The CrafTS project – Crafting Futures: Empowering Youth Through Traditional Skills – under the Erasmus+ program (KA210-YOU – Small-scale partnerships in youth) addresses the issue of youth unemployment in rural areas of Europe by combining training in traditional craft trades with the development of digital skills. At the European level, youth unemployment reached 14.9% in December 2023, affecting primarily young people who are NEET (not in education, employment, or training). Lacking educational and employment opportunities, young people find themselves in a critical situation. Furthermore, a significant digital skills gap has been identified among young Europeans: 42% lack basic digital skills (European Commission, 2023), which limits their opportunities in a digitalized labor market.

The CrafTS project helps young people—particularly NEETs—improve their employability, while also supporting artisans in revitalizing endangered crafts and promoting cultural heritage.

By promoting innovation, online marketing, and sustainable business models, CrafTS creates opportunities for young people and artisans to collaborate, expand their markets, and strengthen local economies.

The idea was to offer young people concrete tools to build their own future.

The project lasted 12 months (April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026) with a total budget of €60,000.00 and involved four partner organizations from three European countries:

•    Ribadavia City Council (Spain) – coordinator
•    Formative Footprint (Spain) – digital training
•    Wise Planet Associação (Portugal) – sustainability and dissemination
•    Studio GDAC Avvocati Associati (Italy) – quality, legal, and business aspects

The initiative combined practical training, international cooperation, and dissemination activities with the aim of creating new professional opportunities for young people and preserving the cultural heritage linked to traditional craftsmanship.

2. Project Objectives

The CrafTS project was developed to address some common challenges in European rural areas, including the loss of traditional crafts and the difficulties young people face in finding employment.

The project’s main objectives were:

• Reduce youth unemployment, particularly among NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) in rural areas.
• Enhance and preserve traditional crafts by encouraging the transfer of skills between experienced artisans and young people.
• Develop digital and marketing skills to enable young people to promote and market artisanal products on online marketplaces.
• Promote local economic sustainability through circular economy models and collaboration between young people and artisans.

These objectives are fully aligned with the Erasmus+ programme priorities relating to youth employment, innovation in youth work, and digital transformation.

Project Targets

Direct Recipients
• Young NEETs between 18 and 30 years old
• Experienced Craftspeople

Indirect Recipients
• SMEs in the craft sector
• Local Communities
• Local and Regional Authorities

3. Activities Implemented

The project was structured around two main activities, integrated to combine practical learning and digital skills development.

3.1 Traditional Crafts Workshops and Fairs

The first activity involved organizing workshops and fairs dedicated to traditional crafts in the partner countries.

The main actions implemented were:

• Conducting research on European best practices in the revival of traditional crafts;
• Drafting a report on best practices at the European level;
• Organization of four local workshops and fairs, one for each partner;
• Involvement of experienced artisans;
• Organization of a transnational meeting with youth mobility to exchange experiences among participants.

These activities allowed young participants to acquire practical skills and come into direct contact with professionals in the artisan sector.

We organized workshops where young participants had the opportunity to learn directly from expert artisans. 

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On 10 October 2025, the STOMEO – ZIMBALO School in Lecce hosted an engaging day of activities: a thematic seminar followed by three hands-on workshops designed specifically for young learners. The event created a meaningful exchange between students, experts and master artisans.
We warmly thank Principal Elisabetta Tundo, Marcello De Giorgi (Director of CNA Lecce), and Guido Crastolla (Partner of GDAC) for their contributions, as well as the artisans Antonio Natale, Luigi Martano, and Antonio Caroli, who brought their skills, stories, and passion directly into the classroom.

This was not only an opportunity for training, but also an important opportunity for dialogue between generations.

Young people were able to discover the value of artisanal skills, while artisans shared their experience and passion. 

Transnational Project Meeting & Youth Mobility – CrafTS Project
From 3 to 6 November 2025, partners of the CrafTS – Crafting Futures, Empowering Youth Through Traditional Skills project gathered in Ribadavia, Spain, for an intense week of collaboration, learning, and cultural exchange.
 The meeting also included a youth mobility experience, giving young participants the opportunity to explore traditional crafts directly through workshops and field activities.
On 4 November, Studio GDAC delivered an inspiring presentation and hands-on workshop titled:
 “What Traditional Crafts Are and Which Trades Are at Risk of Disappearing.”
Starting from a simple exercise — imagining a craft through a sound, an image, or a memory — the workshop explored the cultural, social and economic value of traditional professions, and the crucial role they play in today’s communities.
 Participants reflected on:
🔹 the meaning of traditional crafts as living cultural heritage
 🔹 the challenges threatening their survival (industrialisation, lack of generational renewal, low visibility)
 🔹 the economic potential of artisanal professions when combined with modern technologies
 🔹 strategies to safeguard endangered crafts through training, innovation, sustainability, and community networks

The message at the core of the workshop was clear:
Craftsmanship is not a profession of the past — it is an opportunity for the future.
By connecting tradition and innovation, young people can rediscover meaningful careers rooted in identity, creativity, and sustainability.
This transnational meeting strengthened cooperation among partners from different countries and reaffirmed the mission of the CrafTS project: empowering youth, preserving craftsmanship, and promoting cultural resilience across Europe.

