Persistent employment inequalities continue to divide the Danube region, disproportionately affecting young people in rural and socio-economically disadvantaged areas. Youth from migrant backgrounds, ethnic minorities, and those with disabilities face partiularly limited prospects due to barriers in access to education, training and employment. To address these structureal challenges, the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) is spreaheading Strengthening Cooperative Employment Practices for the Empowerment of Vulnerable Youth (COOPOWER) – an ambitious endeavor spanning eight countries in the Danube Region.

The initiative seeks to foster inclusive labor markets for young people by strengthening intersectoral cooperation and grounding action in local realities. This would be achieved through development of national, regional and transnational youth employment strategies, supporting the creation of multi-stakehlder cooperation models, and establishing sustainable platforms to promote evidence-based, long-term solutions for integrating youth from vulnerable groups into the labor market. Policymakers, youth organisations, employers, educators, and researchers need to work together in order to close the opportunity gap and shape a more equitable future for young people across the region.