In the Netherlands, one in four young adults lives with mental health and/or brain-related conditions. These individuals, particularly those from minoritized backgrounds (e.g., those in low socio-economic positions, or from migrant, refugee or ethnic minority backgrounds), face persistent and intersecting barriers during education-to-employment transitions. Current support systems are fragmented, while interventions remain rooted in one-size-fits-all approaches and lack systemic attention to structural inequalities and individualized needs and strengths.
This project aims to co-create an integrated, multilevel framework that explains how individual, organizational, and societal factors dynamically interact to shape the transition from education to sustainable employment among minoritized young adults with mental health and/or brain-related conditions. Using a participatory, strengths-based approach, the project combines empirical evidence, stakeholder perspectives, and lived experience to identify leverage points for intervention and structural change.
The consortium brings together experts in psychology, neurodevelopment, education, labor participation, public health, and lived experience from Universities, Universities of applied sciences, and societal partners.
Through four interconnected work packages, this consortium will: (1) develop an integrated conceptual framework for sustainable employment pathways; (2) translate this framework into a stakeholder-driven collaborative data design embedded in existing digital infrastructures, enabling personalized monitoring and predictive modeling of transition dynamics; (3) co-create inclusive, strength-based practices with employers, educators, and service providers to support long-term job retention; and (4) establish a cross-sector learning community to foster ongoing collaboration, accountability, and system-level change.
Expected outcomes include improved sustainable employability and mental well-being among young adults, strengthened coordination across education, health, and employment systems, and the institutionalization of inclusive and adaptive practices for inclusive education-to-employment transitions. By shifting from deficit-based to strengths-based paradigms, and from fragmented to integrated support structures, this project advances scientific understanding and practical innovation in inclusive labor market transitions. As such, it aligns with the goals of the NWA-NPH call by addressing societal challenges through interdisciplinary, co-creative, and system-oriented approaches.
