"Towards Collaborative Practice" TCP Forum on Social Entrepreneurship and the Union of Skills

The 9th edition of the “Towards Collaborative Practice” (TCP) Forum is inspired by the European Union of Skills initiative. This year's Forum will focus on the unique contribution of youth work and the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes to fostering initiative, entrepreneurship, employability and active participation. 

After eight successful editions of the "Towards Collaborative Practice": TCP Forum and three inspiring TCP Study Visits and a TCP Social Innovation Lab held across Sweden, Italy, UK, Hungary, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Israel and Bosnia Herzegovina, this TCP event returns to the Western Balkans. In 2026, Skopje offers the setting to explore how the Union of Skills can become a practical approach to empowering young people and strengthening more inclusive, innovative and resilient communities across Europe.

To discover the spirit of the TCP Forum, watch the highlights from previous editions below.

TCP Community Facebook page 

TCP Spain Highlight Video

TCP Hungary Highlight Video
 

Why connect the youth sector to the Union of Skills EU initiative?

Formal education alone cannot address the current skills gap, making youth work a critical vehicle for non-formal learning and the development of essential transversal skills—such as resilience, critical thinking, adaptability, and digital literacy. This strategic connection bridges the divide between non-formal learning outcomes and labour-market-recognised credentials, positioning the youth sector as an active partner in equipping young people with the tools for lifelong upskilling and reskilling. By aligning these efforts, youth work helps young people navigate constant economic transitions and contribute directly to the Union of Skills' objective of ensuring a resilient and future-ready society.

To translate this vision into practice, the TCP Forum serves as an interactive, cross-sectoral laboratory. It addresses the Union of Skills through a blend of expert insights, a Human Library of Skills, and collaborative learning experiences that encourage participants to exchange practices, explore diverse perspectives, and build meaningful connections. Beyond discussions, the event acts as a collaborative hub—integrating panel discussions with social entrepreneurs, practical workshops, and study visits—to empower participants with actionable tools and foster tangible partnerships that bridge the gap between youth work and the future of the European labour market. 

General objectives of the TCP Forum:

Provide an opportunity for networking and sharing ideas, tools, methods, challenges and good practices to foster employability and entrepreneurship, especially in marginalised communities.

Showcase social entrepreneurship and non-formal learning as a way to encourage and enable young people to sustain their entrepreneurship competences.

Encourage creativity, innovation, participation, solidarity, diversity and social inclusion of young people.

Provide information on Erasmus+ and other opportunities to foster employability and entrepreneurship. 

Specific objectives of this edition of the TCP Forum:

Explore the Union of Skills initiative through the lens of youth work, creating a bridge between non-formal learning and labour-market requirements.

Exchange and co-create innovative, future-oriented entrepreneurial practices, drawing on the cross-sectoral expertise of participants from diverse backgrounds.

Foster sustainable, cross-sectoral partnerships that translate the Forum’s collaborative spirit into actionable projects. 

Youth@Work Partnership:

The event is organised under the Youth@Work Strategic Partnership on youth employability and entrepreneurship of Erasmus+ National Agencies and SALTO Resource Centres. The TCP event is part of the Youth@Work Partnership, alongside other projects tackling youth employability and entrepreneurship, organised by the twelve member Erasmus+ National Agencies and SALTO Resource Centres. More about Youth@Work is available at @YouthatWorkPartnership (on Facebook).

Unless specified otherwise, the hosting NA or SALTO of this offer will organise the accommodation and covers the costs for accommodation and food.

Erasmus+ Youth Programme countries, Partner Countries Neighbouring the EU

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This project is financed by the participating National Agencies (NAs) of the Erasmus+ Youth in Action Programme. The participation fee varies from country to country. Please contact your National Agency or SALTO Resource Centre (SALTO) to learn more about the participation fee for participants from your country.

Please contact your NA or SALTO in order to know whether they would support your travel costs. If yes, after being selected, get in touch with your NA or SALTO again to learn more about the overall procedure to arrange the booking of your travel tickets and the reimbursement of your travel expenses.