Young people who drop out of school in France can get a second chance thanks to support from the European Social Fund (ESF). The ESF-funded ‘Global Individualised Support’ project in Nord Franche-Comté provided training and internships to put low-skilled, 17–30-year-olds on the path to employment.

The project reached out to young people with few or no qualifications – many of whom had dropped out of school – offering personalised training to equip them with the skills they needed to move forward with a career.

Led by the 2nd Chance School of Nord Franche-Comté (E2C) centre, the six-month training courses helped young people to develop basic skills in subjects such as French, maths and computer science. They also learned how to write a CV and cover letter, and how to prepare for interviews.

The project then arranged internships to allow participants to try out different working environments and discover a job they enjoyed.

‘I did internships to find the job that suited me,’ explains William. ‘I landed a three-month, fixed-term contract thanks to the internship I did there. I start on Monday […]’

Aurélien, a 24-year-old baker, liked the way he was encouraged to take charge of his future: ‘At [the] E2C, you identify your interests, you do internships, then you find a job that suits you, so you have to go for it!’

Abdeselam echoes this view, underlining the importance of persevering until you find the right role for you.

‘You have to believe in it until the end, you can do three, four, five, or six internships, but one day or another it will pay off; you mustn't be in a hurry,’ he says.

The project helped more than one thousand young people to develop their skills and find a position they enjoy, while acquiring the tools and direction they needed to be successful in the job market.