According to the foundation, the support for the projects, amounting to €1.5 million, aims to strengthen the financial security and improve employment rates and quality for more than a thousand young people aged 16 to 34 residing in the Lisbon and Porto Metropolitan Areas, the Algarve, and the Azores Autonomous Region, who are neither studying nor working, or have precarious, low-skilled, or low-income employment.

The initiative includes close support from experts in youth unemployment and social innovation (ISCTE and MAZE IMPACT), aiming to increase the likelihood of success of the interventions, and includes a partnership with the Institute of Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) for the subsequent generalisation and widespread dissemination of some of the projects.

"The protocol signed [on Monday] foresees that, of these 14 projects, the IEFP will support the national expansion of those that prove to be the most efficient and effective," explained the head of the Gulbenkian Empregar initiative, Pedro Cunha, in statements to Lusa.

The 14 projects, presented by consortia of public or private legal entities, have a duration of 12 to 18 months and stand out for their adoption of personalised interventions, mentoring, dual learning, and the creation of local employability networks, as well as monitoring and continuity strategies.

In 2024, 11% of young people aged 15 to 29 residing in the European Union were neither working, studying, nor attending any training (a group designated by the acronym NEET – Not in Education, Employment, or Training).

In Portugal, the NEET youth rate is below the European average at 8.7%, with the highest rates among groups from more disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. Meanwhile, among young people who are employed (18-24 years old), more than half have temporary contracts.

According to the head of the Gulbenkian Empregar initiative, the foundation has supported around 40 projects over the last decade to promote the qualification and employability of young people facing greater vulnerability.