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About the project

YOUnite is a project aimed to help obese adolescents in overcoming challenges and improving their employability on the labour market. YOUnite project, supported by the ERASMUS+ programme is seeking to develop a new engaging and self-confidence building training programme to support young obese people to cope with socio-economic difficulties and any other potential source of discrimination.

The partnership is led by ÖSB Consulting (Austria) with partner organisations from Finland (ACR), Hungary (EMINA), Poland (Zdrowy Ksztalt), and Austria (ÖSB Social Innovation).

Obesity is a major health problem in the European Union (EU), with long-term consequences for health, society, and the economy. According to WHO’s Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) report from 2022, around 1 in 3 children in the EU already at the age of 6-9 years old were overweight in 2019, while the prevalence of obesity among this age group was 12% in the WHO European Region. Furthermore, there are serious concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic may have further exacerbated this problem. A systematic mitigation and reversing of childhood obesity is not in sight. Obesity affects the self-esteem and harmonious growing up of children, as many affected adolescents report bullying experience and social exclusion. The associated reduction in the quality of life and the lack of opportunities in education and the labour market are often disregarded or neglected. Overweight can pose a barrier for participation in the labour market and for professional success.

YOUnite will develop 6 training modules covering 6 topics (health/medical issues, sports, stress, nutrition, awareness raising, and employability) to integrate young obese people successfully and healthy into the labour market by offering techniques to build self-confidence, develop coping strategies and provide entry points for the creation of an individual approach to lead a healthy lifestyle.

The content of the modules will be developed in working groups with experts to advise on diverse approaches and necessary skills while working with obese youth. The modules will be designed in a way that enables young people to enjoy the programme and engage with the topic, engaging them in non-formal learning activities. The modules will be piloted in all four participating countries (Austria, Finland, Hungary, Poland). The prepared modules will be complemented by a handbook for trainers, so that interested trainers will receive a good overview of the topic, with latest scientific knowledge, background information and further references at hand while also getting practical tips enabling them to organise the modules on their own.

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Partnership

ÖSB Consulting

As one of the leading consulting companies in Austria, we at ÖSB Consulting develop innovative concepts, consulting programmes and pilot projects for the working world of tomorrow. For more than 40 years we are developing and implementing labour market policies, offering a variety of consulting services and providing educational and vocational guidance. For the YOUnite project we rely on our extensive expertise ranging from supporting job-seekers and people with health problems in finding a new labour market perspective to supporting registered unemployed adolescents and young adults in their professional orientation and their entry into vocational training, further education and employment through trainings, case management and counselling.

ÖSB Social innovation

ÖSB Social Innovation supports the development of future-oriented labour market, health and education policies. We provide well-founded analyses for the needs- and target-oriented alignment and implementation of activities as well as systematic monitoring during implementation. Our central competences are content development, and devising methodologies and processes. We support the implementation of programmes of the EU, the Federal Ministry of Labour and the Labour Market Services (AMS) in Austria and carry out the accompanying monitoring of programmes and projects.

Zdrowy Ksztalt

Zdrowy Kształt S.C. is a knowledge and health service organisation whose mission is to provide educational and psychotherapeutic services related to emotional intelligence, mindfulness, work-life balance, stress-related disorders, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, as well as personality disorders. The services offered by Zdrowy Ksztalt support the treatment of overweight and obesity, eating disorders, diet therapy and food treatment, supported by psychotherapeutic and dietary counselling, motivational and psychoeducational activities. The facility promotes an active lifestyle.

EMINA

The EMINA Career Guidance Foundation aims to promote vocational guidance and conscious way of living of young people and to organise both national and international events dealing with the social situation of the young generations. The Foundation employs social workers, psychologists and sociologists who deal with the problems of young teenagers, students and individuals. EMINA also organises individual consultations and group activities on school and work opportunities to help young people overcome problems in the labour market.

ACR

The main focus of ACR is to promote intercultural dialogue and cooperation with the aim of encouraging the recognition and protection of cultural diversity, the preservation of tangible and intangible heritage, the promotion of cultural values in all their forms and the support of human rights. The organisation is actively involved in various non-formal programmes by organising seminars and youth workers’ mobility projects.

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ÖSB

As one of the leading consulting companies in Austria, we at ÖSB Consulting develop innovative concepts, consulting programmes and pilot projects for the working world of tomorrow. For more than 40 years we are developing and implementing labour market policies, offering a variety of consulting services and providing educational and vocational guidance. For the YOUnite project we rely on our extensive expertise ranging from supporting job-seekers and people with health problems in finding a new labour market perspective to supporting registered unemployed adolescents and young adults in their professional orientation and their entry into vocational training, further education and employment through trainings, case management and counselling.

ÖSB Social innovation

ÖSB Social Innovation supports the development of future-oriented labour market, health and education policies. We provide well-founded analyses for the needs- and target-oriented alignment and implementation of activities as well as systematic monitoring during implementation. Our central competences are content development, and devising methodologies and processes. We support the implementation of programmes of the EU, the Federal Ministry of Labour and the Labour Market Services (AMS) in Austria and carry out the accompanying monitoring of programmes and projects.

Zdrowy Ksztalt

Zdrowy Kształt S.C. is a knowledge and health service organisation whose mission is to provide educational and psychotherapeutic services related to emotional intelligence, mindfulness, work-life balance, stress-related disorders, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, as well as personality disorders. The services offered by Zdrowy Ksztalt support the treatment of overweight and obesity, eating disorders, diet therapy and food treatment, supported by psychotherapeutic and dietary counselling, motivational and psychoeducational activities. The facility promotes an active lifestyle.

EMINA

The EMINA Career Guidance Foundation aims to promote vocational guidance and conscious way of living of young people and to organise both national and international events dealing with the social situation of the young generations. The Foundation employs social workers, psychologists and sociologists who deal with the problems of young teenagers, students and individuals. EMINA also organises individual consultations and group activities on school and work opportunities to help young people overcome problems in the labour market.

ACR

The main focus of ACR is to promote intercultural dialogue and cooperation with the aim of encouraging the recognition and protection of cultural diversity, the preservation of tangible and intangible heritage, the promotion of cultural values in all their forms and the support of human rights. The organisation is actively involved in various non-formal programmes by organising seminars and youth workers’ mobility projects.

Name

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Training Materials

Partners of Younite project develop 6 training modules based on non-formal, engaging learning practices to boost the self-confidence of obese and adipose youth to enter the labour market. Thus the 60 hours training is divided into easy-to-use activities in the fields of health/medicament, nutrition, sport, stress, awareness, and employability. While the different activities build on each other, practitioners can get inspiration from the different activities to be used separately as well.

The use of the training modules is supported by a set of Instruction for trainers, which gives interested teachers’ and trainers’ insights into the latest scientific trends and understandings on how to reduce obesity, a list of useful organisations and support structures within the participating countries and also hands-on advices on running the training itself.

What's new?

Training of Trainers in Poland

During the training for youth trainers and educators on how to support obese young people, the key role played the guidance on healthy lifestyles, including the need and importance for physical activity, bilansed nutrition, self-awareness and stress management.

Read More

Training of Trainers in Poland

During the training for youth trainers and educators on how to support obese young people, the key role played the guidance on healthy lifestyles, including the need and importance for physical activity, bilansed nutrition, self-awareness and stress management.

Read More