Rural Rise: Boosting Youth Employment in Countrysides

<< Background >>The B.E.YOU project was created to address a pressing social and economic challenge of young people in rural areas who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs) and remain disconnected from opportunities to build their future. This group often faces multiple barriers, including a lack of transversal competences, digital skills, entrepreneurship skills, and understanding of labour market dynamics. At the same time, existing support structures are often fragmented and fail to provide flexible, learner-centred approaches that connect personal development with local employability.In response to these needs, the consortium designed B.E.YOU as an innovative and inclusive model that empowers young people to re-engage with education, strengthen their soft and digital skills, and develop entrepreneurial mindsets. The project aligns with key European strategies, including the Youth Guarantee and NextGenerationEU, by promoting social inclusion, employability, and active citizenship. Drawing on each partner’s expertise including Gentis’ strong background in youth employment programmes in Spain –the project aimed to bridge the gap between young people’s potential and the demands of a rapidly changing labour market.<< Objectives >>The main objective of the B.E.YOU project was to empower young people, especially those not in employment, education or training, to build the skills, confidence and motivation needed to enter the labour market and take an active role in society. Through the design and pilot of an innovative, non-formal learning pathway, the project aimed to connect personal growth with practical skills that improve employability and long-term prospects. It sought to strengthen transversal and digital competences that help young people adapt to a rapidly changing world of work, while also fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and sense of self-efficacy that encourage them to create and seize new opportunities.Equally important was the ambition to build resilience, motivation and social inclusion by offering tailored guidance and a supportive learning environment. The project also aimed to promote cooperation between VET providers, employers, and youth organisations to ensure that the skills developed are relevant to real labour market needs. With Gentis’ expertise in employment training and their deep understanding of youth needs in Spain, B.E.YOU aspired to develop a model that could be transferred and adapted across different European contexts.<< Implementation >>The B.E.YOU project was implemented through four well-structured activities designed to respond directly to the needs of young people in rural areas and ensure the achievement of the project’s objectives. It began with a thorough preparation and management phase, during which the partnership established coordination procedures, quality assurance mechanisms, and a shared methodology for working together effectively. Regular online meetings and progress reviews ensured that the project remained on track and that communication between partners was smooth and efficient.The next stage focused on knowledge exchange and the development of the online non-formal training programme. Gentis led this activity by hosting a study visit in Spain, where partners shared good practices and co-created an innovative curriculum that combined soft skills, digital competences, entrepreneurial thinking, and career planning. This was followed by the design and adaptation of online training materials, which were translated into BG, ES and Catala languages to increase accessibility.The training content was then tested through face to face sessions in the partner countries. << Results >>One of the most significant achievements was the creation of an innovative non-formal training programme that combines personal development with practical employability skills https://beyouproject.eu/bymoodle/?redirect=0 .A key result was the successful piloting of face to face training methodologyhttps://beyouproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Training-Methodology-B.E.YOU_.pdf with young people in partner countries. These sessions validated the relevance and quality of the content, increased participants’ confidence and motivation, and provided them with concrete skills that improved their employment prospects. Another major outcome was the establishment of the Youth Development and Employment Network Hub (Y-DEN) https://beyouproject.eu/ .Additionally, the project produced a range of open-access materials, including curricula https://beyouproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/E-learning-curricula-B.E.YOU-1.pdf , training practicies and materials https://beyouproject.eu/training-practices/ , which will continue to support organisations and practitioners beyond the project’s end.