What We Do?

Redefining Youth Employability Through Action

RiseUp transforms ideas into experience. Through five interconnected activities, the project engages young people from across Europe to reflect, collaborate, and innovate around the future of employment. Each activity creates a participatory space where youth, policymakers, educators, and professionals come together to exchange ideas, develop skills, and design concrete proposals that shape European employment policy.

From local dialogues to international contests, every RiseUp event shares a common vision — empowering young people to become co-creators of the policies that shape their working lives. Throughout this journey, participants gain knowledge, confidence, and valuable networks, contributing to a wider European movement for inclusion, equality, and opportunity.

The Youth Lab – Italy

The Youth Lab, hosted in Italy, marks the starting point of the RiseUp journey. This intensive and collaborative event invites young participants to critically analyze and discuss existing employment policies within the European Union.

Over several days, young people, youth workers, and policymakers meet to explore fundamental questions:

• What does “quality employment” mean today?

• How can we make labour markets more inclusive?

• What role should young people play in reshaping the world of work?

Through a mix of interactive workshops, policy simulations, and group discussions, participants engage in hands-on learning that connects personal experiences with real policy frameworks. The Youth Lab fosters critical thinking and policy literacy, empowering participants to understand how labour and social policies are designed — and how they can influence them.

By the end of the event, participants collaboratively draft a set of policy recommendations aimed at improving youth employability across Europe. These proposals form the foundation for subsequent project activities and serve as the building blocks of the RiseUp Youth Employability Toolkit. The Youth Lab embodies the project’s philosophy: policy innovation begins when young voices are heard.

The Open Dialogue – Latvia

The Open Dialogue, hosted in Latvia, turns conversation into collaboration. Building upon the ideas generated during the Youth Lab, this event focuses on youth entrepreneurship and innovation as key drivers of employability and social inclusion.

It brings together young entrepreneurs, policymakers, educators, and youth advocates from across Europe to explore how entrepreneurship can create sustainable futures for the next generation.

Structured as an interactive forum, the Open Dialogue combines debates, mentoring sessions, and co-design workshops. Participants examine real-life examples of successful youth-led ventures, analyze the challenges faced by young entrepreneurs, and brainstorm new strategies to support start-ups and creative initiatives.

The event emphasizes co-creation and collaboration: youth and decision-makers work side by side to develop actionable ideas and policy recommendations that promote entrepreneurship, support self-employment, and ensure fair conditions for young innovators.

Through this exchange, the Open Dialogue strengthens mutual trust between young people and institutions, demonstrating that policy change can emerge from open, honest, and informed dialogue.

The Youth Symposium – Greece

Hosted in Greece, the Youth Symposium serves as the intellectual and participatory core of the RiseUp project. This large-scale gathering brings together youth councils, local authorities, representatives of youth organizations, and educators to engage in meaningful discussions about the role of youth in shaping employment and inclusion policies.

The Symposium functions both as a learning experience and a platform for policy advocacy. Over several days, participants explore key topics such as:

• Fair work and social protection,

• Education-to-employment transitions,

• The recognition of non-formal learning,

• Equal opportunities and inclusion in the labour market.

Through roundtables, interactive panels, and peer-to-peer dialogues, participants analyze the barriers young people face and identify actionable strategies to overcome them.

One of the key outcomes of the Symposium is the development of a joint strategy paper — a youth-driven policy document reflecting participants’ ideas and priorities. This paper provides guidance and recommendations for both local and European decision-makers.

The Symposium reinforces the project’s mission to make youth participation central to the policy process and to empower young citizens as equal partners in decision-making.

The Youth Festival – Bulgaria

The Youth Festival, held in Bulgaria, celebrates creativity, diversity, and the entrepreneurial spirit of Europe’s young people. It functions as a public showcase and interactive exhibition, highlighting the achievements of the RiseUp project and the potential of youth entrepreneurship as a catalyst for social and economic change.

Designed as an open and inclusive event — part fair, part cultural celebration, part learning hub — the Festival features exhibitions, performances, workshops, and networking sessions. Here, young entrepreneurs and innovators present their projects, share success stories, and connect with mentors, investors, and local authorities.

Within this dynamic environment, participants experience how innovation and creativity can translate into real employment and social impact opportunities. Beyond celebration, the Festival has a strong educational dimension: it raises awareness about fair employment practices, sustainable entrepreneurship, and youth inclusion in the economy.

The event invites the public to engage with young changemakers, demonstrating how youth-led initiatives contribute to Europe’s social and economic development. The Festival captures the essence of RiseUp — collaborative, optimistic, and future-oriented.

The Youth Contest – “Innovate for Employability” (Greece)

The Youth Contest, titled “Innovate for Employability”, represents the creative culmination of the RiseUp project. Hosted in Greece, it gathers participants from all partner countries for a dynamic, mobility-based competition designed to harness youth creativity and problem-solving skills.

Working in international teams, participants develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges related to youth employability — from improving job accessibility and integrating digital tools into career development, to promoting inclusive and equitable workplaces.

Guided by mentors and experts, teams transform their ideas into concrete proposals, prototypes, or campaigns that address pressing gaps in the labour market. The contest encourages participants to think entrepreneurially, collaboratively, and strategically, applying design thinking and innovation methods to societal challenges.

Winning concepts are showcased across the project’s partner networks and integrated into the RiseUp Youth Employability Toolkit as examples of youth-driven solutions.

Beyond competition, “Innovate for Employability” stands as a celebration of youth creativity, collective intelligence, and empowerment. It perfectly embodies the RiseUp vision: when young people are empowered to create, connect, and lead, they become the architects of a fairer and more sustainable future of work.

Together We Rise

Each of these five activities contributes to a shared vision — one of empowerment, participation, and transformation. By combining local engagement with European collaboration, RiseUp equips young people not only with the skills to succeed in today’s labour market but also with the agency to redefine it.

Through its labs, dialogues, symposia, festivals, and contests, RiseUp builds a living European network of youth voices shaping policy, practice, and imagination. Every activity reinforces a powerful message: the future of work is not predetermined — it is something we build together.