This project proposal aims to support the development of young people’s skills and interest in a particular field that has regional economic or community relevance. The project might help in counteracting the tendency of the so called ‘brain drain’, the early leave of young talented people from rural areas. This can be done by developing smart regions (in line with Smart Specialisation strategy): harnessing, retaining and developing regional know-how, showcasing regional career opportunities, hence cultivating a sense of optimism around regional opportunities.

Analysis Raising the economic power of rural areas is clearly connected to the educational level. In lots of rural areas educational output is low and there is an urgent need to improve the educational level (from primary education to (applied) university level) to meet the demands of the labour market in the near future. The targets as stated in the Europe 2020 Agenda is that less than 10% early leave from secondary school is reached in 2020 and, even more important in this context, that at least 40% of the youngsters has a grade in higher education at that time. Next to this, there is an ongoing need to tune educational output and the labour market. Lots of Hi-Tec companies, originally located in rural regions or to be attracted to the region, lack appropriate labour force, hence either will not invest to settle in the region, leave the area for urban locations or attract high-qualified personnel from abroad (within or outside the country). This is especially true for ß-science related, ICT- and technical work and companies. 

To raise educational level, to improve (new) entrepreneurship and skilled workers in order to counteract regional perspectives. This asks for new concepts both in stimulating entrepreneurship in educational programming and tuning labour market with talents needed. To fulfill the needs for future skilled workers in different sectors the cooperative involvement of employer-organizations, chambers and the unions is needed.

The project will be built on “knowledge-partnerships” between employer-organizations, Universities, schools and agencies supporting regional development with special consideration of peripheral regions with a “brain-drain”. The chosen approach will be a joint development of projects using the concept of living labs (open innovation based on co-creation). 

Campaigns focusing on highlighting the needs of regional companies for students that are on the threshold of chosing their University studies

Examples of non-traditional learning environments that can be used to promote entrepreneurship and regional development and competitiveness 

Economic added value by new enterpreneurship in already existing and newly raised companies

Northeast Fryslan (the Netherlands), Meetjesland and Flanders (Belgium), Varmland (Sweden), Cork region (Ireland), Stadt Hamburg and Bremerhaven (Germany) 

Partners from the North Sea Region, predominantly from UK and Denmark.