning goals and meanwhile support local youth to become active citizens through debate education. The second training was in Istanbul and based on the application and test of the campaign model. The participants brought the messages from their youth and we developed an even stronger campaign. The next phase was the implementation of the campaign, reaching out to local, national and international autorities to make youth heard and to organise debates in a local setting. The final phase was a reflection meeting in Brussels to analyse progress of 'how youth are heard, especially youth with fewer opportunities' and how to improve this. Reflection included also external partners such as the EU Commission, International NGOs in Brussels and other stakeholders that showed interest to engage youth with fewer opportunities, to empower them as active citizens and to listen to them in order to give due weight to their needs. Open Up youth workers represent them well after this intensive but joyful process. They themselves and their organisations became active citizens, role models for their communities and countries and for the European Youth Sector. Like in the previous years the partners integrated this European learning circle standard in their own plan of action because of the added value. It was fantastic that we could present our approach in the EU Educational Summit and during the Youth Summit in Straatburg. We are happy to mention that also youth workers and debate trainers from the MENA region participated because of the shared interest to depolarise societies due to the conflicts in the Middle East. Like is they want to offer youth in both regions perspectives, an open eye for each other's situations and friendship. The exchange between European youth workers (representing their youth) and between youth workers from MENA impacted the European and MENA society positively on the long term. It was greatly beneficial that we incorporated organisations working on preventing youth from violent radicalisation and working with refugees. We matched debate trainers with youth workers. This diversity of talents across Europe stimulated co creation and joyful act.