TABLE 1 YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IN EUROPE, HISTORICAL SERIES (2000 – 2016). PERCENTAGE VALUES (SOURCE: EUROSTAT, 2017

Final report - project MOVE 2017-2018

2. Young people to become more involved in society, especially those young people that risk becoming marginalized 3. Easier access to the labour market for all young people that would otherwise run the risk of becoming long-term unemployed, and helping with the transition from school to work

To attain these goals there has to be more collaboration between government officials, teachers and employers. Together they need to find innovative, workable solutions to decrease exclusion and marginalization.

Looking at Europe, we noticed that various European countries have higher youth unemployment rates than the Netherlands and Germany. This includes Italy and Portugal. Youth unemployment in Portugal in November 2016 reached 29% and in Italy 40%. The Netherlands had a relatively low unemployment rate (10%). But despite our low unemployment rate, permanent focusing on vulnerable young people is of the essence. Otherwise, the risk lurks of long-term unemployment and dependence on welfare benefits.

Table 1 Youth unemployment in Europe, historical series (2000 – 2016). Percentage values (Source: Eurostat, 2017)

Through project MOVE, we could share knowledge and best practices with foreign partners by using and exchanging our local and regional networks. The project was a development project in order to achieve practicable, alternative and socially innovative tools with the aim of supporting young people where regular programs fall short.

The aim in particular was to learn from each other's expertise and experiences not only from local or regional initiatives.

Final report - project MOVE 2017-2018

To discover personal qualities, skills and interests, these kinds of pathways towards employment or school may provide a good alternative. The way in which we intend to realize this can be diverse. By means of daytime activities to put young adults in an active mode or as an alternative guidance in finding work or going back to school.

The benefit of international collaboration is that foreign partners use sometimes specific own methodologies, different from other countries, to help vulnerable young adults taking steps towards work or school.

1.3 Focus of the project

Social and cultural exclusion

A reintegration trajectory for vulnerable young people can only be successful if there is special attention to health, both physical and mental. This project focuses on three aspects of social and cultural exclusion: 1. Inadequate social participation, such as insufficient participation in formal and informal social networks (including leisure activities), insufficient social support, social isolation, lack of social involvement and for immigrants lack of contact with natives. 2. Insufficient cultural/normative integration, such as insufficient compliance with core values and standards: low work ethic, low readiness to undertake training, abuse of social security, delinquent behaviour, different views on rights and duties of women/men. 3. Lack of access to fundamental social rights, such as education, housing, social services, debt counselling, job placement and social security.

From “Must”-ivation to “Mo”-tivation

To achieve this transition, we have to consider three important pillars of motivation: 1. Sense of autonomy:

Having the feeling that what you focus on, makes sense and fits you. To be convinced of its importance. To expect that the goal to be achieved is indeed the fulfilment / solution for your desire / problem (being meaningfulness). 2. Sense of relationship, social solidarity:

Feeling that what you do is in accordance with (the view, the ideals, the mores of) those with whom you feel connected (involving social environment). 3. Sense of competence:

The expectation that what you aim for is also going to succeed (setting realistic goals).

1.4 Target group

We focused on young adults of 16 to 27 who need extra care, time and guidance: 1. young people from secondary vocational education and special education. They have an increased risk to drop out 2. young people from the basic vocational program, which prepares pupils solely for basic vocational education in senior secondary vocational education;