GEN-YOUTH
Strengthening South Mediterranean Organizations for Youth Employability
A 24-month Erasmus+ Capacity Building project uniting European and Southern Mediterranean partners to tackle youth unemployment through organizational strengthening and innovative employability support.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only, and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Project Overview & Timeline
Duration
24 months
December 1, 2025 – November 30, 2027
Programme
Erasmus+ Capacity Building in the field of Youth
Interim Report
January 30, 2027
Final Report
January 30, 2028
European Partners
De La Salle Solidarietà Internazionale ETS (LSF) – Italy – LEAD PARTNER
Southern Mediterranean Partners
Context: Addressing Youth Unemployment in the Southern Mediterranean
The GEN-YOUTH project addresses one of the most pressing challenges in the Southern Mediterranean: youth unemployment. In countries such as Tunisia, Jordan, Algeria, and Lebanon, young people – especially NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training), women, and youth from rural areas – face multiple barriers to labour market access.
Skills Mismatch
Young people's qualifications often do not match labour market needs, creating a disconnect between education and employment opportunities.
Limited Career Support
Few structured services exist for orientation, coaching, or mentorship, leaving youth without guidance in navigating the job market.
Weak Organizational Capacity
Many youth organizations lack strong governance, financial sustainability, and digital tools to deliver effective employability programmes.
GEN-YOUTH tackles these issues by strengthening the institutional resilience of youth organizations and equipping them to deliver high-quality employability services that create real pathways to employment for vulnerable youth.
Project Objectives
General Objective
To strengthen the capacity of youth organizations in the Southern Mediterranean to:
The project provides governance strategies, financial sustainability tools, European good practices, and tailored training for youth workers in career coaching, digital job readiness, and mentorship.
Specific Objectives
01
Strengthen Youth Organizations (WP2)
Carry out organizational diagnostics, develop tailored OCAP Action Plans, improve governance and financial sustainability, organize peer learning visits, and deliver training on organizational management and second-chance education.
02
Support Youth Employability (WP3)
Deliver structured job orientation programmes, develop a digital learning hub (Youth Work Innovation Digital Lab OER), and organize capacity-building bootcamps connecting youth with labor market opportunities.
03
Ensure Dissemination & Sustainability (WP4)
Share project results widely through a Dissemination and Exploitation Plan, engage strategic stakeholders, and promote long-term adoption of project outcomes.
Expected Impact & Target Groups
5
Organizations Strengthened
Youth organizations completing diagnostics and implementing OCAP Action Plans
50
Youth Workers Trained
Leaders trained in organizational management and second-chance education
240
Young People Supported
Youth completing job orientation, bootcamps, and accessing the OER platform
500
OER Platform Users
Unique users accessing digital learning resources
Primary Target Groups
Youth Organizations
Main beneficiaries receiving diagnostics, mentorship, OCAP Plans, and governance training
Youth Workers
Direct recipients of training in career coaching, organizational management, and second-chance education (Youthpass + digital certificates)
Young People
NEETs, women, rural youth, refugees – final beneficiaries of employability support (Europass Mobility + digital badges)
Strategic Stakeholders
Policymakers, employers, VET providers engaged for long-term sustainability and institutionalization
Key Milestones & Results
1
Feb-Dec 2026: Organizational Strengthening
5 diagnostics completed, 5 OCAP Action Plans implemented, 50 youth workers trained, 80% improved governance
2
May 2026: Lebanon Study Visit
17 participants exchange best practices on employability and second-chance education across Mediterranean
3
Jan-Feb 2027: Job Orientation
60 young people complete training programs with Europass Mobility Certificates
4
Feb-Apr 2027: Digital Lab Launch
OER platform created with 500+ users accessing multilingual employability resources
5
Apr-Jun 2027: Bootcamps
180 youth trained, 85% report improved job readiness, 30 connected with employers/mentors
Capacity Built
50 youth workers trained in governance and second-chance education methodologies
Youth Empowered
240 young people reached through orientation, bootcamps, and digital resources
Sustainability
5 organizations continue using methodologies beyond project completion
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
7 Countries
Italy, Poland, Spain, Tunisia, Jordan, Algeria, Lebanon
67 Participants
Mixed mobility activities combining physical and virtual exchanges
1,000 Reached
490 male, 490 female, 20 non-binary individuals impacted
4,200 With Barriers
Addressing economic, social, geographical, and educational challenges
24%
Economic Barriers
900 people facing economic challenges addressed
19%
Social Barriers
800 people overcoming social obstacles
14%
Geographical Barriers
600 people from remote areas included
Work Package 1: Project Management & Coordination
Lead: La Salle Foundation (LSF, Italy) | Duration: December 2025 – November 2027
Key Responsibilities
Main Event
Online Steering Committee – December 18, 2025 (1 day, 2 participants per partner). Interpretation provided in English, Polish, Spanish, and Arabic.
Deliverables
D1.1 Steering Committee Minutes
December 2025
D1.2 QASP
December 2025
D1.3 Financial Report
Verify deadline
Work Package 2: Organizational Capacity Building
Lead: HEKET (Poland) | Duration: February 2026 – December 2026
1
Feb–Apr 2026: Diagnostics
OCAP experts conduct assessments of 5 organizations via questionnaires and online consultations. Output: Organizational Diagnostic Matrix for each partner.
