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ALMA - which stands for "Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve" - is an EU initiative, aiming at supporting young people that are not in any kind of employment, education or training (NEETs).

The goal is to help the most disadvantaged young people (aged 18-29) integrate into society by gaining access to work or training.

Typically these are people who are vulnerable with regard to their chances of accessing work or training for individual or structural reasons (e.g. disability, long-term unemployment, insufficient  qualifications/skills, migration background).

This initiative offers participants:

• An intensive tailored training in their home country (preparatory phase)
• A supervised work-related experience with accompanying mentoring  services for a period of 2 to 6 months in another EU country (mobility phase)
• On their return, continued support will guide them in using the newly acquired skills to gain employment or further education in their home country (follow-up phase)

What costs will be covered?

ALMA covers the costs for participants, such as:

• travel
• insurance
• social security
• basic needs such as food and accommodation
• coaching and counselling before, during and after the stay abroad

Can young people apply directly?

Individuals cannot apply directly for ALMA.

As ALMA is currently implemented under national and regional European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) programmes, the organisations co-financed by these programmes are the ones who identify participants.

How can organisations get involved in ALMA?

If you are a public or private organisation, are based in a EU Member State and want to get involved in the implementation of this initiative, please contact the ESF+ managing authority in your country and/or region.

Examples include youth organisations, NGOs, local authorities, job centres, schools, providers of vocational education/training.

For more information, contact EMPL-ALMA@ec.europa.eu and check the ALMA handbook.

Background

‘Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve’, ALMA aims to promote inclusion and employment for participants in their home country by improving their skills, knowledge and experience and giving them an opportunity to create new connections across Europe.

It is implemented by EU countries and supported by the European Commission at EU level

ALMA is building on a social inclusion initiative implemented by Germany since 2008 (IdA, Integration durch Austausch), taken over in 2012 by an ESF-supported transnational network of 15 EU countries (TLN Mobility Network), and as from 2015 through a transnational call for proposals under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 

A pilot call was launched late 2022 (indicative budget €15 million) to help EU countries integrate ALMA in their ESF+ programmes, by piloting or scaling up an ALMA type of activity.

Political background

With this initiative, the Commission reaffirms its commitment to the following initiatives:

• European Pillar of Social Rights 
• Reinforced Youth Guarantee

ALMA complements existing programmes supporting mobility of young people such as:

• Erasmus Plus
• European Solidarity Corps