GAPor+ Project

The state's protection and care services are provided in different models. Orphanages, coordination centers, nurseries are places where young people are under protection and care. Almost the basic needs of young people who are under protection and care by the state, such as food, clothing, shelter, security, education and socialization, are met as long as the state's decision to protect them continues. Then what?

The decision to protect young people by the state (if their education life does not continue) is lifted at the age of 18, and at the age of 25 if education continues. Therefore, all facilities provided by the state (eating, sheltering, clothing, etc.) are cut off. In other words, they become NEET (Not in Employment, Education and Training). Considering that these young people enter orphanages as a result of traumatic situations and do not have enough time to prepare theirselves for life, the process after the removal of the protection order becomes one of the most difficult processes of their lives. In Turkey, young people who have a protection order within the scope of Law No. 2828 and after graduating from orphanage, they will be employed by the state. However, due to bureaucracy, the time it takes for young people to get a job varies from person to person. In the study, which was conducted through face-to-face interviews and google forms before the project, with the participation of 159 young people living in orphanages, it was tried to determine how long it took to get a job after leaving the orphanage. According to the results, it was stated that 69.8% (111 people) were placed in a job for 12 months or more, and 15% (24 people) took 6-12 months. This means that after leaving the orphanage, young people have to fend for themselves for 12 months or more.

This 'gap' in the system is much more than just a gap. Because when the young people were asked how they manage to live in this period, dramatic data were obtained. To solve this problem, we decided to write the 'GAP or Plus' project.

Social enterprises; It is important in terms of providing social benefits and contributing to employment. Social entrepreneurship is decided as the main subject of the project in terms of both earning income and improving their competencies for the young people whose financial support was cut off after orphanage.

The aim of the GAPor+ project is to increase the social entrepreneurship competencies of the professionals/youth workers who carry out activities/projects for young people who have stayed in orphanages, so that the young people can continue their lives after leaving the orphanage, neither being NEET nor face problems after their opportunities are cut. To solve this problems of young people in NEET positions social entrepreneurship models will be used.

In order to achieve the aim of the project, we plan to achieve the following objectives:
-To increase the social entrepreneurship competence of youth workers/volunteers who carry out activities for youth in NEET situation
-Sharing experience and knowledge about different orphanage systems
- Making awareness about the situations faced by young people living in orphanages with NEET situation, to see the problems and to develop creative solutions.
-Provide cooperation and networking opportunities for NEET youth to use Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps opportunities
-Ensuring quality activities for NEET youth by establishing a network for CSO
-Reducing risk factors (Education, migration, disability, divorce, unemployment, low income, place of residence) and discussing their effects in different countries
-Exploring different types of practices, resources and tools as well as NEET realities in different countries
-At least 5 trainings Developing the idea of a social enterprise that NEET youth staying in orphanage will take part in or initiate.

Target Groups:
Main target group of the project:
- who are under government protection and care and who have experience working with vulnerable youth in NEET situations
* Professionals (face-to-face workers as well as managers/decision makers)
*Youth workers/youth leaders (who are involved in grassroots-youth work and government)
*Teachers, school support personnel, alternative education personnel, vocational program personnel
*Social workers, social service representatives
*Local authorities/policy makers for social work
*Employers, apprenticeship programmes, employment agencies, job centers, job clubs, job coaches
*Researchers, academics focusing on youth in NEET and orphanages
-Young people who stayed in orphanages and have/have the potential to start a social enterprise