
„Skills4Life - Supporting the socio-economic integration of youth leaving child protection systems by developing their skills and capacities through more inclusive leaving care policies in the Danube region is funded under is funded under the Second Call of the Danube Region Programme 2021–2027, Priority 3 – A more social Danube Region, Specific Objective 3.2: Accessible and inclusive quality services in education, training, and lifelong learning.
Main objective
The project aims to contribute to the improvement of support policies for young people leaving the child protection system in the Danube region by developing and implementing an educational program dedicated to them. The project will include components focused on developing essential personal skills for integration into the labor market, as well as mentoring activities designed to facilitate the transition to independent living.
Specific objectives
- The development of an innovative training program aimed at young people leaving the special child protection system, with a focus on developing the skills necessary for a successful transition to adult life
- The promotion and implementation of inclusive support policies during the transition to independent living, within the 'Skills4Life' initiative, targeting young people coming from the special child protection system
- The implementation of pilot actions aimed at facilitating the integration of young people who have benefited from special protection measures into the labor market, through interventions tailored to their needs
Implementing period: 01.04.2025 – 31.03.2028
Total project budget: € 1.984.010,59, of which the budget for Advanced Technology Systems is € 176.800. Advanced Technology Systems' contribution to the project is 2% – € 3.536
Consortium
- Coordinator: South Muntenia Regional Development Agency - Romania
- The Argeș County Businessmen Association - Romania
- European Development Agency - Czechia
- ipcenter.at - Austria
- Lviv Bureau of European Integration - Ukraine
- University of Maribor - Slovenia
- Advanced Technology Systems - Romania
- Callidus Institution for Adult Education - Croatia
- Educational Training Centre for Professional and Working Skills - Serbia
- Zenica Development Agency ZEDA Ltd. - Bosnia and Herzegovina
- South-West University "Neofit Rilski" - Bulgaria
- Austrian Young Workers Movement - Austria
The main results of the Skills4Life project
Through the implementation of this project, the partners and involved stakeholders aim to actively contribute to the development and application of sustainable solutions for the social and professional integration of young people leaving the child protection system. The initiative seeks to reduce the risk of social exclusion and support their transition to independent living, ensuring equal opportunities for access and participation in the labor market.
The main outcomes of the project include:
- Danube Skills4Life Strategy – A long-term strategic framework proposing a sustainable and coordinated approach to facilitate the social and professional integration of young people from the child protection system in the Danube region.
- Skills4Life Training Program – A tested and optimized educational program designed to develop essential life skills and increase the employability of vulnerable youth.
- Skills4Life Digital Platform – An innovative digital tool, validated in practice, that provides young people with easy access to educational resources, relevant information, and support services for socio-professional integration.
- Skills4Life Mentoring and Counseling Model – An innovative model, developed and tested in partnership, offering personalized support to young people in their transition to independent living.
- Skills4Life Support Methodology – A common framework for implementing youth integration policies, based on lessons learned from pilot actions carried out in the project’s partner countries.
The Skills4Life project aims to reduce the risk of social marginalization among young people leaving child protection systems by promoting their active inclusion in both the labor market and social life. Through the development and implementation of an integrated support and socio-professional integration model, the project seeks to generate a sustainable impact, offering a replicable framework across the entire Danube region.
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