NEETcraft Initiative: Innovations for Empowering Youth with Disabilities

NEVI-EVY project starts (January 2025)

The NEVI-EVY project, officially titled the NEETcraft Initiative: Innovations for Empowering Youth with Disabilities, is a European Union-funded endeavour aimed at enhancing employment opportunities and job quality for young individuals with disabilities across Europe.

Central to the initiative is the adaptation and implementation of the "Job Crafting" model—a personalised employment support approach that extends beyond job placement to include ongoing assistance during employment. This model emphasises empowering individuals to actively shape their work tasks and relationships, thereby increasing job satisfaction and engagement.

The project focuses on tailoring this model to the specific needs of young people with disabilities, with particular attention to gender differences. It also aims to support NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) and those residing in rural areas who often face limited access to employment services.​

NEVI-EVY is a collaborative effort involving partners from Poland, Slovenia, and Portugal, including the Aktywizacja Foundation, the Institute for Structural Research, EURYO – European Rural Youth Observatory, and CENTERKONTURA. The project is funded under the European Social Fund’s Social Innovation+ Initiative (Project No.: ESF-SI-2023-SKILLS-01-0075).​

The initiative's comprehensive approach includes developing, testing, and evaluating the adapted Job Crafting model in Poland and Slovenia, followed by training for NGOs, public employment services, and other service providers to facilitate broader adoption across the EU. Additionally, NEVI-EVY plans to engage policymakers through workshops, conferences, and a European Parliament hearing to advocate for the integration of disability considerations into EU employment policies and services.​