Problem addressed

The regional youth inactivity rate exceeds 50%, meaning that the majority of young people are currently outside the labour force, with limited or no exposure to the world of work and business. Several structural challenges contribute to this situation, including:

    • Significant difficulties in the transition from education to employment

    • Limited opportunities within specialised and strategic economic sectors

    • A lack of job stability, with employment predominantly based on temporary or fixed-term contracts

    • A persistent mismatch between acquired skills and labour market demands

Innovative solution

Youth Mentoring:

Structured around four key pillars: personalised mentoring, skills training, network building, and continued tutored support.

    • Engages over 400 volunteer mentors from strategic economic sectors, offering one-on-one guidance to support participants in their job search.

    • Delivers an accessible, flexible, and tailored 40-hour training programme focused on soft skills development and key competences for the labour market.

    • Includes invitations to networking events and organised visits to businesses and relevant institutions.

    • Provides ongoing coaching from a team of tutors specialised in career guidance and labour market forecasting.



Youth Mentoring at Businesses:

This initiative funds projects led by local authorities or public entities and includes three core components: a paid work placement, complementary training, and dedicated tutor support.

    • Paid work placements: Monthly stipend of at least €690.66 for placements lasting 3 to 4 months, with a minimum of 100 hours per month across four working days per week.

    • Complementary training programme: Minimum of 20 hours focused on developing workplace skills and professional competences.

    • Dedicated tutor: Each participant is assigned a tutor responsible for monitoring progress and supporting their training and professional development.

Key results and benefits

Over the course of 7 editions (latest still ongoing), the Youth Mentoring program has supported close to 1,550 participants with the guidance of over 400 mentors. The initiative has maintained an insertion rate of over 50% across the last six editions. It has collaborated with more than 20 entities, mobilised 25 dedicated tutors, and facilitated over 75 visits and events. 

Youth Mentoring at Businesses program has carried out 3 editions to date (latest still ongoing). It has engaged close to 450 participants and collaborated with 40 beneficiary entities. More than 250 host companies have taken part in the initiative, the vast majority of which are local businesses inserted in the rural sector. The last edition (II) achieved a 60% insertion rate.

Both programs have been very positively received by the population, with its core ideals having been picked up by local insitutions. Aside from the figures higlighting it’s success in bettering youth employabilty, it enjoys the support of the wide network of participating mentors and entities. 

Potential for mainstreaming

These mentoring programs have a high component of regional participation, meaning that when replicated in other areas, these adaptable components (host businesses, mentors, networking events) can be tailored to the specific localities contributing to a better insertion of the programs. Also, due to the co-financing from European funds, the formal requirements (for participants, processes, or expenses) adhere to guidelines common to the European community. Furthermore, stemming from the central mentoring idea, the programs can be upscaled or combined with others to maximise their impact - as was the case of the Xuventude Mentoring na Empresa as a sister project to the Xuventude Mentoring with the add-on of paid work placements.