As the Erasmus+ project Newcomers@Work moves into its second year of implementation, partners across six countries continue to translate the project’s tools and methods into real-world action. Designed to support the labour market integration of young NEETs with a migrant or refugee background, the project has now entered a new phase of local testing, partnership-building and feedback collection.
Throughout 2024 and early 2025, all partner organisations — from Poland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania, Italy and Greece — have been working closely with young people and employers.
One of the central achievements of this period has been the launch of the Newcomers@Work Digital Toolbox, a free, online toolbox designed for both youth professionals and employers. The Toolbox gathers editable templates, visual guides and step-by-step instructions for implementing job-based mentoring and structured support for NEETs. The platform is available in seven languages and accessible at: www.newcomersatworktoolbox.eu
The Toolbox is already being used in the field by youth workers and employers in various contexts — from NGOs and social enterprises to small businesses and public employment centres. Early feedback has shown that the tools make a clear difference in preparing young people for their first work experiences and in helping employers engage with migrant youth more confidently and effectively.
In May 2025, the project consortium gathered in Palermo, Italy, for transnational project meeting, hosted by PRISM. The meeting marked a pivotal moment for the project: not only to assess the progress of local activities, but also to begin drafting the upcoming Implementation Guide, which will summarise recommendations, examples and lessons learned from the pilot phase. Partners shared insights on how tools were used in different national contexts, discussed challenges in working with employers and NEETs, and explored strategies for adapting the model beyond the project’s lifetime.
The meeting also included discussions on sustainability, long-term use of the Toolbox, and upcoming national dissemination events. Beyond technical planning, the face-to-face exchange helped reinforce the strong cooperative spirit of the partnership and reminded everyone of the shared values at the heart of the project: inclusion, dignity, and equal access to opportunity.
Newcomers@Work will continue throughout 2025 with further mentoring activities, local events and the finalisation of all project outputs — all of which will remain freely available to organisations, educators and institutions working to support young people on their path to employment.
To learn more about the project, you can visit the website (https://newcomersatwork.eu/), the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/newcomersatworkproject.eu), and the LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/company/newcomersatwork).
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. The European Union cannot be held responsible for them.