This April marked the launch of the Interreg Danube Region project COOPOWER (Strengthening cooperative employment practices for the empowerment of vulnerable youth), project number DRP0301177. The project aims to build and strengthen local cooperation initiatives that help rural youth across the Danube Region find employment and improve their long-term participation in the labour market. The official kick-off meeting took place in Budapest on May 15–16.
The three-year project is coordinated by the Center for the Study of Democracy (Bulgaria) and brings together nine partners from eight countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Pilot activities will be carried out in six countries, supported by local and international networks and research.
Based on the results of the pilot initiatives, the project will develop policy recommendations targeting a wide range of decision-makers. The aim is to introduce innovative tools and approaches that can contribute to reducing unemployment among rural youth in a sustainable way.