EUROPEAN UNION SUPPORTS THE ASSESSMENT OF SERVICES NEEDS FOR YOUTH, WHO ARE NOT IN EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT NOR TRAINING

NEET young people (Not in Education, Employment and Training) represent an enormous potential for community resources and development. In recent years, the attention of national and international actors has focused on the development of services in reducing the NEET phenomenon and reintegration into their educational and professional field. In order to understand the value system and the needs of the NEET group in Bălți, the Training and Personal Development Center „ANIMA” recently organised a series of focus groups on „The profile and situation of NEET in Bălți”. The event brought together 30 participants, of which 20 young people (17-25 years old) and 10 specialists from different fields related to youth in Bălți.

The assessment was conducted by the project “Better opportunities for Young Women and Men Not in Education, Employment and Training in Moldova (NEET Inclusion Initiative)”, funded by the European Union, co-funded by Sweden and implemented through East Europe Foundation in partnership with the National Youth Council of Moldova (NYC), Centre Partnership for Development (CPD), Agency for Regional Development from the Transnistrian region (ARD).

Among recommendations outlined by experts following the analysis of the findings of the three thematic focus groups are:

◊ The development of a mechanism for identifying / informing / motivating / involving young people NEET would lead to clarity and understanding of the way of working with the target category of young people and to the reduction of the rate of the researched phenomenon.

◊ The creation and development of specific programs for the NEET group would contribute to a better reintegration into the life of the community, including: i) basic skills development program (writing, reading); ii) program for developing communication and public speaking skills; iii) parental education (communication with the child, establishing a healthy and organic parent-child relationship, etc.), iv) psychological support that would help young people to overcome the problems they face and previous unpleasant experiences, etc.