About the project

SPEED You UP was an Interreg 2 Seas project with 13 project partners from France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK. The project ran from December 2019 to March 2023. 

The overall project objective was to decrease the number of (at-risk) NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) by improving their employability opportunities, through a co-created entrepreneurship programme that enhances entrepreneurial skills.

The project created entrepreneur hubs both in secondary schools with a high number of at-risk NEET students and in local communities with a high number of hard to reach NEETs. From within these hubs, young people developed and created pop-ups that answer to the specific needs of the (deprived) communities in which they live or go to school. The project increased their entrepreneurial skills, as well as their self-respect and motivation.

By creating entrepreneur hubs in and outside schools, the approach was the first tailor made, community driven, multi-stakeholder and needs-based approach for prevention of NEET's on such a large scale. Schools, businesses and local stakeholders work and coach together as the involvement of several stakeholders is considered to be crucial in designing the programme.

The pop-up teams come up with concrete solutions to local needs, and therefore, the youngsters need to go and learn outside the classroom, interact and build a network. They set and achieve personal development goals as well as team goals. In doing so, the youngsters benefit from higher involvement. We’ve provided the (at-risk) NEET's with positive experiences and future proof entrepreneurial skills that are very useful in their labour market position.

Interreg Programme Priority: Technological and Social Innovation

Specific Objective: Social Innovation

Acronym: Students and NEET young people, Professionals and Educators work on Employability and entrepreneurial skills in the battle against school Dropout and Youth UnemPloyment.

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