Empowering Youth Through Non-Formal Career Guidance
Asociația Culturală Atelierul European de Artă from Bucharest joins an innovative European project that will transform how young people build their professional future
We are proud to announce that our organization has been selected as a partner in the Erasmus+ project „Finding My Future”, a €60,000 European initiative that will run for 17 months and directly impact over 160 young people from Romania and Poland.
Addressing Today’s Challenges
In the current context, where young people face increasing uncertainties in the job market and difficulties in making career decisions, the „Finding My Future” project provides concrete and innovative solutions. Statistics show that youth unemployment in Romania reached 22.2% in 2023, while in Poland it was 12% – figures that highlight the urgency of effective interventions.
Our Ambitious Goals
Together with our partners from Fundacja 108 in Poland, we aim to:
🎯 Develop a comprehensive curriculum of 12 non-formal education methods for career orientation, available in both written and video format
👥 Train 24 youth workers (12 in Romania, 12 in Poland) in modern career guidance techniques
🌟 Empower at least 160 young people with the knowledge and confidence needed to successfully navigate their career paths
🏢 Strengthen the capacity of our organizations to provide quality support in professional development
Who Are Our Beneficiaries?
Our project targets a wide range of young people aged 16-24:
- High school students in their final years, at the crossroads of decisions about their future
- University students seeking clarity about their professional trajectory
- NEET youth (not in education, employment, or training) who need guidance
- Young people from marginalized backgrounds – including single-parent families, Roma communities, Ukrainian refugees
In Bucharest, we will continue working with young people from social housing and DGASPC sector 6 placement centers, as well as students from Ion Creangă and Nichita Stănescu high schools.
Innovative and Interactive Activities
Training and Development Phase
- International team-building to strengthen teams
- Intensive 6-day training for youth workers in Romania
- Curriculum development with 12 creative career orientation methods
Youth Empowerment Phase
- Monthly workshops on topics such as self-discovery, career exploration, goal setting, and skills development
- Job fair visits for direct exposure to opportunities
- „My Future” workshops for creating professional video CVs
- Networking events with potential employers
- Study visits to various workplaces
- International online conference about EU opportunities
Finalization and Dissemination Phase
- Curriculum finalization with complete video tutorials
- Dissemination events to promote results
- Closing event celebrating successes
Tangible Results
At the end of the project, we will deliver:
📚 A complete 36-hour curriculum with 12 validated career orientation methods
🎥 Professional video tutorials for each method, with subtitles in Romanian, Polish, and English
📋 40-hour training agenda for training future generations of youth workers
📱 Awareness campaign with at least 18 educational social media contents
What Makes This Project Special?
The non-formal approach we promote goes beyond traditional tests and questionnaires, offering young people practical and interactive experiences that help them discover their passions and abilities in a natural and engaging way.
International collaboration with Poland brings a valuable European perspective and enables the exchange of best practices between two complementary cultures.
Focus on inclusion ensures that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds have access to the same professional development opportunities.
Long-term Impact
The results of the „Finding My Future” project will continue to benefit the community long after its official closure. The developed curriculum will be freely available to organizations across Europe, and the trained youth workers will become multipliers of the methodology in their organizations.
We plan to adapt the methodology for vocational education students as well and develop an internship program with local businesses to provide young people with their first professional experiences.
European Collaboration in Action
This partnership between Romania and Poland exemplifies the power of European cooperation in addressing common challenges. By combining our expertise in visual arts and video production with our Polish partners’ experience in coaching and career counseling, we create a unique methodology that leverages the strengths of both organizations.
The project also demonstrates how non-formal education can complement traditional educational systems, providing young people with practical tools and experiences that formal education often cannot offer.
Join Our Mission
We believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to build a fulfilling career aligned with their passions and abilities. Through „Finding My Future,” we’re not just providing career guidance – we’re empowering the next generation to become confident, capable, and successful professionals who can contribute meaningfully to society.
The curriculum we’re developing will serve as a lasting resource for youth workers across Europe, ensuring that our impact extends far beyond the project’s duration and geographical boundaries.
Follow the project’s evolution on our communication channels and don’t miss opportunities to get involved! Young people interested in participating can contact our organization for more details.
The „Finding My Future” project is funded through the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme under action KA210-YOU – Small-scale partnerships in youth.