3.2 Awareness-raising and digital training campaigns

The second activity aimed to strengthen participants’ digital skills and improve the visibility of artisanal products. Today, even the most traditional sectors must contend with an increasingly digital market.

The main actions included:

• development of educational materials on digital transformation for small businesses;
• creation of a Digital Communication Training Guide, a practical guide for the online promotion of artisanal products;
• production of 10 Learning Nuggets, short training videos on digital marketing, social media, and e-commerce;
• organization of four multiplier events to disseminate the project’s results.

These activities have helped connect traditional artisanal skills with the opportunities offered by the digital market.

A Digital Communication Training Guide has been developed, covering methodologies for social media, e-commerce, and marketing, explaining the various steps needed to increase artisans’ online visibility, strengthen business resilience, and improve young people’s employability.

A brochure has also been created that briefly explains the steps outlined in the guide: how to build a strong artisanal identity in the digital age, marketing strategies for artisan businesses, digital communication tools, how to sell online, digital sustainability and the economy, business skills for artisans, training and mentoring, and how to expand through collaboration.

10 Learning Nuggets (short, practical videos on SEO, Instagram, and AI for artisans) have been created – SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Essentially, it’s the set of techniques and strategies used to make a website, article, or product appear higher in Google (or other search engine) results without paying for advertising.

CRAFTS – 10 LEARNING NUGGETS ->

On March 10th, 2026, the final conference of the European project CrafTS – Crafting Futures: Empowering Youth Through Traditional Skills, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme (KA210-YOU), took place in Lecce at the headquarters of the National Confederation of Artisans.

The event was an important opportunity to present the results achieved during the 18 months of project implementation, which involved partners from Spain, Portugal and Italy with the common goal of addressing youth unemployment in rural areas.
Through training activities, international cooperation and knowledge exchange between experienced artisans and young people, the project promoted:
• the preservation and promotion of traditional crafts
• the development of digital and marketing skills
• new employment opportunities for NEET youth
• sustainable local economic models

During the conference, partners shared the outcomes of the project activities and discussed future perspectives for supporting traditional craftsmanship as a driver of cultural and economic development.
Special thanks to the project partners:
Ribadavia City Council (Spain) – Coordinator
Formative Footprint (Spain)
Wise Planet Associação (Portugal)
Studio GDAC Avvocati Associati (Italy)
And to everyone who contributed to the success of this initiative..

4. Results achieved

The project has produced significant results, both educationally and socially and economically.

Quantitative results

• 160 young people involved in training activities and workshops;
• 12 experienced artisans involved as trainers;
• 4 workshops and traditional crafts fairs organized in partner countries;
• 10 Learning Nuggets developed for digital training;
• 4 multiplier events to disseminate project results;
• Wide dissemination of the activities through publications on social media and Erasmus+ platforms.

Qualitative Results

The project contributed to:

• improving young people’s employability by providing technical and digital skills;
• raising awareness of the value of traditional crafts;
• fostering collaboration between young people, artisans, and local businesses;
• strengthening the competitiveness of artisanal activities through digital tools;
• creating a European network of young entrepreneurs and artisans.

5. Project Impact

The project had a positive impact on several levels:

Young Participants

Young people acquired new professional and digital skills, improving their employment or self-employment prospects.

Artisans and Local Businesses

The involved artisans benefited from increased visibility and new skills for the digital promotion of their products.

Local Communities

Rural communities benefited from the valorization of cultural heritage and the promotion of economic activities related to artisanship and cultural tourism.

Partner Organizations

The involved organizations strengthened their international cooperation capabilities and developed new training tools that can also be used in future projects.

6. Sustainability and Future Prospects

The project’s results will continue to be used even after its conclusion.

Specifically:

• The training materials developed will be used in future educational programs;
• Collaborations between young people and artisans will continue to be promoted at the local level;
• Fairs and events dedicated to traditional crafts could become regular initiatives in the communities involved;
• The digital resources created will remain available to support new young entrepreneurs.

The CrafTS project has demonstrated how European collaboration can make a concrete contribution to promoting youth employment and enhancing cultural heritage.

Through the combination of practical training, digital skills, and international cooperation, the project has created new opportunities for young people and helped strengthen the role of traditional crafts in the contemporary economy.

CrafTS therefore represents an example of good practice in the field of European youth policies, capable of combining innovation, tradition, and sustainable development.