YOUnite - Holistic programme fostering the integration of overweight and adipose youth healthy into the labour market

"<< Background >>Obesity is a major health issue across the European Union, with severe long-term consequences for both individual well-being and broader societal and economic health. According to the World Health Organisation, as of 2022, approximately 20% of children and adolescents (aged 5-19) worldwide are affected by obesity or being overweight. Despite these alarming figures, there has been little progress in systematically halting or reversing obesity among youth. Beyond the obvious health concerns, this condition carries significant social consequences - many obese adolescents report experiences of bullying and social exclusion, which directly impact their quality of life, educational opportunities, and future employability. Overweight youth often face barriers in the labour market, which can hinder their professional success and long-term integration into society. These are serious issues that are frequently overlooked or underaddressed in public policy.<< Objectives >>The primary objective of the YOUnite project was to create training modules designed to strengthen the self-esteem, confidence, health awareness and employability of overweight and obese youth. The transnational partnership, bringing together organisations from Austria, Finland, Hungary, and Poland allowed for a rich exchange of expertise. Each partner contributed valuable insights—from Austria's focus on youth employment programmes to Finland's innovative strategies in youth engagement, Hungary’s experience on training methodology and Poland’s knowledge on therapy.By developing hands-on, non-formal learning activities, we aimed to provide tools that can be easily implemented by youth workers and trainers without requiring specialised knowledge of the subject. The ultimate goal was to empower young people to take the first steps towards healthier lifestyles and improved job readiness, thus facilitating their integration into the labour market.<< Implementation >>The YOUnite project followed a structured approach, starting with national working group meetings in each partner country, gathering insights from experts from diverse fields, including doctors, health workers, nutritionists, cooks, employment counsellors, youth workers, athletes, teachers, and psychologists, who shared their expertise, thus helping to develop the training Modules. Subsequently, we worked transnationally to define and select activities that would be most effective across all participating countries. Next, we organised ""Train the Trainers"" (ToT) workshops to equip future trainers with the necessary methodologies and tools. Following the ToT sessions, we engaged directly with the target group — youth struggling with overweight — and organised pilot training sessions to test the effectiveness of the Modules. Based on the outcomes of these pilots, we refined both the Module activities and the Instructions for Trainers, ensuring that future trainers would have a comprehensive understanding of the most relevant background knowledge and how to best implement the Modules. Additionally, we placed a strong emphasis and efforts on engaging training, health and youth organisations to foster sustainability and impact.<< Results >>We developed a comprehensive set of 6 training modules, aimed at boosting the confidence, health awareness and employability of overweight youth. The YOUnite training programme was designed in such a way that its components can be used very flexibly: Either by implementing the whole programme or only specific modules or activities. Thus, the modules can accommodate very diverse training environments. For each module, there is a module activity paper and instructions for trainers. These documents form an entity and should thus be consulted together. The modules were designed to be easily accessible for non-specialised youth trainers. Both the Modules and the Instructions for Trainers are openly available on the project website in English and all partner languages (DE, FI, HU, PL) and on SALTO, ensuring broad dissemination and use across different contexts."