ALMA - a work experience that changes young lives

The Development Agency of the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region, n. o. in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic and the SPACE project - Single Contact Points for Young People in the BBSK in the period from October 2023 to October 2025 as the first ever organization in Slovakia implemented the pilot project ALMA.

The aim of the ALMA (Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve) project is to help young people aged 18-29 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) to gain work experience abroad and then to support their return to work or education in Slovakia. The project builds on a successful European initiative with more than 15 years of tradition.

Why is ALMA important?

The ALMA project provides targeted support to NEET young people from vulnerable backgrounds with primary education, socially disadvantaged groups, migration background or health disadvantage. Through an internship abroad, they have the chance to acquire work habits in a supportive environment, learn new skills, develop language skills, increase their financial literacy or gain greater self-confidence.

What have we achieved?

👥1 7 young people from BBSK went on a work mobility abroad - 13 participants in 2024 (in Brno and Trento) and 4 participants in 2025 (in Brno)

⏳ 47 % of participants unemployed more than 12 months before entering the project

🚫 17% of participants with no previous work experience

🤝 23 % of participants with disabilities

🌍 41% of participants with ethnic disadvantages

🎓 23 % of participants with the highest level of primary education

📈 10 účof the 14 graduates of the project after the end of the projectčchanged their NEET status - entered the labour market or returned to education

How did it go?

Participants underwent a preparatory phase at SPACE - Single Points of Contact, which included group training (on topics such as financial literacy, communication skills, life skills or intercultural education), individual career counselling, one-to-one mentoring and psychological support.

This was followed by the mobility phase, which was carried out in cooperation with foreign partners - Tripitaka, z. s. (Brno, Czech Republic, https://www.tripitaka.cz/) and FOR.ES. (Trento, Italy, https://www.foresweb.com/). During the internship the participants worked in gastronomy, in a museum, in a zoo, in a leisure centre, in a shop or in the field of nature conservation. The project provided accommodation, transport, insurance, pocket money and mentor accompaniment. In addition to the internships, the project also included cultural and leisure activities.

Upon return, participants built on their experience abroad in a follow-up phase of the project aimed at supporting the participant's return to the labour market or education. The follow-up phase was again professionally covered by SPACE - Single Points of Contact.

Co-funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the European Social Fund Agency is responsible for their content.