For young people who lack financial, educational, or emotional support, achieving a life goal can seem impossible. Without a support network, they can lose self-esteem and motivation.

Petr didn’t grasp his own potential and the opportunities around him until he found ‘You’re up to it!,’ a project implemented with funding from the European Social Fund (ESF). The project provided transnational mobility opportunities to disadvantaged young people under the pilot programme introduced by TLN Mobility. The programme’s success inspired the launch of the EU’s Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve (ALMA) cross-border mobility scheme in 2021.

Thanks to mentorship from the project, Petr successfully achieved one of his personal goals: ‘I definitely know what I can do now,’ he reflects. ‘I have found a job, and I still have it since the end of the project.’

The project created pathways to education and employment that put the goals of vulnerable young people first and opened up access to satisfying, high-quality opportunities. Finding secure, enjoyable jobs helped the young people understand their strengths, and pursue their goals. As Dan reveals, ‘Thanks to the project, I was able to start doing something that I enjoy and will feed me.’

The first stage of the project focused on motivating and supporting the young people; helping them understand the job market and education system, access career guidance, improve their financial literacy, understand work-life balance, and improve their language skills. Each individual was given personalised support, while also being invited to group support meetings.

The second stage involved a traineeship with an employer abroad. The young people, many of whom had never been out of their own country before, were accompanied by a mentor and spent two months working, studying and living in a new environment. For many, this was the opportunity to make a fresh start in life.

Kája joined the police for her traineeship and has now set new goals for her career development. ‘I went to the police and now I even want to go to graduate from police college,’ she says. ‘You have opened my eyes and offered opportunities that I have not seen.’

The final stage included a group evaluation exercise, alongside ten hours of follow-up counselling sessions. This cemented the young people’s individual plans and helped them to learn the skills they would need to achieve their goals. Aleš was empowered to return to education. ‘I went back to school and started college, all thanks to the guidance of the people I met,’ he says. ‘I would never make it myself.’

In total, 30 individuals participated in ‘You’re up to it!’ project activities, and now have the confidence, skills and achievements to prove that they indeed are ‘up to it’.