Knowledge, Enterprise and Young People – supporting youth transitions in the new economy

Project summary

KEYSTONE’s context and background reflects four main challenges which, together, threaten the ‘European project’ and EU2020 objectives and targets. First, there is a growing consensus that the social and economic models that have served us for decades are no longer fit for purpose. The ‘crisis in Europe’ has led to calls for radical new approaches that support ‘socio-ecological transitions’ for a new sustainable Europe, enabling the EU to cope with pressing problems of climate change, an aging population, pressures on welfare budgets, massive immigration and a growing disillusion with established democratic institutions. Second, there is widespread agreement that a sustainable future cannot be achieved without the active engagement of the individuals who will be forming the core of our future society - European youth. Thirdly, however, there is also widespread agreement that current systems, structures and models are failing young people. Fourthly, set against the trend of a growing core of marginalised and at risk youth, the social inclusion, education and training models that are currently being applied to improve the life chances of young people are also not fit for purpose. Set against this background, KEYSTONE's main aim is to develop, implement and evaluate an innovative approach to delivering interventions aimed at the socio-economic inclusion of marginalised young people, based on 'Community Lablets'. These Lablets aim to explore how at risk young people can play a pivotal role in creating socio-ecological innovations for a sustainable model for change in the EU. Project strategic objectives are: to identify the key drivers and constraints to young people's participation in interventions; to set up Community Lablets in four EU cities that enable young people to become co-producers of social innovations; to conduct one action research experiment in each to develop and evaluate a co-produced social innovation; to share innovation using a ‘benchlearning’ methodology; to use replication analysis to assess the replicability and sustainability of the Lablet approach at the wider EU level. The partnership is composed of 5 partners from 5 EU member states: Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, UK. The project overall methodology is based on a ‘Theory of Change’ framework. The overall methodology incorporates four inter-related components: i) a research methodology based on ‘lifeworld analysis’; ii) a ‘socio-technical’ methodology involving developing ICT-supported ‘Community Lablets’; iii) a ‘learning and behaviour change’ methodology to support young people in self-development; iv) an ‘action research’ methodology to apply the support programme. The activities planned to implement the project methodology combine: Activity 1: Lifeworld Analysis; Activity 2: Development of Technical Platform, tools and Knowledge Space; Activity 3: Development of KEYSTONE Community Lablets; Activity 4: Development of KEYSTONE Collaborative Support Programme; Activity 5: Support Programme Implementation and Socio-ecological experiments; Activity 6: Evaluation; Activity 7: Dissemination & Replication; Activity 8: Project Management. The key expected short term results of KEYSTONE for participating young people are: acquisition of digital competences across a range of ICTs; increased skills in problem solving, creativity, entrepreneurship, communication and teamwork; increased skills in ideas generation; increased critical thinking and evaluation skills; increased capacity to 'read the world' - better understanding of their realities and the communities they live in; increased capacity and skills for joint working and action planning. In the long term the potential benefits of the project for participating young people are: re-engagement and retention in education and training; improved digital and media competences; improved transitions into education; more opportunities to apply knowledge in practical and/or novel ways; increased employability and access to labour market opportunities; improved social and personal development; increased social and civic engagement The potential benefits for participating youth organisations are: the integration of good practices and new methods into professional activities; more coordinated and better targeted service provision, improved application of ICTs to deliver quality services. Improvements in service delivery will lead to benefits for clients. At the societal level, the project will make a contribution to increasing the quality of youth work in Europe and beyond, better alignment of youth systems to the needs of and opportunities offered by the labour market, closer links to business and the community and more strategic and integrated use of ICTs and open educational resources (OER) by youth systems. KEYSTONE aims to contribute to the EU2020 targets of reducing the level of early school leaving to 10%; attaining a 75% employment level; reducing the numbers of NEETs.