MATRIX - STRATEGIC MAPPING OF YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

<< Background >>The project idea was based on the necessity to address two key needs: 1) to tackle the issue of youth unemployment across European countries, and 2) to reduce the gap between training and education and actual labour market needs. In 2021, the unemployment rate in the EU comprised 15,9%, whereas in such countries as Greece and Italy it reached 31,4% and 25,3% respectively. Countries affected by high youth unemployment rates find themselves at risk of poor competitiveness and lack of sustainable economic growth, because young people represent the core of the workforce. On the other hand, in order to find sustainable employment, (young) people need not only solid vocational competences, but also well-developed employability skills (communication, self-/management, information skills etc.). To reach this goal, employability skills should become an integral part of training programmes at various levels of education, including VET. This way the gap between training/education and the actual needs of the labour market can be reduced. << Objectives >>The ultimate goal of the project was to develop a coherent strategy and a roadmap for addressing youth unemployment. This goal was broken down into the following objectives: - to foster a better understanding of the employability skills most sought-after by labour market actors by carrying out a mapping of employability skills;- to increase the quality and attractiveness of VET programmes by improving the professional competences of teachers and trainers and enabling them to incorporate employability-related topics into training curricula; - to better prepare young people for the world of work and raise their employment chances by helping them improve their employability skills through an online course. << Implementation >>The partners laid a strong foundation for the project implementation by conducting surveys with 100 VET specialists, 66 HR professionals, and 96 SME experts across six partner countries. These efforts identified seven “building blocks” of the employability competence documented in the MATRIX of Employability Skills: Communication, Collaboration and Creativity; Management Skills; Information Skills; Self-management Skills; Thinking Skills; Life Skills; Social and Communication Skills.To tackle youth unemployment, the project assumed a dual approach:• For educators, methodological materials “Employability Skills Guide for Educators” were developed to help VET teachers integrate employability skills into training curricula. These resources guide educators in enhancing their professional competences and contain practical activities for fostering youth employability.• For young people, an online training course was created, featuring seven units aligned with the MATRIX, providing young people with actionable skills to enhance their employability.These outputs were presented to 240 persons who attended national scale-up events conducted by each partner and the final conference in Munich.<< Results >>The project delivered impactful results through several key outputs:MATRIX of Employability Skills: This framework defines seven “building blocks” of the employability competence, contains recommendations for VET providers and suggests methodological tools that might be used to foster employability skills of young people.Employability Skills Guide for Educators: The core of the guide is built around twelve lesson plans for educational measures that educators can go through to improve their own competences or carry out with young people to enhance their employability. Online Course: Designed for young people, this course features seven units aligned with the employability skills identified in the MATRIX and contains additional information on social entrepreneurship. Each unit includes concise theoretical inputs, videos, templates, interactive exercises and self-assessment tests. These tools aim to enhance the quality and attractiveness of VET curricula by equipping young people with essential skills to facilitate their transition to the workforce and secure sustainable employment.