Team Up! Employability Through Football
Red Deporte is developing, together with seven other European organisations, the ‘Team Up! For Employability’ programme, aimed at improving the socio-professional integration of young people in vulnerable situations. These are young people who are unemployed and neither studying nor receiving training – commonly referred to as NEETs. The main challenge for integrating most NEETs into the workforce is not so much technical training, but rather attitude, motivation, and the development of personal skills and competencies.
The latest OECD report states that there are 20 million young people who are not in employment, education or training, with extremely negative economic and social consequences. This group is virtually excluded from the system, with low self-esteem and little hope for the future. This profile is also often associated with low levels of physical activity. Combining moderate exercise with a team-building activity is a great way to reactivate them both physically and emotionally.
The tool we are creating will take the form of a manual, developed by eight European organisations working on employability promotion programmes through sport.
This tool will be a key support in implementing programmes that strengthen skills such as communication, building confidence, and developing the resilience needed to overcome the challenges involved in securing stable and decent employment.
Many NEETs must overcome mental barriers rooted in demotivation, as well as criticism and stereotypes from a society that generally fails to understand the multiple problems associated with growing up in vulnerable environments.
Football is an extraordinary tool due to its ability to convey and release emotions. It is a space that appeals to most young people and should serve as a bridge to enhance their competencies, job interview skills, and as a stepping stone toward technical training programmes.
This programme is supported by the European Commission. The consortium is made up of Red Deporte, Albion in the Community, Sports for Life, Rhein Flanke, Cais, Sport dans la Ville, Oltalom, Sari, and streetfootballworld as programme coordinator.
