In a context of high unemployment, between 2014 and 2016, especially youth unemployment, the pilot experience "Social Angels - Entrepreneurial Community” was developed in the municipality of Póvoa de Lanhoso . Taking into account the good results obtained, it was decided to replicate this experience throughout the region of Vale do Ave through the Project ASA - Ave Social Angels.
So, the initiative ASA arises from the need to respond, more efficiently and effectively, to the problem of youth unemployment.
The solution proposed by ASA - Ave social Angels is based on the following phases: a) creation and mobilization of a new model of entrepreneurial communities - involving reference entrepreneurs in each community, and other organizations, that know their reality and have effective capacity to intervene. These communities will implement an innovative process in support of employability and entrepreneurship, since it will involve entrepreneurs in the mobilization, training and follow-up of the beneficiaries, which will allow a more practical, specialized and capable of offering more diversified solutions; b) awareness-raising, and engagement of the beneficiaries, based on practical approaches (entrepreneurial hackathons, bootcamps, pop-up markets), which will constitute a first moment of immersion in thematic and entrepreneurial processes, filter and process of selection of the participants to be involved in the following phase of intervention; c) the process of training of the beneficiaries for employability and entrepreneurship in relation to a set of relevant skills to increase their employability, as well as the monitoring and support in the accomplishment of businesses and / or entrepreneurial initiatives.
The main beneficiaries of the project are Young short-term unemployed (16-34 years old, including temporary NEETs with basic skills and qualifications to be engaged in entrepreneurial processes). Young people in transition between the school and the labor market (having skills and finding themselves in an active process of seeking job opportunities) The stakeholders of this project are basically the following: companies and entrepreneurs, public and private organizations (Town Councils, Professional Schools, Business Associations, non-governmental organizations) of the 8 municipalities of Vale do Ave.
