League 33

We are an association formed in 2017. in Nis, Serbia. As non – government, not profit organization, we put empathizes on providing free education for adults that belong to economically vulnerable groups, putting the main focus on young people, ethnic minorities, single parents, domestic violence victims, people with disabilities, and other groups we recognize share disadvantage in the job market. With more than 300 active members we build a strong network with others that share our goals and visions while bringing product innovations and promoting the latest industry technologies. Our members are veterans in entrepreneurship, with vast experience in different business models. This association was formed around understanding that adult education can compensate for a lack of education in earlier life and enable the social mobility of its most challenged members. Education has a big impact on life opportunities, promoting social inclusion and cohesion by providing citizens from socially vulnerable groups with a chance for economic independence. Moreover, adult learning inspires individuals to take an active role in society by providing opportunities for general life improvement. By creating more social opportunities as well as economic growth and independence, we recognize this step as essential toward equalizing societies on a larger scale. Through learning chance, we provide our citizens with the chance to actively participate in the social life of their communities, enabling their development and thus straightening democratic principles. Through learning useful skills, we provide individuals with better job opportunities, striving to participate in the process of creating a more inclusive society that enforces the principles of equity and equality. We have successfully completed two projects cooperating with a German NGO Help - Hilfe Zur Selbsthilfe, providing three groups of people that are socially challenged with new employment opportunities, reinforcing social inclusion on the job market. Closely collaborating with HELP NGO, we formed a workshop in Romany Cultural Center in Nis supplied with modern industrial machines necessary for learning new skills. This workshop will provide space for future adult learning projects for the next 5 years. Withing the Refugee protection and migration management project, we targeted vulnerable social groups of ethnic minorities currently living in our larger community. The second group was formed for former convicts with minor criminal offenses. In both of these projects, we collaborated closely with Yurom Center, providing both groups with practical skills. We can proudly say that every participant found permanent employment after successfully finishing this program. Our mentorship within this program provided psychological support for as long as it was required. Moreover, we participated in the project of the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran, and Social Policy of the Republic of Serbia for the economic inclusion of women that are single parents. This project with two groups in total result in great success, providing these women not only a chance for permanent employment but also promoting female entrepreneurship, providing interested participants with education and insights on building sustainable business models. Our mentorship on this project also provided emotional and psychological support for participants in the process of entering the job market. Our latest project is for the final year students of Nis Art School that major in design. By providing them with a chance to gain practical skills working with innovative technologies in the textile industry, we believe this will give them a competitive advantage in the ever-growing industry, providing a better chance for future employment. Moreover, we supplied Nis Art School with four looms and installed two treadle sewing machines, providing students with a competent advisor for guiding. All projects were organized and carried out in our active members' facilities that are equipped with kits unique to the projects' subject. Partnered with Office for Local Economic Development Niš in April 2020 it was planned to take our members to Hannover Messe, a leading international trade fair network for the latest multi-industry exhibitors. We were especially interested in smart factories and machine learning technologies, hoping to connect with our future partners, bringing innovative technology solutions to our local community. Due to the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in Europe, the Deutsche Messe AG has decided to postpone this year's edition of HANNOVER MESSE. We are looking forward to participating in this year's digital edition, learning about the usage of the latest technologies, and hoping to implement innovation within our future projects. Keeping up with the latest trends in the global job trade market, we are developing an IT educational project for disabled individuals, fully conducted online. We plan to expand our network by finding more organizations with similar goals for cooperating on future adult learning projects while mutually sharing experiences and brainstorming ideas about new opportunities. We are excited about the opportunity to become members of your association, as your Manifesto for adult learning in 21 century communicates our vision as well. Our mission is to create sustainable development that will result in a healthy society with strong inclusive politics in a long run. Providing each citizen a chance for a more active approach in community life, we inspire to strengthen social cohesion by initiating the economic growth of vulnerable social groups.