Young Entrepreneurs Succeed (YES!) is a trust-based collaboration involving 8 public and private institutions from Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom with extensive experience in promoting entrepreneurship among disadvantaged youth.
The program’s aim has been to offer hope and opportunity to disadvantaged youth in Europe. With the backing of the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment, this initiative has made a significant difference in the lives of thousands of young people across the region.
Since its launch, the project has proven to be a catalyst for change, promoting entrepreneurship and providing young people with the necessary tools to thrive in a competitive job market.
The project’s essence lies in its holistic approach to addressing youth unemployment and fostering entrepreneurship. Through strategic partnerships with institutions in Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom, which have acted as implementing partners and experts, Young Entrepreneurs Succeed has offered a diverse range of services ranging from training and counseling to funding and mentoring. These services are specifically designed to meet the unique needs of unemployed youth, providing them with the support they need to turn their ideas into reality.
The project goes beyond providing practical services; it has also created a website https://youngentrepreneurssucceed.com/ that serves as a centralized resource for young entrepreneurs. Through this platform, participants have access to a variety of resources, including interviews with experts, practical tools, and inspiring beneficiary interviews.
The interviews were designed to capture authentic testimonials and meaningful insights into how the project has impacted the lives of beneficiaries. The aim was to understand the challenges they faced before participating in the project, how the project has benefited them, and what advice they could offer to other young people in similar situations.
Additionally, within the framework of Young Entrepreneurs Succeed and over the past 5 years, numerous workshops and conferences have been organized across Europe, providing young people with the opportunity to connect with each other and learn from experts in the field of entrepreneurship.
These events have been instrumental in fostering collaboration and idea exchange and have greatly contributed to the overall success of the project. For example, the “Youth Employment Summit,” held in Barcelona, attracted more than 140 attendees. During the event, important topics related to youth employment were discussed, successful experiences were shared, and new strategies to address challenges in this area were explored.
The final conference of the Young Entrepreneurs Succeed project was in Athens. As the culmination of the program, it was titled “It’s all about NEETs!” The event continued with a review of the history of the YES! project, from its inception to the impact it has had on various European countries during its active time.
Another significant milestone is the premiere of “Lion Dreams,” in collaboration with the Superior School of Cinema and Audiovisuals of Catalonia (ESCAC) to produce an emotional short film. The film project reached a significant milestone by garnering interest from a distributor who committed to showcasing it in 26 festivals, including some that are qualifiers for the Oscars. This initiative not only provided a platform for creatively sharing the project’s narrative but also increased its visibility and potential reach.
However, in 2020, the project was affected by Covid-19. One of the significant challenges we had to face due to Covid-19 was transitioning all services online and engaging the target audience to join them online from home.It was also challenging to keep the project team united despite social distancing. Despite the difficulties, we managed to continue sharing knowledge, activities, and learnings through the screen.
Now that we have overcome this post-Covid stage, the project’s results speak for themselves. Over the past five years, Young Entrepreneurs Succeed has created 643 jobs and facilitated active job search or return to education for 840 young people. Additionally, 380 young people are in the process of starting their own businesses, demonstrating the lasting and positive impact the project has had on the lives of thousands of young people across Europe.
As we celebrate five years of achievements and successes, it is important to recognize the hard work and dedication of all those involved in the project. From partners to young entrepreneurs themselves, each has played a vital role in the success of Young Entrepreneurs Succeed. Looking ahead, we are excited to continue our work together, empowering more young people to pursue their dreams and build a more prosperous future for themselves and their communities.
