N. Ireland has high numbers of Young People (YP) who leave school with no /few qualifications; these YP often drop out of education and are described as being NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) They often have fewer opportunities & many have complex barriers that prevent them engaging with mainstream VET. In 2010 GEMS NI began to research & develop ideas to improve pathways to VET for NEET YP. This wasn’t about creating new VET programmes or delivery infrastructure, but creating the right conditions to make VET more attractive & accessible to YP who need additional support and a flexible menu of learning, life, leisure and work opportunities. GEMS NI developed the Co-Ment project - a flexible model which through personal mentoring assists a YP to develop their personal action plan around 4 ‘Zones’ Learning, Life, Leisure and Work with the YP banking time through activities in each Zone, supported by a personal mentor and an innovation resource to support their goals. Key to the model design is collaborative working between the range of organisations that need to share knowledge and resources to support a YP on their learning pathway with the YP’s personal Mentor helping them to navigate their learning journey. The project, delivered by GEMS NI since 2012, has been highly successful in supporting disadvantaged & marginalized YP to engage in VET; improving their personal capacity for learning & work resulting in positive destinations - return to education, engagement in mainstream VET programmes and employment. The EC-YP project aimed to develop, transfer & implement the innovative Co-Ment model in Italy, Austria & Ireland, customised to the needs of the partner country, to improve VET outcomes & lifelong learning pathways for NEET YP.The EC-YP in VET partnership combined the experience & expertise of organisations committed to working together to develop attractive & inclusive VET for disadvantaged & marginalized YP: GEMS NI,UK (Co-ordinator);TIME,UK; Antares ,Italy; Die Querdenker, Austria and Ballymun Job Centre, Ireland.The project had 2 direct target groups 1: 20 VET mentors who have a specialism and practical experience of delivering dedicated mentoring and careers advice to NEET YP 2: 62 YP who are not in education, training or employment and are recognised as amongst the hardest to reach, hardest to help In addition, 32 NEET YP and 10 VET trainers participated in the EC-YP YP Forum and EC-YP Advisory Group respectively contributing to the product design, evaluation and project dissemination. EC-YP was delivered through 8 work packages (WP), 3 core (Management, Quality /Evaluation and Dissemination/Exploitation) and 5 integrated product development WP (Needs Analysis, Product Model and Web-based platform, Training of Mentors, and Pilot Testing) Each WP had an allocated partner lead mapped to skills and experience and all partner roles and responsibilities within a defined budget & time-frame. ACTIVITIES• Project Management Structures (EC-YP Advisory Group, Quarterly Reporting, Basecamp, Dropbox, 8 transnational meetings, SKYPE meetings, & monthly partner contact)• Bi-annual Internal Monitoring reporting, bespoke evaluation methodologies mapped to project stages, YP Forum)• Dissemination Strategy & live plan, European, National, Regional and Local / 4 European Multiplier Events • Baseline Auditing and Needs Analysis • Product Development – collaborative mentoring model, & web-based platform • Training for Mentors piloted programme • 15 month Pilot Testing phase SUMMARY RESULTS & IMPACTA Quality Assured EC-YP Training for Mentors package, Collaborative Mentoring Model & web-based communications platform for use in partner countries UK, Ireland, Italy & Austria. A tried & tested approach which creates meaningful VET pathways for YP which creates meaningful VET pathways for NEET YP who experience multiple & complex barriers. POTENTIAL LONGER-TERM BENEFITS In Ireland the Police Service is interested in the model and how it could be used to work with young people on remand. Ballymun Job Centre have introduced the model into its practice portfolio and will share its learning within the Ireland-wide Employment Service membership. In Austria the project has made a strong impact with the Upper Austria Labour Department providing Die Querdenker with €50,000 to work with NEET YP. In Italy, Antares is developing a gamification tool to support teachers/VET to work with young people who are NEET including young migrants. In the UK GEMS NI and TIME have received interest and commendation from the NI Education and Training Inspectorate with GEMS NI being asked to present on how the model measures distance travelled and soft skills. The project is also being highlighted in international NEET research undertaken by Professor Sue Maguire, University of Bath and the work of Professor Robin Simmons, University of Huddersfield; both academics are recognised as experts in the NEET field