“Inspiring work for youth” is a project led by Johannes Mihkelson Centre in Estonia. The Centre was established in 1993 and its mainly known as a training and development centre whose main objective is to contribute to the balanced and democratic development of Estonia. The project itself is co-financed by European Structural Fund.

The aim of the project is to help NEETs in the age group of 16-26 to help them go back to work. The project has been successful as it involves a list of activities such as trainings, internship, career counselling. The project covers the costs for the NEETs related to transportation and food and daily subsidies.

This project started in August, 2018 and it will end in July, 2020. The project includes a course called “How to reach your dream job”. This course includes 6 type of lectures that the NEET who participates in a group has to follow (all together 123 hours).In addition, NEETs that do not participate in the project within a group can take individual lectures based on their needs. The 6 lectures include:

  1. job search training (for developing social, coping, job search and learning skills) (34 hours);
  2. job interview counselling (19 hours);
  3. Course about labour law (16 hours);
  4. Planning of working life (16 hours);
  5. Computer and internet services usage (8 hours);
  6. Work club (information exchange) (30 hours)

After the training the NEETs can make an individual plan based on their needs, whether they will do an internships under the tutor in a particular company or they plan to attend vocational training in order to refresh their working skills or gain new knowledge, or any other. During this project it is planned that 7 groups will pass this extensive course. At the moment 127 NEETs have joined. Some of them have ended up working at environmentally related fields (occupation at organizations such as Estonian Environmental Investment Centre; Botanical garden; Agricultural Registers and Information Agency etc).

The project is successful because it helps NEETs to find contact with themselves. Continuous support both practical and psychological is offered. Strong trainers and well-known career advisors are in contact with the NEETs.

Some NEETs are not ready to join the group (low self-esteem, societal judgement). Strong communication between these NEETs by tutors have helped to overcome such barriers.

Find out more on: http://www.jmk.ee/toootsingu-koolitus/