Pathways to the Experience Economy

Coaching while learning together

Pathways to the Experience Economy project offers young people aged 18–29 in the Pirkanmaa region various ways to learn about and gain practical experience in the event and event tourism industry through diverse training, internships, and planning their own events. The project also offers career coaching to provide a clearer path to work or study in the event and event tourism industry.

The main implementer of the project is the University of Applied Sciences, and Tampere University of Applied Sciences is acting as a co-implementer. The actual target group of the project consists of young people aged 18–29 who have not secured a place in education, as well as other people in a weak labor market situation. Indirect target groups include partners in the cultural sector, event tourism, media, and youth work.

The Pathways to the Experience Economy project network also includes collaborative events organized by implementing partners. Companies providing ancillary services for regional festivals and events enable young people to participate in training and familiarization periods.

The project is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). The project partners are City of Tampere Youth Services, Pirkanmaa Festivals Association, Tampere Tavara-asema, and Bandage Oy

Objectives

The project has three main objectives.

Objective 1: Meeting the labour needs of the life economy sectors. The aim is that young people participating in the coaching programmes will be employed in the events and event tourism sector or seek training in the sector during or after the project.

Objective 2: Attracting young people to employment and strengthening job-seeking and working life skills. The aim of the Pathways to a Life Economy approach is to help young people to find work or study, to find pathways into life economy jobs and to meet the demand for work in the events sector. It aims to bring about positive change by strengthening young people’s self-reliance and inclusion through a coaching programme.

Objective 3: Building the Pathways to the Living Economy action model. The aim of the Pathways to a Life Economy project is not only to implement coaching programmes, but also to find appropriate structures to embed the model and expand it nationwide. The project will strengthen regionally the operating conditions and structures of the event and event tourism sector and its attractiveness as a business.