The NGOE project aimed to equip youth aged 15–19, enrolled in secondary schools, with the entrepreneurial skills necessary to thrive in an evolving economy.Recognizing the need for innovation in youth education, the project sought to develop an innovative non-formal entrepreneurial pedagogical program leveraging digital tools and methodologies. Key objectives included: •Fostering entrepreneurial initiatives among young people by enhancing their skills through an innovative and practical non-formal pedagogical approach. •Integrating ICT tools to modernize learning methods, combining digital technologies with teaching practices to engage young learners effectively. •Developing human-centered tools tailored to the needs, limitations, and environments of the target groups, ensuring accessibility and usability for diverse learners. NGOE targeted both youth, with the potential to become entrepreneurs, and youth workers, who required new tools and skills to support and guide entrepreneurial education.By introducing entrepreneurship education earlier, before students finished their studies, NGOE aimed to empower youth to make informed decisions about becoming entrepreneurs, ultimately contributing to innovation and and economic growth.
The NGOE project addressed the urgent challenges faced by young people due to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on employment. By August 2021, youth unemployment in the EU rose to 17.1%, with 2.833 million under-25s unemployed (Eurostat, 2021). Globally, the ILO reported an 8.7% employment loss for youth (15–25) compared to 3.7% for adults. This crisis risked creating a "lockdown generation," where secondary school students aged 15–19 faced diminished job opportunities and heightened economic instability. Recognizing these challenges, the NGOE project sought to empower young people to not only find jobs but also create them. Non-formal entrepreneurship education, starting at the secondary school level, was identified as a key solution. Unlike formal curricula, this approach strengthens entrepreneurial skills, boosts motivation, and fosters a positive business environment. It also cultivates intrapreneurial mindsets, enabling young people to innovate within organizations, enhancing their competitiveness in the evolving job market.