Gen Z Digital Workforce: Improving online employability and resilience of young people with fewer opportunities

"<< Background >>We applied for this project because it directly addresses critical needs within our organization and our target demographic. Firstly, with the alarming rise in youth unemployment across Europe, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a pressing need to equip young people with the skills necessary for online employment. This initiative focused on developing both hard and soft skills tailored to remote work, including resilience, which is crucial in today's evolving job market.Secondly, our organizations recognize the importance of inclusion and diversity in socioeconomic life. By targeting young people with disabilities, migrants, and those from rural or remote areas, this project aims to provide support for their integration into the workforce, thereby fostering greater equality and social mobility.Additionally, by focusing on capacity-building for youth workers and promoting lifelong learning and civic participation, this project aligns with our organizational values of continuous improvement and community engagement. It offers an opportunity to enhance our ability to respond to current challenges and empower young people to take an active role in shaping their futures.<< Objectives >>Our goal was to empower disadvantaged youth to thrive in the digital economy while strengthening organizational capacity to support their journey to sustainable employment, namely:•Develop a tailored curriculum for young people and professionals, focusing on building online careers, enhancing digital skills, and fostering resilience.•Promote inclusiveness in remote work, providing opportunities for disadvantaged youth to enter the online workforce.•Upgrade the competencies of professionals to better support youth in the job market.•Enhance the capacity of NGOs to foster initiative and entrepreneurship among young people.•Provide increased support for organizations assisting disadvantaged youth in the online job market.•Expand understanding of diversity in e-work and promote innovative teaching methods.•Create a modern and professional organizational environment.•Advocate for remote work as a new norm and opportunity for all.<< Implementation >>PR1: Survey and Report ""Youth Employment in the Post-COVID Digital Age,"" including interviews with 100 young people, 100 SMEs, and 6 large employment agencies (1 in every partner country and HU interviewed 2).PR2: E-learning materials “How to Make an Online Career”: We created e-learning materials on online employment specifically tailored for young people with fewer opportunities, disseminating them at local, regional, national, and European levels. We engaged 50 young people with fewer opportunities in pilot testing the curriculum.PR3: Methodology “Supporting online career of young people with fewer opportunities”Transnational project meetings: We held three meetings in Denmark, Hungary, and N.Macedonia, bringing together representatives from all partner organizations.We hosted two LTT events - ""Digital Tools for Online Career Coaches"" TC in Portugal and YE Online Career Bootcamp"" in Italy. These events aimed to enhance the competencies of youth workers and young people in online career development.Multiplier events: 5 events across consortium to disseminate project results to local and international stakeholders. Reached more than 2000 youth workers around Europe online via a final webinar through Erasmus Youth Academy.<< Results >>Online curriculum ""How to Start Your Online Career,"" consisting of 10 modules covering various aspects of remote work. It was piloted by 50 young people, evaluated positively, and spread to a wider audience, receiving over 1000 visits on the project website.A survey on Youth Employment in the Post-COVID Digital Age, resulting in a report translated into 5 languages. This provided key insights into the current competencies of young people and employers, job market trends, and informed the development of a methodology for supporting young people's online careers.Promoting inclusiveness in remote work, focusing on young people with fewer opportunities. Efforts included consulting with organizations working with individuals with disabilities, advocating for inclusive hiring practices among businesses, and integrating topics of inclusion into the online curriculum.Enhancement of competencies among non-profit associations, career counselors, and specialists of employment agencies through two mobility activities: ""Digital Tools for Online Career Coaches"" and ""Remote Work Bootcamp Youth Exchange."" These activities facilitated the improvement of digital skills and career coaching competencies, particularly in supporting young people with fewer opportunities."