The project focuses on increasing the employment potential of young people in the Pomurje (Mura) region, notably where the need for a developed support environment is most pronounced. The project activities are aimed at strengthening the capacity of the existing support environment, and connecting educational institutions and the economy in the region; they are also focused on testing the scheme of practical work for young people on the basis of identified professional challenges by companies. Main project results are improved support environment and provision of services for young people through the introduction of new or upgraded services, training of various target groups and activities aimed at networking, training and counseling for young people.
The youth and the labour market analyses show that youth unemployment is most problematic in the east of Slovenia, especially in the Pomurje (Mura) region, where young people make up for over a quarter of all unemployed. Additionally, the age structure of the population in Pomurje is the least favorable, as the share of young people in the population structure is the lowest and the labour force participation rates record lowest figures among all Slovenian regions. The population dynamics in Pomurje shows that 131,272 people lived in Pomurje in 1990, with the number decreasing gradually on a year-on-year basis (emigration of young people), so that in 2019 the population in Pomurje was by 13% lower than in 1990. Most young people do not return to the region after finishing their studies in Maribor or Ljubljana, while young people with completed vocational education look for opportunities in neighboring Austria.