How working abroad can kickstart careers for young NEETs

Furthering one's education and navigating the job market can be a daunting task...

Especially if you are a young person in Europe already struggling to find a job, have poor access to training schemes or have left school without any qualifications.

If you find yourself ticking off those boxes and are between the ages of 16 and 29 then you might have fallen into a category of unemployed youths formally known as NEETs in Europe - a young person who is not in employment, education or training. 

This phenomenon isn't restricted to Europe, it's a global one, the International Labour Organisation reported that a fifth of people worldwide between the ages of 15 and 24 were classed as NEETs in 2023.

According to EU data, factors such as having a low family income, a disadvantaged family background or a disability can increase one's risk of becoming a NEET.

But could a work experience abroad help people out of this precarious situation?

Both Hatice Fahel and Jasmin Nsimba Kanza seem to think so; they both joined the EU's ALMA initiative which offers disadvantaged NEETs under 30 years of age professional and personal experience abroad.

After high school, Hatice, a 20-year-old German girl, spent two months in Vercelli, Italy to focus on her prospects.

"I made many new Italian friends and got to know a new language. I liked working there in a hotel and learned many things at my work. Now I feel more free, more confident. So it's opened my eyes and my perspectives about other things," she told Euronews.

Thanks to this professionally and culturally immersive experience, Hatice has now drawn up a career plan with the support of her mentors.

"My dream career is to become a doctor someday. To go and study medicine. Everywhere you need, like,