Pripravljanje mladih na trg dela in zadovoljstvo po Covid pandemiji

<< Background >>In our work with young people during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed reduced positive affect and reduced motivation. Also, the labor market has changed rapidly; for the first time, young people faced the integrated coordination of online and live content. In the rapidly changing labor market many changes (e.g. rapid digitization, mental health problems) were highlighted. We wanted to implement a project that, through the development of competencies and soft skills, prepares young people for the labor market while at the same time developes their psychological flexibility. Indirectly, young people can actively contribute to the social environment. The needs addressed were: - The need for soft-skills competences related to the changed labor market after the epidemic (e.g. digital competences) - The need to increase satisfaction and mental health among youth through the development of self-regulatory skills.- The need for a broader view of the labor market and personal development (green jobs, systems thinking). The project did not only adress the technical aspects of employment, but also crucially emphasized the psychological and interpersonal aspects of employment.<< Objectives >>The goal of the project was to comprehensively educate young people to increase competences and soft skills related to the labor market and prepare them for an efficient and confident entry into the labor market in the future, while at the same time developing their psychological resilience, sense of satisfaction and mental health for an active contribution to society.The aim of the project was to address both technical and psychological aspects of entering the labor market.By implementing the project, we wanted to achieve several positive benefits for the young participants:• Developing their skills for successful participation in the new labor market after the COVID-19 pandemic and opening up new opportunities in terms of access to knowledge and necessary skills.• Acquiring skills for emotional self-regulation, psychological resilience, coping with potential mental health problems.• Strengthening of interpersonal competences for assertive communication, dealing with conflicts and leadership capacities.• Building competences for green employment and strengthening the recognition of environmental problems and how the choice of profession affects our contribution to society in the long term.<< Implementation >>Within the project, we carried out 11 activities, which were also intertwined with each other:1. Project management and administration (meetings, monitoring of activities and goals, preparation of documentation).2. Development of integrated training modules for increasing competences (we developed 6 different training modules).3. Implementation of a module on setting goals and planning for success.4. Implementation of a module on emotional regulation and mental health.5. Implementation of a module on conflict management and leadership competencies.6. Implementation of a module on the topic of system and creative thinking.7. Implementation of a module on the topic of green jobs.8. Implementation of a module on the topic of CV and job interview preparation.9. Preparation and execution of a virtual event entitled Mental health and coping with social pressures.10. Promotion, communication and presentation of project results.11. Preparation of educational materials.The modules were hybrid - we conducted them live and online. We have described the implementation of each activity in detail in the Activities section.<< Results >>We have developed a spectrum of employment competencies for young people. Concrete results related to all set project goals are:1. 6 implemented educational modules (with a total of 22 trainings) for 6 cohorts of participants.2. Among them, 5 trainings with the main theme of environmental awareness (topics of green workplaces, identification of companies with a sustainable strategy and trends, green skills and knowledge).3. Among them, 8 training sessions were held to increase the digital competences of young people (topics of digital tools, exchange of ideas and new programs, e.g. Canva tools, and their areas of application through the creation of a resume, ways to organize and store materials and digital tools).4. We equipped 115 young people with skills for a successful entry into the labor market (with 21st century employment competencies such as inclusive leadership, communication, interview and CV preparation).5. We equipped 115 young people with psychological skills for emotional regulation and stress coping related to long-term mental health and job satisfaction.6. We published 14 educational materials - articles on training topics.7. We organized 1 international virtual event that connected groups of participants.