Skills4Life
A better start into adulthood for young people from the care system
Many young people in the Danube region do not grow up with their parents, but instead in residential groups, children’s homes, or foster families. When they reach adulthood, this support ends – yet the path to an independent life is often challenging. This is exactly where the Skills4Life project comes in.
Young adults, known as care leavers, often face difficulties: they struggle to find work, are less likely to have completed vocational training, and frequently deal with low self-esteem. Securing their own housing or accessing healthcare services is also often difficult. All of this negatively affects their quality of life.
Skills4Life aims to change that. The project is developing an innovative educational program that supports young people during this crucial transition phase. It helps them build personal and professional skills, improve their chances on the job market, and successfully take the step into independent living. At the same time, the project advocates for better support services and improved policy frameworks for care leavers – to ensure that no young person has to face this journey alone.
The project is co-financed by the Interreg Danube Region Programme.
Project activities
- Development and implementation of the Skills4Life training program, co-designed with care leavers and professionals.
- Creation of a comprehensive mentoring and counseling model tailored to the specific needs of care leavers.
- Implementation of pilot initiatives to promote the integration of care leavers into the labor market.
- Development of a Skills4Life strategy and action plan for the entire Danube region.
- Establishment of a Youth Empowerment Network to enable exchange, peer support, and continuous development.
Projektziele
Project objectives
- Enhancing the employability and life skills of young care leavers in the Danube region.
- Supporting the transition of care leavers into independent and self-sufficient lives.
- Strengthening cooperation between youth organisations, public institutions, training centers, and employers.
- Promoting transnational knowledge exchange and shared solutions for common challenges faced by care leavers.
Target Groups
- Care leavers
- youth organisations
- training providers
- social workers
- employers
- public authorities
Project coordination: South Muntenia Regional Development Agency
Project partner: ÖJAB (Austria), ipcenter (Austria), Asociatia Oamenilor de Afaceri Arges (Romania), ATS (Romania), Callidus institution for adult education (Croatia), Educational Training Centre (Serbia), EUDA (Czech Republic), Lviv Bureau of European Integration (Ukraine), SWU (Bulgaria), University of Maribor (Slovenia), ZEDA (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Project duration: April 2025 – March 2028
Project website: interreg-danube.eu/projects/skills4life
