NN Group and JA Europe have opened a new chapter in their long-standing collaboration to empower young people, now focusing specifically on those with limited opportunities.
This partnership began nearly a decade ago with the Social Innovation Relay (SIR)—an initiative designed to introduce secondary school students to social entrepreneurship. Through SIR, students developed innovative solutions to pressing social challenges, working alongside business mentors to refine their ideas and pitch them on an international stage. Each year, SIR supported over 15,000 young people across multiple European countries and Japan, equipping them with entrepreneurial mindsets, problem-solving skills, and real-world business experience.
In 2022, this collaboration evolved with the launch of Economic Opportunities for All (EOFA)—the first employment-focused initiative within the JA network carried out in Greece, Romania, Netherlands, Spain, Turkey and Hungary. EOFA aimed to support young people in developing crucial employability skills, ensuring smoother transitions into the workforce. One of EOFA’s defining features was its focus groups with marginilized young people, which provided direct insights into the challenges they faced, from a lack of career guidance to difficulties in securing job placements.
Between 2022 and 2024, EOFA successfully helped 900 young people from underrepresented communities, including VET students, refugees, and youth with disabilities, secure jobs, proving its impact in bridging the gap between education and employment. The initiative provided career counseling, mentorship, work-based learning opportunities, and entrepreneurial education, reaching thousands of students across multiple countries.
Building on these achievements, EOFA will now expand further with the introduction of two dedicated pathways that combine the two previous succesful programmes. Economic Opportunities for All will now feature an Employability and Entrepreneurship Pathway. These pathways are designed exclusively for underrepresented youth, providing structured, long-term support to help them navigate their transition into employment or entrepreneurship.
- The Employability Pathway, implemented in Greece, Romania, Spain, Turkey, and Hungary, will focus on equipping young people with work-readiness skills, offering practical training, mentorship, and direct connections with potential employers.
- The Entrepreneurship Pathway, carried out in Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, and Japan, will introduce them to entrepreneurship and provide young people with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to start and sustain their own social businesses.
By leveraging the successes of both SIR and EOFA, NN Group and JA Europe are deepening their commitment to support young people, ensuring that young people from underrepresented backgrounds receive tailored support, practical skills, and real opportunities to build sustainable careers. This expansion represents a significant step forward in fostering long-term economic inclusion, ensuring that no young person is left behind.
Contact person: teta@jaeurope.org
About JA Europe
JA Europe is the largest and leading organisation in Europe dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed. For over 100 years, JA Worldwide has delivered hands-on, experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial health. In the last school year, the JA Europe network in over 40 countries provided close to 7 million learning experiences for youth in online, in person and blended formats with the support of nearly 110,000 teachers and almost 90,000 business volunteers. In 2025, JA Worldwide was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the fourth nomination in four years.