Early school leaving (ESL) and dropping-out are often seen as the fault of young people. As a result, certain groups of young people remain without basic qualifications and with low skills, which significantly increases the likelihood of unemployment or precarious work, exacerbated by the effects of the economic recession. In turn, the absence of young people from the labour market is a significant detriment to socio-economic advancements, evidencing on one hand a deficit in youth-related policies and on the other hand ponderous youth civic participation.

There is a need to enhance the basic and transversal skills and competences of young people who have dropped out of the formal education system, (re)introducing them in informal and non-formal learning, based on an innovative, tailor-made capacity-building model, with the aim to ultimately facilitate their socio-economic (re)integration and employability.

The main objectives of the DROP-In project are to:

• Develop and make available a modern, integrated and holistic e-learning and networking platform, tailor-made to the skills, capacities and development needs of young drop-outs and ESLs across Europe.
• Introduce, pilot and implement new, innovative and effective youth-led methodologies for enhancing the basic and transversal skills of the specific disadvantaged group of young drop-outs and ESLs.
• Target drop-outs/ESLs who are outside the formal structures of society often because of a combination of personal, educational, economic and social circumstances leading to a higher risk of being socio-economically excluded.
• Enhance the quality and relevance of the learning offered through non-formal education and training by directly linking labour market demands to the needs and wishes of the project’s target groups.

DROP-In project is targeted at:

• Drop-outs, early school leavers
• Youth with fewer opportunities, disadvantaged youth, NEET
• Local/regional employers and businesses
• VET trainers
• Policy planners and decision-makers
• Community and civil society organisations, NGOs
• Non-formal training providers, educational institutions, trade unions

Monitoring of the quality and scientific outputs of the project will go through a Youth Advisory Board comprising of diverse young people including drop outs and ESLs. The Group will meet quarterly. The IARS Academic Board will also peer review the scientific outputs of the project such as the final e-book. You may find more information on the IARS Youth Advisory Board here