COOPOWER Partnership Meeting in Vienna: Austrian Practices of Supporting Vulnerable Youth and Work on New Pilots
From 24 to 26 November, Vienna hosted a partnership meeting of the COOPOWER project, where participants explored Austrian initiatives working with vulnerable youth and co-designed ideas for upcoming pilot activities. The Platform for Social Change was represented at the event by its Executive Director, Solomiia Boianovych.
For three days, COOPOWER project partners exchanged experience, analysed effective approaches to supporting young people from socially vulnerable groups, and worked on shaping concepts for pilot activities to be implemented in the next stages of the project.
During the study visit to Vienna, participants were introduced to a range of programmes aimed at supporting young people facing socio-economic challenges or with a migration background.
The Network for Equal Opportunities
The organisation supports socially disadvantaged young people during the transition from education to employment, builds bridges between young talent and employers, and promotes diversity within companies. Its key goal is to ensure equal opportunities for youth, regardless of their background or social circumstances.
Hobby Lobby
The initiative creates a space for non-formal education, combining psychosocial support, language and social skills development, leadership training, and personal growth. Its vision is a world where learning can happen anytime and anywhere, and where every child has equal opportunities to realise their potential.
m.o.v.e. on Youth Coaching
The programme operates within the Integration House, a centre with nearly 30 years of experience supporting migrants and refugees in Vienna. The initiative provides accommodation, psychosocial support, counselling, and educational projects, focusing on career orientation for young people with a migration background.
SINDBAD Mentoring Program
The project pairs senior school students with young university students or early-career professionals in mentoring relationships. Its goal is to support pupils in career exploration and in developing their strengths.
These programmes, along with other initiatives presented during the visit, offered valuable insights into how Austria has built support and development systems for young people facing challenging life circumstances.
Developing Future COOPOWER Pilot Activities
A dedicated part of the meeting focused on designing pilot solutions. The partners worked on:
- defining levels of engagement with the target audience (inform, reach, involve, engage);
- identifying potential challenges and barriers;
- shaping strategies to address or minimise them.
These discussions helped refine approaches to youth engagement and collaboration with local stakeholders.
Position of the Platform for Social Change
Summing up the results of the meeting, Solomiia Boianovych, Executive Director of the Platform for Social Change, highlighted the importance of the approaches presented:
“The initiatives we explored show that systemic investments in education, mentorship, and social integration create long-term opportunities for young people. For us, it is essential not only to adopt this experience but also to build partnerships capable of scaling effective solutions and adapting them to the Ukrainian context.”
The meeting in Vienna marked a significant step toward strengthening partnerships and developing innovative approaches to support vulnerable youth. The insights gained will form the basis for developing effective pilots within the COOPOWER project, contributing to more inclusive opportunities for young people.
