Project funded by the European Union, within the Social Innovation Initiative / ESF + SI +

Grant agreement: ESF-SI-2022-ALMA-01-0017

Total value: 599.131,34 Eur

Period: 02.10.2023 – 02.04.2025

Beneficiary: ADV Romania

Partners:

• INFOR ELEA (Italy)
• Consorzio Nazionale CGM (Italy)

Partners from Romania: 

Iași Prefecture, Iași Social Assistance Directorate (DAS), Iași General Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC), Iași County Agency for Employment (AJOFM), Iași Chamber of Commerce, Embassy of Sustainability, North-East Regional Development Agency, Bucovina Institute, National Federation of Social Solidarity (FONSS), RISE Romania (Romanian Network of Social Economy)

About the project:

'JobDirect for NEET Youth within the ALMA Initiative' is an active inclusion project aimed at enabling the most vulnerable young people, aged 18 to 29, in Romania, who are not in education, employment, or training (NEETs), to find a job and integrate into society by improving their skills, knowledge, and experience in professional environments across Europe.

The evaluation of the results of this project will play a key role in informing the European Commission's decision to launch a call for funding at national level through the Managing Authority managing the European Social Fund.

Objectives:

1. Facilitating the socio-professional inclusion of 40 NEET youth, especially from the North-East Region of Romania, one of the poorest regions in Europe.
2. Integrating a transnational mobility component within the services offered by JobDirect - a job placement and assistance agency for people with disabilities, established in 2016 by ADV Romania.
3. Strengthening both national and transnational partnerships for the socio-professional insertion of NEET youth.
4. Developing a best practices model by analysing internship, training, employment opportunities offered by traditional companies and social insertion enterprises.
5. Promoting and distributing nationally and across Europe the lessons learned and best practices resulting from providing a comprehensive service for socio-professional insertion following the one-stop-shop principle for NEET youths.

Activities

PREPARATION PHASE FOR MOBILITY (February 2, 2024 – May 27, 2024)

1. Selection of participants (40 NEET youth, aged between 18 and 29, from Romania, 55% of whom are disabled/of Roma ethnicity/from the child protection system/long-term unemployed; 6 of them will be on the reserve list); 
2. Career counseling and guidance, job-matching;
3. Development of the mobility action plan for each participant;

4. Preparation activities:
   

• Italian language course (to equip the young participants with basic communicative abilities in the host country's language);
• basic digital skills course;
• meetings with the host organizations representatives;
•  
• counseling sessions, psychological and emotional support to prepare the participants for a new cultural experience

 
MOBILITY PHASE IN ITALY (June, July 2024)
32 participants, divided into four groups (8 participants per group), will engage in mobility programs with partners in Italy to enhance their professional skills and knowledge:

• INFOR ELEA will host 16 participants (2 groups);
• Consorțiul CGM va găzdui 16 participants (2 groups).

During the mobility, participants will also engage in social and cultural activities. 

Throughout the mobility period, the youths will receive direct support from a mentor from the host organizations and a mentor from the sending organization (ADV Romania) via online communication platforms. 

Expected outcomes: 

• 8 partnerships with national partners;
• 2 partnership agreements with transnational partners;
• the JobDirect & ALMA program will be accessed by 40 participants from Romania;
• 32 participants (organized into 4 groups of 8 people each) will engage in professional mobility in Italy;
• an analysis of the project results and impact, lessons learned, recommendations, and future plans will be conducted;
• a video library showcasing the project results will be available nationally and across Europe;
• best practices and opportunities from the ALMA program will be disseminated and replicated