🔑 Key Information
Activity ⭐️ Title
YOUTH WORK CREATE-Creativity, Resilience, Entrepreneurship & Action Through Empowerment
🇪🇺 What is Erasmus+? Erasmus+ is the EU's programme for education, training, youth and sport, with a €26.2 billion budget for 2021–2027. It funds study abroad, internships, youth exchanges, training courses and youth worker mobility. This overview covers who is eligible, every activity type and what's funded. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/erasmusplus
Activity 🔶 Type | 📆 Dates | 📍Location
Training Course
5-13 October 2026 | Bansko, Bulgaria
❗️What Is This Training About?
The Training Course will explore the role of youth work in supporting the career development and empowerment of young people living in rural and smaller communities in a rapidly changing world.
✅ Who can apply for Erasmus+ and ESC? Eligibility depends on activity: ages 13–30 for most Erasmus+ youth activities and 18–30 for ESC volunteering (up to 35 for humanitarian aid), plus country and residence rules. This guide covers roles, inclusion support, language needs and the profile coordinators look for. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/whocanapply
ℹ️ Description About The Opportunity
The Training Course will explore the role of youth work in supporting the career development and empowerment of young people living in rural and smaller communities in a rapidly changing world.
For many rural young people, career choices are shaped not only by fewer local opportunities, but also by deeply rooted perceptions about what is possible: “there is nothing for me here,” “to succeed I have to leave,” “entrepreneurship is for people with money or connections,” or “a good career means finding a secure job.” At the same time, digitalisation, AI, remote work and new forms of entrepreneurship are changing what it means to build a career and where opportunities can be created.
YOUTH WORK CREATE will focus on the role youth work can play in challenging these limiting narratives and building a different mindset.
The course approaches entrepreneurial spirit not simply as starting a business, but as a way of thinking and acting — being curious, taking initiative, recognising opportunities, solving problems, experimenting, learning from failure and having the confidence to turn ideas into action. It will also explore social entrepreneurship, encouraging young people to see challenges in their communities not only as reasons to leave, but also as opportunities to create solutions, services and positive local change.
Participants will explore and test non-formal education techniques, methods and approaches for working with young people's mindsets: identifying and challenging stereotypes and limiting beliefs, discovering strengths and local resources, developing creativity and initiative, building resilience, exploring different career and entrepreneurial pathways, and moving from ideas towards action.
Aim and objective:
The overall aim of YOUTH WORK CREATE is to strengthen the capacity of youth workers and youth leaders to empower young people from rural and smaller communities to become active creators of their own futures, by developing entrepreneurial mindsets, career awareness, resilience, initiative and the ability to recognise and create opportunities.
Through experiential and non-formal learning, participants will develop practical competences for working with young people's attitudes and limiting beliefs, fostering entrepreneurial and social entrepreneurial thinking, and supporting young people in translating their interests, talents and ideas into concrete actions.
Profile of participants:
- have at least 2 years of practical experience in youth work;
- are actively working directly with young people, particularly those from rural areas, small towns or communities with fewer opportunities;
- are interested in entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, career development and youth empowerment;
- are interested in mindset work and methods for challenging stereotypes, limiting beliefs and perceptions around careers, success and opportunities;
- have a clear connection with and support from their sending organisation;
- are willing to bring their own experience and methods into the international learning process;
- are motivated to test new non-formal education approaches with young people after the mobility;
- are ready to commit to the whole project cycle — preparation, the Training Course and especially the local follow-up phase.
📘 What is Erasmus+? (in-depth) Erasmus+ has run since 1987 and has had over 13 million participants, funding four main activities for young people. This pillar guide covers its history, funding, research-backed benefits, the full application process and an FAQ. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/what-is-erasmus-plus
Training overview
This Training Course is
for 24 participants
from Erasmus+ Youth Programme countries 
and recommended for
Youth workers, Trainers, Youth leaders, Youth project managers
Working language(s):
English
Organiser:
Association Alternativi International (Youth NGO)
💡 How do you prepare a strong Erasmus+ or ESC application? Read the call carefully, write specific motivation, show skills with examples, and state clear learning goals. This guide gives 10 practical tips plus the common mistakes that lead to rejection. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/erasmus-application-tips
📥 Contact
Contact for questions:
Georgi Kuzmanov
E-Mail:
Phone: +359888122125
💶 Costs
Participation fee
Contribution fee: There is no contribution fee of this project.
Accommodation and food
Accomodation and food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for the duration of the activities will be covered by the receiving organzation Alternativi International.
All participants will be accomodated in Royal Bansko aparthotel , located in Bansko Bulgaria at the follwoing address: ul. "Kosherinata" 2770, Bansko, Bulgaria
Travel reimbursement
Romania , Turkey, Greece, N.Macedonia, Serbia - maximum 3 people per country- means of transport to be used ( Bus/Train/Car)
Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Croatia- maximum 3 people per country- means of transport to be used ( Plane/Bus/Train)
Finland, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania - maximum 3 people per country- means of transport to be used ( Plane/Bus/Train)
Travel refund will be issued to each participant by bank transfer after completing the course and the follow up activities . As pre authorization before purchesing the travel is required the participants will receive full refund on their approved tickets at any costs.
📜 Certificate
Participants are entitled to receive a Youthpass certificate from the organiser, for recognition of their competence development during the activity. Read more about Youthpass:
https://youthworkshub.org/what-is-youthpass
⚠️ Important Dates
Application deadline (24h UTC): 20 September 2026
Date of selection: 21 September 2026
🎓 What is an Erasmus+ Training Course? A Training Course is a short funded course (5–10 days) for youth workers, educators and NGO staff to build skills through non-formal education. This guide explains who can join, what's covered and how it differs from a Youth Exchange. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/trainingcourse
🔗 Official Link
⚖️ What's the difference between ESC and Erasmus+? The ESC is for volunteering and solidarity, while Erasmus+ is broad learning mobility (study, training, youth exchanges). This guide compares age, funding, duration and application route, and includes a "choose this if…" decision guide. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/esc-vs-erasmus
🎂 What are the age limits for Erasmus+ and ESC? Youth Exchanges are 13–30, ESC volunteering is 18–30 (35 for humanitarian aid), and training, youth worker mobility and study/traineeships have no upper age limit. This guide breaks down every activity and how age is counted (at the start date). 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/erasmus-age-limits
💶 What costs does Erasmus+ cover? For youth activities (KA152–154) it covers travel by distance band, individual support, organisational support, preparation, inclusion support up to 100% and exceptional costs. This 2026 guide details each item and what Erasmus+ does not cover. 👉 https://youthworkshub.org/what-erasmus-covers
