Name and description of the project: The VolEM project (VOLunteering for Employability) aims to strengthen the recognition of key competences acquired by young people during voluntary activities, enhancing their impact both on local development and on their entry into the world of work.

Duration, programme, funding (Cerv or Erasmus+) and partnership: The project, which started in January 2020 and ended in November 2022, financed by the ERASMUS + Programme, is part of a European collaboration between the Municipality of Cinisello Balsamo, the French non-profit organisation UAESS-CAP SOLIDAIRE as project leader and the association ART SQUARE (Luxembourg).

Specific objectives of the project:

1. To raise awareness and update volunteer practitioners and young people on innovative youth volunteering experiences in the field of local development.
2. To design a competence framework using innovative badges for the validation of skills acquired through voluntary action in local development by young people.
3. To promote the professional integration and employment of young people through the recognition of their skills and knowledge acquired during voluntary activities.
4. To strengthen the capacities of organisations working with volunteers.
5. To create working synergies in the promotion of voluntary activities in Europe and the recognition of skills acquired by young volunteers at local or EU level.

Project Activities:

1. Creation of questionnaires and collection of case studies and best practices based on key competences developed during volunteering activities.
2. Promotion of the toolkits on the skills and value of youth volunteering based on the research that emerged in the first activity.
3. Creation of a platform for skills and competences acquired during local volunteering activities.
4. Exchanges, meetings and trainings to enable a wider exchange of ideas among young people.

Final products:

1. Innovative tools for validating skills acquired through volunteer activities in local development (open badges).
2. Promotional toolkit on the awareness raising and promotion.
3. Manual of best practices in volunteering in local development.

Project site: https://www.volem-project.eu/