The INFO-PRO project equips disadvantaged youth with essential skills for future employment. In the project’s heart piece – weekly After School sessions – participants learn coding, digital skills, and programming fundamentals as well as job skills while developing teamwork, communication, resilience, and motivation through experiential education (EE). Beyond individual impact, INFO-PRO fosters social inclusion by easing young people's transition into the labor market. It also creates a multiplier effect by training educators in Austria, Hungary and Slovakia to teach coding, job skills, and EE, enabling broader implementation and sustainably fostering know-how and skills of social workers, youth workers and educators. Key outcomes include 60 young people gaining digital and job skills (in After School session), 10 trainers trained in coding, 15 in EE, and 6 in job skills (in Initial Trainings). Furthermore, a Summer School in Vienna will expand the young participants’ knowledge, networking, and engaging with IT startups and in particular work on their future employability. INFO-PRO creates long-term opportunities, helping young people build confidence and create a network between educational institutions and IT companies.
With INFO-PRO, we addressed the urgent need for engaging, practical digital skills training, especially in programming and coding, for young people from socially marginalized communities. Many lack access to such education, and traditional schools often fail to make IT, math and future job skills engaging. Digital skills are crucial for employability, yet disadvantaged adolescents remain excluded, in Hungary and Slovakia especially Roma communities. INFO-PRO strengthens their digital competencies while fostering social integration. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened inequalities, increasing youth unemployment and NEET risks. Many young people face additional social and psychological challenges, with rising depression rates. INFO-PRO tackles this through gamified coding and IT workshops and experiential education (EE), enhancing both technical and social skills. This non-formal education program should provide structured support, preparing young people for future careers while encouraging self-reflection. Building on the expertise of experienced project partners in 3 countries, INFO-PRO aims to empower marginalized youth with skills in order to improve both their personal development and job market prospects.