{"id":448,"date":"2026-10-07T16:11:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T13:11:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adds.ro\/?p=448"},"modified":"2026-10-08T22:34:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T19:34:03","slug":"techforfuture-clone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adds.ro\/en\/techforfuture-clone\/","title":{"rendered":"ALMA Network by ADDS: Building Bridges Between Young People in Romania and Opportunities Across Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

The Association for Sustainable Development Slatina (ADDS)\nhas launched ALMA Network by ADDS, an open European community that brings\ntogether organisations, host institutions, employers and young people in\nRomania around a shared goal: turning transnational mobility into real pathways\ntowards work, education and inclusion.<\/span><\/i><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

For a young person who has left school early, struggled to\nfind a first job, experienced repeated setbacks in employment or gradually lost\nconfidence in their ability to find a place in the labour market, the distance\nto meaningful opportunities is rarely only about skills or qualifications. It\nmay also reflect discouragement, unsuccessful attempts to enter or remain in\nemployment, limited access to guidance, difficult personal circumstances or the\nabsence of an environment in which they can rediscover their abilities and\npotential. For many young people in Romania, the challenge is not simply\nfinding an opportunity, but regaining the confidence, motivation and support\nneeded to pursue one.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

Across Europe, there are organisations ready to help create\nsuch opportunities. Youth workers, training providers, social enterprises and\nemployers in other countries are looking for partners with whom to welcome,\nmentor and support young people from abroad. Very often, however, the two sides\nnever meet.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

ALMA Network by ADDS was created to change that.<\/span><\/b> It is a space where\nthose who build opportunities, those who host them and those who need them can\nfind each other, talk and start working together.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

A challenge Romania cannot\nignore<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/p>

Romania continues to have the highest share of young people\nnot in employment, education or training (NEETs) in the European Union.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

According to Eurostat data for 2025, 19.2% of young\npeople aged 15 to 29 in Romania were neither working nor participating in\neducation or training<\/b>, compared with an EU average of 11.0%. In practical\nterms, almost one in five young Romanians in this age group remains\ndisconnected from both the labour market and educational opportunities.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

The situation reflects a persistent structural challenge.\nWhile the European Union has made substantial progress over the past decade,\nreducing its average NEET rate from 15.2% in 2015 to 11.0% in 2025, Romania\ncontinues to experience significantly higher levels of youth exclusion. Despite\na slight improvement compared with 2024, when the national NEET rate stood at\n19.4%, the gap remains substantial.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

National averages also hide deep territorial and social\ninequalities. Regional analyses based on 2024 data reveal significant\ndifferences between major urban centres and less developed areas, including\nparts of southern Romania. Young women, young people with low levels of\neducation and those living in disadvantaged communities face particular\nbarriers to entering employment or continuing education.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

Past experience points to a clear lesson: funding is\nnecessary, but not sufficient. Significant European resources have been\ninvested in youth employment in Romania, yet structural barriers to inclusion\nremain. Reaching young people who are disconnected from existing support\nsystems and accompanying them throughout their transition towards employment or\neducation requires more than isolated interventions.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

What makes the difference is the quality and continuity of\nsupport: personalised guidance, real work experience, mentoring, opportunities\nto rebuild confidence and develop practical skills, and follow-up over time.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

ALMA: a European answer\nbuilt on mobility<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/p>

ALMA (Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve<\/i>) is an initiative\nof the European Commission, supported through the European Social Fund Plus\n(ESF+), designed to promote the active inclusion of disadvantaged young people\nwho are not in employment, education or training.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

The ALMA model is built around three connected stages:<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    \n
  1. Preparation at home.<\/span><\/b> Participants receive\n personalised guidance, coaching, training and support in their own\n country, helping them develop the skills, motivation and readiness needed\n to benefit from an international learning experience.<\/o:p><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. A supervised learning experience\n abroad.<\/span><\/b> Young people spend a period, typically between two and six\n months, in another EU Member State, undertaking work-related learning\n placements in companies or other organisations. These experiences are\n facilitated through cooperation with host organisations and accompanied by\n mentoring, guidance and practical support.<\/o:p><\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Follow-up after return.<\/span><\/b> Back home, participants\n receive continued assistance in using their newly acquired skills and\n experience to take the next step towards employment, an apprenticeship,\n further training or a return to education.<\/o:p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>

    What distinguishes ALMA from other mobility schemes is its\nfocus on young people who often remain outside traditional international\nopportunities: those with insufficient qualifications, limited resources,\ndisabilities, long periods of unemployment or other circumstances that make\naccess to work and education particularly difficult.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    For them, a structured experience abroad can build\npractical skills, self-confidence, autonomy and intercultural understanding,\nand above all a clearer picture of what their future could look like.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    ALMA is therefore not simply about mobility. It is about\nusing mobility as an instrument for inclusion, learning and sustainable\npersonal and professional development.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

    <\/span><\/strong><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    The Missing Link:\nPartnerships<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

