YETC's general objective was to facilitate youth activism and entrepreneurial mindset through networking, sharing best practices and developing innovative NFIL tools. The activities helped young people overcome the shared feelings of uncertainty caused by the unstable socioeconomic situation in Europe. The project encouraged them to contribute to the resilience process of Europe through their motivation, unique strengths and knowledge that could be foundations for new entrepreneurial initiatives. The project promoted an inclusive society, embracing youth creativity and innovation as an intrinsic feature of the EU. The project set three specific objectives: - To contribute to building the capacity of youth workers (organisations) through joint research activities, training and cooperation - To promote young entrepreneurs in partner countries through collecting best practices, producing a guide and video collection and organising a networking event - To create new NFIL tools and modules promoting entrepreneurship and youth activism tailored to the needs of young people in the partnering countries.
The idea of the YETC project arose from the dynamic events and processes that had started with the COVID-19 outbreak. Since the beginning of 2020, Europe has faced a global socio-economic and cultural crisis. As one of the most prominent scholars of entrepreneurship, Peter Druker, once said: “The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity”. Hence, the significant changes in our lives can be an opportunity for new entrepreneurial endeavours. The consortium discovered that young people need support, mentoring and targeted skills to step up and start their professional careers as independent entrepreneurs. Furthermore, such young people are more likely to contribute to Europe’s resilience process in light of COVID-19 and help their peers and communities by implementing innovative initiatives. The project also targets youth workers and NGOs by creating resources for delivering non-formal training on youth entrepreneurship. Through the project, the consortium aimed to address the needs of young people by offering them opportunities to respond to new societal challenges by learning new skills, opening their entrepreneurial mindset and creating value for others.