Implementing this project aims to bridge the digital and professional divide for marginalized youth by modernizing youth work practices through the integration of Artificial Intelligence and non-formal artistic methods. From the perspective of youth work practice, the project seeks to move away from static counseling toward a dynamic, "safe-to-fail" environment where youth can rehearse their entry into an increasingly automated labor market. Project Need The project addresses a critical "Digital Divide 2.0" where AI-powered hiring tools—now used by a significant portion of EU businesses and up to 70% of HR departments—create new barriers for disadvantaged youth. Marginalized groups, particularly Roma, migrants, and youth from remote areas, often lack the digital literacy to navigate these AI-driven markets and the social resilience to handle biased recruitment processes. Statistical data highlights this urgency, showing youth unemployment rates in partner countries like North Macedonia and Romania as high as 30.3% and 26.9%, respectively, with Roma youth being nearly five times more likely to be in NEET status than the EU average. There is a clear need for youth work to evolve, providing participants with the technical skills to optimize their digital presence and the emotional tools to overcome internalized discrimination. Project Objectives The specific objectives of the project are: • O1. To empower 48 young people (aged 16-20) from Germany, Romania, Czechia, Hungary, Portugal and N. Macedonia during Activity 1 to use AI as a tool for career assessment, helping them discover future career opportunities during the project. • O2. To prepare 48 young people (aged 21-25) from Germany, Romania, Czechia, Hungary, Portugal and N. Macedonia during Activity 2 to handle professional interviews face to face or AI-driven ones during the project. • O3. To provide 84 young people from Germany, Romania, Czechia, Hungary, Portugal and N. Macedonia with fewer opportunities—including Roma youth and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds—with the tangible digital and social tools needed to transition from unemployment to active labor market participation during the project. • O4. To strengthen the capacity of the 6 partner organizations to implement innovative non-formal learning methods that merge technology (AI) and art (theater) for youth work during the project. Project Results The expected results and impact of the project include: • Personalized career path: 42 participants in Activity 1 will complete AI-assisted career orientation mappings tailored to their skills and interests. • Professional AI-optimized portfolios: 42 young adults in Activity 2 will produce ATS-ready CVs, motivation letters, and professional digital profiles designed to pass modern algorithmic filters. • YouTube oodcast Channel: A dedicated "living portfolio" featuring youth-led episodes on career choice, digital skills, and strategies for overcoming discrimination through theater. • Validated competences: Every participant will receive a Youthpass certificate documenting their development in the 8 Key Competences for Lifelong Learning. • Sustained support networks: A permanent LinkedIn and WhatsApp alumni community to facilitate long-term peer mentoring and the sharing of job opportunities. • Institutional modernization: The six partner NGOs will integrate a new "hybrid counseling" toolkit into their regular local services, improving employment outcomes for marginalized youth in their communities. • Media and social impact: Increased visibility of the professional potential of Roma and migrant youth through collaborations with regional and local mass media in all partner countries From the perspective of youth work practice, the project "AI-powered futures: navigating tomorrow's careers" aims to modernize professional guidance for marginalized youth by merging innovative digital tools with human-centric non-formal education (NFE). Our goal is to transform the "La Pădure" pension in Brebu into a professional safe space where youth can safely navigate the complexities of the modern labor market. The initiative addresses a critical "orientation deficit" among disadvantaged youth, particularly Roma, migrants, and those with disabilities, who feel increasingly excluded by the "AI barrier" in recruitment. Youth workers currently face a lack of technical tools to help these groups bypass digital filters (ATS) and overcome the social anxiety triggered by automated hiring processes. This project fulfills the need for a "hybrid counseling" methodology that pairs technical AI literacy with the emotional resilience developed through Forum Theater.