RE:START

RE:START is an Erasmus+ Training Course under KA153-YOU that YAKA Derneği plans to submit to the Turkish National Agency for the 1 October 2026 deadline.

The project aims to strengthen youth workers’ capacity to reach and support young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET). Many youth organisations work effectively with young people who already participate in youth centres, NGO activities and international mobility programmes. However, young people who could benefit most from these opportunities may remain disconnected from existing youth-work channels.

Young people described as NEET do not form a single, uniform group. Their situations may be influenced by economic hardship, geographical isolation, discrimination, family responsibilities, health-related difficulties, low confidence, limited access to education or employment, negative experiences with institutions, or a lack of suitable local opportunities. RE:START will therefore avoid one-size-fits-all solutions and focus on understanding different barriers and individual realities.

The training course will focus on practical outreach, trust-building and realistic pathways. It will help youth workers establish meaningful first contact, listen without judgment and guide young people towards appropriate education, training, volunteering or employment opportunities.

The project has four main objectives:

• recognise different NEET situations and avoid one-size-fits-all assumptions;

• identify barriers, local realities and young people who are not reached through existing youth-work activities;

• strengthen practical outreach, active listening and non-judgmental communication skills;

• support young people in moving from initial contact towards realistic education, training, volunteering or employment pathways.

RE:START will use non-formal education and learning-by-doing approaches. Participants will map the young people their organisations are currently not reaching, work with realistic fictional NEET profiles, practise first-contact conversations, test different outreach approaches and design pathways from initial engagement to an achievable next step.

Methods will include simulations, role-play, peer learning, case-based work, practical group challenges and structured reflection. Participants will exchange local experiences and examine how different outreach methods can be adapted to their national and community contexts.

After the mobility, each national group will implement a RE:START Outreach Action in its local community. This will allow participants to test part of their learning in practice, document what worked and what did not, and identify improvements for their organisations’ future outreach activities.

The training course is planned to take place in İzmir, Türkiye. It will involve organisations from five countries, currently proposed as Türkiye, Serbia, Romania, Finland and Italy. However, the final country composition may be adjusted according to the relevance and suitability of the partner organisations.

Each country will involve three participants, creating a total group of 15 youth workers. Participants must be at least 18 years old. The programme is planned for five training days plus two travel days.

The course is intended for youth workers, youth leaders, trainers, mentors, project coordinators, and staff members or volunteers who work directly with young people. Participants do not need to specialise in working with NEET youth. However, they should have a genuine interest in inclusion, employability, outreach, non-formal education or community work and be able to apply the learning in their local context after the training.

YAKA Derneği is looking for reliable partner organisations that work directly with young people and are willing to contribute actively to project development, preparation, implementation and follow-up.

Selected partners will be expected to:

• contribute to project development before submission;

• provide accurate organisational and OID information promptly;

• select three suitable participants;

• involve participants in preparation before the mobility;

• attend online partner meetings;

• share relevant local needs, outreach practices and experiences;

• support participant preparation, travel arrangements and wellbeing;

• contribute to agreed training sessions and peer-learning activities;

• organise a local RE:START Outreach Action after the mobility;

• contribute to evaluation, dissemination and follow-up.

Interested organisations should review the RE:START concept note and complete the partner-interest form:

https://forms.gle/xetrod9j4HcK6Vwe8

Deadline for expressions of interest: 24 September 2026 at 18:00 CEST / 19:00 Türkiye time.

Submitting the form does not automatically confirm partnership. Selected organisations will be contacted directly for further project development.