Rural Youth, Real Impact: Giving NEETs a Voice in the Future of Local Economies

In rural towns scattered across Greece, Spain, and Turkey, thousands of young people find themselves caught in a difficult position. They are full of ideas, energy, and motivation—but many of them are not working, not studying, and not in any form of training. These young people, known as NEETs (Not in Employment, Education, or Training), are often overlooked by both national policies and local job markets. Yet they are not the problem—they are part of the solution.

The NYDES project – Empowered by Motivation: NEET Youth Developing Entrepreneurial Skills – was created to recognize and support the untapped potential of these young people. It focuses specifically on rural NEET youth aged 18 to 29, empowering them with tools to become active contributors to their local economies through entrepreneurship, leadership, and cooperation. Rather than encouraging them to leave their hometowns to find opportunity, NYDES invites them to build opportunity where they are.

One of the most powerful aspects of NYDES is its emphasis on the cooperative model. In rural areas where jobs are scarce and isolation is common, cooperatives offer an inclusive, flexible, and community-driven alternative to traditional employment. They are not just businesses—they are ecosystems of mutual support and shared success. For NEET youth, cooperatives offer a way to start their own initiatives with limited resources, participate democratically in decision-making processes, and address local challenges with local solutions.

Through NYDES, young participants engage directly with existing cooperatives in Çorlu, Almazora, and Nea Filadelfia. They learn from real stories, meet local leaders, and understand how working together can create long-term economic resilience. These cooperatives become more than case studies—they become bridges between generations, between tradition and innovation.

NEET youth are often seen as passive recipients of support, but NYDES flips this narrative. It shows that with the right support systems—mentorship, training, visibility, and funding—young people can lead social innovation projects that benefit entire communities. This is not just economic development. It’s social economy in action: where young people become creators of inclusive solutions, where local needs inspire entrepreneurial action, and where youth participation is not symbolic but structural.

By guiding participants in project development, connecting them with funding sources, and introducing them to the basics of project cycle management, NYDES helps transform ideas into action. Participants begin to see themselves not just as job seekers, but as problem solvers, innovators, and community builders.

The most important impact of NYDES may be the simplest one: it gives rural NEET youth a voice. A voice in their future. A voice in their economy. A voice in decision-making spaces where they have historically been absent. As they begin to develop and present their own social innovation projects—whether it's a rural recycling initiative, a community café run as a cooperative, or a training hub for digital skills—these young people shift from the margins into the center of rural transformation.

In a time when rural depopulation, youth unemployment, and social exclusion remain persistent challenges across Europe, projects like NYDES show that change is not only possible—it’s already happening. Through international collaboration, cooperative values, and an unwavering belief in youth potential, NYDES creates a model that others can follow. It proves that when we invest in young people, especially those in rural and underserved areas, we are investing in the future of our communities.

The young people of Çorlu, Almazora, and Nea Filadelfia are not waiting for someone to fix things for them. With the support of NYDES, they are building the kind of future they want to live in—together.