Backgroung
The project will tackle joint cross-border challenges related to high unemployment of youth from low-income families, who are 18-25 years old and reside in Latvia (Zemgale, Riga and Riga region), Estonia (Lõuna-Eesti region) and Finland (Länsi-Suomi region). Young people often struggle to get a job and can find themselves in a long-term unemployment or NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training), situation, as employers generally prefer to hire personnel with a prior work experience. Individuals from low-income families are particularly vulnerable since they are forced to earn a living from an early age and, in many cases, have to settle for low-qualified positions. Moreover, fee-paid education is not accessible to them. As a consequence, young people with poor income are frequently unable to realise own potential, build an impressive career, earn a desired salary and achieve job satisfaction.
Goal
The project goal is to design and implement a complex and dynamic cross-border training course consisting of 207 learning hours, which will significantly increase entrepreneurial abilities of young people from low-income families.
Expected results
The training course will last for 1 year, encompass 7 face-to-face and 10 online events and will be conducted twice: in Cycle 1 and Cycle 2. In each cycle, trainees will learn and practice idea generation and idea assessment techniques, get a thorough understanding of how a company functions and study operations that occur in its various domains, including general management and business development, human resources, marketing, sales and customer relationships, finance and production.
Trainees will create cross-border multi-functional teams of 5-6 persons centered around specific business ideas and spend the following 4 months working on them. Thanks to cross-border cooperation, trainees will be exposed to a business environment in 3 countries, expand their vision of how companies operate in each of them, dive into a larger pool of ideas, identify market niches they could occupy in the region and build long-lasting connections in neighbouring countries, which is expected to result in establishment of viable companies with a cross-border focus.
A total of 100 young people will be enrolled in the course during 2 cycles. 82 persons will be active participants.
Funding
Partners
Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (Coordinator)
Association of Municipalities of Tartu County (Partner)