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Social entrepreneurship for social change
Start date: Sep 1, 2014, End date: Dec 31, 2014 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Currently, one of the biggest problems in Cyprus and EU, in line with rest of the world, is youth unemployment. Considering the local situation in Cyprus, as a small island economy, new jobs will not be created in the Public Sector and if they are, then they are generally unsustainable, so the way out of the current situation will depend on entrepreneurship, including social entrepreneurship . Young people also have fewer opportunities in the job market, as traditionally within the Cypriot economy, older and more experienced employees always have an advantage over less experienced younger counterparts, and retired people also start their own businesses after retirement, further limiting the chances of the youth. This situation is applicable to rest of the Europe as well. The objective of the project is to tackle youth unemployment across the EU through innovative solutions including social entrepreneurship, and raising awareness on youth unemployment. This project also aims to ensure equal access to employment across the society, particularly among young people through equipping them with relevant skills. The objectives are as below: -Raising awareness about social problems -Gaining knowledge regarding social entrepreneurship -Introducing tools regarding how social enterprises tackle societal problems -To motivate youth workers in order to undertake and utilise social enterpreneurship as a force for social change -To introduce necessary tools to youth workers on how to find innovative ways of tackling social problems -To develop pilot projects which address social challenges in their organisations or community -Equipping youth workers with the relevant skills of how they can cope with social problems in their society There will be 30 participants, aged 18-35 years old. The main target group is youth workers working with young people who are currently excluded from the job market as well as the wider society. The need of these young people is not only to be employed for financial independence, security and self-esteem, but also to be empowered to make their voices heard in the society and be equipped with the right skills needed for the current job market. Once empowered, young people can lobby more effectively for their own needs. The activities and the methodology used will be as follows. Preparation phase: July/August 2014 Preparation for the course – distance learning: Aug/Sep 2014 Residential training course: September 2014 Follow-up to the course – distance learning: Oct 2014 Final evaluation and follow-up: Nov 2014 The “SESC ” training course is composed of two learning components: distance learning and residential training course. Distance learning, both preparation and follow-up phase, will be based on online interactive training units, which would focus on introduction of learning materials concerning the theme of the project, online discussions, self-reflection, mentoring and support from the training team and partner organisations involved. The important part of the preparation phase will be the research conducted by youth workers, with the support of their organisations, about the employability of young people and demands of job markets in their countries. Residential training course on the other hand will be implemented using a whole range of non-formal educational methods, such as: self-reflection, brainstorming, case studies, inventories, outdoor activities, presentations, role-plays, simulation games, and many others. Early training in entrepreneurship and encouraging the enterprise spirit is one of the keys the European Union has identified to creating jobs, improving competitiveness and stimulating economic growth. It is crucial to creating sustainable and vibrant communities where young people’s livelihoods can grow and thrive. Young people immediately benefit from these activities with improved self-confidence, greater respect for others, increased sense of responsibility and more motivation to persevere in the achievement of their goals. Moreover, it pushes them to use their knowledge and skills in innovative and untraditional ways—ultimately, this is essential for creating value and sustainable development. Numerous EU reports over the last 10 years cite the importance of expert NGOs in bridging the entrepreneurial skills gap.
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