13 Dec RAISE Youth project in Gospić – Annual event: 700+ unemployed rural youth got a chance

On Thursday, December 9, 2021, the Annual Event of the project “RAISE Youth – Rural Action for Innovative and Sustainable Youth Entrepreneurship” was held at the cinema “Korzo” in Gospić.

The success stories of two young entrepreneurs Ana Grgurić and Marko Vuletić, who decided to start their own business within the RAISE Youth project and thus became part of a serious business story, were presented at the event. Thanksgiving was also given to all those who contributed to the successful development of the project.

The meeting was addressed by: Senior Sector Officer and Contact for the Youth Employment Fund Gretha Haugoy by letter, Counselor of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Croatia Homma Latif, Lika-Senj County Prefect Ernest Petry and Deputy Mayor of Gospić Kristina Prša.

In her letter, Grethe Haugoy described the RAISE Youth project as a successful project based on a methodology that works well for target groups. What she finds most interesting about the RAISE project is its optimistic and innovative view of the countryside. Embassy Counselor Homma Latif emphasized the RAISE project: “RAISE Youth is the largest project in Croatia and the only one with a Croatian organization as a leading partner. Congratulations on this. ”

Project coordinator Mary Ann Rukavina Cipetić presented the mobile application “Explore Lika” and the web store “Taste Lika”, the Crowdsourcing platform START.CRO, the Smart Farm Aeroponics and announced the possibility of extending the project until 2023.

After the public presentation, the guests visited the RAISE Youth Center in Gospić at Zagrebačka 35. The center is open daily for all interested young people who need support in starting their own business.

RAISE YOUTH Round Table on “Perspectives of Youth Employment in Rural Areas” was held at 2:30 pm at the Lika-Senj County Development Center. Mary Ann Rukavina Cipetić, Director of the LSŽ Development Center Mile Milković, Head of the Innovation system of the Sector for Industrial Development and Innovation System – Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Association Young Entrepreneur Croatia Mateo Ivanac and scientist from the Ivo Pilar Institute Anita Bušljeta Tonković and project partners took a part.

Barriers to entrepreneurship and self-employment of rural youth, opportunities that could be used and examples of good practice were discussed at the Round Table. The conclusion of this panel is that now that we see problems and solutions is the right time and place to act, and above all it is necessary to change the mentality, invest in innovation and create a market.

The RAISE Youth project is co-financed through the Funds of the Kingdom of Norway and the European Economic Area (EEA). The main goal of the project is to contribute to the creation of new jobs for young people in rural areas by using social innovations. The project develops an innovative (self) employment model for members of the NEET group (young people who are not employed or in the education system) based on sustainable agriculture and tourism in synergy with the development of digital technologies.