2
May 2026: Lebanon Study Visit
4-day cross-regional peer learning (17 participants). Focus: EU frameworks, second-chance education, entrepreneurship. Interpretation: EN/ES/Arabic.
3
June 2026: OCAP Plans
5 tailored Action Plans (10 pages each) developed by experts with each organization, covering governance, finance, HR, digital readiness, advocacy.
4
Jul–Nov 2026: Mentorship
10 online sessions (3 hours each) per organization. OCAP experts guide implementation of Action Plans
with ongoing support.
5
Sep 2026: Management Training
2-day online training (25 participants). Topics: outreach, advocacy, governance, financial sustainability.
Certificates: Digital + Youthpass
6
Dec 2026: Second-Chance Training
3-day online training (25 participants). Focus: alternative education, engaging hard-to-reach youth,
digital upskilling. Evaluation report produced.
Key Deliverables
Expected Outcomes
80%
Organizations reporting improved governance/financial sustainability
100%
Organizations integrating second-chance education methodologies
50 youth workers/leaders trained in governance and second-chance methods,
measured via attendance lists and certificates.
Work Package 3: Employability Support
Lead: South Med Partners (coordinated collectively) | Duration: January 2027 – June 2027
Job Orientation Training
Jan–Feb 2027: 2-month program for 60+ youth (15 per country). Blended format: group sessions + one-on-one coaching. Topics: skills assessment, CV writing, interview prep, digital skills. Certificates: Europass Mobility.
Youth Work Innovation Digital Lab (OER)
Feb–Apr 2027: Open-access e-learning platform created by South Med partners, led by UOEB (Algeria). Content in Arabic/French/English. Resources: job search guides, interview prep, digital skills tutorials, career coaching toolkits. Target: 500 users. Shared on EPALE and EU Youth Portal.
Capacity-Building Bootcamps
Apr–Jun 2027: 180 youth (45 per country) participate in 5 sessions each (2 in-person + 3 online). Led by trained youth workers + entrepreneurs. Focus: job readiness, networking, freelancing. Certificates: Europass Mobility. Evaluation reports in Arabic.
Deliverables
Expected Outcomes
85%
Youth reporting improved job readiness skills
80%
Organizations adopting new employability support models
30 youth directly connected with employers, mentors, or internships through bootcamp networking.
Work Package 4: Dissemination & Communication Strategies
Lead: LSF (Italy) | Duration: February 2026 – November 2027
Strategic Foundation
The Dissemination and Exploitation Plan (DEP) will be developed in February 2026 to define communication strategies, target audiences, and channels for maximizing impact and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Digital Platforms & Open Resources
The Youth Work Innovation Digital Lab (OER) serves as the central digital strategy:
5 Promotional Videos
Showcasing achievements, best practices, and testimonials from youth workers, beneficiaries, and stakeholders. Uploaded to YouTube with coordinated social media campaigns. Target: 600+ views per video.
16 Newsletters
Regular updates on project progress, success stories, interviews, and insights. Distributed via email and social media. Target: 3,200 total recipients (50 per country per issue).
4 Online Articles
Highlighting lessons learned and innovative approaches. Published on youth employability platforms, Erasmus+ websites, and relevant media outlets. Target: 600+ readers.
Partner Responsibilities
Each South Med partner (EuroMed EVE, JYIF, UOEB, F.E.C.) produces: 1 video, 4 newsletters, 1 article. UNFT-SFAX produces 1 video focused on Tunisia impact.
All partners promote through websites and social media.
25
Strategic Stakeholders
ìì
50%
Online Engagement Increase
Growth in website visits, social media interactions, and digital platform usage
5
Organizations Sustaining
Continuing to use project methodologies beyond project end
Policymakers, employers, VET providers engaged in dissemination activities
Project Timeline & Key Milestones
Dec 2025: Project Launch
Steering Committee meeting, QASP development, project coordination begins
Feb–Apr 2026: Organizational Diagnostics
OCAP experts assess 5 South Med organizations, produce Diagnostic Matrices
May 2026: Lebanon Study Visit
4-day cross-regional peer learning (17 participants), EU frameworks and second-chance education
Jun 2026: OCAP Action Plans
5 tailored organizational development plans created
Jul–Nov 2026: Mentorship Program
50 online mentorship sessions (10 per organization) supporting OCAP implementation
Sep 2026: Management Training
2-day online training for 25 youth workers on organizational management
Dec 2026: Second-Chance Education Training
3-day online training for 25 participants on alternative education methodologies
Jan 2027: Interim Report
Deadline for interim reporting to Erasmus+ programme
Jan–Feb 2027: Job Orientation
60+ youth complete 2-month employability training programs
Feb–Apr 2027: OER Platform Launch
Youth Work Innovation Digital Lab goes live in 3 languages, target 500 users
Apr–Jun 2027: Youth Bootcamps
180 youth participate in capacity-building bootcamps (45 per country, 5 sessions each)
Nov 2027: Project Completion
All activities concluded, dissemination materials finalized
Jan 2028: Final Report
Comprehensive final reporting and project evaluation submitted
GEN-YOUTH: Building sustainable pathways from capacity to employment
THANK YOU !
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only, and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.