POWER TO YOU(th)!

Summary of Training Proposal Power to You(th) provides youth workers and youth leaders with creative, adaptable tools and inspiration to facilitate youth empowerment and to promote entrepreneurship and employability of young people. It explores the tool of Youth Exchanges as part of the Erasmus+ programme to inspire and empower young people to actively participate in society. Background Europe is facing a high number of unemployed young people. The consequences of high unemployment are not mere economic, but Europe also risks a 'lost generation' of young people that, because they cannot participate in society, deals with low self-esteem, low motivation and even radicalization of thoughts and cynicism. It is a threat to the personal development of these young people as well as society and Europe as a whole. We developed this training course because we believe that it is important for young people – as well as for the future of Europe - to be inspired to learn, to develop their talents, skills and attitudes towards themselves and towards society. Youth workers and youth leaders play an important role in supporting young people by facilitating alternative ways of learning and growing through non-formal activities, such as youth exchanges. They could and should, in our eyes, also play a vital role in supporting young people's reflection on their personal development during these activities. Creating awareness of skills (both new and old), a (re) gained confidence and inspiration will lead to empowerment of young people, promoting development of entrepreneurship and higher awareness of employability. Training Course Structure Using non-formal education methods and activities (such as outdoor work, experiential learning, theatre and community interaction), “Power to You(th)” aims at implementing an inspiring, active and creative space for the development of new ideas and exploring possibilities for youth employability and entrepreneurship by focusing on youth empowerment tools. The training course gives participants the possibility to discover meaningful roles and develop different tools in their work around youth projects. Concept of 3E Power to You(th) uses the concept of 3E: Empowerment, Employability and Entrepreneurship. We strongly believe empowerment of young people will lead to inspiration, motivation and confidence to be creative, to develop, to learn. In this training course we link it with entrepreneurship and employability in a step-by-step approach: We begin this training course by exploring the concept of empowerment from a personal level of the youth worker/leader, to the professional level of the youth worker/leader in his/her youth work as important multiplier of youth empowerment. We will then focus on exploring the link between empowerment and employability/entrepreneurship. The next step is to explore how Erasmus+ in general, but Youth Exchanges and Youthpass specifically, can be used as tools for supporting this process and how youth workers and youth leaders can support young people in this process of reflecting and recording learning, to harness their skills which supports them in future employability. Our overall hope is that this training course will bring confidence and inspiration to youth workers and youth leaders to create powerful activities and projects with and for young people. BE INSPIRED BE ACTIVE! Aims and objectives The general aim of Power to You(th) is to boost and expand the capacity of youth workers/leaders in implementing Erasmus+ projects and to share their skills in empowerment, with the aspiration of increasing the employability of young people. The objectives are: - To explore the meaning, relevance and potential of empowerment in youth work for increasing employability and entrepreneurship of young people. - To discover the value of the Erasmus+ Programme, more specifically youth exchanges as a tool for youth empowerment, employability and entrepreneurship. - To experience inspirational tools and methods which can be transferred to working reality. - To exchange experiences in an international environment.