SteelCityZen program

Project Name: Diversifying labour markets in industrial cities of the Danube Region via enhanced stakeholder cooperation & skills matchmaking to support local transitions & promote long-term sustainable development

Project acronym: SteelCityZen

About the Project

SteelCityZen is a transnational cooperation project funded by the Danube Region Programme, uniting 11 partners from 9 countries to tackle a shared challenge across the Danube Region: the vulnerability of (mono)industrial cities facing economic transformation. These cities, often reliant on a single, resource-intensive industry, are particularly exposed to employment risks linked to structural shifts, such as green and digital transitions.

The project aims to empower these municipalities to diversify their local labour markets and support inclusive, sustainable development. This will be achieved through strengthened stakeholder cooperation, improved coordination between municipalities and employment actors, and the development of innovative tools for local skills assessment and matchmaking.

Partners:

Main Objectives

• To support industrial cities in transitioning towards more diverse and resilient labour markets.
• To strengthen local capacities in managing re-skilling, up-skilling, and employment services.
• To enhance cooperation between municipalities, employers, and public employment services.
• To promote social inclusion by addressing the needs of vulnerable labour market groups.

Key Activities

• Pilot Actions in 8 cities to test and validate new models of labour market interventions, including:
  • A digital platform for local skills needs assessment and job matching.
  • Community-based spaces for labour market dialogue and co-creation.
  • Long-term cooperation frameworks between local governments and employers.
• Development of joint strategies and action plans to guide future labour market policies.
• Capacity building events for public officials, employment experts, and local stakeholders.
• Transnational knowledge exchange to ensure replicability across the region.

This project is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme co-funded by the European Union.