The primary objective of the EJO4YOUTH project was to enhance the vocational and professional skills of disadvantaged young people through career counselling based on symbol scenarios, such as the planning roadmap and life roadmap. The project aimed to support young people from rural areas and those facing geographical obstacles in building clear career and education paths. Additionally, the project sought to enable trainers, career counsellors, and educators to develop and implement innovative approaches based on symbol scenarios. Specific goals included: - Empowering youth workers, trainers, and career counsellors to understand and apply a competence-based approach in youth work. - Introducing the ETS competence model for international youth workers and integrating it into their practices. - Exploring and utilizing competence self-assessment tools. - Facilitating professional development for disadvantaged young people. Ultimately, the project aimed to boost employability, social inclusion, and active citizenship among disadvantaged youth.
Since 2010, youth participation in the labour market has been a major concern on the EU policy agenda. Youth unemployment is more sensitive to economic fluctuations than adult unemployment, making it a critical issue in both developed and developing countries, especially since the global recession, which led to a significant increase in youth unemployment rates. In Turkey, the youth labour market was characterised by high levels of unemployment and inactivity. The EJO4YOUTH project aimed to address these challenges by providing disadvantaged young people with opportunities to improve their key competences through non-formal learning methods. The aim was to increase their employability and participation in society, as strongly emphasised in the 2020 Council Recommendation drafted by the European Commission. The project consortium included partners with experience in training and guidance, which enabled the implementation of a holistic, robust and well-organised methodology for all young people, regardless of their educational and vocational backgrounds. Through this project we have successfully improved the employability and social inclusion of disadvantaged young people, addressing the urgent needs identified at the outset.