    <\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/p>

    The potential of ALMA depends not only on available funding\nbut on something less visible: the ability of organisations in different\ncountries to find each other, trust each other and work together.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    An ALMA mobility cannot happen without a chain of partners.A\nsending organisation must identify, prepare and accompany young people. A host\norganisation in another country must help identify and organise suitable\nwork-based learning placements, cooperate with local employers and\ninstitutions, facilitate appropriate living arrangements and ensure that\nparticipants receive mentoring, guidance and practical support throughout their\nstay. Mentors, employers, training providers and other relevant stakeholders\nmust work together, with a shared understanding of objectives, roles,\nresponsibilities and quality standards.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    In practice, building such a chain is often one of the most\ndemanding parts of developing a successful transnational initiative. Smaller\norganisations, especially those working closest to vulnerable young people,\nfrequently lack international contacts, information about funding opportunities\nor the resources needed to identify reliable partners. At the same time,\npotential host organisations, employers and professional networks may be\nwilling to contribute to mobility experiences but may not know where to find\nappropriate cooperation partners or how to become involved.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    The result is a paradox: the need exists, the\nwillingness to cooperate exists and European instruments exist, but the\nconnections that would turn them into concrete projects are often missing.<\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    ALMA Network by ADDS was designed precisely to help bridge\nthis gap.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

    <\/o:p><\/span><\/strong><\/p>

    About ADDS<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

    <\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/p>

    The Association for Sustainable Development Slatina (Asocia\u021bia\npentru Dezvoltare Durabil\u0103 Slatina \u2013 ADDS<\/i>) is a non-governmental,\nnon-political and non-profit organisation with more than two decades of\nexperience in designing and implementing initiatives for people, organisations\nand communities.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    Its work is based on an integrated vision of sustainable\ndevelopment, bringing together economic, social, cultural and environmental\ndimensions. ADDS aims to unlock human potential, strengthen organisational\ncapacity and create real development opportunities.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    The association works with individuals, employers, civil\nsociety organisations, public institutions and other stakeholders to turn\nidentified needs into concrete programmes, projects and interventions, adapted\nto changes in society and the labour market. Drawing on its longstanding\nexperience in community development, skills development, project implementation\nand institutional cooperation, ADDS promotes approaches that connect individual\nopportunities with organisational capacity, social inclusion and sustainable\ncommunity development.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    This experience provides the foundation for the\norganisation’s involvement in developing new European cooperation frameworks\nand initiatives aimed at expanding access to learning, mobility and\nprofessional opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    Why ADDS Started the\nNetwork<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

    <\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/p>

    Drawing on its longstanding experience in community\ndevelopment, skills development and cooperation with diverse stakeholders, ADDS\nrecognises the importance of connecting organisations that can create\nopportunities with people who need access to them. ALMA Network by ADDS was\nlaunched to connect these two realities.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    Within the network, ADDS acts as initiator and facilitator.\nIt identifies and invites relevant European stakeholders, encourages the\nexchange of information and good practices, supports the development of\ntransnational partnerships and raises awareness among young people in Romania\nabout European mobility opportunities. In parallel, ADDS is developing\ncooperation frameworks and project proposals aligned with the European ALMA\ninitiative, focusing on personalised support, work-based learning, mentoring,\nskills development and sustainable pathways towards employment and education.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    The network reflects a conviction at the heart of ADDS’s\nwork: European cooperation is not an abstract concept, but a practical\ninstrument for expanding opportunities for people and communities facing\nbarriers to participation.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    More Than a Social Media\nGroup<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

    <\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/p>

    The community currently meets in a dedicated Facebook\ngroup, chosen as an accessible and familiar communication platform for\norganisations, professionals and young people. But the group is the meeting\npoint of a broader cooperation initiative, not the initiative itself.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    Within the group, members can introduce their organisations\nand professional interests, share information about ALMA and other relevant\nEuropean opportunities, identify potential cooperation partners, exchange\nresources and good practices, and engage in discussions with others working in\nsimilar fields. The group is intended to encourage direct communication and\nmake it easier for interested organisations and individuals to establish\ninitial contacts.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    As the community develops, ADDS aims to encourage\nconnections that may lead to more structured cooperation, including joint\nproject ideas, transnational partnerships and mobility opportunities for young\npeople. Depending on the interests and contributions of its members, the\nnetwork may also provide a framework for thematic exchanges, online meetings,\nsharing practical resources and facilitating contacts between sending and host\norganisations.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    ALMA Network by ADDS is conceived as an evolving community\nin which information can become dialogue, dialogue can become cooperation, and\ncooperation can generate new opportunities.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

    <\/span><\/strong><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    An Open Invitation<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

    <\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/p>

    Behind every statistic there is a young person whose\npotential is still waiting for the right opportunity. Such opportunities emerge\nwhen people and organisations are able to connect across geographical,\ninstitutional and professional boundaries.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    Whether you represent an organisation looking for\ntransnational partners, a host organisation interested in supporting mobility\nplacements, an employer willing to contribute to work-based learning, or you\nare a young person curious about what Europe can offer, ALMA Network by ADDS is\nopen to you.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    Join ALMA Network by ADDS and help build bridges between\nyoung people in Romania and opportunities across Europe.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

    <\/span><\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    Join our Facebook community:<\/span><\/b>
    \n<\/span>https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/1643720934065280<\/span><\/a><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    Contact ADDS:<\/span><\/b>
    \n<\/span>    alma.network.adds@gmail.com<\/span><\/a><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    Ramona Andreea Georgescu<\/span><\/b>
    \nALMA Transnational Officer<\/i>
    \nAssociation for Sustainable Development Slatina (ADDS)<\/i><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    ALMA Network by ADDS is an independent networking and\ncooperation initiative created by the Association for Sustainable Development\nSlatina (ADDS) in the context of the European ALMA initiative. It is not an\nofficial European Commission network. Participation in the community does not\nautomatically guarantee access to funded mobility programmes.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

    <\/span><\/i><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

    Sources and Further\nInformation<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/p>

    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/p>