The CORE project was officially launched in February 2025 with a kick-off meeting in Brussels, bringing together a dynamic consortium of partners from across Europe. Over the next three years, our mission is to develop practical, collaborative, and sustainable solutions to improve employment opportunities for young people in rural and agricultural settings.
At the heart of CORE lies a strong commitment to social inclusion, collaboration, and empowerment. The project aims not only to analyse the structural barriers young people face, but also to give rural youth the tools, knowledge, and voice they need to shape their own futures and to influence the public policies that affect them.
Project overview and key objectives
The CORE project aims to make a meaningful impact by focusing on three specific objectives:
- Strengthen Alliances: We will foster collaboration among rural and farmers’ youth organisations through shared knowledge and social studies. This includes developing the
CORE Knowledge Hub as an online resource for exchanging information and best practices, expanding outreach through diverse consortium actors, and advocating for youth by creating synergies with key social actors to influence public policies. Our ultimate goal is to establish a European think tank dedicated to rural and agricultural youth. - Raise Awareness: Our mission is to highlight the specific problems and challenges faced by rural and agricultural youth in the labour market. We will achieve this by organising and participating in advocacy events to disseminate project results widely, securing extensive dissemination coverage through various communication channels, and tracking the impact of our awareness-raising efforts to refine strategies.
- Propose Solutions: CORE is committed to developing actionable and policy-oriented solutions through cross-sectoral dialogue. This involves establishing cross-sectoral dialogue forums at both European and national levels, proposing concrete policy solutions based on research and identified best practices, and monitoring and evaluating the implementation of these solutions through the CORE Policy Watch within the think tank framework.
The team behind CORE
The CORE consortium is led by the European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA), and includes:
- Rural Youth Europe (RYE)
- Nederlands Agrarisch Jongeren Kontakt (NAJK)
- Junge Landwirtschaft Österreich (JLW)
- Wageningen University & Research (WUR)
- OnProjects (OnP)
Together, these partners bring extensive expertise in youth advocacy, agricultural development, education, and EU policy. Their shared vision: a Europe where rural young people have equal access to opportunities, strong representation, and a meaningful role in shaping their communities’ future.
What comes next?
The first phase of the project will focus on research and dialogue. Wageningen University & Research will lead the development of the report “Assessing Youth Employability in Agriculture and Rural Communities: A Comprehensive Overview”. This publication will provide crucial insights to guide our future actions and inform policy recommendations. At the same time, partners will begin building the CORE Knowledge Hub and launching the first advocacy activities to amplify youth voices across Europe.
Stay tuned and follow us on our journey as we work towards a brighter future for rural and agricultural youth employment in Europe!
LinkedIn: CORE Rural Initiative
Instagram: @core.rural.eu