REOPEN

• REOPEN aims to bridge the gap between education and the skills needed to improve young people’s competitiveness when entering the labor market.
• The project will renew cooperation between higher education institutions and SMEs through business support organizations, educate young people from remote regions in jointly developed training programs, and provide fairly paid smart internships in the form of short-term mobility (1-2 months) in Latvia, Estonia and
• Finland that match the skills and competences of young people and the actual needs of SMEs/organisations, thereby activating a cross-border cooperation network to promote new job opportunities for the target group.

• The project includes a targeted training program for improving young people’s skills, which will include:
  – Assessment of youth training needs and a participant recruitment campaign
  – Assessment of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) needs and an engagement campaign
  – Development, launch and implementation of three training modules;
  – Preparation of a training evaluation report.
• In order to improve employment opportunities for young people, a smart internship program will be developed and implemented, which will include:
  – Development of internship schemes, procedures and documents;
  – Introductory training and manuals for SMEs and mentors;
  – Placement of young people in internships and full implementation of the program;
  – Organization of experience exchange and networking events;
  – Preparation of an evaluation report with recommendations for improving the internship scheme and program;
  – Development of guidelines for SMEs for future use of the internship scheme.

As a result, 300 young people from the project partner countries will significantly increase their competitiveness in the labor market. They will acquire new skills in three training modules covering:

• Social skills,
• Digital skills,
• Green skills, as well as job-specific competencies.

Upon successful completion of the training, the young people will receive certificates.

150 participants will gain employment through internships and practical work experience.

At the end of their internships, they will receive letters of recommendation from the host SMEs and organizations, which will help them in their future career development.

In addition to the main results:

• Cooperation between higher education institutions and SMEs will be strengthened, promoting the development of new forms of cooperation and improving the ability of universities to respond flexibly to the rapidly changing skills and competence requirements of the labor market.
• An interdisciplinary international cooperation network will be established and expanded to ensure the sustainable exchange of knowledge and experience.
• Evidence-based recommendations will be developed for policymakers and decision-makers to improve support systems for the successful long-term integration of young people into the labor market.