Collective Action Paves the Way for Young People to Enter Society

Social innovation in practice: When 45,000 young people are neither in work nor in education, and that number has not changed significantly in decades, we need to think beyond short-term projects and large-scale reforms, says Anna Mollerup, director of Paths for Everyone.

“I had no structure. I went to school whenever I wanted, which was very rarely, and the rest of the time I was just at home, getting drunk and doing things I shouldn’t have.” (Youth Stories,Paths for Everyone, 2022).

Behind the statistics on young people who are neither in work nor in education lie some harrowing stories. Youths struggling with substance abuse, depression, and bullying. Loneliness, helplessness, and adults who have shattered their belief in their own abilities.

In the Paths for Everyone initiative, approximately 40 partners from across society Paths for Everyone to find new pathways into the broader communities of work and education for and with the many thousands of young people who are excluded. This challenge has existed for decades, but the approach taken by Paths for Everyone new.  

Paths for Everyone the space between practice, knowledge, and policy, and connects what works across the myriad of initiatives and projects,” says Director Anna Mollerup. “We’re trying to highlight shared lessons learned to drive the overall transformation of the support and assistance systems for young people.”

STORIES OF CHANGE

How do we showcase the change we’re creating? This is a question that comes up frequently among many who are working toward long-term social change.

In 2025/26, Danish Social Innovation Academy is working Danish Social Innovation Academy create new stories of change based on the Academy’s own work and the stories of its members. To this end, the secretariat has gathered knowledge and experiences from members through logbooks, qualitative interviews, surveys, and observations.

Throughout the summer and fall, you’ll have the opportunity to meet a number of members and learn more about what they’ve gained from the Academy and the difference they’re making in society.

Took place at the Academy

Traditionally, since the 1980s, the youth sector has been characterized by a “project-based” approach on the one hand—where many innovative initiatives are continuously developed and tested at the local level—and, on the other hand, by comprehensive national initiatives or reforms that have periodically sought to address issues once and for all. Paths for Everyone on connecting existing knowledge and experience. “In many areas, we know very well what works, but as a system as a whole, we’re just really bad at delivering it,” says Anna Mollerup.

Paths for Everyone as an idea at Danish Social Innovation Academy 2021, where The Danish Reform Commission Smith, then-chair of The Danish Reform Commission , gave a presentation on the Commission’s work to get young people into jobs and education. A number of Academy members then joined forces to ensure that young people’s own experiences were incorporated into the process. Today, Paths for Everyone exists Paths for Everyone an association and an independent national actor that has provided input to both The Danish Reform Commission the government’s employment reform and has become a partner in the government’s Ungeløftet initiative.

A Committed Community

The mission continues to be driven by social innovation and collective action, where stakeholders work together to develop new approaches and gather and connect insights to lay the groundwork for better solutions.  “There’s a difference between developing local projects that test an idea and working strategically to create innovation that delivers value that can be seen and measured at scale,” Anna Mollerup points out.

“When we talk about welfare innovation in Denmark, it usually comes down to trying out ideas. This happens in a fragmented way, without a long-term perspective on the process of developing, testing, learning, adjusting, and testing again and again. That process is necessary if we want real innovation. At Paths for Everyone , we Paths for Everyone be the catalyst that provides the capacity and cross-sectoral perspective needed across the youth sector.”

At the heart of “A Path for All” is a series of smaller working communities or groups in which, for example, municipalities, businesses, organisations young experts by experience work on making the employment system far more youth-friendly. And this partnership is a binding commitment, Anna Mollerup emphasizes. “You bring your practical experience into the discussion. For example, a municipality must be willing to open the doors to its youth programs and dare to question the status quo and try new approaches—including organizational and managerial ones—where it makes sense.”

Stand in the space

The working groups are linked to key advocacy organisations decision-makers, who commit to regularly monitoring the process and contributing their knowledge and experience. “This gives us a direct link to those who can influence and adjust the major levers of society. Our intention is to serve as a laboratory for bridging the gap between the front door and the back door—to connect development and implementation in a far more systematic way, as requested by many stakeholders.”

Anna Mollerup calls for more actors who, in other areas, can bridge the gaps between organisations, knowledge, and agendas—between policy and practice. Actors who can bring together different types of stakeholders to learn together and foster dialogue about what works and what barriers need to be removed to bring about change. To shed light on these issues and bring them to the attention of decision-makers on an ongoing basis. “If we want to maintain a welfare society in which our children and grandchildren can thrive and take pride, then I believe that these types organisations essential in the future.”