Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, was in Slovenia on 23 and 24 February 2023. Alongside meetings with the country’s President and Prime Minister, national ministers, members of the national Parliament and social partners, the Commissioner visited two EU-funded projects, helping disadvantaged young people to discover their potential, and providing digital services that can help take innovative social projects to market.

Developing the potential of disadvantaged young people

Together with Ciril Globočnik, Mayor of the city of Radovljica, Commissioner Schmit met representatives of Ljudska univerza Radovljica, which hosts the PUM-O youth employment programme. PUM-O (Project Learning for Young Adults) is designed to meet the needs of young adults who are not in employment, education or training, helping them find their way into a job or a learning activity – and preventing social exclusion. PUM-O helps participants to discover their talents, then matches these skills with employers – making it easier to chart their future career paths. The project offers cooking and film workshops, creative and sports activities, computer sciences and presentations of European and other countries.

Thanks to the project’s support, Jana built a path to employment and appreciates the support she received. ‘I found a part of myself on PUM-O; I realised what makes me happy and what I am good at. I wasn’t just a number on a piece of paper, nor was I just one of the people attending the programme at the same time as others,’ she says. ‘We were all connected and encouraged each other.’

Digital Social Innovation Lab

Commissioner Schmit also visited Slovenia’s Impact Hub (SEED)- one of the flagship projects of the ESF+ Social Innovation Plus initiative. Funded through the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI), SEED works with partners from Italy, Greece and Romania, establishing National Competence Centres to enhance the development and proliferation of social innovation.  The Impact Hub is also piloting a digital social innovation lab, which provides a virtual environment for collaboration between individuals, companies, communities and society. The aim is to promote a more proactive role for social economy in solving societal and environmental challenges while creating business opportunities.

Commissioner Schmit said: “Slovenia’s Impact Hub is a fascinating project, showcasing dynamic social innovation. I am particularly impressed by the cross-border cooperation between several other Member States.”