Young people in Europe face a rapidly changing labor market that requires not only technical knowledge but also strong entrepreneurial and interpersonal skills. While formal education provides academic qualifications, it often does not prepare youth sufficiently with the competencies needed to navigate uncertainty, take initiative, or create their own opportunities. Result is a growing skills gap: young people may graduate with diplomas but still lack the confidence, problem-solving ability, and creativity necessary to succeed in practice. This gap is particularly visible in countries where youth unemployment remains high, such as Romania, Hungary, Poland and, to a lesser extent, Lithuania. According to Eurostat (2024 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20250523-1 ), youth unemployment rates stood at 26.3% in Romania, 11,2% in Poland, 14.1% in Lithuania, and around 12,8% in Hungary. These figures illustrate that even when young people complete education, many still struggle to integrate into the labor market. At the same time, the number of NEETs (youth not in education, employment, or training) remains above the EU average in all four partner countries, signaling deeper structural problems. In 2024, the EU average NEET rate (young people aged 15–29 who are Not in Education, Employment, or Training) stood at 11%, still above the European target of reducing it below 9% by 2030 (Euronews, 2025 https://tinyurl.com/2ebw6bp9 NEET rates in partner countries are 19,4% in Romania, 9,8% in Hungary, 14,7% in Lithuania and 12,6% in Poland accordingly. This means millions of young Europeans remain disconnected from the labor market and lack opportunities to gain vital personal and professional skills. However, unemployment statistics tell only part of the story. Beyond the risk of economic exclusion, many young people struggle with low self-esteem, lack of initiative, and insufficient access to opportunities that would allow them to build their skills outside of school. This is especially true in rural areas and among socially disadvantaged groups. Young people from such backgrounds often lack role models or support networks that could encourage them to take risks, try out their ideas, or pursue self-employment. At the same time, the labor market itself is evolving. Employers increasingly emphasize transferable skills: communication, teamwork, leadership, adaptability, and creativity. Digitalization, automation, and globalization mean that many traditional career paths are disappearing, while self-employment, freelancing, and entrepreneurship are gaining importance. In this context, it is not enough to wait for jobs to appear—young people need to learn how to create opportunities for themselves, think innovatively, and collaborate effectively across cultures and sectors. Yet many youth report feeling unprepared for this reality. Surveys across Europe highlight that young people feel school education does not equip them with entrepreneurial mindsets or the confidence to turn ideas into action. Without such competencies, young people are more likely to experience frustration, remain unemployed, or emigrate in search of better opportunities abroad. This project is a response to these pressing issues. We want to carry it out because we believe that non-formal education—through interactive, engaging, and practical methods—can complement what young people miss in formal systems. By combining entrepreneurship training with interpersonal skills development, we can empower participants not only to think about starting a business, but also to approach their studies, work, and personal lives with greater initiative, creativity, and confidence. The needs we aim to address are: 1. Enhancing entrepreneurial and creative thinking among young people so they are better equipped to develop ideas, solve problems, and seize opportunities. 2. Strengthening interpersonal and soft skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, and self-confidence, which are essential for employability and active participation in society. 3. Promoting inclusion and intercultural learning, ensuring that youth from different backgrounds, including those with fewer opportunities, can learn from one another and feel connected to the broader European community. Goal With the aim of empowering young people to develop entrepreneurial mindsets and essential interpersonal skills, we will implement the Erasmus+ youth exchange project “SkillUp Youth”, bringing together 36 participants (including 4 group leaders) from Lithuania, Romania, Hungary and Poland from April 22nd to May 1st, 2026, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Objectives • To empower young people with the skills, mindset, and confidence needed to succeed in the labor market and beyond • To encourage initiative and self-employment potential through entrepreneurial education • To create an environment of intercultural exchange and solidarity that strengthens EU values and cooperation