Youth

Abstract

Social and solidarity economy (SSE) is a sector that has become highly relevant for the youth as a social group, mainly because of the rising challenges that youth face in contemporary society. These challenges are related to the vulnerability of transition from childhood to adulthood that occurs in a complex, fast-changing society, and include unemployment, inadequate training and education, lack of trust and (political) participation, at-risk behaviour and delinquency. The entry offers some insights into how SSE organisations and enterprises (SSEOEs) offer various tools and models that may strengthen young people's skills and capacities to participate and co-create solutions in their own communities in a meaningful way. Several examples of good practices of youth-led or youth-oriented SSEOEs serve as an illustration of how SSE could be used to address and overcome contemporary youth challenges.