The project’s overall objective was to promote entrepreneurial initiatives among transgender youth aged 20 to 30, a group particularly exposed to discrimination and labor precariousness. In light of the barriers identified, the consortium set two specific objectives. The first was to create targeted approaches to strengthen the self-esteem and confidence of trans youth, essential elements for undertaking self-entrepreneurship paths. This objective included the development of innovative methodologies and digital guidelines to support youth workers. The second objective focused on introducing managerial and financial tools aimed at strengthening the competencies of youth workers, thereby enabling them to effectively support young people in starting new entrepreneurial activities. At the same time, the project sought to contribute to European priorities on inclusion and diversity, active citizenship, and the development of youth entrepreneurship, as well as to improve the quality and recognition of youth work as a driver of social change.
The project was developed to address conditions of precariousness and professional and social marginalization that particularly affected transgender youth between the ages of 20 and 30. In Europe, more than 60% of trans women and 43% of trans men reported having experienced discrimination when seeking employment or starting professional activities, with even higher percentages in Italy, Bulgaria, and Serbia. These barriers, exacerbated by the post-pandemic crisis and labor market difficulties, also had an impact on mental health, generating anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem. Promoting youth entrepreneurship was therefore identified as a concrete strategy to counter exclusion and marginalization, in line with the European Youth Goals on social inclusion, well-being, and quality employment. The partner organizations recognized the need to equip youth workers with innovative managerial, financial, and communication tools to support trans youth in their entrepreneurial paths, fostering self-esteem, confidence, and economic independence, while making the youth workers themselves agents of positive change within their communities.