The fact that so many Swedish young people are not in education, employment or training is concerning. In central Sweden, however, a project from regional municipality Region Gävleborg has been able to start tackling the problem in a different way, thanks to funding from the European Social Fund.

Young people between 15 and 29 who take part in the Young in Gävleborg project are being given individual, personalised support at their own pace, rather than going through secondary education and college, and are encouraged to look beyond the obvious educational paths and gender roles.

A national programme with thirteen regional projects, Young in Gävleborg is delivered in collaboration with the Public Employment Service, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and a number of private companies.