YOUTHShare’s contribution to youth employment during COVID-19

Since 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, people’s lives have drastically changed, being affected in every level and part of them. Lockdowns, quarantines, shut-downs, protective measures, new health laws and so many other newly-introduced ways of living have become our daily routine so far. Unemployment rising, mental health challenges, uncertainty for the future. But, did the pandemic bring only negative results? Could a pandemic have a positive “side-effect”?

The YOUTHShare project met the hardships and challenges of being implemented during these hectic times. The insights  of the Key Account Managers (KAMs) of the Transnational Employment Centre, being central nodes in the network of the YOUTHShare project, shed light on that question.

Growing up in a pandemic was not easy” notes Anna Goudi, KAM of the Greek branch of the Transnational Employment Centre, commenting on the obstacles youth has to deal with during the pandemic, the lockdowns and the shut-downs affecting their efforts on well-being. On the other hand, she refers to some positive results, such as “ […]  new beginnings, new ideas, new life objectives and new focus in true and meaningful relationships[…] Τhere is a common understanding that in this post-pandemic era, nothing will be the same”, she says, expressing the hope that this new reality will be better, adding that YOUTHShare’s activities were modified according to the new rising “standards”: “Our youth were trained not only in digital skills but in personal resilience skills as well (social-emotional learning, coping with difficulties, social empathy). This training helped them to step up to the challenge, to cope with COVID-19themselves by helping others to cope with it as well.”, the Greek KAM concludes.

Little did we know that the nature of work would radically change”, says Anna Michael, KAM of the Cypriot branchof the Transnational Employment Centre, where she raises and answers the question about the effectiveness of online training, while she also stresses the importance of mental health. “It’s been two years that most of the services of the employment centre are provided online. How did this affect the results?” Not being able to physically attend classes was not a problem anymore. “For the people who did not have easy access to transportation or the people who were in quarantine, our online training provided a solution for their skills development[…]Mental health proved to be a significant factor for our specific target, and simple coaching tools were proven to be game changing for them.” She concludes that “dedication and adaptation” are the key factors “towards a common visionof supporting young people creating a better future for themselves and for the community”.

Relationships, education, and the labour market have undergone a major upheaval.[…]To some extent, the vulnerabilities of our society have emerged even more” says Claudia Caggiano, KAM of the Italian branch of the YOUTHShare Transnational Employment Centre, yet recognising a new perspective of the situation:“ […]we seem to be coming out of all of this with some awareness. We have rediscovered the value of resilience, we have found new ways of working and communicating, we have invented new jobs, we have learned to take an exam or an interview remotely. These new discoveries will inevitably change the world we know and open the way to greater opportunities”. So, resilience, new ways to work and communicate, new jobs, and remote work/ exams are some of the positive outcomes that Italian KAM identifies through the work of YOUTHShare, as she concludes “This time of rebirth will hopefully be the perfect opportunity for European NEETs (and youth in general) to find their own place in the world and get more experiences”.

We have learned to appreciate the value of the things we already had but the pandemic took away from us, says Mari Galiana Badenes, KAM of the Spanish branch of the YOUTHShare Transnational Employment Centre. She also addresses the importance of being able to work on a global basis. “Now we have access to projects, jobs, people and opportunities from abroad without the need of moving or travelling, open horizons and the chance to outreach more people with different backgrounds”, she says. The pandemic helped people to adapt to new, challenging situations by learning new skills and expanding their knowledge, she concludes, thus they are given tools to go back to “normality” with new experiences and abilities.

Authors

Anna Goudi, KAM at the Greek Branch of the YOUTHShare Transnational Employment Centre
Anna Michael, KAM at the Cypriot Branch of the YOUTHShare Transnational Employment Centre
Claudia Caggiano, KAM at the Italian Branch of the YOUTHShare Transnational Employment Centre
Mari Badenes Galiana, KAM at the Spanish Branch of the YOUTHShare Transnational Employment Centre

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