From sport to job
Opportunities for young people from deprived neighbourhoods
According to UNICEF Belgium, 1 in 5 children grows up in poverty in Belgium. Sport2Be focuses on two issues facing young people in deprived neighbourhoods.
Access to sport
Sport has a positive impact on physical, mental and social well-being. However, sports activities are often not affordable or not of good quality in deprived neighbourhoods. If you want to find quality, they have to go outside their neighbourhood, while proximity is an important factor in getting young people to play sports. Young women, and especially girls under 18, are affected the most.
Social and professional integration
Underprivileged due to a low level of education, unequal opportunities and exclusion, many young people find it difficult to integrate socially or professionally. Figures show that: 1 in 10 Belgian youngsters aged 15 to 29 are NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training: not in work, school or training).
Two-pronged approach
Free sports activities
Young people need to be able to play sport on a regular basis. That is why Sport2Be organises free sports activities in deprived neighbourhoods every week during the school year. These activities are mixed or for girls only, so they can feel at ease.
Sports coaches keep the sessions on track. Young people can choose from a variety of sports: (street) football, basketball, boxing and dance. Soon to be added: hockey and rugby.
Job2Be programme
To help 16- to 25-year-olds from vulnerable neighbourhoods on their way to a life project or job, Sport2Be has set up a separate programme: Job2Be. Young people can count on discovery, orientation and guidance. What does it involve concretely?
- 2 workshops per month
- regular individual follow-ups
- 2 job fairs or similar events per school year, where they meet employers
The programme focuses not only on young people who do not yet have a life project, but also aims to play a preventive role among young people who are still in school. This allows them to build their self-confidence and network.
Sports as a stepping stone to a job
Sport2Be offers young people from deprived neighbourhoods better access to quality sports activities. Sport not only enhances their physical and mental well-being. By giving them more equal opportunities, their self-confidence is boosted.
Sport also facilitates spontaneous interaction with young people and teaches values and soft skills such as commitment, perseverance and team spirit: basic skills that form the foundation for young people's personal, social and professional development early in their careers.
Sport2Be continues this through the Job2Be programme, which guides young people towards a job, training or self-development. Young people discover at least one sector they did not yet know, feel better prepared for the job market or a training and work on their soft skills. As a result, they broaden their network and make new friends through Job2Be.
Job2Be thus has a positive impact on young people's well-being and increases their chances of employment. More than that, the programme puts employers in touch with them, making them more likely to hire young people from deprived neighbourhoods.
