Insights from Youth@Work Digital Competences Forum
Milena Milicevic delivered workshops: ‘‘How to Collaborate on Future of Work Projects as an Ecosystem?’’
During December 12 – 15, 2025 Milena Milicevic, INAT centre founder and project manager, presented results of KA2 Erasmus+ project at Youth@Work Digital Competences Forum in Antalya, Turkey as a guest lecturer.Youth@Work Partnership on Youth Employability and Entrepreneurship was established in January 2018 as an institutional alliance of 11 Erasmus+ National Agencies (NAs) and 4 SALTO-YOUTH Resource Centres (SALTOs).
This program is implemented under a joint strategy, supported by the Transnational Cooperation Activities (TCA) budget line of the Erasmus+ EU Programme and by the NET budget line of the European Solidarity Corps. In reality for Youth@Work Partnership, this means that NAs and SALTOs can follow a common vision, work collaboratively and increase the impact of their work.
Youth@Work event in Antalya was organized around five thematic clusters, each addressing a key aspect of digital competences and their impact across different fields. During the event, sessions under these clusters took place concurrently so that participants can choose the topics most relevant to their interests and expertise. The workshop topics and Youth@Work operate around these 5 clusters:
– Cluster 1 – Current and Emerging Digital Competences
– Cluster 2 – Digital Competence Development: Across All Sectors
– Cluster 3 – Youth Work and Digital Competences
– Cluster 4 – AI & Future of the Labour Market
– Cluster 5 – The use of digitalization and digital tools for better employment
Milena Milicevic delivered two workshops to audiences which are committed about digital competences for young people. Her workshop topic was: ‘‘How to Collaborate on Future of Work Projects as an Ecosystem?’’ and it belonged to Cluster 5.
Workshop participants were educators, youth workers, facilitators, policy makers, and corporate innovators who are driven about employment projects. There were attendees from the host country Turkey, as well as the EU countries, Western Balkans, and Eastern Partnership countries. The only ‘‘requirement’’ for workshop participants was that they like working across sectors and enjoy creating value in the future of work field.
In the photos below you can see the workshop atmosphere.
Workshop participants learned about the 2026 future of work methodologies that they can implement in their team and wider ecosystems. We went beyond the trends and analyzed what modes of collaboration are timeless and what tools need to be harnessed in an innovative way.
In the first part, we explored the 90-page toolkit from the Erasmus+ project The Roadmap for Jobs of the Future as well as Digi Comp framework and YouthPass competences.
Thanks to interactive segments of the workshop and a bit of theoretical groundwork, participants learned how to:
- move between strategic vision and everyday operations
- create new ideas so that the wider ecosystem benefits from it
- harness cross-sectoral collaboration
- attract support, alignment and funding
- grow their team for effective project management
- map out needs of beneficiaries in employment projects
- use AI and digital competences in a responsible way
- manage presence on digital channels, while they also experience deep work and create boundaries
In the second part of the workshop, we simulated briefly working on the employment projects that matter in attendees’ everyday work. Within smaller groups, participants were encouraged to develop case studies aka mini projects about employment that may lead to comprehensive Erasmus+ or other EU project applications.
The feedback from participants was lovely. It was evident that they obtained more clarity and tools so that their everyday work becomes more fulfilling, effective and creative.
Milena also had the chance to meet colleagues from the previous Youth@Work event in Budapest, with whom future opportunities for project applications may arouse. She visited two workshops of fellow lecturers: Dinç Sarayköylü and Khalid Miah. Likewise, during the event, all participants would gather in the ‘‘bigger room’’ for certain activities: the event opening, expert panel, the networking fair of organisations, harvesting of the feedback, evaluation and announcing next projects.
Dinç Sarayköylü, the project manager and youth worker from Turkey delivered the workshop on the topic ‘‘How AI thinks?’’ The workshop was highly engaging and participants experienced in interactive online and offline activities that AI inputs may be misleading from time to time. Participants also learned where human skills can outperform AI skills and how to harness the potential of it.
The second workshop was conducted by Khalid Miah, the project manager from the Association of Commonwealth Universities in the UK. Khalid spoke about AI, digital competences and the future labour market. During a group exercise, workshop participants also designed AI-assisted solution for real youth challenges. It was discussed how youth workers can use AI as an effective tool, without over-relying on it and experiencing brain rot and mental fog. Attendees confirmed that in some cases young people can measure micro-learning achievements with AI. Yet it is critically important that they also dedicate time for offline activities: recharging in nature, mindful hobbies, nourishing meals and adequate rest.
To conclude, Milena treasures plenty of fun memories from Youth@Work event and the visit to Antalya. It was a wonderful opportunity to mark the closing of INAT centre’s KA2 project and to build new connections in this meaningful pan-European initiative. We remain open for future collaborations in 2026. Special thanks to Turkish National Agency and Youth@work partnerships team for superb organisation and learning opportunities.
