The Foundation for Partnership and Civil Society Development

SOS PROJECT

Lead partner: City of Pula
Project partners: Foundation for partnership and civil society development, Youth Association and Alumni FET Pula, Slagalica - Foundation for local community development
Financed by: European Social Fund
Duration: 18.05.2018.-18.05.2020.
Location: Region of Istria and Region of Osijek and Baranja
Total project value: 699.574,79 KN

The SOS (socialize – become aware - self-employed) project aims to directly reduce the rate of unemployment and social exclusion by working on the competitiveness of young people in the labour market, solving the problems caused by lack of social and organizational skills and other competencies.
The project takes place in the Istria Region and in the Osijek and Baranja Region, where 450 young people aged between 15 and 29 will participate in entrepreneurship training, self-employment and mentoring programs, thus acquiring different skills to become more competitive and more flexible on the labour market. It is expected the empowerment of at least 60 employees and members of youth organizations, persons responsible for work with youth, on leadership, creation of their own organizations, and creation of public policies for young people. Young people are considered both in the EU and in Croatia a vulnerable group and are included as a priority group in numerous strategies and plans.
In the European Youth Strategy, priorities include investing and strengthening young people's skills, talent development, creative skills, entrepreneurial thinking, activity and youth contribution to creation. By educating young people and those who work in contact with them, the project want to amplify their knowledge, skills, develop entrepreneurial spirit, self-employment and inform them about social entrepreneurship and its many advantages.
 

Some of the activities planned:

Workshop for youth in the field of social skills, public performance, preparation of presentation, organizational skills, writing projects for young people, etc.
Workshops: "From Idea to the Project", "Social Innovation", "Social Entrepreneurship".
Courses for youth on different topics: "Activating in the community - Why? How?", "Youth associations - Needs, Opportunities or Myth", "Sources of funding for youth projects (Erasmus +, ESF, Ministry tenders)".
Training for people working in contact with youth about the sustainable management of associations and launch of new organizations.
Organise public forums in Pula and Osijek on youth activism in the local community.
Establish cooperation with the local community, institutions and organizations.
Establish a web platform at the end of a project that will provide information on different topics, problems in the community, opportunities and news for youth (employed, unemployed, students, etc).

The added value of the project is given by the education of people active in the work with youth who become more professional and informed and will continue their activities even after the project finalization. The sustainability of the project is ensured through networking between different institutions and stakeholders who will contribute during the project implementation by giving their premises or participate in training courses. By participating in the project, they will enrich and contribute to improve the quality of the project and laying the foundations for future collaborations. At the end of the project, partners will continue to collaborate on future projects and will try to involve a greater number of regions, cities, foundations and associations allowing the transmission of project results to other partners and regions.