• The main constraints young people face when embarking on a life project in rural areas are related to the lack of job opportunities and the difficulty of accessing housing.
• Local Action Groups are key players in empowering young people in the region through participatory processes and innovative tools that allow them to be involved in decision-making.

The lack of job opportunities, limited leisure options, and the difficulty finding housing in rural areas are some of the reasons why many young people decide to seek new opportunities in urban areas. To reverse this situation, it is important to publicize and explain the resources available in rural areas, both tangible and intangible, that seek to take advantage of competitive advantages and encourage young people to stay in the region.

Innovation + Training = sustainable development

To achieve this, one of the fundamental and necessary resources is training . In this context, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has promoted various studies and specific actions to address generational change and encourage the incorporation of young people into the agricultural sector. Of particular note are the Study on the Training Needs of Rural Youth , the Focus Group on Access to Land , and the CULTIVA Program , a new training resource that facilitates practical knowledge for young people working in the agricultural sector.

Along these lines, it's worth highlighting the importance of intergenerational knowledge generated jointly by young people and adults. Fernando Pimentel, a professor at the Rey Juan Carlos University and guest speaker at the conference, pointed out how training should be the tool for bringing about change: training with innovation and practical application, incorporating the experience of each and every one of the actors involved in the process.

The role of the GAL

Five Local Action Groups , which have worked to empower young people, participated in this LEADER experience exchange.

1. ODISSEU is a Catalan LEADER cooperation project coordinated by the Consorci Alt Urgell-Cerdanya LAG. The project aims to promote the return and resettlement of young people in their rural areas of origin. To achieve this, it relies on the involvement of the main stakeholders involved in this transition, from universities and training centers to local businesses and administrations involved in rural development policies.
2. Mediating in the Valley is a project coordinated by the Guadalhorce Valley Regional Government (Andalusia) with the goal of empowering young people in the region by designing an active participation program in the region. This project involves schools and teachers to train young people as mediators through conflict resolution and emotional intelligence. It is organized through various workshops held in different parts of the region.
3. Young Rural Dynamizers , a cooperation project coordinated by the ADEFO Cinco Villas LAG , launched in 2010 and involving the 13 LAGs in Aragon. This project aims to create a network of young people capable of energizing and transforming their region by promoting participation through sustainable tools and structures so that young people can develop professional, social, and personal initiatives.
4. The Plan for Innovation and Social and Economic Revitalization of Rural Youth to Maintain Local Establishment and Combat Depopulation is promoted by the GAL TAGUS (Tagus Group) in Extremadura. It combines advice, technical support, entrepreneurship, innovation, and research to revitalize the region and work with young people, linking training and business creation through the Design Thinking methodology. These include, among other things, the launch of MOOC courses , a virtual project incubator , and a project bank for the Tajo-Salor-Almonte region.
5. JR21 Cantabria is a Cantabrian cooperation project, coordinated by the GAL Saja - Nansa and whose main objective is the empowerment of youth in rural areas, facilitating, among other things, their more active participation in democratic life, thus offering opportunities and alternatives for young people to support their regions.

The event also included a space for participation and discussion where attendees could share their own experiences, ask the speakers questions they had during the presentations, and reflect on the obstacles, difficulties, and limitations young people face when embarking on a future in rural areas.

All information about this meeting can be found here , as well as on the RRN social networks, Twitter and Facebook .