3i - International Internship Incubation : Nova Iskra : Nova Iskra

Idea

The purpose of the project is edification of youth in professional adequacy, and increasing employability by providing work experience through international internship.

The project is led by Balcova Municipality from Turkey (Izmir area), in collaboration with organizations from Turkey, Belgium, Portugal, Italy and Serbia. It will focus on training of young professionals and entrepreneurs and enabling them to find and realize job opportunities. Many trainings will be held in Turkey, while a number of young people will realize 45-days long internships organized by the partner organizations. The partners will also be developing curricula for capacity building of participants. The project is supported by Turkish National Agency and the Erasmus+ program.

WHY?

Since the global financial crisis, high youth-unemployment rates have been a problem across the world. One region that has been hit particularly hard by this problem is Europe — in both its developed economies and its emerging ones. According to the research TUİK did in May 2017, youth unemployment (age range of 15-24) in Turkey rose to 19.8 % with a 2,4 point increase. This is one of the highest rate of unemployment in recent years.

Landing a job in this tough economy is no easy feat—especially for disadvantaged young people. They often spend weeks scouring online job boards, polishing cover letters and blasting out résumés to no avail. But what they really need to do is get an internship. It turns out that it may be the easiest way to secure a full-time job, as 69 % of companies with 100 or more employees offered full-time jobs to their interns in 2015, according to a new survey.

3i – International Internship Incubation project is built upon these problems and needs.

How?

Within this context, the first International Internship Incubation of Turkey will be established. Practical education will be given to new graduates/college students and disadvantaged youth with the aim of giving them occupational proficiency, with a focus on the domains of digital design, coding and social media management and digital marketing. Basic English language training will be given to young Turkish future professionals as well.

Some of the participants will also have the opportunity to do an internship in companies complementary with co-working fields in the EU and other countries, through partnerships created internationally and different companies in the local level.

With this project, incubation – which will be first of its kind- is designed as a sustainable structure that supports the development of individual competencies in order to contribute employment from Erasmus + priorities.

What is the next step?

Nova Iskra will be taking part in the preparation and education activities over the entire course of the project in collaboration with other partners, and will also host 6 young professionals and entrepreneurs from Turkey in the second half of 2019, for a 45-day long internships at the Nova Iskra workspace in Belgrade, in collaboration with our members and affiliated companies.

The project aims to develop a “system“ which is available for the long-term employment activities.The number of partners and stakeholders of the incubation will be increased to 20 within two-year period, the number of companies which the incubation links directly will be increased to 100, and we will ensure that our incubation programs reach 250 direct participation every year. We aim to provide 150 transnational and local internships every year and to support employment process of 75 young people every year through incubation.