Futuro Possibile

Inclusive Youth Information Award category

Organisation

Informagiovani dell'U.O. Nuove Generazioni del Comune di Ferrara - PLE Eurodesk IT028

Country

Italy

WEBSITE

https://www.informagiovani.fe.it/

Project link

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3zxCSWoTF4/?img_index=1

General Overview

“Futuro Possibile” was a project initiated by the Municipality of Ferrara and promoted by Eurodesk Local Point Informagiovani in partnership with Centro Studi Opera Don Calabria. It aimed to address the critical issue of youth unemployment among those aged 15 to 24, which stood at 15.4% in Ferrara’s municipality. The project’s goal was to reactivate young NEETs aged between 18 and 27 years through a training path tailored to each individual.

The project consisted of several stages. It commenced with a group meeting activity where young participants got to know each other through non-formal methods to ensure everyone’s participation. During this meeting, the participants were also provided with information about European learning mobility programmes, presented as significant opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Next, participants took part in a 45-hour training course using a learning by doing approach. This course focused on soft skills, basic computer skills, and customer communication techniques. This phase concluded with another non-formal education activity facilitated by Informagiovani on the occasion of the European Year of Skills, designed to enhance the participants’ sense of self-efficacy.

Upon completing the training phase, the participants engaged in a two-month paid internship at various organisations, such as companies or associations. These organisations were chosen in collaboration with tutors from the Don Calabria Institute, ensuring a good match between the participants’ aspirations and needs, and the host organisations.

Thematic Category Correspondence

(50 points max)

How does this initiative (project, event, material) correspond to the thematic category

Under the term NEET fall different situations of fragility, which is why Futuro Possibile was built to ensure maximum inclusiveness through customisation. The candidates, all between 18 and 27 years of age, were chosen by paying close attention to their unique situations and backgrounds. In fact, those with specific needs, such as a low level of education, a disability, or other social problems, were considered to be more closely aligned with the project’s target audience and were thus given priority during the selection phase.

Collaboration with public psychological counselling services, social services, and the employment centre active in the area was essential in selecting the participants and providing support. The collaboration between Informagiovani and the Don Calabria Institute enabled young NEETs to access resources that are often unknown, such as European mobility programmes and initiatives promoted by Eurodesk.

The training method used was also relevant because it placed emphasis on creating a safe space to bring out the skills of each individual. During the first meeting, for example, an icebreaking activity was conducted using Lego, ensuring that everyone had total freedom of expression. Each participant had to present themselves and their ideal job through the creation of a model made from the famous bricks. During the activity, themes such as the fear that one’s disability could be an obstacle or the difficulty of relating to judgmental work environments emerged. Young participants shared their feelings about work and the future.

The activity on competence and self-efficacy was also delivered as a group activity, where each participant had to get involved and contribute to understanding the concept of competence. By the end, participants recognised themselves as individuals who already have a combination of knowledge and abilities that they can bring into the work environment.

Impact

(30 points max)

How did your project impact young people / your community?

The project involved 15 young people, equally distributed between males and females, who were not engaged in training, education, or work experience, and had different needs due to situations of mobility impairment, cognitive disabilities, migration backgrounds, health situations, and social fragility. They were reactivated through a training course and an internship tailored as closely as possible to their skills and aspirations, so that everyone could have their work experience in a safe space that permitted both personal and professional growth.

One of the most important parts of the project was to give young people the opportunity to meet other young people in a similar situation (being young and not in employment, education, or training). In fact, meeting new friends provided participants with a strong motivation to conclude every phase of the project. At the end of the project, participants received a full-scale orientation on the opportunities available at each level – local, regional, national and European. They gained an understanding of what the EU does for them and how Eurodesk can provide them with useful information on mobility. In addition, young participants recognised their own effectiveness, recovering their self-confidence and readiness for new experiences.

Green Focus

(10 points max)

Did your project have any green focus and/or did you implement any eco-friendly measures when organising it?

The project also focused on the sustainable accessibility of the spaces. The place where the training sessions were held, located on the outskirts of the city of Ferrara, was accessible by both bus and train, with a dedicated train stop. The choice of the organisational realities where the internships were held also took into account the proximity to the residence of the individual participants in order to promote the environmental and social sustainability of the project. The Informagiovani office, located in the central area of Ferrara, was easily accessible by bicycle and had a nearby bus stop. Project communication was fully conveyed through online channels, such as the Informagiovani’s newsletter and social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

Inclusive Youth Information Award category