Attention! Europe needs YOU 4 Job-Creation

Deadline: 25 March, 2014 (extended deadline)
Open to: Individuals or teams of up to 3 people coming from Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia,  Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Slovenia and The Czech Republic
Awards: mentorship opportunity with Mladiinfo team and invitations for a week-long youth training opportunity in Skopje (organized by Mladiinfo) with all costs covered

Make your contribution to youth unemployment reduction!

Youth unemployment remains as a hot topic in 2014 as well! In Europe generally, 74 percent of education providers were at first confident that their graduates are prepared for work, but only 38 percent of youth and 35 percent of employers agreed to this. South East Europe six, continues to have the challenge for growth and youth unemployment reduction. For instance, Skopje, Macedonia holds about a third of the total population of the country. As a capital city, it is the place where most of the universities are located. For this reason and in search of a job in the capital, numerous students from all part of Macedonia enroll and graduate every year. Flooding with inexperienced educated young people, Macedonia for instance faces a youth unemployment rate of 53.7 per cent, one of the highest worldwide. Consequently, the number of inexperienced educated unemployed young people is the highest in Macedonia’s capital, Skopje. When it comes to Serbia, unemployment rate is above 20% and the youth unemployment rate is nearly 50%. Like Macedonia and Serbia, also the other 4 countries that make up Southeast Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Montenegro, all continue to grapple with high unemployment, limited growth, and ongoing financial obstacles brought on by the global financial crisis.

When it comes to the EU zone, unemployment rates stood steady as 12% in August, 2013. However it was youth unemployment that took the worst hit in EU’s third largest economy – Italy, reaching a new all-time high of 40.1% from 39/7% in July, reports the Guardian. Where things get really bad is when one looks at Spain’s youth unemployment. At 57.7% in November, nearly two in three Spaniards under 25 had no jobs, and the nail in the coffin for the “recovery” is that this rate is now well above the latest update from Greece, where the youth unemployment was “only” 54.8% as of September (dive in here for more details). Portugal as well fits the list. Get more well-clued about Spain’s neighbor here! A BIG number of 5.6 million young people are unemployed across Europe, and a total of 7.5 million are neither being educated nor are they working. 

We invite you to think and develop ideas and solutions that would answer the following necessities:

1. How can you(th) use social media, new technology, new web application, mobile applications to increase youth employment? How can all these new tools and web-assets be used for youth unemployment reduction?
2. Can new media and social media make a new working environment for 3 – 10 % of unemployed youth in most endangered European countries and reduce the unemployment percentage?

Social networks, web platforms, on-line educational web-pages, web and phone applications; these could all fit in here!

Propose new ways through which young people can SKILL-UP? Or maybe you can come up with an idea that will enhance youth’s linkage to institutions!? Best solutions always might be financed!

Make the research! Check the statistics. List all your findings on a piece of paper and map the issues. Try to make connections among most distant things. Imagine how you are already creating the podium where your ideas and your initiative will work and change the stagnant situation. Observe behavior of youth over social media! Check what are the turn-on and what are the turn-off information flow for youth! Communicate someone from these countries, so they will give you a better understanding in the situation on the local level. Peer-to-peer collaborations are encouraged! Take in account everything and start to re-shape the current on-line environment.

Eligibility

The competition especially encourages submissions from the following countries: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Slovenia and The Czech Republic

Student status is not required. The challenge is opened to young people aged 16 to 35.

Awards

• 3rd place: 1-month free mentorship session with Mladiinfo team (1-2 hours per week over skype or any other agreed form of communication) where our team will work with the 3rd place team for further development of the submitted solution and will share advises for possible fundraising of the idea implementation
• 2nd place: Team leader of the second-placed submission will be invited to join 35 youth from European countries at a week-long youth event that will be held in Skopje, Macedonia in mid of June, 2014. Accommodation and meal costs will be covered for the team leader. The participant will be asked to cover 30 % of travel costs to/from Skopje
• 1st place: Team leader of the first-placed submission will be invited to develop further the winning solution together with 35 youth from European countries at the same week-long youth event which will take place in Skopje, Macedonia in the mid of June, 2014, organized by Mladiinfo (www.mladiinfo.eu). All costs (travel, accommodation, meals) will be covered for the big winner.

How to dive in the contest?

In order to to participate in this contest you need to be registered as a C:F member. Sign up can be done for free here. Check for more tips at the call published on the C:F platform

You should have your submissions put in 5-10 slides!
The first slide of your PPT should include your personal information (name, family name, age, country, status of whether you are (un)employed or still a student).  Slides 2-4 should include information from your research, your findings and explaination why you have decided to deliver your particular solution. What are the needs for it?
Present your solution in the following up-to-5 slides! Make it count!

Once you have your solution prepared, click the “POST IDEA” button in the upper right corner of the webpage and submit it. Best of luck!

Deadline to dive in the contest is 25th of March.

For any questions which you might have, please direct to info@mladiinfo.com or contact the C:F team here

Europe needs YOU 4 Job Creation