JUVENTUD ACTIVA - Digital skills for young people at risk of exclusion in the province of Alicante

Juventud Activa, led by the Provincial Council of Alicante, was created under the European Social Fund and the Youth Guarantee system to improve the employability of young people aged 18-30 at risk of social exclusion in the province of Alicante, complementing the Spanish/EU Youth Guarantee, the Alicante Smart Province Plan's skills-development strand, and the Alicante project of the EC Digital Cities Challenge.

The programme aimed to identify training and employment opportunities in the territory, generate integrated training and employment pathways, offer spaces for co-creation and mutual support, enhance each participant's talent and autonomy in job search, and provide ongoing individualised support throughout the participant's pathway, including in-workplace support after job placement.

Three specialised training tracks were delivered: Community Manager (online marketing, social-media management, product positioning and sales); Social and Health Care for Dependency (leading to an official Certificate of Professionalism); and Big Data (web design, data analysis and digital business models). Delivery involved Creama, Convega, and 34 companies across ten sectors of activity, combining individual and group coaching, grouped training with local employers and institutions, and a 'learning in action' approach where participants build their own action plan.