Youth entrepreneurship
In the spotlight
Take a look at how youth entrepreneurship can be boosted in your region and create new opportunities for young innovators. Our experts have hand-picked the most relevant content on the topic for you so you can dive right in and discover strategies to support and nurture youth-driven startups and initiatives.
Workplace training: successful initiatives
On 19 March 2021, the Policy Learning Platform hosted a webinar on the topic of workplace training and successful initiatives.
The second session of the three-part webinar-miniseries featured two successful graduate work placement programmes. Both programmes, Trainee Sør (Norway) and InterTradeIreland FUSION Programme (Northern-Ireland & Ireland), have been ongoing for nearly 20 years, last up to 18 months per participant, and have yielded clear benefits for all parties involved, with high talent attraction and retention rates.
Watch the video below to learn how regions, SMEs and young graduates have benefited from them.
Webinar recording
Webinar agenda overview
Moderation and concept by: Mart Veliste and Luc Schmerber, Thematic Experts of SME Competitiveness.
Navigate to the discussion topics of interest in the webinar agenda overview below.
00:00:05 Introduction to the Policy Learning Platform services and topic by Mart Veliste.
00:04:21 Presentation by Isabelle-Louise Aabel, EU Adviser at GCE Node, Norway
00:16:35 Q&A As an alumna of Trainee Sør , what would you say this trainee programme gave you as a young person a few years ago?
00:18:10 Q&A These practices have an added value in terms of retaining talent in the region. You were thinking of moving to Brussels, but you stayed in Norway. Is it due to the programme?
00:19:21 Q&A Did you also benefit from Trainee Sør's network? Is it something you experienced?
00:20:37 Q&A The unique feature of the programme is that you rotate the trainees in three different companies for six months. Would you say it is a strength of the programme? What are the benefits of this rotation?
00:22:30 Presentation by Janet Toal, Acting Innovation Manager at InterTradeIreland
00:37:06 Q&A What is the key success that has made the FUSION programme run for so long with such high results?
00:39:17 Q&A Is the FUSION programme limited to specific sectors? Would creative (for example crafts) SMEs be eligible?
00:40:14 Q&A Do you think this cross-border collaboration between Ireland and Northern-Ireland is rather a hindrance for the parties involved or a benefit?
Key learnings
- The trainee programmes also allow the opportunity to create an alumni network of young professionals. Additional intangible benefits for regions are made this way.
- Programmes such as Trainee Sør and FUSION broaden the career horizons of young talents. As is the case with the Trainee Sør programme, rotating students in various companies is highly recommended as it provides a rich learning experience of various company cultures, leadership styles, and roles to the young talent. This then enables them to make a more informed decision about their future career path.
- The key to success with such programmes is the people involved. It is essential to match the right academic partners with the right companies so that they would understand each other and have a good fit. Trust and real commitment need to be built between the various stakeholders.
- As the FUSION programme illustrates, such work placement programmes can also be run cross-border. The cross-border nature enables to create more extensive innovation networks between the stakeholders. You can potentially match SMEs with academic institutions that they could not otherwise reach.
Other workplace training recordings
- 12 March - What is workplace training and why is it relevant for regions?
- 26 March - How to bring skills to companies?
Photo by Keith Luke on Unsplash
Early school leaving and integration of NEETS into the labour market in Réunion Island
On 28-30 November 2023, the Policy Learning Platform hosted a peer review for the Regional Council of La Réunion (France). The Region was looking for advice and inspiration on how to prevent school and academic dropout rates, as well as to increase the employment rate of young people.
The Regional Council of La Réunion wishes to put in place an action plan to prevent and combat early school leaving, which is a major regional cause. This action plan will be based on a strategy to be defined with the local stakeholders. In this context, the following challenges were discussed:
Entrepreneurial education: a case of excellence
Entrepreneurship: high on the EC agenda
For the European Commission (EC), entrepreneurship is the act of seizing opportunities and ideas and transforming them into value for others, which can be financial, cultural, or social.
With the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan adopted in 2013, the EC set out a renewed vision and a series of actions to be taken at both EU and Member State levels to support entrepreneurship in Europe.
Trainee Sør (Trainee South)
Many European regions struggle to attract and retain young professionals. In the STEM sector, with a smaller talent pool and lower % of women, this impacts negatively on the gender gap.
This is an issue in the Agder region, whose key business sectors are ship technologies, marine engineering and offshore drilling. Trainee South was launched to meet companies’ needs to attract young professionals to the area. Enterprises, universities and public institutions participate and use their communication channels to publicize the program.
In terms of criteria to participate, it is open to graduates up to 30 years old from across Norway, who have an excellent academic background and demonstrate a strong motivation to boost the development of Agder. Enterprises benefit from a professional recruitment service, guaranteeing that the most skilled applicants are selected. Evaluation of skills helps eliminate gender bias that can discriminate against women in male-dominated sectors.
Concerning activities, selected applicants participate in an 18-month-long paid traineeship, working in different companies and institutions (6 months each). They are in close contact with a daily manager and other trainees to ask questions and share experiences. They are also coupled with a carefully selected mentor who helps them to identify goals and overcome challenges. Trainee South also organizes parallel networking events, study trips and courses and training events, such as public speaking courses.
