An Innovative Approach to Engage European Youth in Positive entrepreneurial initiatives

<< Background >>The GROWTH project was designed in response to the alarming levels of youth unemployment across the EU, further intensified by the COVID-19 crisis. Many young people, particularly those with fewer opportunities, lack the skills, confidence, and support needed to pursue meaningful employment or entrepreneurial paths. We identified a strong need to promote youth entrepreneurship not only as an economic solution, but as a means to build self-efficacy, resilience, and a sense of initiative. At the same time, we recognized the limited availability of innovative, accessible, and engaging learning tools tailored to young learners. GROWTH addresses these challenges by developing a digital training ecosystem—combining mentoring, gamification, and non-formal education—to empower youth and strengthen the capacity of youth workers and organizations. The project also responds to the EU's strategic priorities on employability, entrepreneurship, and inclusion.<< Objectives >>The main goal of the GROWTH project was to empower young people—especially those with fewer opportunities—to explore and pursue entrepreneurship as a viable career path. We aimed to enhance their self-concept, motivation, and entrepreneurial mindset through innovative, inclusive, and non-formal educational approaches by developing a digital board game, training curricula, a mentoring programme, and a practical toolkit for youth workers, intending to foster both personal development and employability. We also sought to improve the capacity of youth organizations to support entrepreneurship, stimulate creativity, and facilitate access to lifelong learning opportunities. Ultimately, GROWTH aimed to create a sustainable ecosystem for youth entrepreneurship education at European level, encouraging active participation, collaboration, and positive action among young people and the organizations that support them.<< Implementation >>The GROWTH project implemented a comprehensive set of activities structured in five work packages. We developed the GROWTH Handbook and Training Curricula for youth, followed by the creation of a gamified digital board game and e-learning platform to make entrepreneurial learning accessible and engaging. A structured mentoring programme was implemented to support young individuals in shaping business ideas. A practical toolkit for youth workers and organizations was created to ensure sustainability and transferability of the results. Three transnational project meetings were held in Italy, Belgium, and Austria for coordination and progress review. Training sessions, pilot testing, and youth business plan development workshops were conducted across all partner countries. Each partner also carried out national GROWTH Campaigns and online dissemination activities, including social media outreach and press releases, to engage local stakeholders and amplify impact. << Results >>The GROWTH project delivered four core intellectual outputs. First, the GROWTH Handbook offers a theoretical framework on youth self-concept and entrepreneurship. Second, the Training Curricula includes 7 modules covering key entrepreneurial topics such as leadership, business modelling, marketing, funding, and self-efficacy. Third, we developed a Gamified Digital Board Game integrated into an e-learning platform, enabling experiential, scenario-based learning. Fourth, the Toolkit for Youth Workers and Organizations provides ready-to-use methodologies, guidelines, and best practices to support and replicate the project’s approach. All outputs are publicly available in six languages on the official website: www.growth-project.eu. These resources were tested through local pilot sessions and validated by youth, mentors, and youth workers across partner countries. The materials are open-access, designed for long-term use, and structured to foster inclusive, digital, and competence-based youth entrepreneurship education across Europe.